• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.11-14
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• 2001

In this study, the relationship between metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn. Pb, and Fe) 5 fractions and toxicity of soil samples from various contaminated sites in Korea were investigated. Metal toxicity of soils was tested using MetPLATE$^{TM}$ test kit, which is known as metal sensitive and organic insensitive. Significant amount of Fe was found in soils, and metal contents were in the order of Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd. Metal levels in organic fraction were rather high for all metals except Fe, and quite high percentages (35~79%) for residual fraction were observed for all metals. There were no significant relationships between the content of each metal fraction and toxicity which showed regression $R^2$in the range of 0.0003~0.414. However, correlation between toxicity and total metal contents showed regression coefficient $R^2$= 0.72. These results showed that the risk evaluation of metals in contaminated sites should be difficult to assess only by the contents of metal distribution because of the complexity of mixture of various metals.s.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2007

Toxicity of metal plating wastewater was evaluated by using acute toxicity tests on Daphnia magna. To identify toxicants of metal plating wastewater, several manipulations such as solid phase extraction (SPE), ion exchange and graduated pH adjustment were used. The SPE test had no significant effect on baseline toxicity, suggesting absence of toxic non-polar organics in metal plating wastewater. However, anion exchange largely decreased the baseline toxicity by 88%, indicating the causative toxicants were inorganic anions. Considering high concentration of chromium in metal plating wastewater, it is thought the anion is Cr(VI) species. Graduated pH test showing independence of the toxicity on pH change strongly supports this assumption. However, as revealed by toxicity confirmation experiment, the initial toxicity of metal plating wastewater (24-h TU=435) was not explained only by Cr(VI) (24-h TU = 725 at $280\;mg\;L^{-1}$). Addition of nickel($29.5\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and copper ($26.5\;mg\;L^{-1}$) largely decreased the chromium toxicity up to 417 TU, indicating antagonistic interaction between heavy metals. This heavy metal interaction was successfully predicted by an equation of 24-h $TU\;=\;3.67\;{\times}\;\ln([Cu]\;+\;[Ni])\;+\;79.44$ at a fixed concentration of chromium.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.287-293
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• 2007

Heavy metal contamination and biological toxicity of mine drainages and sediments in abandoned mines were studied. Mine drainages had pH at a range of 2.94~7.86, and contained heavy metals at a toxic level. For coal mines, toxicity of mine drainage to Daphnia magna was attributable to acidic pH. In addition to the low pH, suspended heavy metals such as Zn and Cu contributed to toxicity of mine drainages at abandoned metalliferous mines. All mine sediments studied in this work showed biological toxicity to Chironomus riparius, having mortality at a range of 15~60%. However, its relationship with physicochemical properties including heavy metal content of the sediments was not statistically explained. Exceptionally clay ($< 2{\mu}m$ particle) content was negatively correlated with the biological toxicity for sediment samples collected at the same abandoned mines.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-138
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to review size, shape, and crystal structure-dependent toxicity of major metal oxide particles such as silicon dioxide, tungsten trioxide, aluminum oxide, and titanium dioxide as byproducts generated in semiconductor fabrication facility. Methods: To review the toxicity of major metal oxide particles, we used various reported research and review papers. The papers were searched by using websites such as Google Scholar and PubMed. Keyword search terms included '$SiO_2$(or $WO_3$ or $Al_2O_3$ or $TiO_2$) toxicity', 'health effects $SiO_2$(or $WO_3$ or $Al_2O_3$ or $TiO_2$). Additional papers were identified in references cited in the searched papers. Results: In various cell lines and organs of human and animals, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, hepatoxicity, fetotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and histopathological changes were induced by silicon dioxide, tungsten trioxide, aluminium oxide, and titanium dioxide particles. Differences in toxicity were dependent on the cell lines, organs, doses, as well as the chemical composition, size, surface area, shape, and crystal structure of the particles. However, the doses used in the reported papers were higher than the possible exposure level in general work environment. Oxidative stress induced by the metal oxide particles plays a significant role in the expression of toxicity. Conclusions: The results cannot guarantee human toxicity of the metal oxide particles, because there is still a lack of available information about health effects on humans. In addition, toxicological studies under the exposure conditions in the actual work environment are needed.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 2003

A rapid, inexpensive enzymatic method is proposed for indirect water quality testing in terms of heavy metal toxicity. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was applied for heavy metal toxicity test as an effective criterion in water quality. The toxicity of Pb (lead) and Cd (cadmium) for water flea, Moina macrocopa, were evaluated for 2-8 days with variables of mobilization ability. And the reproduction impairment of Moina macrocopa were investigated as the parameter of chronic toxicity test for Pb and Cd. As a result, the EC$_{50}$ for immobilization of Moina macrocopa were Pb and Cd were 1.6749 and 0.4683, respectively. The values of reproductive impairment to Moina macrocopa for Pb and Cd were 9.5938 and 8.3264 in EC$_{50}$ A significant alteration of G6PDH (Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) activity of Moina macrocopa was observed when Cd and Pb were treated in media. The results obtained indicate that G6PDH activity of Moina macrocopa can be used as an indicative parameter in aquatic toxicity tests for heavy metals.als.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1298-1307
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the inhibition effects of single and mixed heavy metal ions ($Zn^{2+},\;Ni^{2+},\;Cu^{2+},\;and\;Cd^{2+}$) on iron oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Effects of metals on the iron oxidation activity of A. ferrooxidans are categorized into four types of patterns according to its oxidation behavior. The results indicated that the inhibition effects of the metals on the iron oxidation activity were noncompetitive inhibitions. We proposed a reduced inhibition model, along with the reduced inhibition constant ($\alpha_i$), which was derived from the inhibition constant ($K_I$) of individual metals and represented the tolerance of a given inhibitor relative to that of a reference inhibitor. This model was used to evaluate the toxicity effect (inhibition effect) of metals on the iron oxidation activity of A. ferrooxidans. The model revealed that the iron oxidation behavior of the metals, regardless of metal systems (single, binary, ternary, or quaternary), is closely matched to that of any reference inhibitor at the same reduced inhibition concentration, $[I]_{reduced}$, which defines the ratio of the inhibitor concentration to the reduced inhibition constant. The model demonstrated that single metal systems and mixed metal systems with the same reduced inhibitor concentrations have similar toxic effects on microbial activity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2004

Aim of the present study was the development of a bioassay which enables the detection of toxic effects of heavy metal ions to a bacterium, Escherichia coli. Inhibition effects of the metals on growth rates of the bacterium were studied in the absence or presence of fulvic acid. This method does not clearly differentiate among metals, but does detect overall AGB inhibition rate (toxicity) for 5 different heavy metals. The toxicity of the metals in the absence of fulvic acid in the same testing conditions was significantly increased in following order: Hg < Pb, Zn < Cd < Cu, whereas the inhibition rate (toxicity) in the presence of FA was shown to be increased In following order: Cd < Pb, Hg < Cu < Zn. The results of the present study indicate that this simple and fast biomonitoring assay with direct exposure of E coli. might be a valuable supplement to analytical methods of contaminated media.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.175-182
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• 1993

Volatilization of toxic heavy metals, especially, metal chlorides at elevated temperatures in oxidation conditions was observed using a thermogravimetric furnace since such metal chlorides used to be a cause for the disease of industrial workers by their toxicity and high volatile extent. Most of tested metal chloride compounds were evaporated or decomposed into gas phase at elevated temperatures ranged from 200~90$0^{\circ}C$, while CrCl$_3$ and NiC1$_2$became stable with converting into oxide forms. A kinetic model for evaporation/condensation could predict maximum evaporation flux and the calculated values were compared with real evaporation flux. The ratio of two fluxes could be explained as the fraction of impinging gas molecules to the condensing surface( $\alpha$ ) and obtained in the range of 10$^{-3}$ ~10$^{-9}$ for the experimented toxic heavy metal chlorides. This ratio might be used to define the volatile extent or toxicity of such toxic metal compounds. The schemes to avoid volatilization of toxic heavy metals Into the atmosphere were suggested as follows ; 1 ) controlling the compositions of metals and Chlorine produced substances( such as PVC ) in the treated materials using a reverse estimation from regulatory limit and characteristics of a processing facility, 2) Installation of wet type devices such as a scrubber for condensing the metal compounds.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2014

This study was conducted to examine the functionality of the fire retardant treated wood. The hygroscopic property, leaching resistance, metal corrosive efficacy and gas toxicity of retardant treated wood were analyzed. Sodium silicate was penetrated to the wood for making fire retardant treated wood. The subsequent treatment agents such as boric acid, ammonium borate, di-ammonium phosphate were treated after sodium silicate treatment due to fixation. As results for the test, the leaching resist was improved by subsequent treatment. The fire retardant combination such as sodium silicate, boric acid and di-ammonium phosphate showed high hygroscopic property, metal corrosive efficacy. The gas toxicity was also satisfied KS standard.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.1303-1308
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• 2003

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper and lead) on the seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, and examinated the removal effects of biostone and green tea on the heavy metal toxicity. Cadmium and chromium among the four heavy metals had no effect on the seed germination even in the concentration fifty times higher than in the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust notified by the Ministry of Environment. However, seeds were not germinated in the concentration of copper ten times higher and in the concentration of lead fifty times higher than the official standard concentration. When seeds were sown in the solutions of lead (15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/L) and copper(15 and 20 mg/L), the seed germination rates were 0％ and less than 10％, respectively. However, when biostone(3 g/30 $m\ell$) was added, the seed germination rate was 100％ in all the concentrations. The germination rate was 100％ in distilled water and copper solution (5 mg/L). However, green tea (0.2 g/30 $m\ell$) was added, the seed germination rate was 0％ in both. The results show that cadmiun and chromium had no effect on the seed germination, but lead and copper decreased the rate of seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, Biostone removed heavy metal toxicity, but green tea did not removed heavy metal toxicity during germination.