• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.108-113
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• 2000

Freshwater borne bacteria transformed with luxAB-containing plasmid were optimized for the toxicity tests of various organic carbons and heavy metals. The EC$\sub$50/ values obtained from tests using the most sensitive bacterium to toxicants, YH9-RC, revealed to be much less than those from the Microtox$\^$/. In addition, some physiological characteristics of this bacterium under the toxic stress conditions such as potential bioluminescence, specific growth rate, and intracellular ATP contents, reproducibly and reliably correlated to the toxicity of the chemicals exposed. The higher concentrations of COD in wastewater samples, the lower EC$\sub$50/ values, therefore the developed toxicity test was found to be easily applicable to the toxicity test for wastewater samples and effluents. The conditions for constructing 384-multiwell plate containing freeze-dried bacterium were also optimized through the addition of 0.16 M trehalose before freeze-drying. Consequently, the advanced test system featuring a continuous measurement of the toxicity, an automated real-time monitoring of its results, and an alerting function was designed and constructed in combination with the microbiological, mechanical, and electronic compartment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2005

This study was conducted to find suitable methods for screening organic resources useful for compost. Twenty-seven industrial and domestic sludges were collected from various cities and industrial areas. Contents of organic matters in the sludges were in the range of 79.3-98.0%, and the contents were much higher than the regulation level (60%) for raw materials of compost. Contents of total nitrogen were in the range of 0.8-2.6%. Contents of Fe and Al were very high. Content of HEM was highest in textile sludge ($257mg\;kg^{-1}$) and the contents in the others were in the range of $12.6-90.3mg\;kg^{-1}$. Content of PAHs was lowest in food sludge ($739.1{\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$ and pulp-mill sludge had the highest PAHs content ($3461.8{\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$). $Microtox^{(R)}$ $EC_{50}$ values were higher in the sludges which were classified as a possible material in composting after analysis and investigation. Lettuce root elongation and $EC_{50}$ values were relatively lower in pulp-mill sludge, sewage sludge 3 (Large city), food sludge and leather sludge. Therefore, mineral nutrients, heavy metals, organic compounds (HEM, PAHs, PCBs), and bioassay ($Microtox^{(R)}$ $EC_{50}$, Relative root elongation test) are recommended to be included in the screening system of raw material of compost in addition to the current regulation with organic matter and 8 heavy metals.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.403-408
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• 2014

The toxicity of heavy metals (Zn, Pb) and diesel, in single and binary solution was investigated using the photobacterium Vibrio fischeri (Microtox test) as a test organism. In this experiment, the concentration of water soluble fraction of diesel was based on the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). The toxicity of each single compound showed the following $EC_{50}$ (15min): Zn 1.90 mg/L, Pb 0.31 mg/L, TPH 2.09 mg/L. The observed toxicity of binary mixtures increased, depending on the concentration of the mixed substance. The effects were defined as synergistic, antagonistic, or additive, in accordance with the sign of difference between the predicted and observed toxicity at binary mixtures. The interactive effects between zinc and lead were synergistic, on the other hand, antagonistic and additive effects were found in each metal and TPH mixtures on the bioluminescence of V. fischeri.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2004

Two methods, a Ceriodaphnia algal uptake suppression test (CAUST) and a new toxicity test based on temperature control (TTBTC) which are based on feeding behaviour and temperature control, respectively, were developed and compared for the adoption as the better methodology for short-term toxicity screening. As previously published by Lee et aI., (1997), the CAUST method is based on the feeding behaviour of C. dubia and requires as little as 1 hour of contact time between C. dubia neonates and toxicant. However, even though CAUST requires only 1 hour of contact time, this method still take many hours for the preparation and measurement. Before the test starts, neonate digestive tracts were cleared by feeding yeast to the daphnids, Neonates were then exposed to toxicant, followed by addition of Scenedesmus subspiatus into the bioassay vessels. Daphnids were examined under the bright-field microscope with the presence of algae (indicated by a green colored digestive tract) or the absence of algae. Uptake indicated no toxic effect, whereas, absence of uptake indicated toxic inhibition. Unlike CAUST, the newly developed method (TTBTC) is based on just temperature control for the toxicity test of C. dubia. Initially, neonates are exposed to toxicants while the temperature of water bath containing media increased to $35.5^{\circ}C$. After 1.25 hour of contact time, the number of the daphnids, either live (no toxic effect) or dead (toxic effect), is counted without the aid of any instrument. In both methods, median effective concentrations ($EC_{50}$ values) were computed based on the results over a range of dosed toxicant concentrations. It showed that TTBTC was as sensitive as the standard 48-hour acute bioassay and CAUST. TTBTC and CAUST were much more sensitive than the I-hour I.Q. test and 30-minute Microtox. This study indicates that TTBTC is an easier and more rapid toxicity test than the standard 48-hour acute bioassay and even CAUST.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.345-350
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• 2005

Acute toxicities of five pharmaceutical products were evaluated with aquatic microbes, invertebrates, and fish. The test pharmaceuticals, i.e., cimetidine, carbamazepine, diltiazem, acetaminophene, and metformin have been often detected in aquatic environment, but theire cological hazard on receptors of various trophic levels has seldom been evaluated. In the present study, we conducted acute toxicity assays with a marine bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, an invertebrate, Daphnia magna, and a fish, Japanese medake (Oryzias latipes). In general, D. magna, showed the most sensitive response to the test chemicals. Diltiazem exhibited the lowest EC50 value after 96 hr of exposure at 7.6 mg/L, followed by cimetidine >acetaminophen > metformin = carbamazepine in an order of decreasing susceptibility. With the fish, diltiazem and carbamazepine showed the 96 hr EC50 values at 14.1${\sim}$35.4 mg/L while acetaminophen, cimetidine, and metformin did not cause 50% mortality at 100 mg/L. Similar pattern was noted with the Microtox Assay, with which the median effective concentrations for acetaminophen, cimetidine, and metformin were found at the range between 301.8 and 755.4 mg/L. Carbamazepine and diltiazem exposure to the microbes resulted in EC50 values around 50 mg/L. Predicted no effect concentrations (PECs) of these pharmaceuticals derived from the EC5O values obtained from this study, and predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) obtained from available literatures were utilized to estimate ecological risks of the test compounds. No test pharmaceuticals resulted in risk quotients (PEC/PNEC) greater than 1, which suggests no serious potential ecological concerns. It should be noted however that further studies including the refinement of PEC derivation, identification and toxicity assessment of the metabolites and/or their interactions with other stressors may be warranted to better understand the environmental consequences of the residual pharmaceutical discharge to the waterway.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.373-381
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• 2012

Antibiotics have been issued recently in water environments because of potential impacts on ecosystem and public health. This study was aimed to investigating the degradation of antibiotics such as tetracycline, lincomycin, sulfamethazine and cephradine using gamma ray irradiation. And the toxicity before and after irradiation on antibiotics was tested in order to examine the aquatic eco-risk assessment by aquatic organisms. In addition, comparing tests on toxicity for gamma ray and UV irradiated antibiotics was conducted. Four different antibiotics were prepared by concentration of 30 mg/L with demi-water respectively. The absorption dose of gamma ray was ranged from 0.2 to 2 kGy. The concentration of four antibiotics was gradually decreased corresponding to the increase of the absorption dose. A method for toxicity assessment using Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata was evaluated to the most acceptable compared with methods by Daphnia magna and Microtox$^{(R)}$ in terms of sensibility. It showed that the reduction of toxicity on antibiotics treated by gamma ray was superior comparing to the test results obtained from UV treatment. By-products from antibiotics treated by gamma ray were easily decomposed by microorganism and their toxicity was also evaluated to low.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2007

In Korea, we assign the chemical substances of 535 types as toxic substance. Only 10% of the 535 toxic substances are being managed by the Ministry of Environment related with water quality standard. Tar color is also one of chemical substances, but we have the lacks for the information of tar colors about the environmental effects of aquatic ecosystem. This study performed the test of bioassay using Water Fleas and Luminescent Bacteria. The tar has 7 types of colors allowed as the edible color and we evaluate the toxicities of 5 tar colors out of 7 colors and we would like to provide the informations for further study as we perform the toxicity test for the samples of 5 tar colors. We did the toxicity test of using Water Fleas From the results, we obtained the magnitudes of toxicity in order of Red No.2, Yellow No.5, Red No.3, Yellow No.4, Blue No.1. As the result based on Microtox Acute Toxicity Test using Luminescent Bacteria with the standard of 15min-EC50, we obtained in order of Yellow No.5, Food Red No.3, Red No.2, Yellow No.4, Blue No.1. We could expect the tar colors may have different effects on the aquatic ecosystem, respectively and it may influence to the aquatic ecosystem and the human, because of bioconcentration by food chain when toxicity of the tar colors overflow in the aquatic ecosystem.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.955-960
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• 2008

We investigated and estimated at the characteristics of decomposition and mineralization of benomyl using a design of experiment(DOE) based on the general factorial design in an E-beam process, and also the main factors(variables) with benomyl concentration(X$_1$) and E-beam irradiation(X$_2$) which consisted of 5 levels in each factor was set up to estimate the prediction model and the optimization conditions. At frist, the benomyl in all treatment combinations except 17 and 18 trials was almost degraded and the difference in the decomposition of benomyl in the 3 blocks was not significant(p > 0.05, one-way ANOVA). However, the % of benomyl mineralization was 46%(block 1), 36.7%(block 2) and 22%(block 3) and showed the significant difference of the % that between each block(p < 0.05). The linear regression equations of benomyl mineralization in each block were also estimated as followed; block 1(Y$_1$ = 0.024X$_1$ + 34.1(R$^2$ = 0.929)), block 2(Y$_2$ = 0.026X$_2$ + 23.1(R$^2$ = 0.976)) and block 3(Y$_3$ = 0.034X$_3$ + 6.2(R$^2$ = 0.98)). The normality of benomyl mineralization obtained from Anderson-Darling test in all treatment conditions was satisfied(p > 0.05). The results of prediction model and optimization point using the canonical analysis in order to obtain the optimal operation conditions were Y = 39.96 - 9.36X$_1$ + 0.03X$_2$ - 10.67X$_1{^2}$ - 0.001X$_2{^2}$ + 0.011X$_1$X$_2$(R$^2$ = 96.3%, Adjusted R$^2$ = 94.8%) and 57.3% at 0.55 mg/L and 950 Gy, respectively. A Microtox test using V. fischeri showed that the toxicity, expressed as the inhibition(%), was reduced almost completely after an E-beam irradiation, whereas the inhibition(%) for 0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L was 10.25%, 20.14% and 26.2% in the initial reactions in the absence of an E-beam illumination.