• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2014

PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is one of the perflourinated organic compound, which persist as a residual compound in the coastal environments. Intertidal mud crab Macrophthalmus japonicus mainly inhabits in coastal and bay ecosystems in Indo-Pacific region including Korea and reflects to environmental changes. In the present study, M. japonicus were exposed to different concentrations of PFOS and various ecotoxicological end-points such as survival rate, elimination of appendages, changes of the crust and internal organ color changes were investigated. Interestingly, the PFOS exposure showed concentration-dependent decrease of survival rate. High PFOS exposure ($30{\mu}gL^{-1}$) showed a low survival rate of 24% at 168 hours. Further, in comparison with the controls, the rate of elimination of appendages was also considerably increased in a time dependent manner upon PFOS exposure. Notably, with progression of time, an increased exposure to PFOS, test species showed whitening effect in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the crab crust color was unchanged in the control. In addition, change in internal organs color and their visibility (clarity) observed in PFOS exposed crabs compared to control. Taken together, we suggest, eco-toxicology end-points of M. japonicus exposed to PFOS gave important biological information which could be useful to identify toxic contamination in the marine benthic environments.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.5-18
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• 2023

As a result of the survey on the emission status of fluorine-based chemicals in Korea, 13 kinds of substances, including hydrogen fluoride (91%) and perfluorocarbons (5%), were emitted in workplaces. By regional groups, about 98% was emitted in the Gyeongbuk, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions, and about 98% in three sectors of industry related to manufacture of electronic parts, chemicals and non-metallic mineral products. The detection status of PFOS and PFOA in domestic main rivers was continuously detected in the Nakdong River, the Geum River and the Anseong Stream estuary with high fluorine-related chemical emissions, and four sites of PFOS and two sites of PFOA were detected for the first time in 2021. PFOS and PFOA were continuously detected in relatively high concentrations in the rivers where there were many semiconductor and display related sectors of industry.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2014

The object of this study was to evaluate the combined toxic interactions of the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) with six heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Hg, and Pb). The individual and combined toxic effects were assessed using the Vibrio fischeri assay. In case of the individual toxicity, PFOA was higher toxic than PFOS and toxicity of PFOA and PFOS were lower than heavy metal. In the toxicity of heavy metals, the $Hg^{2+}$ was found to be most toxic followed by $Pb^{2+}$, $Cr^{6+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and $Cd^{2+}$. The combined toxicity of PFOA or PFOS with $Cr^{6+}$ were synergistic effect because the $EC_{50}$ mix values were less than 1 TU. PFOA + $Zn^{2+}$, PFOS + $Zn^{2+}$, PFOA + $Cd^{2+}$ and PFOS + $Cd^{2+}$ produced addictive effect. Except in these case, all of binary mixtures show antagonistic effect. This study proved potential risk of coexistent with perfluorinated compounds and heavy metals in water environment.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2008

PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) are environmental hormones which belong to potential future persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and it is easy to exposure to human because they are used in a wide variety of consumer products. We studied exposure route and the relativity through determining and monitoring of PFOS and PFOA in Korean plasma of metropolis, small town, rural area and industrial area. And we monitored the concentration of PFOS and PFOA regarding the gender and age. The older age is, the higher concentration of PFOS is. The mean concentration of PFOS and PFOA in men (4.74 ng/mL, 2.20 ng/mL) was higher than that in women (3.53 ng/mL, 1.17 ng/mL). In the comparison of residential areas, the mean concentration of PFOS and PFOA was the lowest in metropolitan plasma (2.47 ng/mL, 0.79 ng/mL) whereas it was the highest in the industrial area (6.57 ng/mL, 2.19 ng/mL).

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 2010

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) is a kinds of persistent organic pollutants, and have the potential toxicity of which is causing great concern. In this study, we employed Oryzias latipes embryos to investigate the developmental toxicity of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)s compound using flowthrow system for 14 day. O. latipes embryos were exposed to solvent control, 20, 40 and 80 mg/L of PFOS and 62.5, 130, 260 mg/L of PFOA respectively. After exposure, hatchability, mortality, total length and heart beats were examined. Hatching rates were reduced approximately 27% in the 80 mg/L PFOS-treated group and 17% in the 62.5, 130 mg/L PFOA-treated groups. Heart beats in the PFOS-treated groups were reduced at 7 day but, PFOA-treated groups were increased heart beats. 80 mg/L PFOS treated group showed significant reduction in growth (total length) level to 90% of control. But PFOA did not showed significant effect on growth. In the 14 days $LC_{50}$ of PFOS and PFOA was 22.74 mg/L and 173 mg/L, respectively. The overall results indicated that the early stage of O. latipes might be a reliable model for the testing of developmental toxicity to perfluorinated chemicals.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is one of the most widely distributed environmental pollutants and causes neurotoxicities. Fucoidan is a main bioactive constituent of the brown sea-weed and has many functions in a variety of physiological conditions. The present study attempted to investigate the potential role of fucoidan as neuroprotective marine polypeptide in environmental pollutant-induced apoptosis of neuronal cells in culture. MTT assay showed that cell viability was significantly reduced to 68 % at $30{\mu}M$ PFOS, which was recovered up to 77% and 92% in the presence of fucoidan 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Cytotoxicity assay showed that LDH release was significantly increased to 160% at $30{\mu}M$ PFOS but was reduced to 150% and 122% in the presence of fucoidan 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Caspase-3 activity, a hallmark of apoptosis, was measured to determine the cytotoxicity of PFOS and the cytoprotective effects of fucoidan. PFOS induced a 250% increase of caspase-3 activity at $30{\mu}M$ but the increase was dampened to 180% and 130% in the presence of fucoidan 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. PFOS $30{\mu}M$ induced 180 % increase in ROS accumulation, which was effectively blocked by $50{\mu}g/ml$ fucoidan (120% of control). Our results demonstrated that PFOS is a powerful neurotoxicant and fucoidan may be a protective marine bioactive polypeptide against the neurotoxic environmental pollutants. It may contribute to establishing the potential role of fucoidan as a neuroprotective polypeptide that prevents the risk of neurological disorders from the possible neurotoxic pollutants.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.334-342
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• 2009

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have a wide range of domestic and industrial applications, but they are persistent in the environment. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) are among the metabolites of PFCs and occur at high concentration in the environment. Korea is the largest importer of PFC compounds in the world, therefore, the accumulation of these compounds is possible. In this study, the concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were determined in water samples taken from sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the Han River in Seoul, Korea. After extraction with a HLB cartridge, PFCs in the samples were analyzed by HPLC with an ion trap mass spectrometry in electrospray negative mode. Limits of detection was between 1 and 1.6 ng/l. The result showed that the concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in effluent and influent of the four STPs in Seoul were 60~570 ng/l, and not detected (nd)~254 ng/l, respectively. The levels of PFOS and PFOA were higher in the effluents which passed through the treatment process than in influent water samples which was against expectation. The concentration of PFOA and PFOS in the Han River was 60~570 ng/l and nd~254 ng/l, respectively. PFOA was detected in every sample, but PFOS was only detected in the downstreams of the Han River. This result indicates that there is comprehensive contamination of PFCs in the aquatic environment in Korea.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 2020

The long-chained perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), are a potential exposure risk in the environment, specifically for humans due to high levels of bioaccumulation, persistence, and toxicity. In the current study, the plant uptake factors (PUFs) of spinach and Welsh onion were investigated on the three different concentration levels of PFOA and PFOS in soil. Spinach and Welsh onion were divided into three residue groups, a control group and two levels of PFOA and PFOS. The PFAAs spiked soils were aged for six months and the extractable residue of PFOS in the aged soil was reduced to 30-59% of the initial spiked concentrations for PFOS, while PFOA showed almost the same initial spiked concentrations. The PUFs for PFOA and PFOS were 0.111-2.821 and 0.047-3.175 for spinach, and 0.203-0.738 and 0.035-0.181 for Welsh onion, respectively. The highest PUF values in both vegetable were displayed when the residual concentration of PFAAs were part-per-billion (ppb) or sub-ppb in soil.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.181-186
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• 2010

Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) are anthropogenic compounds found in trace amounts in many environmental compartments far from areas of production. Along with the highly persistent nature of PFCs, there are increasing concerns over the potential adverse effects of them on the ecosystems. Most of highly fluorinated compounds degrade into PFOS and PFOA that are very stable compounds hard to break down. So, in this study, we tried to determine the toxicity of PFOS and PFOA in the terrestrial invertebrate. Acute toxicity test using earthworm, Eisenia fetida, was performed according to the OECD test guideline 207 (Earthworm, Acute Toxicity Tests). In the 14 day acute toxicity tests, the highest concentration causing no mortality and the lowest concentration causing 100% mortality of PFOS were 160 and 655 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively. And the highest concentration causing no mortality and the lowest concentration causing 100% mortality were 500 and 1,690 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively in the PFOA-exposure group. 14 day-LC50 values were estimated at the level of 365 and 1,000 mg/kg (dry weight) in the PFOS and PFOA-exposed group. These results indicate that under laboratory conditions PFOS is about 3 times more toxic to earthworms than PFOA. Based on known environmental concentrations of PFOS in the soil of Korea, which occur in the 0.42~0.73 ng/L range, there is no apparent risk to terrestrial invertebrate, earthworms. However, further work is required to investigate long-term effects on these and other terrestrial organisms.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.969-979
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• 2020

A numerical simulation was conducted on perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the Gwangyang Bay using a multi-box model to estimate the transport of organic chemicals in the coastal environment. The results of the sensitivity analysis on dissolved PFOS and PFOS in Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) indicate that they were most significantly influenced by the adsorption rate, desorption rate, and sinking velocity coefficients. PFOS in phytoplankton was found to be sensitive to bio-concentration and the excretion rate. The results of the mass balance indicate that the standing stocks of PFOS in water, POC, and phytoplankton are 345.55 g, 63.76 g, and 0.11 g, respectively, in the inner part and 149.90 g, 27.51 g, and 0.05 g, respectively, in the outer part. Considering flux in the inner part, adsorption to POC had the highest value among transition paths. The next highest were desorption, outflow to the outer part, and inflow to the inner part. Outflow into the open sea was found to have the highest value for the outer part.