• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.247-253
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• 2007

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a major concern because of their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic risks to human beings. One of these harmful, yet commonly observed PAHs is pyrene. Pyrene is one of the 16 PAHs listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as priority pollutants. The purposes of this research are to develop a method of pretreatment for PAH contaminants prior to a typical biological treatment and to demonstrate the biodegradablity of these compounds. Since pyrene is non-polar, hexane was chosen as a solvent to effectively dissolve pyrene. Pyrene solutions were treated with ozone, as it has hish oxidation capacity and electrophilic character. The intermediates and byproducts of pyrene were dissolved in alkaline water at pH 11.4 and neutralized to test for $BOD_5$, COD, and toxicity. These solutions were further ozonated and assessed of biodegradability. The first-order rate constant to was found to be between $0.121day^{-1}$ and $0.081 day^{-1}$, depending on the duration of reozonation. The $BOD_5/COD$ ratio was found to 0.66. The toxicity test showed that after 10 min of reozonation time, the byproducts and intermediates of pyrene were within the lion-toxic range of ${\pm}10%$ inhibition for E-Coli bacteria.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.427-433
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• 2019

Sakarya is famous for cucurbit productions in Turkey and cucurbits can grow as big as 560 kg of weight per fruit in its agricultural areas. There is no or limited information about contaminant levels and profiles of the agricultural fields in Sakarya. The purpose of this study is to investigate the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and fluoranthene) and heavy metal (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn) concentrations of the selected fields. Total 33 soil samples were collected from 12 counties of Sakarya where both cucurbits have been produced and organochlorine pesticides have been applied to the fields for more than 30 y during the historical plantation periods. Heavy metal and PAH contents in the soil samples were measured by an Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy and a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The highest phenanthrene, pyrene, and fluoranthene concentrations were measured as 63.50 ng/g, 134.34 ng/g, 140.0 ng/g, respectively in the soil samples from Geyve County. Cu, Ni, and Cr concentrations were measured as 108.2 mg/kg, 219.9 mg/kg, and 173.1 mg/kg, respectively in Geyve's samples which were also the highest and 2-7 times more than the limit values given in the Turkish Soil Pollution Control Regulation. Precautions need to be taken for Sakarya's agricultural fields which are an important milestone of Turkey's cucurbit and fruit productions since the contaminants can be accumulated in the fruits and edible parts of the plants.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.121-127
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• 2004

Cytochrome P4501B1(CYP1B1) is known to be inducible by xenobiotic compounds such as policyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH) and dioxins such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD). And these induction of CYP1B1 is also regulated by many categories of chemicals. In order to investigate the effects of several chemicals on CYP1B1 gene expression in Hepa-I and MCF-7 cells, 5' flanking DNA of human CYP1B1 was cloned into pGL3 basic vector containing luciferase gene, and then transfected into these cells. After treatment of chemicals, the luciferase activity was measured. CYP1B1 enzyme metabolize PAHs and estradiol. CYP1B1 metabolize estradiol to 4-hydrozyestradiol that is considered as carcinogenic metabolite. Luciferase activity was induced about 20 folds over that control by 1 nM TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachloto-p-dioxin). Recent industrialized society, human has been widely been exposed to widespread environmental contaminants such as PAHs(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) that are originated from the imcomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. PAHs are known to be ligands of the AhR(aryl hydrocarbon receptor). Induction of cytochrome P4501B1(CYP1B1) in cell culture is widely used as a biomarker for PAHs. Therefore we have studied the effect of PAHs in the human breast cancer cells MCF-7 to evaluate bioactivity of PAHs. We have used the United State of America EPA selected 13 different PAHs, PAHs mixtures and extracts from environmental samples to evaluate the bioassay system. We examined effects of PAHs on the CYP1B1-luciferase reporter gene and CYP1B1 mRNA level. Benzo(k)fluoranthene and dibenzo(a, h)anthracene showed strong response to CYP1B1 promoter activity stimulation, and also CYP1B1 mRNAs increase in MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Acenaphthene, anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, fluorene, fluoranthene, anphthanlene, pyrene, phenanthrene and carbazole were weak responders in MCF-7 cells. RT-PCR analysis indicated that PAHs significantly up-regulate the level of CYP1B1 mRNA.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2003

The fate and behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) and heavy metals in the environment are mainly controlled by their interactions with various components of soils and sediments. Due to their large surface area and abundance in many soils, smectites may greatly influence the fate and transport of the contaminants. In our experiment, PAH sorption by hexadecyltimethylammonium(HDTMA)-modified smectite linearly increased in proportion to the amount of HDTMA added on the clay. However, trimethylammonium(TMA)-modified smectite did not show superiority in its sorption of PAH compared with the HDTMA-smectite or dodecyltrimethylammonium(DTMA)- smectite. Meanwhile, the smectites modified with the same cationic surfactants adsorbed Cd$^{2＋}$(heavy metal) significantly from water at low surfactant loading level, but the Cd$^{2＋}$ adsorption linearly decreased as the loading of surfactant increased. The result shows that the sorption tendency of organoclays for organic or inorganic contaminants was significantly influenced by the amount and size of the surfactants added on the clay. This reveals that the stabilization and configuration of cationic surfactant formed on the clay interlayer of different sizes may be an important factor in controlling the sorptive capacity of each pollutant in the environment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.206-218
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• 2020

Located mostly inside the megacity of Busan, the Busan Southern Port is a multifunctional port with various nearby industry activities, including a joint fish market, ship repair facilities, and fishing boat facilities. If toxic chemicals generated by the industrial activities continue to flow into and accumulate in the sediment of the port, they can affect aquatic ecosystems and humans. Therefore, in this study, distribution levels and potential influent sources of organic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and butyltin compounds (BTs), in the sediment were investigated. The sediment samples were collected from eight sampling sites in November 2013 (first phase) and November 2014 (second phase). The mean concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, and BTs in the first and second sampling phages were 4174.0 ng/g-dry wt. and 1919.0 ng/g-dry wt., 166.3 ng/g-dry wt. and 21 ng/g-dry wt., and 50.9 ng/g-dry wt. and 30.8 ng/g-dry wt., respectively. The concentrations of the organic pollutants detected in the seabed sediments were lower in the second phase than in the first phase. In this study, the inflow sources of PAHs, PCBs, and BTs were found to be combustion, land, and municipal sewage or industrial wastewater, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.358-367
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the analytical method for PAH metabolites in human urine using enzyme hydrolysis and solid-phase extraction coupled with LC-(ESI)-MS/MS technique. Methods: We employed HPLC tandem mass spectrometry techniques with appropriate pre-treatment for analysis of 16 OH-PAHs in human urine. Samples were hydrolysis by ${\beta}$-flucuronidase/Aryl sulfatase, and target compounds were extracted by solid-phase extraction with a strata-x cartridge. Cross-validation was performed between Eulji University and Green Cross laboratories with 200 human urine samples. Results: The accuracies were between 90.3% and 118.8%, and precisions (relative standard deviations) were lower than 10%. The linearity obtained was satisfying for the 16 OH-PAH compounds, with a coefficient of determination ($r^2$) higher than 0.99. The results of cross-validation at the two organizations were compared by ICC (interclass correlation coefficient) values. The cross-validation results were excellent or good for all compounds. Conclusion: An analytical method was validated for low nanogram levels of 16 OH-PAHs in human urine. Also, satisfying results were obtained for method validation such as accuracy, precision and ICC of cross-validation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2005

Soil is one of the most fundamental elements as well as with water and air in studies associated with the environment, in addition, it is one of the important environmental mediums that constructs a basis of the bio­logical system and performs various roles of matter circulation. This study was carried out in Seoul, in May 2000 to evaluate variation in the concentration levels and distribution characteristics for PAH compounds in soil. Soil samples were collected from 33 sites covering traffic, factory, incineration and mountain groups and the PAHs were analyzed. The results show a wide dis­tribution range of PAHs concentrations between 14.66 ng/g and 1,219.35 ng/g. The highest concentration levels exist at Sungsu-2 of the factory group (FS-2). Daemo-3 of the Mountain group (MD-3) presents the lowest levels as compared with the other sites. PAH compounds including mutagenic and carcinogenic materials show high concentrations in the traffic and factory groups and a high ratio in the mountain group. Besides, these compounds absorbed with micro particles might be spread out over a wide region associated with particles' movement and diffusion. After principal component analysis of the soil samples, the results indicated that the sources of PAHs in the soil were divided into two groups, pesticides and vehicles.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1459-1466
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• 2016

In this study, the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in meat process food and for cooking methods (pan-frying and charcoal fire). The methodology involved liquid-liquid extraction, silica gel cartridge clean-up and determination by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The recovery of 17 PAHs spiked into these samples ranged from 66.6 % to 98.0% and the coefficient of variation was less than 10%, but that of dibenz(a,h)anthracene was 16.39%. The mean concentration of total PAHs in processed samples was ND~7.2 ng/g, whereas that pan-fried and charcoal-fired samples were ND~22.1 ng/g and, 12.7~367.8 ng/g, respectively. Therefore, the concentrations of total PAHs in cooked samples were higher than in original samples and charcoal-fired samples had the highest total PAH levels.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to determine the residual amounts of PAHs in environmental samples such as crop, soil and water collected from paddy, upland fields and forestlands near industrial zone and/or a thermal power plant in South Korea. All of the samples were analyzed by GC-mass spectrometer. The average contents of total PAHs in soil samples were 140.2 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$ and the range was from 4.3 to $662.9{\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$. The detection of benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h) anthracene which have strong carcinogenecity was ranged from 14.2 to 167.8 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$. The residual amounts and detection frequency of PAHs in soil samples from the iron and heavy industrial areas near Pohang and Busan were 3-folds more than those of the other areas. Amounts of PAHs in upland soil samples was 1.5 folds higher than those of paddy soil samples, suggesting that it may be related to the content of organic matter in soil. The average contents of total PAHs in crop samples were 9.7 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$ which ranged from 4.5 to 52.2 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$. However, the residual amounts of PAHs in water samples were not detected. These results showed that soils and crops were slightly contaminated with PAHs. Therefore, the investigation should be continued for evaluating a safety or risk assessment through expansion of regions and crops.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.132-134
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• 2016

The Study mainly focused on bioremediation of 16 types PAHs and heavy metals in contaminated marine sediments at filed scale study using slow release biostimulant ball (BSB) was investigated. In our experiment, filed scale study ($1m{\times}1m$) was performed and the effect of BSB on PAHs and heavy metals were analysed. BSB size and distance were determined and optimum size and distance were 3cm and 5.5cm respectively. BSB containing nutrients of acetate, nitrate and sulphate which can enhance the activity of microorganism to increase degrading capacity of PAHs and enhance the heavy metals stabilization also to decrease bioavailability. PAHs containing 16 types of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 rings compound PAHs were found and to degrade upto 100% in 2, 3 rings, upto 90 to 94% in 4 and 5 rings and 6 ring compound was degrade up to 70%. For heavy metals stabilization percentage was increased using BSB sediment and exchangeable portion was decreased and residual portion was increased in all analysed heavy metals. BSB enhance the PAHs degradation and stabilization of heavy metals percentages. BSB is a promising method for remediation of PAHs and heavy metals in contaminated marine sediments.