• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.236-243
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• 2010

Fecal sterols, nonylphenolic compounds (NPs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in surface water from Masan Bay and its adjacent rivers in February 2005. Concentrations of coporstanol (Cop), an indicator of fecal pollution, in surface water ranged from <10 to 13,853 ng/L, and concentrations of nonylphenol, the most toxic of the NPs, ranged from 10.2 to 481 ng/L, and concentrations of PAHs ranged from 8.61 to 223 ng/L. The concentrations of the compounds measured in this study were lower than or comparable to those at other locations in Korea and other countries. The contamination of Cop and PAHs in surface water was associated with the discharge from rivers passing through cities and/or industrial complexes. The NP contamination was associated with wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents through outfalls as well as riverine discharge. Compared to ecotoxicological values, the concentrations of NPs from rivers, the mouths of rivers, and WWTP outfall areas exceeded guidelines, suggesting that hot spot areas may pose a potential risk to sensitive species.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.315-324
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• 1997

The retention behaviors of 16 PAHs and 4 nitro-PAHs were studied with several parameters involved numbers of carbon atoms, F factor, aqueous solubility, L/B ratio, and numbers of interfering hydrogen atom pairs on the chemical structures of PAHs by using reversed-phase liquid chromatography/diode array detection method (RPLC/DAD) and gradient elution method. It was obtain that the log k' for most of PAHs with increasing the number of carbon and the F factor in their molecules. Chromatographic retention of PAH isomers and nitro-PAHs were examined with aqueous solubility, L/B ratio and number of interfering hydrogen atom pairs. As a result of comparison with these factors and retention times, it was found that those solutes having larger aqueous solubilities and greater L/B ratios were retained longer on stationary phase. This tendency was also occured in the molecules having the more number of interfering hydrogen atom pairs. Detection limits of PAHs which were obtained with three times measurements by RPLC/DAD were in the range of 100~500ng/mL and method detection limit(MDL) for water sample were in the range of 0.1~0.5ng/mL.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.572-576
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• 2005

This study focused on detecting catabolic genes for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) distributed in the reed rhizosphere of Sunchon Bay, Korea. These marsh and mud environments were severely affected by human activities, including agriculture and fisheries. Our previous study on microbial roles in natural decontamination displayed the possibility that PAH-degrading bacteria, such as Achromobacter sp., Alcaligenes sp., Burkholderia sp. and Pseudomonas sp. play an important decontamination role in a reed rhizosphere. In order to gain further fundamental knowledge on the natural decontamination process, catabolic genes for PAH metabolism were investigated through PCR amplification of dioxygenase genes using soil genomic DNA and sequencing. Comparative analysis of predicted amino acid sequences from 50 randomly selected dioxygenase clones capable of hydroxylating inactivated aromatic nuclei indicated that these were divided into three groups, two of which might be originated from PAH-degrading bacteria. Amino acid sequences of each dioxygenase clone were a part of the genes encoding enzymes for initial catabolism of naphthalene, phenanthrene, or pyrene that might be originated from bacteria in the reed rhizosphere of Sunchon Bay.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 1994

Wastewaters being treated and final effluents were collected from 3 wastewater treatment plants of petrochemical industries, from August 31 to October 4, 1993 in an interval of 10 days, and further analysed by GC/FID to investigate discharge situation and removal efficiency on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The results were as follows: 1. The PAHs 294.57 $\mu$g/l were discharged in primary treatment effluent of plant A to manufacture vinyl acetate resin and acryl, and removed 54.51% by aeration and totally 84.71%. 2. The PAHs of the highest concentration were discharged in primary treatment effluent of plant B to manufacture PS resin and ABS resin, but removed 91.65% by activated sludge process and 98.19% by activated carbon to discharge PAHs of the lowest concentration comparing to another treatment operations. 3. The PAHs 99.96 $\mu$g/l of the lowest concentration were discharged in wastewater of plant C to manufacture epoxy resin, and removed 80.48% by activated sludge process. 4. B treatment system including activated carbon showed up the best removal efficiency of PAHs. Activated carbon therefore, seems to be effective as tertiary treatment. 5. Correlation coefficient of components to total PAHs was generally low, and correlation coefficients of phenanthrene, pyrene and acenaphthylene to total PAHs were each 0.98, 0.97 and 0.80, respectively. Correlation coefficient of the sum of phenanthrene, pyrene and acenaphthylene to total PAHs was 0.99, so that the sum of phenanthrene, pyrene and acenaphthylene was available as index to estimated total PAHs. 6. Phenanthrene and Chrysene were very well treated biologically and acenaphthylene and fluoranthene were untreated biologically. 7. Considering EPA standards, it seems that the concentration of phenanthrene, pyrene, fluoranthene, and benzo(k)fluoranthene is high level.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.22
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• pp.38-46
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• 2004

Effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the community structure of indigenous microorganisms in Gwangyang Bay sediments was investigated in Mar. & Aug.,2000. Microbial community structure was analyzed using 5'-terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) method. Microbial community structure based on T-RFLP method revealed that community differentiated by sampling period except station 1 located near the stream discharge site from Yeosu Industrial Complex. Even, microbial diversity was higher at stations showed relatively high concentrations of PAHs. The microbial community structure was severely changed during the enrichment culture with 1,000 ppm of PAHs mixture. It was also different between cultivated at 8$^{\circ}C$ and 30$^{\circ}C$. The results implied that temperature, poyosity, organic content and etc were more responsible than PAHs on the microbial community structure.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.13 no.1_2
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• pp.43-53
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• 1998

Ambient air levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) are of concern because of their potential for adverse health effects including transformation of some of these substances to mutagens and carcinogens by mammalian microsomal enzyme system. Airbone particulate samples were collected by a conventional high-volume sampler and by an Anderson cascade impactor on 2 to 3 days in each month over a period of 1 year at a representative site of the heavy traffic area of Seoul from beptember 1994 to August 1995. Ten individual PAHs in sizable air particulates of each stage of two months were separated and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. As a results of analysis, the gross concentrations of PAHs in the fine and coarse particles were higher in the winter month than in the spring, followed in descending order by in the fall and summer. In a study of dependency of 10 PAHs compounds on size distribution of particles at heavy traffic area found that about 85% of the total PAHs content was associated with particles less than 2.0um (fine particles) in diameter of winter sampling period. while 79% were associated with this size fraction during summer period. In according to the mean concentrations of the 10 PAHs in 7 size classification from < 0.38 to> 10.1, the 'size was the smaller, PAHs concentration was the higher. Thus it was found that PAHs concentration was greatly affected by air particle size. Annual mean benzo(a)pyrene equivalents was 5.88ng/m$^3$ and obtained by applying, toxic equivalency factor developed by Nisbet and Lagoy.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.861-869
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• 2010

The present study aims to evaluate the characteristics of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in roadside and residential areas of two Korean metropolitan cities (Seoul and Incheon) and a background area (Seokmolee). This purpose was established by analyzing temporal and spacial concentration distribution of total and 7 individual PAHs, which were extracted from ambient particulate matters, and by utilizing a multivariate statistical method (principal component analysis, PCA) for the qualitative determination of potential PAH sources. Target PAHs included benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), chrysene (Chr), dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (DahA), and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IcdP). For all surveyed sites, the concentrations of total PAHs were higher in winter season than in other seasons. However, the concentrations of individual PAHs varied with surveyed sites. In both residential and roadside sites of Seoul and Incheon, BbF revealed the highest atmospheric levels. For all 7 target PAHs, the ambient concentrations were higher in Seoul and Incheon than in a background area (Seokmolee). In both residential and roadside areas, the concentrations of 4 target PAHs (BaA, BbF, BkF, DahA) were higher in Incheon than in Seoul. However, both the residential and roadside Chr concentrations were comparable in Seoul and Incheon. In addition, the residential IcdP concentrations were higher in Incheon than in Seoul, whereas the roadside concentrations were higher in Seoul. The roadside and residential BaP concentrations exhibited the reverse result to the IcdP concentrations. An PCA analysis suggested that atmospheric PAHs in both residential and roadside areas would be due to combined effects of several potential sources such as gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, coal/oil combustion, and waste incineration.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.1167-1171
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• 2003

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important group of organic contaminants present in sewage sludge, due to their persistence, toxic, bioaccumulative and long range transfer. These characters make themselves as Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs) in Long Range Transboundary Air Pollutions convention(LRTAP) of Europe. A method of the gas chromatographicmass spectrometric (GCMS) determination of PAHs present in sewage sludge was developed and applied to analyzed samples from five sewerage treatment plants (SWTPs), having different treatment types. PAHs were extracted from freeze-dried samples by toluene 16 hours in a soxhlet extraction system. The sludge extracts were cleaned-up by an activated silica gel column chromatography. The sum of the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency PAHs sewage sludge samples varied from 2.44 to 4.82 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g. Concentration of emission carcinogen PAHs(PAHcarc), such as Benzo(a)anthracene, Benzo(b)f1uoranthene, Benzo(k)f1uoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene and Indeno( 1,2,3-cd)pyrene ranged from 0.62 to 1.03 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g. The total amount of PAHs emission from sewage sludge in Korea was calculated as a top-down approach. PAHs and $\Sigma$PAHcarc from sewage treatment plants had emitted to environment by several pathway. The highest amount of emission to the environment was remarked in the ocean dumping(PAHs and $\Sigma$PAHcarc emissions were 1155.95 kg/year and 5040.32 kg/year, respectively).

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.1 s.52
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• pp.45-56
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate seasonal distributions of fine particles ($PM_{2.5}$) and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at three cities. $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected on glass fiber filters at urban (Chuncheon), metropolitan (Seoul), and industrial complex sites (Ulsan) from September, 2002 to February, 2004 using the Andersen FH 95 Particulate Sampler. About five 24-hour samples were collected from each site per season. The filters were analyzed for mass and six selected PAHs concentrations. $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were the highest either in winter or spring, which could be attributed to the increase of fossil fuel combustion in winter or the transport of yellow sand to the Korean peninsula from China in spring, respectively. Regional $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were higher in the order of Seoul>Chuncheon>Ulsan without statistical difference among cities. The filters were extracted using dichloromethane in an ultrasonicator and analyzed for six PAHs (anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene) with HPLC. Total PAHs concentrations were statistically different among seasons in each site, and the highest concentrations were observed in winter at each sampling site. For total samples collected, the median total PAHs concentrations in Chuncheon ($4.6ng/m^3$) and Seoul ($4.4ng/m^3$) were approximately two times higher than that in Ulsan ($2.1ng/m^3$). Chrysene was a component found in the highest proportion among total PAHs at each site. Carcinogenic risks calculated based on the BaP toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) over the whole sampling period were higher in the order of Chuncheon>Seoul>Ulsan. This study suggests that the atmosphere of Chuncheon is contaminated with particulate matter and PAHs at the levels equivalent to those of Seoul and that an appropriate measure needs to be taken to mitigate human health risks from inhalation exposure to airborne fine particles.

• Clean Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.379-388
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration levels, distribution characteristics and blood concentration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) at ambient air in Industrial Complex Area. The samples were collected at 4 sites in Industrial Complex Area and its vicinities. The result indicated that there was the difference of PAHs concentration as followed local characteristics. The level of average concentration of PAHs in the air in Industrial Complex Area was $14.52{\sim}193.48ng/m^3$. The level of average concentration of six materials with possibility of cancer creation was $1.65{\sim}13.44ng/m^3$. The concentrations of PAHs were generally low, but Jechul-dong is considered an area where consistent monitoring of PAHs is required. In addition, benzo(a)pyrene was detected in every atmospheric sample, however the concentration was not high. The level of concentration of benzo(a)pyrene in the air in the Jechul-dong was $2.89ng/m^3$. But, the concentration of the PAHs in Jechul-dong showed that the Benzo(a)pyrene concentration is above $1ng/m^3$ of air quality standard(EU). The results of the concentration level of PAHs in the blood from 240 persons who were exposed directly were surveyed, it was $1.12{\sim}11.45ng/m^3$ for man and $1.20{\sim}26.89ng/m^3$ for woman. It was indicated that the difference between the genders was very little. The accumulation inside human was anticipated as the PAHs concentration in the blood for the aged was very high. Industrial Complex Area and its vicinities are an area which has been greatly influenced by PAHs and environmental contaminants. It is necessary to control the emission sources of PAHs and to construct an observation system at Industrial Complex Area from now on. It is time to reduce the risk factors for health and environmental disease to protect the health of resident in Industrial Complex Area and its vicinities.