• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.513-519
• /
• 1999

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed on the seawater from 17 stations in Kwangyang Bay throughtout the year. We could not detect 10 VOCs; methylene chloride, tetrachloromethane, 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane, trichloroethane, 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrachloroethane, trichloroethylene, bromoethane, dibromoethane, bromobenzene, 1-ethyl-3-methylbenzene. The other VOCs-chloroform, 1, 2-dichloroethane, ethylbenzene, benzene, toluene, m, p-xylene, methylethylketone, styrene, hexane-were detected with a little variance according to the sampling stations and the sampling seasons. The concentrations of chloroform (0.6 ~ 49.9 $\mu$g/1) and toluene (0.42 ~ 48.3 $\mu$g/1) were high and they were detected more frequently than the other detected VOCs. We also tried to seek the correlation between the physicochemical environmental factors and VOCs. Only toluene had the high correlation coefficient with the water temperature (r = -0.524) and with the pH (r = 0.319). Correlation between VOCs themselves showed some interesting results. The benzene had high correlation coefficient (r = 0.549 ~ 0.662) with three VOCs such as toluene, m, p-xylene, ethylbenzene. From these results it is suggested that VOCs might be discharged simultaneously in Kwangyang Bay.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.209-220
• /
• 2022

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a key controller of the carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM), and is known to be affected by ambient pH and CO₂ compositions. Herein, we characterized three novel CAs genes (PmCA1, 2, and 3) from the marine dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum, and evaluated the relative expressions of the PmCAs and photosynthetic genes PmatpB and PmrbcL under different pH conditions. Each PmCA was predicted to have amino acid residues constituting the zinc binding site. With signal peptide, PmCA1 and PmCA2 were predicted to be intracellular CAs located in the cytoplasm and chloroplast membrane, respectively. On the other hand, PmCA3 was predicted to be extracellular CA located in the plasma membrane. Also, PmCA1 was classified into the beta family, and PmCA2 and PmCA3 were classified into the alpha family via phylogenic analysis. The photosynthesis efficiency of P. minimum was similar at pH 7 to 9, and decreased significantly at pH 6 and pH 10. Overall, relative gene expression levels of the three PmCAs decreased at low pH, and increased as pH increased. Photosynthesis related genes, PmatpB and PmrbcL, showed similar expression patterns to those of PmCAs. These results suggest that changes in seawater pH may affect photosynthesis and CO₂ metabolism in marine dinoflagellates.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.365-374
• /
• 2003

Various deleterious chemicals can be introduced to existing concrete structures from various external sources. The deterioration of concrete by seawater attack is involved in complex processes due to various elements contained in seawater. In the present study, attention was paid to the formation of secondary minerals and characteristics of mineralogical and micro-structural changes involved in concrete deterioration caused by the influence of major seawater composition. The characteristics of deterioration occurred in existing concrete structures was carefully observed and samples were collected at many locations of coastal areas in Busan-Kyungnam. The petrographic, XRD, SEM/EDAX analyses were conducted to determine chemical, mineralogical and micro-structural changes in the aggregate and cement paste of samples. The experimental concrete deteriorations were performed using various chloride solutions (NaCl, CaCl, $MgCl_2$ and $Na_2SO_4$ solution. The experimental results were compared with the observation results in order to determine the effect of major elements in seawater on the deterioration. The alkalies in seawater appear to accelerate alkali-silica reaction (ASR). The gel formed by ASR is alkali-calcium-silica gel which known to cause severe expansion and cracking in concrete. Carbonation causes the formation of abundant less-cementitious calcite and weaken the cement paste. Progressive carbonation significantly affects on the composition and stability of some secondary minerals. Abundant gypsum generally occurs in concretes subjected to significant carbonation, but thaumasite ({$Ca_6/[Si(OH)_6]_2{\cdot}24H_2O$}${\cdot}[(SO_4)_2]{\cdot}[(CO_3))2]$) occurs as ettringite-thaumasite solid solution in concretes subjected to less significant carbonation. Experimentally, ettringite can be transformed to trichloroaluminate or decomposed by chloride ingress under controlled pH conditions. Mg ions in seawater cause cement paste deterioration by forming non-cementitious brucite and magnesium silicate hydrate (MSH).

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.243-251
• /
• 2012

Real-time monitoring for environmental factors(temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, etc.) and carbonate components( pH and $fCO_2$) was conducted during 5-6th of July, 2012 at a seaweeds farm in Gijang, Busan. Surface temperature and salinity were ranged from $12.5{\sim}17.6^{\circ}C$ and 33.7~34.0, respectively, with highly daily and inter-daily variations due to tide, light frequency(day and night) and currents. Surface $fCO_2$ and pH showed a range of $381{\sim}402{\mu}atm$ and 8.03~8.15, and chlorophyll-a concentration in surface seawater ranged 0.8~5.8 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$. Environmental and carbonate factors showed the highest/lowest values around 5 pm of 5th July when the lowest tidal height and strongest thermocline in the water column, suggesting that biological production resulted in decrease of $CO_2$ and increase of pH in the seaweed farm. Processes affecting the surface $fCO_2$ distribution were evaluated using a simple budget model. In day time, biological productions by phytoplankton and macro algae are the main factors for $CO_2$ drawdown and counteracted the amount of $CO_2$ increase by temperature and air-sea exchange. The model values were a little higher than observed values in night time due to the over-estimation of physical mixing. The model suggested that algal production accounted about 14-40% of total $CO_2$ variation in seaweed farm.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.63-68
• /
• 2008

This study was performed to assess the potential use of ozone or UV radiation for the treatment of water contaminated with sulfamethoxazole (SMX), which is frequently used antibiotic in human and veterinary medicines, especially focusing on the kinetic study and effect of pH. In a study using ozone alone, kinetic study was performed to determine second-order rate constant ($k_{O3,SMX}$) for the reactions of SMX with ozone, which was found to be $1.9{\times}10^6M^{-1}s^{-1}$ at pH 7. The removal efficiencies of SMX by ozone were decreased with increase of pH due to rapid decomposition of ozone under the condition of various pH (2.5, 5.3, 7, 8, 10). In a UV irradiation study at 254 nm, a kinetic model for direct photolysis of SMX was developed with determination of quantum yield ($0.08mol\;Einstein^{-1}$) and molar extinction coefficient ($15,872M^{-1}cm^{-1}$) values under the condition of quantum shielding due to the presence of reaction by-products formed during photolysis. For effect of pH on photolysis of SMX, SMX in the anionic state ($S^-$, pH > 5.6), most prevalent form at environmentally relevant pH values, degraded more slowly than in the neutral state (SH, 1.85 < pH < 5.6) by UV radiation at 254 nm.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.438-444
• /
• 2011

Magnesium is one of the abundant natural resources in the earth crust and seawater, which is directly related to various organisms activities interconnecting with water-rock system. In aqueous system, magnesium is known to predominantly exist in the form of $Mg^{2+}$ ion which is verified in its $E_h-pH$ diagram. When it is at equilibrium in aqueous system, temperature takes an essential role to complete equilibrium states. This study represents the change of the stable region of magnesium ion according to temperature, and how the consequences would affect aquatic organisms. It was revealed that there is a noticeable tendency shrinking the stable region of magnesium ion in a diagram as temperature increases, and as a result, aquatic bio-species presumably have difficulties to absorb the nutrient. Also, it was considered that the water system would be acidified by decreasing alkalinity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.134-141
• /
• 2015

An agarolytic marine bacterium (H9) was isolated from the coastal seawater of the West Sea, South Korea. The isolate, H9, was gram-negative and rod-shaped with a smooth surface and polar flagellum. Cells grew at 20-30℃, between pH 5.0 and 9.0, and in ASW-YP (Artificial Sea Water-Yeast extract, Peptone) media containing 1-5% (w/v) NaCl. The G+C content was 41.56 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone in strain H9 was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids (>10%) were C_16:1ω7c (34.3%), C_16:0 (23.72%), and C_18:1ω7c (13.64%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and biochemical and chemotaxonomic characterization, the strain was designated as Pseudoalteromonas sp. H9 (=KCTC23887). In liquid culture supplemented with 0.2% agar, the cell density and agarase activity reached a maximum level of OD = 4.32 (48 h) and OD = 3.87 (24 h), respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the extracellular crude agarases of H9 were 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the agarase hydrolysis products revealed that the crude agarases hydrolyze agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose. Therefore, the new agar-degrading strain, H9, can be applicable for the production of valuable neoagarooligosaccharides and for the complete degradation of agar in bio-industries.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.73-77
• /
• 2022

The shelf life of oysters Crassostrea gigas, in two different types of packaging containers, polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), was determined by evaluating the pH, glycogen and soluble protein content, turbidity, and viable cell count. After 7 days of storage, the pH of the packing water in the PE container decreased to 5.88, while the pH in the PET container decreased to 6.03. In the PE container, the glycogen content of the oysters decreased by 0.85 g/100 g and the soluble protein content and turbidity of the packing seawater increased by 1,927.21 mg/100 g and 3.24 McF, respectively. In the PET container, the glycogen content of the oysters decreased by 0.96 g/100 g and the soluble protein content and turbidity of the packing seawater increased by 1,674.75 mg/100 g and 0.98 McF, respectively. The reaction rate constants (K) were as follows: glycogen content, -0.18 (PE) and -0.10 (PET); soluble protein content, 0.29 (PE) and 0.26 (PET); and turbidity, 0.41 (PE) and 0.06 (PET). These results suggested that PET can be used as a new packaging container material for raw oysters because the quality is maintained and it offers more convenient handling during distribution.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.141-147
• /
• 2010

The objective of this study was to assess the biofouling characteristics of the Bacillus biofilm formed on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. For the study, a sporogenic Bacillus sp. was isolated from the seawater intake to a RO process, with two distinct sets of experiments performed to grow the Bacillus biofilm on the RO membrane using a lab-scale crossflow membrane test unit. Two operational feds were used, 9 L sterile-filtered seawater and 109 Bacillus cells, with flow rates of 1 L/min, and a constant 800 psi-pressure and pH 7.6. From the results, the membrane with more fouling, in which the observed permeate flux decreased to 33% of its initial value, showed about 10 and 100 times greater extracellular polymeric substances and spoOA genes expressions, respectively, than the those of the less fouled membrane (flux declined to 20% of its initial value). Interestingly; however, the number of culturable Bacillus sp. in the more fouled membrane was about 10 times less than that of the less fouled membrane. This indicated that while the number of Bacillus had less relevance with respect to the extent of biofouling, the activation of the genes of interest, which is initiative of biofilm development, had a more positive effect on biofouling than the mass of an individual Bacillus bacterium.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.62-68
• /
• 1996

Precipitation samples were collected by the wet-only event sampling method at Seoul from September 1991 to April 1995. Concentrations of samples for the ion components($NO_3^-, NO_2^-, SO_4^{2-}, Cl^-, F^-, Na^+, K^+, Ca^{2+}, Mg^{2+}$ and $NH_4^+$) were measured in addition to pH and electric conductivity. During the sampling period, 182 samples were collected, but only 163 samples were identified as valid. The pH, calculated from the volume-weighted $H^+$ concentration, was found to be 4.7, indicating a relatively intensive acidity compared with data from other regions of the world, where acid deposition was known to be a problem. Above all, the concentration of non-seasalt sulfate was $84 \mu eq/L$, which was the highest compared to that measured in other regions of the world. The major acidifying ions in the precipitation at Seoul were identified as sulfate and nitrate except for chloride, because the Cl/Na ratio in the precipitation was close to the ratio in seawater. If all of the non-seasalt sulfate and nitrate existed in the form of sulfuric and nitric acids, respectively, the average pH in the precipitation was calculated as 3.7, lower than the measured value. Consequently, the difference between the calculated and measured pH suggest that the acidity of precipitation was neutralized by alkaline species, not due to the low contribution of an anthropogenic air pollutants to the precipitation. The equivalent concentration ratio of sulfate to nitrate was 3.5, which indicated that the contributions of sulfuric and nitric acids to the precipitation acidity were 78% and 22%, respectively.