• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.393-405
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• 2007

To examine the sedimentary geochemical characteristics of sediment in the Tamjin River and Doam bay, the analysis was conducted, using the sample obtained in February 2000, on the grain size and the contents of metallic elements and organic carbon. The factors that influence the geochemical behavior of metallic elements in the surface sediment are grain size, organism, surrounding soil and $CaCO_3$. To find out the pollution level of metallic elements, the enrichment factor (EF) and the index of geoaccumulation ($I_{geo}$) were researched. The majority of metallic elements sustain their values in natural state. The elements such as K, Ba, Zr, etc. appear to be rich in some places. The EF and $I_{geo}$ of P, Cu, Zn, and Pb, which belong to toxic heavy metals, are partly related with man-made pollution. P and Cu have a high EF, Pb has a high $I_{geo}$ and Zn is high in both EF and $I_{geo}$. The low contents of P and Cu are not likely to be related with the pollution of water environment. However, given the development of relative pollution, the research and the management regarding the pollutants are needed. Because Pb, naturally enriched by geological characteristics, has a large influence on water environment along with Zn, the adequate measures against man-made pollution should be worked out.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.641-647
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• 2014

In this study, sludge waste which has a difficulty in treating it was used to manufacture a fiber type of biosorbent. To solve the problems such as the release of organic pollutants and the difficulty in separating solid from treated water, entrapment method using Ca-alginate was used to immobilize sludge waste. Considering ease of manufacture as well as improvement of adsorptive ability, the biosorbent was manufactured in the form of fiber type. Optimum immobilization condition for minimizing the amount of alginate used and maximizing the performance of biosorbent was determined to be 10 g/L alginate concentration, 40 g/L sludge concentration, and 0.3-0.4 mm fiber diameter. The maximum Cd(II) uptake of the biosorbent was 60.73 mg/g. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model adequately described the dynamic and equilibrium behaviors of Cd(II) biosorption onto the biosorbent, respectively. In conclusion, sludge waste generated from wastewater treatment process is a cheap raw material for the manufacture of biosorbent which can be used to remove toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewaters efficiently.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2007

The toxicitiy of organic sludge such as municipal sewage sludge (MSS), industrial sewage sludge (ISS), alcohol fermentation processing sludge (AFPS) and leather processing sludge (LPS) were evaluated with three environmental biomarkers as acetylcholinesterase, cytochrome P450, and heat shock protein 70 extracted from earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Their toxicities were compared with those of pig manure compost (PMC). MSS, ISS, LPS, and AFPS did not significantly affect the acetylcolinesterase activity, whereas only the elutriate of PMC slightly was increased the activity. MSS, AFPS, and PMC tended to slightly inhibit the cytochrome $P_{450}$ activity, but ISS and LPS showed significantly the inhibitory effect on cytochrome $P_{450}$. The hsp70 expression began to increase after treatments and showed high induction at 6 hour, followed by zero level at around 12 hour. The quantity of the hsp70 expressed by elutriate treatments of PMC, AFPS, MSS, ISS, and LPS was 1.9, 3.0, 3.3, 4.4, and 4.7 fold higher than that of distilled water. These results indicate that in toxicity tests of five organic waste materials, four kinds of sludge materials appeared more toxic than PMC. Results of AChE, P450, and hsp70 of earthworm might be useful for expecting or assessing an effect by exposure of organic wastes to earthworms in soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 1997

Cadmium occurs as a minor element in sphalerite ((Zn, Fe)S) from the Boseong-Jangheung gold-silver mine district. We analyzed the abundance of cadmium in sphalerite using an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA) and discussed the natural sources of cadmium in terms of bedrock geochemistry, in order to preliminarily reconnoiter the potential cadmium contamination in mine districts. Cadmium contents of sphalerites from the Au-Ag mines (Bodeok, Mundeok, Jeonbo, Boknae, Keumsan) in the Boseong-Jangheung district are considerably high, compared with cadmium contents of sphalerites (average = 0.5 wt.% Cd, maximum = 4.4 wt.% Cd) in the world. Sphalerites from the Keumsan mine (average = 9.49 wt.% Cd, maximum=11.22 wt. Cd) are highly enriched in cadmium. Our data suggest that the Boseong-Jangheung area is an important potential site of cadmium contamination in Korea. Based on bedrock geochemistry, natural causes of cadmium enrichment in sphalerite from the mine district are thought to be the mixing of cadmium leached from organic-rich, metasedimentary rocks (including coal) and/or black shales. From this study, we propose that the pinpointing of potential sites of pollution by toxic heavy metals can be done effectively through detailed reconnaisance study on mineralogical compositions of ore minerals such as sphalerite from the mine area.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.321-330
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of copper (II) chloride (CuCl₂) on zebrafish. Zebrafish were exposed to various CuCl₂ concentrations and subjected to different exposure times to determine the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values. To evaluate stress responses, we measured whole-body cortisol levels and behavioral parameters using the open field test (OFT) or the novel tank test (NTT). The zebrafish were exposed to CuCl₂ solution at concentrations of 1.5-150 ㎍/l or a vehicle for 1 hr before behavioral tests or sample collection for whole-body cortisol. The LC₅₀ values were 30.3, 25.3, and 14.8 ㎍/l at 24, 48, and 96 hr, respectively. The NTT showed that mobility, velocity, and distance covered were significantly lower in zebrafish exposed to CuCl₂ than in the control group (p<0.05), while the turn angle was significantly higher in zebrafish exposed to a CuCl₂ concentration of 150 ㎍/l than in the control group (p<0.05). The OFT also showed that mobility, velocity, and distance covered were significantly lower and the turn angle and meandering were significantly higher in zebrafish exposed to all concentrations of CuCl₂ than in the control group (p<0.05). The whole-body cortisol levels were significantly higher in zebrafish exposed to CuCl₂ than in the control group (p<0.05). These results suggest that exposure to lethal CuCl₂ concentrations induces an intense toxic and stress response in zebrafish, causing behavioral changes and increasing whole-body cortisol levels.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.223-232
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• 1998

The Okmyong Waste Landfill which is one of major industrial waste landfills in Korea has been used for 10 years since January, 1988. The groundwater in range of 2∼3 km from the landfill is a little acidic and has high concentrations of EC, NO$_3$, and SO$_4$ because of acidic rain in Pohang. The groundwater pattern in Piper's trilinear diagram belongs to Ca-SO$_4$and Na-SO$_4$types, but Ca-SO$_4$type is more predominant. The groundwater of five monitoring wells at the landfill area is a litle alkaline and has high concentrations of TS, COD, Na, Cl, SO$_4$, Alkalinity and F because of the effect of the leachates. They also have high heavy metals of Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni but toxic organic compounds are not detected. Their groundwater pattern is Na-SO$_4$type and distinguished from the groundwater pattern Na-Cl types of the Nanjido and the Seokdae Municipal Waste Landfills. The range of groundwater contamination which is validated up to now is about 120m west from the entrance of the Okmyong Waste Landfill. To prevent the dispersion of the leachates to the outside, cutoff walls should be constructed at the boundary of the landfill. Several pumping wells should also be developed at the landfill so that the contaminated groundwater can be pumped and treated at a leachate-treatment plant in the landfill.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2011

Charcoal burning in the process of manufacture and ordinary use often release many constituent chemical species. As a result of open burning, the chemical composition as well as the physical properties of original material changes through the modification of surface properties of charcoal. Surface modification could be more responsible toward the outside elements for surface adsorption, it becomes easy to adsorb more toxic elements through surface adsorption. In this study, four kinds of commercially available charcoal were studied against the chemical and thermal stability along with the heavy metals and organic hazardous substances. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry, from room temperature to $400^{\circ}C$, were performed to study the weight loss and the changes in the behavior of those substances. According to TGA analysis, about 10% of weight loss was happened before $200^{\circ}C$. It was found that related weight loss of this temperature region may responsible to the gas phase organic matter. Natural charcoal, K1 and C1 show 15% of loss during the reaction heated to $400^{\circ}C$, while the artificial charcoal K2, C2 show the weight loss of about 20% was found. This is consistent with the main organic matter and VOC analysis results shown. Chemical composition based on the x-ray diffraction analysis was carried out. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the existence of chemical additive in the forms of $Ba(NO_3)_2$, $BaCO_3$, and $NaNO_3$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.315-332
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• 2010

All of the water and stone-dust samples with or without flocculant, in and around quarry mines, were analyzed for total concentrations of heavy metals, cyanide(CN), toxic organic compounds and organic phosphorus. Extraction experiments on stone-dust by EDTA and various pH solutions were also carried out, in order to evaluate the contaminant leaching from the long-term heaped stone-dust within quarry mines. The concentrations of $Cr^{6+}$, Hg, CN, TCE/PCE and total phosphorus in all samples (water and stone-dust) were under detection limits, confirming no environmental contamination from stone-dust in quarry mine areas. Lead and cadmium were not detected in all water samples. Copper and zinc were found in some water samples, and arsenic was detected in a few water samples. But they also showed levels much lower than the drinking water standard. Results of the extraction experiments by EDTA and pH solutions showed that Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu and Zn were leached out in less amounts or under detection limits. Arsenic was detected only at pH 3. From above results, we suggested that environmental contamination by quarry mine development is likely to be minor or negligible.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2003

The Dukpyung and the Chubu areas were selected to investigate the migration and enrichment of arsenic and other toxic elements in soils and crop plants in areas covered with black shales. Rock and soil samples digested in 4-acid solution (HCI+HNO$_3$+HF+HC1O$_4$) were analyzed fer arsenic and other heavy metals by ICP-AES and ICP-MS, and plant samples by INAA. Mean concentration of As in Okchon black shale is higher than those of both world average values of shale and black shale. Especially high concentration of 23.2 mg/kg As is found in black shale from the Dukpyung area. Mean concentration of As is highly elevated in agricultural soils from the Duk-pyung (28.2 mg/kg) and the Chubu areas (32.6 mg/kg). Arsenic is highly elevated in rice stalks and leaves from the Dukpyung (1.14 mg/kg) and the Chubu areas (1.35 mg/kg). The biological absorption coefficient (BAC) of As in plant species decreases in the order of rice leaves>com leaves>red pepper>soybean leaves=sesame leaves>corn stalks>corn grains.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.391-396
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• 1992

Anabaena variabilis A TCC 29413. a photoautotrophic and nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria. was investigated on the environmental factors regulating the growth and nitrogen lixation activity. A good growth of cyanobacteria] cells was observed due to nitrogen t1xation by the heterocyst differentiation in nitrogen free Allen and Arnon (]/8) medium. The nitrogenase activity was appeared to be in proportion to the cell growth lor 6 days then drastically decreased in the later growth period when the nitraTe was accumulated to high level in the culture to cause the inhibition. The optima] conditions lilr the cell growth and nitrogenase activity of A. varillbili.l were anaerobic. IO.OO0 lux. $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 8 with the nitrogen Cree minimal medium. The activity was significantly inhihited by the low concentrations of ammonium and nitrate. but was stimulated b) the ]ow Ieve] of phosphate and carbonate sources. The treatments of several toxic heavy metals showed strong inhibition of the cell growth and nitrogenase activity by O.3~10 ppm in the order of $Hg^{2+}$ > $Cd^{2+}$ > $Co^{2+}$ > $Zn^{2+}$ > $Ph^{2+}$, and the concentrations for 50% inhibition of the maximum activity were 0.41. 0.47. 0.5 L 0.66 and 8.1 ppm. respectively. The addition of carbohydrates (0.5~ 1.0%) in the dark condition stimulated the growth and activity in the order of sucrose > fructose > glucose.