• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2020

The present study was designed to characterize the bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in marine organisms (zooplankton, oyster, crab, and goby) on different trophic level. In the present study, sedentary bivalve (oyster) showed strong correlations in OCPs levels with surface sediment in the study area. This indicates the two compartments can be used as alternative for pollution monitoring of OCPs even in narrow scale in space. Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of OCPs was strongly associated with their hydrophobicity (i.e., K_OW). HCHs with log K_OW < 5 did not show any enrichment through food-chain. However, log BAF values of OCPs with log K_OW > 5 positioned over the 1:1 lines of log BAF and log K_OW of the top predator, indicating the greater fugacities in the higher trophic level and thus the occurrence of biomagnification via ingestion. Based on trophic transfer factors (TTF), more hydrophobic OCPs with log K_OW > 5 were enriched by several to several ten times in the highest trophic level relative to the lowest trophic level. This finding can be used in the establishment of marine environmental water quality criteria by considering biomagnification factors (TTF in this study) of OCPs.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2008

To predict Daphnia secondary productivity along a trophic gradient indexed as total phosphorus (TP) concentration, we estimated energy transfer efficiencies from food quality for Daphnia such as eicosa-pentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content. Eleven flow-through Daphnia magna growth experiments were conducted with seston from 9 lakes, ponds and river waters. Primary productivities were estimated from food supply rates in the flow-through experiments, producing energy transfer efficiencies from seston to D. magna. We found DHA content was the best predictor of energy transfer efficiencies among the essential fatty acids. An asymptotic saturation model explained 79.6% of the variability In energy transfer efficiencies. Based on empirical data in this study and empirical models from literature, we predict that Daphnia productivity would peak in mesotrophic systems by decreasing food quality and Increasing food quantity along trophic gradient.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.317-326
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• 2011

With its recent advances, nanotechnology is now being applied to various areas. Despite the benefits of nanoparticles, their risk in the environment has caused controversy, which is now becoming an international issue. Nanoparticles can easily infiltrate into cells, accumulate in biota, and may cause adverse effects in the levels of molecules, cells and organisms, and in the community. If nanoparticles are released into the environment, they can be transferred to organisms in the ecosystem, and eventually to the human body through the food chain. In this study, the research trend of the trophic transfer of nanoparticles in the food chain was investigated. Although a few investigations have been conducted regarding this topic, the trophic transfer of nanoparticles is becoming a significant issue in the area of nanotoxicology due to the potential risk to humans via the biomagnification process. While previous studies have demonstrated evidence of the trophic transfer of nanoparticles intensive future studies are needed to provide further information on the properties of nanomaterials, the exposure media, and the in vivo mechanisms such as uptake, accumulation, and depuration.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.683-690
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• 2014

Nanomaterials are used in a range of fields, including industry, medicine, aerospace, and manufacturing, due to their unique and useful properties. In recent years, nanotechnology has developed rapidly, and the amount of nanomaterials used in various fields has increased consistently. As a result, nanomaterials are released into the aquatic and soil ecosystem, posing potential risks to organisms and environment. These materials can enter the cells and may cause serious damage to organisms. Furthermore, they can be transferred through trophic levels and food web, thereby leading to bioconcentration and biomagnification. In this study, we analyzed the trends in research on food chain transfer of nanomaterials and investigated the techniques used in the research. Although many studies have been underway, there is a need for further advanced studies on higher trophic levels and complex microcosm and mesocosm. Furthermore, study topics should be expanded to include various types of nanomaterials and varied species and trophic levels.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.228-238
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• 2007

Calcium plays an important role for the organisms' physiology, reproduction, and growth. Calcium amount and transfer efficiency along trophic levels were compared at two different geological areas, Limestone area (LS) and Granitic Gneiss area (GG) in 1992 and 1993. Biomass and calcium amount of plants, herbivores and carnivores were seasonally measured. The removal sweeping net method was used to collect the quantitative insect samples. Calcium content (mgCa $g^{-1}$ DM) and pH of soil were 4.85 and 7.3 at LS and 0.21 and 7.3 at GG. The calcium transfer efficiencies (%) at LS and CG were 0.2 and 4.2 from soil to plants, 0.002 and 0.02 from plants to herbivores, and 73 and 47 from herbivores to carnivores, respectively. As a whole, the high calcium content of the LS soil reduced the utilization of calcium by plants. The higher trophical levels were, the higher ecological efficiency of the biological levels was. The calcium transfer amount was higher at LS, but its efficiency was rather higher at GG.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.88-88
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• 2001

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.177-182
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• 2009

The optimal strategy for semelparous females may involve adjustments in the relative investment in two fitness components, the number of offspring and the post-hatching investment per capita. To determine the pattern of maternal resource allocation to offspring in the matriphagous spider, Amaurobius ferox (Amaurobiidae), I investigated the relationship between maternal body-mass and the number of offspring, and quantified the transfer of maternal body-mass to the offspring via different forms of maternal provisioning (trophic egg-laying and matriphagy). There was a positive relationship between female body-mass and the number of offspring. However, Amaurobius mothers did not produce more trophic eggs when they had larger broods. Rather, spiderlings in larger A. ferox broods consumed larger quantities of maternal body-mass via matriphagy. Mothers transferred $28.8{\pm}6.5%$ of their body-mass to the spiderlings via trophic egg-laying, and an estimated $39.0{\pm}12.5%$ of their body-mass was transferred to the spiderlings via matriphagy.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.376-389
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• 2022

Despite the consumption of disinfectants have been increased by COVID-19 pandemic, the fate of the chemicals in aquatic food webs are still unclear. In order to understand the trophic transfer of the chemicals, the concentration of disinfectants including six benzalkonium chloride (BACs) and five didecyldimethylammonium chlorides(DDACs) were measured at the Geum (2020), Han (2021), and Yeongsan River (2021), before and after rainfall. The highest concentration of ∑BACs (mainly C12 and C14) and ∑DDACs (mainly C10 and C14) were observed in the Han River, followed by Yeongsan River, Geum River Estuary, and Gapcheon. After rainfalls, both concentration and detection frequency were decreased in all sites. Although the BAC and DDAC seems to be accumulated in organisms, they were bio-diluted rather than magnified in the aquatic food web with the biomagnification factor(BMF) of less than 1, trophic magnification slope (TMS) from -0.236 to 0.001, and trophic magnification factor(TMF) from 0.85 to 1.01.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.60-70
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• 2011

The sediment removal index derived from the chemical contaminants, $CI_{HC}$, is currently in use to identify and define the spatial extent of the contaminated sediments in the sea. In order to analyze the sensitivity of the ecological and human risk associated with contaminated sediment, we evaluated five hypothetical contaminated sediments, whose $CI_{HC}$ values are identical but consisted of different contaminant contents, using $TrophicTrace^{(R)}$ model dedicated to evaluate sediment risk, against the resident greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) and humans by calculating No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level based Toxicity Quotient (NOAEL TQ) and Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level based Toxicity Quotient (LOAEL TQ), and cancer risks and hazard indices (HI), respectively, based on the site conceptual model and exposure assumptions of fish ingestion to human receptor populations. NOAEL and LOAEL TQ values varied as much as a factor of 2 among 5 hypothetical sediments. Chemical element specific contribution to the carcinogenic risk and HI varied also greatly in these sediments. The reason for this significant dissimilarity in ecological and human risk stems from the different risk of each contaminant to the resident fish and human receptor. When the conceptual food web model is constructed for the target biological species for a given site, the ecological and human risk analysis considering trophic transfer of contaminants will add a ecosystem based tool for the management of contaminated sediments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.739-749
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• 2013

The seasonal and spatial diversity of picocyanobacteria (Pcy) in lakes of the Great Mazurian Lakes (GLM) system was examined by DGGE analysis of molecular markers derived from the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the ribosomal operon and the phycocyanin operon (cpcBA-IGS). The study of nine lakes, ranging from mesotrophy to hypereutrophy, demonstrated seasonal variance of Pcy. The richness and Shannon diversity index calculated on the basis of both markers were higher in spring and lower in early and late summer. No statistically significant relationships were found between the markers and trophic status of the studied lakes or Pcy abundance. There were, however, statistically significant relationships between the diversity indices and sampling time. The analysis pointed to a different distribution of the two markers. The ITS marker exhibited more unique sequences in time and space, whereas a greater role for common and ubiquitous sequences was indicated by the cpcBA-IGS data. Examination of the Pcy community structure demonstrated that communities were grouped in highly similar clusters according to sampling season/time rather than to the trophic status of the lake. Our results suggest that time is more important than trophic status in shaping the diversity and structure of Pcy communities. The seasonal changes in picocyanobacteria and differences in diversity and community structures are discussed in the context of well-established ecological hypotheses: the PEG model, intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH), and horizontal gene transfer (HGT).