• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.23-37
• /
• 2008

The vertical distribution of dioxins and hexachlorobenzene(HCB) in a sediment core was investigated to elucidate historical trends of dioxins and HCB deposited into Upo wetland. The total concentration of dioxin ranged from 8.7 to 66.27 pg/g-dw in Upo sediments deposited, and from 17.64 to 97.03 pg/g-dw in Mokpo. Dioxin fluxes increased from the first-1990s and then reached a maximum in the mid-1990s. The major source of dioxin by comparing the congeners pattern was pentachlorophenol(PCP) used of agrochemicals. The HCB concentration in most of samples was detected below the MDL(Method Detection Limit of 0.5ng/g), except a few samples.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.306-313
• /
• 2009

In the Upo wetland, physico-chemical factors were observed during the period from March 2005 to December 2007 on a monthly basis. In the Upo wetland, water temperatures ranged $3.4{\sim}34.5^{\circ}C$. Conductivities were in the range of 133~806 ${\mu}S\;cm^{-1}$, which showed about 140 ${\mu}S\;cm^{-1}$ below in comparison with the precedent studies. The pH levels were between 6.7~9.1 with lower level in summertime. The dissolved oxygens were between 0.06~18.23 mg $L^{-1}$. COD ranged 4.9~20.8 mg $L^{-1}$, and showed a tendency to decrease every year. Nitrogen nutrients such as nitrate nitrogen ($NO_3-N$), ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3-N$) and total nitrogen (T-P) showed that they were generally decreased in comparison with those in the precedent studies. However the total nitrogen (T-N) is still considerably higher than the standard concentration level of eutrophication and algal blooming. Phosphate phosphorus ($PO_4-P$) and total phosphorus (T-P) were also shown as to be reduced considerably comparing with the values in the precedent studies. However, It was found out that total phosphorus (T-P) was dissolved over the criteria concentration of eutrophication. The average of TN/TP ratio was 18 in the Upo wetland, which proved that phosphorus was the limiting factor to the growth of phytoplankton in the Upo wetland. The chl-$\alpha$ was the highest in wintertime and the lowest in summertime, and especially in 2006 summer when the cyanobacterial bloom developed, it showed extremely high concentration.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2008

Sediment cores were obtained from Upo and Mokpo in Upo Wetland and core samples were divided by depth into 20 ~ 21 subsamples. The heavy metal concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, AS, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Cr in the sediments of each depth were determined by ICP-MS. The texture of sediemnts from Upo Wetland appeared to be clayey silt with average grain size of $7.52{\sim}11.15{\mu}m$ for physical properties. It was found to have a clear tendency of depth profile with respect to TOC and ignition loss. Organics were stabilized in the range of 0.5 ~ 0.7 % TOC and 8 ~ 9 % ignition loss in 30 years, whereas, the surficial sediments have the highest concentrations of about 3.0 % of TOC and 13 ~ 15 % ignition loss. Those are much higher than the values of the main stream, the Nakdong River, which reflects the deposit of biodegradable organics from plants and other lifes. The vertical distribution of heavy metals in two sediment cores was investigated to elucidate historical trends of heavy metals deposited into Upo wetland. The depth profile concentrations of each heavy metal were compared and discussed with the Concensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. All the Cd data for the vertical distribution in the sediments were detected above PEC value for Cd, which predict harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms expected to occur frequently. The concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Cr in all sediment samples for depth profile were detected below the TEC values, which provided a basis predicting the absence of toxicity by Zn, Cu, and Cr.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.261-274
• /
• 2011

The studies on community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental survey in selected four sites were performed on wetland Upo from 2008 to 2009. The lowest water temperature was measured at Upo and Mokpo showing $7^{\circ}C$ in February of 2008 and 2009 respectively. The highest water temperature was measured at Upo showing $32^{\circ}C$ in August of 2009. The lowest pH was measured at Topyeong with 5.3 in August of 2009, and the highest pH was measured at Mokpo with 10.1 in August of 2008. Generally the levels pH of 2008 were higher than those of 2009. The range of electric conductivity to the sites was big. Overall, the higher electric conductivity was seen at Sajipo and the lower one was seen at Mokpo. The level of Dissolved oxygen was lowest at Upo with $5.53mg/\ell$ in August 2008, and it was highest at Upo with $14.76mg/\ell$ in February of 2008. The investigation was performed with both quantitative and qualitative collecting methods from four surveying sites, Upo, Mokpo, Sajipo and Topyeong. Through the eight times of seasonal survey, 6 classes, 17 orders, 59 families, 131 species and 5460 individuals of benthic macroinvertebrates were collected. 6 classes, 17 orders, 53 families 106 species and 2439 individuals were identified in 2008, and 6 classes, 16 orders, 44 families, 93 species and 3021 individuals were collected in 2009. The number of species was decreased in 2009 comparing that of 2008, however, the number of individuals were increased in 2009. The dominant species and the subdominant species was Plea (Paraplea) indistinguenda and Diplonychus esakii with 20.16% and 11.90% of dominant indices respectively. From the community analysis, both the species diversity index and the species richness index were highest in Topyeong showing 4.743 and 9.054 respectively. The similarity evaluation to the investigation sites with the species in there showed very high similarity among Upo, Mokpo and Sajipo showing 5 or lower levels of distance cluster combine.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.281-287
• /
• 2014

Objective: The objective of the study is to develop a portable assistance device to help elderly users reduce strain on the knee and leg muscle while the elderly are standing up. Background: The pose of standing up from a chair is a basic movement, but the elderly often have difficulty standing up due to their weak muscles. We focus on designing a solution that helps the elderly reduce physical problems and support them standing up. Method: This study consists of three parts. Part I explores the way to reduce the refrain of leg muscle while standing up from a chair. In the process of structural development, we found that the moment is minimized when user pushes down the armrests due to a decrease in the force acting on the center of mass. In part II, a user test of 20 participants was carried out to rank the order of comfort of two stimuli: the chair with fixed armrests and the chair with the four-link mechanism that we created-in three different ways; (1) to stand up without touching armrests, (2) to stand up by pushing down on fixed armrests, and (3) to stand up by pushing down on armrests and being supported by the mechanism. To examine the statistically significant differences among the rank means, a Friedman test was conducted. In part III, we analyze the results of the user test and interview feedbacks, focusing on establishing a design strategy from UPO and visualizing it in 1:1 scale. Results: In part I, we decided to develop the four-link mechanism. The bottom is lifted up as the link rises. In part II, based on the rank data, we empirically found that UPO was assessed as the most comfortable during the stimuli. The thigh angle is smaller and the bottom of UPO is separated from a seat. In part III, after assessing the results and feedbacks, we created a visualization strategy for UPO: light, friendly, and novel. Conclusion: The portable and non-mechanical UPO comprises a four-link system that lifts the user's hips while standing. It can help users avoid knee and leg muscle strain. Its universal design considers the elderly's difficulties. Application: In a future study, combining light and durable material in UPO is expected to increase its usability. And this study is an opportunity to design various types of standing assistance devices.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.12 no.5
• /
• pp.77-91
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study is to define the species composition of the soil seed banks at major wetlands in Nakdong river basin and central korea and to investigate how soil seed banks relate to aboveground vegetation and soil texture. In 2005, we sampled seed banks at Baksil reservoir, Jillal marsh, Deapyeng marsh, Hwapo marsh, Upo marsh and Junam reservoir in Nakdong river basin and Osan stream and Amsa-dong in Seoul. The soil seeds were estimated with the emergence method from April to October. Total numbers of species at the seed banks were 33 at Baksil, 18 at Daepyeong, 35 at Jillal, 56 at Upo, 32 at Hwapo, 47 at Osan stream, 54 at Amsa waterside, 31 at Amsa meadow. The species diversity in the soil seed banks of Upo marsh was the highest as 0.95. The community overlap index that compares aboveground with underground vegetation is high in the Upo marsh (0.34), Jilla marsh (0.36), and Osan stream (0.27). Soil texture affected distribution of 8 species, Lindernia procumbens, L. attenuata, Arenaria serpyllifolia, Juncus effusus, Persicaria thunbergii, Eragrostis multicaulis, Cyperus nipponicus, Scirpus fluviatilis. Considering the social and cultural values, soils at Amsa meadow, Hwapo marsh and Osan stream have worth to use for wetland restoration.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.109-137
• /
• 2020

Upo Wetland is the largest riverine wetland in Korea which has been inscribed on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance in 1998. In this study, sedimentological study was carried out in order to understand the environmental changes in Upo Wetland during the Holocene. The drilling work for recovering the Quaternary sediments was conducted on the inner part (UPW17-01, UPW17-02, and UPW17-03) and the outer part (UPL17-01, UPL17-02) of the Upo Wetland. The recovered sediments are commonly characterized by gravel-dominated deposits in the lower part and silty clay-dominated deposits in the middle to upper parts respectively, which are seemed to be changed from fluvial to palustrine/lacustrine environments around 4,000 cal yr BP. In order to establish the Holocene diatoms distribution from Upo Wetland, we identified 63 diatom taxa. Of these, 14 species were new records for Korea: Gomphonema consector, Gomphonema jadwigiae, Hantzschia abundans, Luticola pseudomurrayi, Luticola spauldingiae, Neidium suboblongum, Ninastrelnikovia gibbosa, Oricymba rhynchocephala, Pinnularia borealis var. lanceolata, Pinnularia latarea, Pinnularia paliobducta, Pinnularia saprophila, Sellaphora laevissima, Stauroneis pseudoschimanskii. All identified diatom species are illustrated by high-quality scanning electron microscopic and light microscopic microphotographs. The ecological habitat for all taxa are presented.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.357-366
• /
• 2013

This study investigates to explain preference heterogeneity of respondents for economic valuation in washland of Upo wetland using Mixed Logit Model and Latent Class Model. Mixed Logit Model showed respondent heterogeneity in the attributes of wetland area and funds as well as some alternatives violated IIA assumption. 2-class Latent Class Model for respondents were used to explain the sources of the heterogeneity. Class 1 respondents who are located relatively close to Upo wetland had more experience and knowledge of Upo wetland and better understood the information suggested in the questionnaire than class 2 respondents in mostly metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.232-241
• /
• 2009

The dynamics of phytoplankton communities were investigated for Upo wetland from march 2005 to December 2007 on monthly basis. During the investigation, totally 213 phytoplankton taxa which belonged to 86 genera of 35 families in 8 classes were observed. Chlorophyceae was the most diverse in the Upo wetland. Number of phytoplankton taxa was in the range 14${\sim}$50 for monthly investigation and the average number of taxa was 34${\pm}$10. Phytoplankton standing crops were the lowest value of 161 cells $mL^{-1}$ in August 2005 and the highest with 159,283 cells $mL^{-1}$ in August 2006. Especially during summer season in 2006, phytoplankton standing crops showed the highest value due to the waterbloom occurred by cyanobacteria. The number of the dominant taxa of Upo wetland were 13 and among them chlorophyceae and cyanophyceae dominated 8 times. In the view of seasonal changes of phytoplankton community, Upo wetland had high portion of cryptophyceae, dinophyceae and bacillariophyceae in the winter season and chlorophyceae and bacillariophyceae in the other season. However, in the summer season of 2006, cyanobacteria showed the highest portion. The diversity indices had range from 0.50 to 2.86 and showed the tendency of gradual decrease in each year.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.81-86
• /
• 2007

Human activities have enhanced the influx of heavy metals to aquatic ecosystem and hanged the abiotic environment such as the sediments supporting benthic organisms. The levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the benthic gastropod Oxyloma hirasei and the sediments around their habitat were investigated to examine heavy metal levels and the potential of the gastropod as a bioindicator. We detected different levels of heavy metals in the sediments of two wetland areas, Upo and Mokpo, in the relatively well-conserved Upo wetland, Ramsar Convention Area. Oxyloma hirasei had higher concentrations of heavy metals except Cr and Ni in their soft tissues than in their shells (Cd: $2.10{\sim}3.16$, Cu: $19.73{\sim}28.66$, Pb: $0.67{\sim}1.17$, Zn: $216.1{\sim}285.7\;{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in the soft tissues; Cr: $1.19{\sim}2.58$, Ni: $0.47{\sim}1.16\;{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in the shells). Differences in the Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations in O. hirasei soft tissues reflected differences in heavy metal concentrations in the sediments at the sampling sites. The coefficients of variation for Cd, Cu and Pb were lower than those for other metals in the soft tissues. Levels of Cd in the tissues of O. hirasei were the highest among the metals examined in this study. Therefore, the soft tissue of O. hirasei appears to be a promising bioindicator particularly for Cd.