• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2014.05a
• /
• pp.43-43
• /
• 2014

White rot fungi have been useful source of enzymes for the degradation of environmental pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and synthetic dyes. PAHs are widespread organic compounds present in fossil fuels and are routinely generated by incomplete fuel combustion. PAHs are some of the major toxic pollutants of water and soil environments. Synthetic dyes are major water-pollutants, which are toxic to organisms in water environments and interfere photosynthesis of water plants. Removal of PAHs and synthetic dyes has been of interests in the environmental science especially in the environmental microbiology. Mushrooms are fungal groups that function as primary degraders of wood polyphenolic lignin. The ligninolytic enzymes produced by mushroom, including manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and laccase, mediate the oxidative degradation of lignin. The catalytic power of these enzymes in the degradation of aromatic ring compounds has been sought for the degradation of various organic compounds. In this project, we have screened 60 wild mushroom strains for their degradation activity against two representative PAHs, naphthalene and anthracene, and five aromatic dyes, including alizarin red S, crystal violet, malachite green, methylene blue, rose bengal. The degradation of PAHs was measured by GC while the decolorization of dyes was measured by both UV spectrophotometer and HPLC. As results, 9 wild mushroom strains showed high activity in degradation of PAHs and textile dyes. We also describe the secretive enzyme activities, the transcription levels, and cloning of target genes. In conjunction with this, activities of degradative enzymes, including laccase, lignin peroxidase, and Mn peroxidase, were measured in the liquid medium in the presence of PAHs and dyes. Our results showed that the laccase activity was directed correlated with the degradation, indicating that the main enzyme acts on PAHs and dyes is the laccase. The laccase activity was further simulated by the addition of $Cu^{2+}$ ion. Detailed studies of the enzyme system should be sought for future applications.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.135-144
• /
• 1999

Environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants were evaluated by two selected bioassays, Lettuce seed germination/elongation test and Microtox acute toxicity test. Toxic chemicals (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenolic compounds) inhibited the germination rate and root elongation of Lettuce seed, as well as the bioluminescence of Microtox bacteria. When test biota were exposed to target chemicals, the sensitivity of Lettuce bioassay was relatively lower than that of Microtox bioassay. However, Lettuce bioassay may be a good candidate for prescreening the environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants, since the testing method with Lettuce seed was relatively easier and more economic than with Microtox bacteria. Toxicity tests were conducted to compare the validity and sensitivity of both bioassays for sediment from a small stream passed through urban area as well as leachate from a municipal solid waste landfill. From experimental results, we found that Lettuce test and Microtox test are compensated each other as a battery of bioassay for evaluating the environmental toxicities of field samples obtained from a small stream contaminated by pollutants.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2005

There has been a growing interest in NF membrane for drinking water treatment, because it can remove simultaneously both hardness and hazardous micro pollutants such as pesticides and THM precursors. In this work, a hollow fiber NF membrane known as a composite membrane was employed for the rejection properties of both hydrophilic solutes and micro organic pollutants, where the former was used to evaluate the molecular sieving effect of this membrane and the latter was employed for the investigation of solute-membrane interaction as hydrophobic materials. This membrane effectively rejected the hydrophilic solutes and the permeation of them was mainly controlled by the molecular sieving effects such as molecular weight and molecular width. In the case of all micro organic pollutants, the rejections were varied from 42.2% for Simazine to 91.6% for Malathion, and the parameters related to the steric hindrance could significantly play an important role in the rejection. In the batch type adsorption experiments, all micro organic pollutants were entrapped mildly on the membrane in spite of lower degree compared with that of aromatic compounds, and they were correlated with log K.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.536-544
• /
• 2013

Even a small amount of hazardous air pollutants could have a harmful influence upon human beings, animals and plants. Hazardous air pollutants have the properties of toxicity, canceration and organism accumulation. They include heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin, etc. The Clean Air Conservation Act has defined specific hazardous air pollutants and designated 35 pollutants, distinguishing them from common air pollutants for special control. This study investigates the history of the controls of specific hazardous air pollutants with reference to some relevant laws and regulations in Korea. It investigates the regulations at the permission stage, such as the restrictions on installation of emission facilities, the permission and reporting of installation of emission facilities, and the regulations at the operation stage, such as maintaining permissible emission levels, installation of measuring devices, dues for emission, self-measurement and securing environmental engineers. The current regulatory management is not so satisfactory in regards to the serious effects of specific hazardous air pollutants upon the human body. An advanced new concept, like the maximum available control technology in US, the facilities management standards, which will soon take effect, will be able to lessen the emissions of fugitive hazardous air pollutants. In addition, this study discusses some possible stricter controls on the emission facilities of specific hazardous air pollutants and proposes some measures to maintain and supplement the current systems.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.29-38
• /
• 1991

As the suitable place of the forest bathing, Two places of the needle-leaf trees, which are located in the Oh-Saek mineral spring near place from the Sorak mountain, were selected. And then, Headspace gas trapping apparatus were setted in that two places and the aromatic components of the forest were adsorbed by Tenax-TA column for 24 hours. And Tenax-TA column were analyzed by the GC SE GC-MS. The analyzed components were found to contain up to between 70-80% of pollutants, which are Toluene, Methyl Chloride, Hexane, p-Xylene, Benzene, ... etc. On the other hand, the aromatic components of the forest, which give aromatheraphitical effectness, are as follow: alpha-Pinene, Limonene, 1, 8-Cin-eol, Benzaldehyde, . . . etc.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.187-195
• /
• 2014

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are ubiquitous in the air, are present as volatile and particulate pollutants that result from incomplete combustion. Most PAHs have toxic, mutagenic, and/or carcinogenic properties. Among PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) are suspected endocrine disruptors. The testis is an important target for PAHs, yet effects on steroidogenesis in Leydig cells are yet to be ascertained. Particularly, disruption of testosterone production by these chemicals can result in serious defects in male reproduction. Exposure to B[a]P reduced serum and intratesticular fluid testosterone levels in rats. Of note, the testosterone level reductions were accompanied by decreased steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and $3{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isomerase ($3{\beta}$-HSD) expression in Leydig cells. B[a]P exposure can decrease epididymal sperm quality, possibly by disturbing the testosterone level. StAR may be a key steroidogenic protein that is targeted by B[a]P or other PAHs.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.99-104
• /
• 2003

Aromatic compounds are of major concern among environmental pollutants due to their toxicity and persistence. To monitor aromatic compounds in a real time with a better sensitivity, a new method of SPR (surface plasmon resonance) based on DNA chip (Biacore 3000) was developed here. It is thought that CapR regulatory protein as a complex with phenol, could bind to their corresponding promoter, Po. Biotinylated DNA oligomers for the promoter was synthesized by PCR and coupled onto streptoavidin-linked CM5-chip. CapR regulatory proteins were purified after cloning their genes in pET21a (+) vector and expressing proteins. The interaction was assessed by the system where the regulatory proteins flowed with or without phenol through the cells of DNA chip. CapR regulatory protein even in the presence of phenol had no response to its promoter, Po, suggesting that other factor(s) might be required for the activation of Po promoter. The present work reveals a promising possibility of the SPR-based DNA chip in monitoring specific environmental pollutants in a real time.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.179-192
• /
• 2001

In order to characterize the distribution patterns of PAHs between Yellow Sand (YS) and non-Yellow Sand(NYS) periods, we collected and analyzed aerosol samples for PAHs for the periods covering 28 March through 24 April 2000. The concentrations of TSP measured during the YS periods were approximately two times higher than the NYS periods. By contrast, the concentrations of PAHs during YS were higher than those of NYS by 140%. In ad-dition, their concentrations in PM 10 were larger than those TSP by 120% . Detailed inspections of our data indi-catd that three species including chrysene. benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(k)fluoranthene were effeciently ad-sorbed by particles less than 10${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ diameter and that there were dominating the distribution characterstics of PAHs during the YS periods. Results of correlation analysis also indicated that PAHs exhibited strong correlations with those pollutants originating from combustion sources. It is thus concluded that pollutants such as toxic PAHs that originate from diverse anthropogenic sources of China should be contributing to the degradation of the ambient air quality in Seoul.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.181-190
• /
• 2011

The air pollutants from vehicle exhaust gas are affected by many factors including fuel qualities, engine and vehicle technologies, driving patterns. In particular, fuel qualities and after-treatment devices could directly affect the emission level of pollutants. The pollutant reduction characteristics that caused by enforced fuel quality standard were analyzed. Three types of test fuel were selected in accordance with Korean automotive fuel standard in 2006, 2009, 2012 and used for vehicle emission test in chassis dynamometer. European COPERT correction equation of fuel impact was considered as reference information to quantify the vehicle emission test results. The contribution rates of exhaust emission by COPERT correction equation showed that aromatic compounds and oxygen contents in gasoline fuel was most important. In case of diesel fuel, cetane index and polycyclic aromatic compounds accounted for the greater part. The exhaust emission effects by COPERT correction equation revealed that CO and VOC was increased 0.86%, 1.57% respectively in after 2009 gasoline when compared to before 2009 gasoline fuel. In case of light-duty diesel vehicle CO, VOC and PM were decreased in range of 3~7%. The result from this study could be provided for developing future fuel standards and be used to fundamental information for Korean clean air act.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• /
• v.34
• /
• pp.43.1-43.11
• /
• 2022

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have become common pollutants with industrial development. Although the effect of exposure to PAHs on allergic disease in humans has been evaluated, evidence of an association is sparse. The association between PAH exposure and serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels was evaluated in Korean adults. Methods: In total, this study included 3,269 participants in the Third Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2015-2017). Four urinary PAH metabolites were used to assessed exposure to PAHs: 1-hydroxypyrene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-naphthol, and 2-hydroxyfluorene. The analyses were performed on 3 cutoff levels (100 IU/mL, 114 IU/mL, and 150 IU/mL) set as the total IgE elevation. Prevalence of total IgE elevation by PAH exposure group and general characteristics (age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol drinking, and occupation) were analyzed using the Rao-Scott χ² test. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for total IgE elevation by PAH exposure groups. Results: Total IgE elevation differed significantly by age, sex, smoking status, alcohol drinking status, and occupation. For 2-hydroxyfluorene, the fourth quartile showed a significant association with IgE elevation compared to the first quartile in the analyses of cutoff-level 100 IU/mL (OR: 1.372, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.007-1.869) and 114 IU/mL (OR: 1.643, 95% CI: 1.167-2.312). In the analysis of cutoff-level 150 IU/mL, the adjusted ORs of the third and fourth quartile of 2-hydroxyfluorene were significantly higher than the first quartile (3rd quartile: OR: 1.478, 95% CI: 1.034-2.113; 4th quartile: OR: 1.715, 95% CI: 1.161-2.534). However, there were no significant positive associations for the other metabolites. Conclusions: This study implied that PAHs exposure is associated with total IgE elevation in Korean adults. More research is needed to confirm the effect of exposure to PAHs on serum IgE and allergic diseases.