• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.407-413
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• 2015

As the number of applications containing nanomaterials increase, aquatic ecosystem exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) is unavoidable. In this study, we carried out toxicity assessment to Au-nanoparticles(NPs) of Rana dybowskii eggs and tadpoles. Toxicity was recorded hatching rate, body condition(Snout-tail length, STL), and behavioral sensitivity. Behavioral sensitivity was analyzed to anti-predator behavior using Ethovision XT 9. Au-NPs did not show any toxicity of hatching rate and STL. But, Tadpoles exposed to Au-NPs decrease behavioral sensitivity of stimuli. This study has value of environmental toxicity evaluation because these results show the new way of toxicity assessment.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.5-11
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• 2012

The abjective of this study was to study the degradation behavior and acute toxicity assessment of Triclosan and acute toxicity under E-beam irradiation. The experiments were conducted to investigate the efficts of the degradation efficiency in the initial concentration of Triclosan and the irradiation capacity of E-beam and the degree of mineralization based on a change of scavenger gas. The biological toxicity test by using on green algae, Pseudokirchneriella Subcapitata was conducted to lead the reducing toxicity. Degradation efficiency of Triclosan was improved when E-beam irradiation intensity was higher. Additionally, the % of TOC removal in each Radical scavenger gas was increased as the follows orders: $N_2O$ > $O_2$ > $N_2$, The toxicity test showed that the toxicity effect after 4 days(96hrs) was decreased by increase of E-beam irradiation intensity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.30
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• pp.7.1-7.7
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• 2015

Objectives The widely promising applications of graphene nanomaterials raise considerable concerns regarding their environmental and human health risk assessment. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the toxicity profiling of graphene family nanano-materials (GFNs) in alternative in vitro and in vivo toxicity testing models. Methods The GFNs used in this study are graphene nanoplatelets ([GNPs]-pristine, carboxylate [COOH] and amide [$NH_2$]) and graphene oxides (single layer [SLGO] and few layers [FLGO]). The human bronchial epithelial cells (Beas2B cells) as in vitro system and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as in vivo system were used to profile the toxicity response of GFNs. Cytotoxicity assays, colony formation assay for cellular toxicity and reproduction potentiality in C. elegans were used as end points to evaluate the GFNs' toxicity. Results In general, GNPs exhibited higher toxicity than GOs in Beas2B cells, and among the GNPs the order of toxicity was pristine > $NH_2$ > COOH. Although the order of toxicity of the GNPs was maintained in C. elegans reproductive toxicity, but GOs were found to be more toxic in the worms than GNPs. In both systems, SLGO exhibited profoundly greater dose dependency than FLGO. The possible reason of their differential toxicity lay in their distinctive physicochemical characteristics and agglomeration behavior in the exposure media. Conclusions The present study revealed that the toxicity of GFNs is dependent on the graphene nanomaterial's physical forms, surface functionalizations, number of layers, dose, time of exposure and obviously, on the alternative model systems used for toxicity assessment.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.272-280
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• 2018

Existing toxicity assessment researches were rarely studied on assessment of the abnormal behavior that affecting survival. Therefore, the study used anti-predator response of amphibians larvae, based on behavioral understanding, to assess toxicity in fullerene nanowhisker(FNW) and fullerene nanowhisker-silver nanoparticle composites(FNW-Ag). The experiment was conducted by dividing the groups not exposed to nanomaterials and exposed to nanomaterials at five concentrations(FNW: $10{\mu}g/ml$, FNW: $100{\mu}g/ml$, FNW: $500{\mu}g/ml$ FNW-Ag: $10{\mu}g/ml$, FNW: $50{\mu}g/ml$). As a result, there were no differences in normal activity except those exposed to concentrations of FNW-Ag $50{\mu}g/ml$, but there were statistically significant differences in anti-predator response except those exposed to concentrations of FNW $10{\mu}g/ml$. That is, exposed of nanomaterials does not affect ordinary movements, but analyses based on behavioral understandings have shown that it has an influence on the anti-predator response. It is therefore considered necessary to have animal behavioral analysis method performed in the assessment of eco-toxic experiment.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.103-118
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• 2022

Photorhabdus is a bacterial symbiont of entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Heterorhabditis in the family Heterorhabditidae. Photorhabdus is known to have nematicidal activity in addition to insecticidal activity. P. temperata isolated from Korean indigenous H. megidis Gwangju strain also produced high control efficacy against root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. P. temperata has drawn interest as a potential bionematicide for the control of root-knot nematodes thereby. For the registration as an organic agricultural material, the toxicity of P. temperata was assessed by the acute toxicity test in carp (Cyprinus carpio) and acute oral and dermal toxicity tests in Sprague-Dawley rat (Rattus norvegicus) in compliance with the guidelines of the Rural Development Administration (RDA). In the acute toxicity test in fish, neither lethality nor abnormal responses of carp were observed. Body length and weight of carp and changes in DO concentrations and pH values were not significantly different between the treated group and the untreated control. In the acute oral and dermal toxicity tests, clinical signs, abnormal behavior, mortality, and pathological findings were not observed in all the experimental rats. The weight increment of all rats was normal. Acute toxicity results of P. temperata in fish and rats belonged to categories III, IV, and IV of RDA, respectively. Toxicity results of the present study indicated that P. temperata could be a safe and promising bionematicide against root-knot nematodes and root lesion nematode.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2003

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of oxygen on motor activity and toxicity in male mice. The modified Porsolt forced swim test (FST) was used and the distance and time of movement by mice were analyzed in 15。C water bath for 20 minutes using the automatic Ethovision videotracking system. Analyses were carried out before and after 20 minutes of exposure to 10％-70％ concentration of normobaric oxygen. The effects of inspired oxygen tension on the distance and time of movement showed the similar trends, but changes in distance were more prominent. Both the distance and time of movement increased after exposure to 30％ and 40％ oxygen concentration. The distance and time of movement also increased upon exposure to 50％ and 60％ oxygen. In contrast, increases En movement and time under exposure to 21％ oxygen concentration were suppressed when exposed to over 50％ oxygen concentration. With exposure to 10％ oxygen, there was a significant decrease in the distance of movement and a slight suppression of movement time. During the swim test, 12.5％, 37.5％, and 87.5％ of the mice drowned after exposure to 10％, 60％, and 70％ oxygen concentration, respectively. These results suggest that motor activity can be enhanced by inspired oxygen up to 40％ concentration. When hypoxic and hyperoxic oxygen exposure over 50％, motor activity is reduced and toxicity may be induced.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.574-579
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• 2019

As interest in health issues increases, it is imperative to ensure good water quality from wastewater treatment plant effluent to preserve environmental health. In particular, currently there is a lack of water ecosystem risk assessment on pharmaceutical substances remaining in effluent. In this study, antidepressant escitalopram (ESC), antiepileptic carbamazepine (CBZ) and lead, which impact the behavior of aquatic organisms, were used to test their impact on the potential behavior of zebrafish. Zebrafish have been widely used in toxicological assessment studies due to the ease of handlinggenerically and genetically. It was possible to observe changes in the growth of organisms through monitoring the embryos' cognitive and behavior assessment. In this study, the embryo lethal dose test showed that the lethal concentration of ESC and CBZ was at 10 ppb, which is below the water quality criterion (100 ppb), increased by 32.5 % and 40 %, respectively. In the cognitive test, it was found that the cognitive ability function decreased by 22 % and 17% for ESC(500 ppb) and CBZ(1,000 ppb) respectively relative to control. Based on these results, it is necessary to initiate efforts to remove these trace pollutants from sewage treatment facilities to protect the health of aquatic organisms.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.241-248
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• 2017

BACKGROUND: RNA interference (RNAi) eliminates or decreases gene expression by disrupting the target mRNA or by interfering with translation. Recently, RNAi technique was applied to generate new crop traits which provide protection against pests. To establish the environmental risk assessment protocol of RNAi LMO in lab scale, we developed dsRNA expression system using E. coli and tested acute oral toxicity assay to honey. METHOD AND RESULTS: The dsRNA expression vector, L4440, was chosen and cloned 240 bp of Snf7 and GFP gene fragment. To develop the maximum dsRNA induction condition in E. coli, we tested induction time, temperature and IPTG concentration in media. To estimate the risk assessment of dsRNA to honey bee, it has been selected and cultured with dsRNA supplement for 48 hours according to OECD guideline. As a result, the optimum condition of dsRNA induction was $37^{\circ}C$, 4 hours and 0.4 mM IPTG concentration and the difference between Snf7 and GFP dsRNA molecules from E. coli was not significant in survival and behavior to honey bee. Furthermore, blast search results indicated that effective match of predicted dsRNA fragments were not existed in honey bee genome. CONCLUSION: In this study, we developed and tested the acute oral toxicity of dsRNA using E. coli expression system to honey bee.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.91-93
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• 2003

It has been estimated that the equivalent of approximately $US 50 billion has been spent on research on the behavior and fate of pesticides in the environment since Rachel Carson published “Silent Spring” in 1962. Much of the resulting knowledge has been summarized explicitly in computer algorithms in a variety of empirical, deterministic, and probabilistic simulation models. These models describe and predict the transport, degradation and resultant concentrations of pesticides in various compartments of the environment during and after application. In many cases the known errors of model predictions are large. For this reason they are typically designed to be “conservative”, i.e., err on the side of over-prediction of concentrations in order to err on the side of safety. These predictions are then compared with toxicity data, from tests of the pesticide on a series of standard representative biota, including terrestrial and aquatic indicator species and higher animals (e.g., wildlife and humans). The models' predictions are good enough in some cases to provide screening of those compounds which are very unlikely to do harm, and to indicate those compounds which must be investigated further. If further investigation is indicated a more detailed (and therefore more complicated) model may be employed to give a better estimate, or field experiments may be required. A model may be used to explore “what if” questions leading to possible alternative pesticide usage patterns which give lower potential environmental concentrations and allowable exposures. We are currently at a maturing stage in this research where the knowledge base of pesticide behavior in the environmental is growing more slowly than in the past. However, innovative uses are being made of the explosion in available computer technology to use models to take ever more advantage of the knowledge we have. In this presentation, current developments in the state of the art as practiced in North America and Europe will be presented. Specifically, we will look at the efforts of the ‘Focus’ consortium in the European Union, and the ‘EMWG’ consortium in North America. These groups have been innovative in developing a process and mechanisms for discussion amongst academic, agriculture, industry and regulatory scientists, for consensus adoption of research advances into risk management methodology.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2016

$17{\alpha}$-Ethynylestradiol (EE2) has gotten growing concerns due to its widely detected in the environment and high estrogenic potency. However, the knowledge on the photochemical behaviors of EE2 in natural waters is still limited. Herein, the photodegradation and estrogenic potency variation of EE2 induced by nitrate were studied using a sunlight simulator consisted by a 300 W medium pressure mercury lamp and 290 nm cut-off filters. It was found that EE2 could be photodegraded at a rate of $0.0193h^{-1}$ in pure aqueous solutions, and the photodegradation of EE2 could be significantly promoted by nitrate. The photodegradation removal rate of EE2 was increased from 9% in Milli-Q water to 85% in 2.0 mM nitrate solutions. Reactive species scavenging experiments demonstrated that the photogenerated $HO{\bullet}$ contributed about 55% to EE2 degradation. Fe(III), Cl- and dissolved humic acid (DHA) could inhibit the photodegradation of EE2 by competing the incident light and photogenerated $HO{\bullet}$, while $HCO_3{^-}$ had no influence on EE2 photodegradation. EE2 was determined to be phototransformed into organic chemicals without estrogenic potency by GC-MS and MCF-7 cell proliferation toxicity tests. These findings could extend our knowledge on the photochemical behaviors of steroid estrogens and provide information for ecological risk assessment.