• Advances in environmental research
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.65-84
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• 2020

The potential use of Sargassum boveanum algae for the removal of uranium from aqueous solution has been studied by varying three independent parameters (pH, initial uranium ion concentration, S. boveanum dosage) using a central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). Batch mode experiments were performed in 20 experimental runs to determine the maximum metal adsorption capacity. In CCD design, the quantitative relationship between different levels of these parameters and heavy metal uptake (q) were used to work out the optimized levels of these parameters. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the proposed quadratic model revealed that this model was highly significant (R² = 0.9940). The best set required 2.81 as initial pH(on the base of design of experiments method), 1.01 g/L S. boveanum and 418.92 mg/L uranium ion concentration within 180 min of contact time to show an optimum uranium uptake of 255 mg/g biomass. The biosorption process was also evaluated by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models represented that the experimental data fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model of a suitable degree and showed the maximum uptake capacity of 500 mg/g. FTIR and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the biosorbent and implied that the functional groups (carboxyl, sulfate, carbonyl and amine) were responsible for the biosorption of uranium from aqueous solution. In conclusion, the present study showed that S. boveanum could be a promising biosorbent for the removal of uranium pollutants from aqueous solutions.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.105-119
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• 2005

The surface sediments inside Songsanpo and Seogwipo Harbors, major harbors of Jeju Island, were collected three times (June, September and December, 2001) and analyzed for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) recommended by US-EPA as priority pollutants to assess their distribution levels and their biological effects on the marine organisms, and to suggest their possible origins. The concentrations of total PAHs inside Songsanpo and Seogwipo Harbors ranged from 41 to 288 ng/g on a dry weight basis with a mean value of 121 ng/g and from 14 to 268 ng/g with a mean value of 119 ng/g, respectively, and the levels were low as compared with those in other areas of the world. The sedimentary PAHs may be correlated with organic carbon and mud content to some extent. Based on comparisons of individual and total concentrations with effects-based sediment quality guidelines, the potential for the biological effects on the marine organisms were expected to be very low. From the examinations of the four PAH origin indices, such as LMW /HMW (low molecular weight 2-3 ring PAHs over high molecular weight 4-6 ring PAHs), phenanthrene/anthracene ratio, fluoranthene/pyrene ratio, chrysene/benzo[a]anthracene ratio, it can be concluded that the sediment PAH contaminations were ascribed to both of pyrolytic and petrogenic origins.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.673-682
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• 2020

This study investigates the concentration distribution of aldehydes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the archive of the National Library in Korea and evaluates the health risks to workers from hazardous chemicals. Acetaldehyde had the highest concentration among the nine species of aldehydes present in the archive and the concentration of toluene was the highest among the six species of VOCs. Most of the detected substances showed that their indoor concentrations were higher than the outdoor ones, suggesting the possibility of indoor sources of aldehydes and VOCs. The evaluation of health risks for workers based on these measurement results showed that not all substances were hazardous to the human body. However, considering the possibility of the presence of indoor sources and the potential limits of our study owing its short period, it is necessary to conduct long-term studies on the concentration distribution of indoor pollutants in the archive environment.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.75-80
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• 2006

Biomarkers identify various stages and interactions on the pathway from exposure to disease. The three categories of biomarkers are those measuring susceptibility, exposure and effect. Susceptibility biomarkers are identifiable genetic variations affecting absorption, metabolism or response to environmental agents. Biomarkers of exposure indicate the amount of a foreign compound that is absorbed into the body. Biological measurements performed on human tissues are vastly expanding the capabilities of classical epidemiology, which has relied primarily on estimates of human exposure derived form chemical levels in the air, water, and other exposure routes. Biomarkers of exposure indicate the amount of a foreign compound that is absorbed into the body. Biological measurements performed on human tissues are vastly expanding the capabilities of classical epidemiology, which has relied primarily on estimates of human exposure derived form chemical levels in the air, water, and other exposure routes. The biomarker response is typical of chemical pollution by specific classes of compound, such as (i) heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc), responsible for the induction of metallothionein synthesis, and (ii) organochlorinated pollutants (PCBs, dioxins, DDT congeners) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which induce the mixed function oxygenase (MFO) involved in their bio transformations and elimination. Currently genomic researches are developed in human cDNA clone subarrays oriented toward the expression of genes involved in responses to xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, cell cycle components, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, DNA repair genes, estrogen-responsive genes, oxidative stress genes, and genes known to be involved in apoptotic cell death. Several research laboratories in Korea for kicking off these Environmental Genomics were summarized.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.201-208
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• 2000

PCBs and DDE were determined in the soil samples and the Korean striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius, collected at six localities in Changwon and one locality in Gaduck Island from August 1997 to May 1998. The residual level of PCBs in soils, in which the concentrations of high chlorinated compounds were much higher than those of low chlorinated ones, was highest in the industrial area(IA) in Changwon(60.7 ng/g in average), whereas those of DDE in soils was highest in Gaduck Island(331.9 ng/g in average). However, the levels of each compound detected from soils in the respective remaining places were relatively low. The similar tendency as in the soils was observed in the mice, indicating that the concentration of pollutants in the mice could denote the status of pollution in the terrestrial environment. The composition of PCB congeners in the mice, however, was different from that of soils, but similar to those of other mammals. Moreover, the residual levels of PCBs and DDE in pregnant females from which fetuses were removed were lower than those of males and non-pregnant females. It suggests that these compounds accumulated in pregnant females might have been transferred to the fetuses through placenta as in other mammals. Judging from the above facts, it is suggested that the striped field mouse can be an useful biological index to evaluate the contamination in mammals inhabiting terrestrial environment.

• 환경생물
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.291-298
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• 2000

난황형성(vitellogenesis)은 난생동물의 번식에서 매우 중요한 과정으로 간에서 난황전구물질(vitellogenin,Vg)의 생성과 단백질 수준에서 Vg의 변형과 난자내 축적 및 난황물질(vitellin)로의 전환을 포함한다. 난황은 경골어류의 배아의 영양물질 및 삼투압 조절을 통한 부유특성의 조절에 관여한다. 척추동물의 Vg유전자는 lipoprotein계열의 유전자로 복수의 Vg유전자가 존재하며 서로 다른 크기의 Vg단백질을 암호화한다. 에스트로젠에 의해 이들 단백질이 발현되는 정도에는 차이가 있다. 난생 척추 동물의 암컷에서 에스트로젠의 조절하에 생성되는 Vg은 천연 에스트로젠 및 합성에스트로젠에 의해 어류, 양서류, 파충류, 조류 등 다양한 척추동물의 수컷 체내에서도 형성되며 수온 및 생식주기에 의존적이다. 따라서 수컷에서 일어나는 난황전구물질의 생성은 환경오염물질 가운데 여성호르몬과 유사한 작용을 하는 물질의 규명과 위해성 여부를 판정할 수 있는 생물학적 지표로서 전세계적으로 이용되고 있다. 국내의 경우 Vg유도여부를 통한 야생생태계에서 환경호르몬 오염과 동물의 번식장애에 대한 연구에 있어서 번식주기, 동물의 지리적 분포와 생물다양성의 차이에 대한 고려가 중요하다.

• 공업화학
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.593-602
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• 2009

오랫동안 슈퍼옥사이드 음이온 라디칼(superoxide anion radical)은 활성산소(reactive oxygen species, ROS) 화학종으로서 물리화학적 기초 연구에서부터 생명과학(혹은 생명공학) 분야에 이르기까지 상당한 관심의 대상이었다. 최근에는 고도산화공정(advanced oxidation processes, AOP, 혹은 advanced oxidation technologies, AOT)을 이용하는 오염물 제어 분야뿐만 아니라 나노물질에 의한 유해성을 평가하는데 있어서 슈퍼옥사이드 음이온 라디칼이 중요한 화학종으로 주목을 받고 있다. 그럼에도 불구하고 슈퍼옥사이드 음이온 라디칼에 대한 명확한 이해가 부족하여 관련 연구자들 사이에서 불필요한 논쟁과 혼동을 일으키고 있으며 슈퍼옥사이드 음이온 라디칼의 물리화학적 성질에 대한 오해를 가중시키고 있다. 이 글에서는 기존 연구에서 행해진 슈퍼옥사이드 음이온 라디칼의 물리화학적 특성 및 그 반응성에 대해 정리하였고 고도산화공정, 나노물질 및 생명공학 분야 등에서 슈퍼옥사이드 음이온 라디칼이 갖는 중요성을 서술하였다.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.211-217
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• 2006

Heavy metals are well known as important environmental pollutants and also considered as endocrine disrupters. This study was performed to evaluate the direct effects of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), and arsenic (As) on the various steroidogenic enzymes in frog ovarian follicles. Ovarian follicles from Rana catesbeiana were isolated and cultured for 18 hours in the presence of frog pituitary homogenate (FPH, 0.05 gland/ml) or various steroid precursors with or without heavy metals (0.01-100 ${\mu}M$), and steroid levels in the follicle or culture medium were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Thus, the steroidogenic enzyme activities were indirectly evaluated by measuring the converted steroid levels from the added precursor steroid. Among heavy metals, Hg, Cd and Zn significantly inhibited FPH-induced pregnenolone ($P_5$) production by the follicles ($EC_{50},\;4.0{\mu}M,\;25.6{\mu}M\;and\;5.7{\mu}M$, respectively ), and also suppressed the conversion of testosterone (T) to estradiol $17{beta}\;(E_2)\;(EC_{50},\;4.2{\mu}M,\;7.5{\mu}M\;and\;80.0{\mu}M) while Pb, Co and As are not or less effective in the inhibition. Other enzymes such as $C_{17-20}$ lyase and $17{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ($17{\beta}$-HSD) were suppressed only in the high concentration of Hg, Cd and Zn. Taken together, these data demonstrate that cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage (P450scc) and aromatase are much more sensitive to heavy metals than other steroidogenic enzymes and Hg, Cd and Zn show stronger toxicity to follicles than other heavy metals examined.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.327-337
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• 2007

Plankton communities have close relationships with environmental changes in water columns. Thus, the use of plankton as a biological tool for assessing the marine ecosystem health may be effective. Major issue regarding coastal pollution has been usually recognized as phytoplankton blooms or red tides caused by the eutrophication, an increase in concentration of inorganic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, in order to understand the effects of the overall pollution on marine ecosystem, the organic pollutants as well as the inorganic nutrients should be also considered. For understanding the effects of the organic pollution, among the planktonic organisms, heterotrophic bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates should be investigated. Generally, there are three approaches for assessing the marine ecosystem health using the plankton taxa or plankton communities. The first one is a community-based approach such as diversity index and chlorophyll a concentration which are common in analysis of the plankton communities. The second is an indiviual-based approach which is to monitor the pollution indicative species. This approach needs one's ability to identify the plankton to species level. The last approach is a bioassay of toxicity, which can be applied to the plankton. A pilot study in Masan Bay was conducted to assess the effects of the inorganic and organic pollution. In this article, a new approach using plankton communities was tentatively presented as a biological tool for assessing the ecosystem health of Masan Bay.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제28권10호
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• pp.1074-1081
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• 2006

질산성질소와 트리클로로에틸렌(TCE)을 동시에 제거하고자 이들을 화학적 생물학적으로 환원 및 수착시키는 반응매질로서 영가철과 피트(peat)를 이용하였다. 영가철의 수중산화로 발생된 수소가 질산성질소와 TCE를 환원시켜 두 물질이 제거하는데 TCE의 수착제거가 가능한 피트를 이용하고 그에 따른 혼합미생물의 생분해 및 전자전달의 효과를 이용하였다. 질산성질소의 경우 영가철과 피트혼합매질에서 제거효율이 우수하나 제거기작이 환원에 의존하므로 TCE가 공존시 전자에 대한 경쟁으로 그 제거효율이 감소하였으며 멸균처리한 피트를 사용한 실험군과의 결과비교로 탈질균의 작용을 알 수 있었다. TCE의 경우 영가철이 함유된 매질에서 제거효율이 높으며 질산염 공존이 영향을 미치지 못하였다. 생분해하는 혐기성 미생물군의 존재는 시스템에서 발생한 수소와 메탄가스 분석으로 확인하였다.