• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.266-276
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• 2017

A life cycle impact assessment was applied in an industrial waste incineration plant to evaluate the direct and indirect environmental impacts based on toxicity and non-toxicity categories. The detailed life cycle inventory of material and energy inputs and emission outputs was compiled based on the realistic data collected from a local industrial waste incineration plant, and the Korean life cycle inventory and ecoinvent database. The functional unit was the treatment of 1 tonne of industrial waste by incineration and the system boundary included the incineration plant and landfilling of ash. The result on the variation of the impact by the unit processes showed that the direct impact was decreased by 79.3, 71.6, and 90.1% for the processes in a semi dry reactor, bag filter, and wet scrubber, respectively. Considering the final impact produced from stack, the toxicity categories comprised 91.7% of the total impact. Among the toxicity impact categories, the impact in the eco-toxicity category was most significant. A separate estimation of the impact due to direct and indirect emissions showed that the direct impact was 97.7% of the total impact. The steam recovered from the waste heat of the incineration plant resulted in a negative environmental burden.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.262-266
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• 2018

Phytochemicals have been considered as alternatives for synthetic fungicides because of their biodegradability and low toxicity. In this study, we found that the methanolic extract of Corydalis ternata suppressed the development of plant diseases caused by Puccinia triticina and Colletotrichum coccodes. As the antifungal substance, three isoquinoline alkaloids (dehydrocorydaline, stylopine, and corydaline) were isolated from C. ternata. These active compounds also exhibited in vivo antifungal activity against P. triticina and C. coccodes. Taken together, our results suggest that C. ternata and its active compounds can be used to control plant diseases.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제31권7호
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• pp.467-472
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• 2009

Seedling 성장 실험은 나노입자에 대한 독성 평가로 사용되어 왔다. 본 연구에서는 오이에 대한 나노 아연과 나노 산화아연의 독성을 filter paper방법과 phytagel방법을 통해 평가해 보았다. 비교 결과 phytagel방법이 불용성인 나노아연, 산화 아연의 침전을 방지했다. 오이 seedling 길이는 노출된 나노 아연, 나노 산화 아연의 농도에 따라 filter 방법에서 음의 관계를 나타냈다. 나노 아연과 나노 산화 아연에 대한 오이의 EC50값은 598, 600 mg/L로 나타났다. Filter paper방법에서만 아연의 오이 내 생체 축적량은 노출된 나노 아연, 나노 산화 아연의 농도에 따라 증가하였다. 관찰 결과 filter paper방법이 phytagel 방법보다 더 좋은 protocol로 나타났다

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.120-124
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• 2016

Background: Although cetrimonium bromide is widely used for its bactericidal effects, the safety of cetrimonium bromide remains controversial. Therefore, the phytotoxicity of cetrimonium bromide was tested to evaluate its acute toxicity to plants and possible toxicity to other organisms and the ecosystem. Results: The germination rates of two test species, Lactuca sativa and Brassica campestris, were significantly decreased after cetrimonium bromide treatment. Furthermore, cetrimonium bromide treatment at over 1 mg/L concentration significantly affected root elongation immediately after germination. In pot experiments with semi-mature plants, significantly decreased shoot elongation and chlorophyll content were detected in both species following cetrimonium bromide treatment. Cetrimonium bromide treatment also significantly increased the antioxidant enzyme activities of plants. Conclusion: Our results show that cetrimonium bromide is phytotoxic, and since phytotoxicity testing can imply potential toxicity in the environment, further studies of the environmental toxicity of cetrimonium bromide should be performed.

• 해양환경안전학회지
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.744-753
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• 2021

우리나라의 '해양오염방제 자재·약제의 성능시험기준 및 검정기준 중 '생물에 대한 영향시험'(생태독성시험)의 시험방법과 판정기준의 개정과 관련한 방향을 제시하기 위해 현행 기준의 문제점을 파악하고 국가별 제도 비교를 통한 개선방안을 제시하였다. Skeletonema costatum을 이용한 성장저해시험의 경우, 배양액 색조를 비교하여 판단하는 기준 대신 측정된 성장률을 적절한 통계기법을 이용하여 비교 분석하는 과학적인 기준이 도입되어야 하며 시험기간의 경우, 지수성장기를 고려하여 4일 이내가 합당한 것으로 판단된다. 어류를 이용한 독성시험의 경우, 다양한 물질에 대한 독성시험 및 비교연구를 통해 방제 자재에 대해 일관되고 적절한 민감도를 나타낼 수 있는 보다 적절한 어체크기에 대한 재설정이 필요하고 이에 따른 합리적이고 객관적인 판정기준이 마련되어야 할 것으로 판단된다. 시험종의 경우, Artemia sp. 대신 해양 윤충류인 Rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis가 대안이 될 수 있으며 어류시험의 경우, 굴류(Oyster)와 같은 이매패류의 분류군을 이용한 독성시험으로의 대체 역시 대안으로 고려될 수 있다. 마지막으로 해양오염방제 자재·약제의 형식승인 시험과 관련하여 생태독성시험 분야의 경우, 업무의 특수성과 결과의 신뢰성을 고려하여 별도의 공인시험기관 지정 또는 관련 유사 법률과 연계한 일원화된 창구가 필요하며 수용가능한 수준의 시험비용 산정과 시험항목 조정을 통한 합리적인 제도개선이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

• 한국환경복원기술학회지
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.57-68
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of environment-friendliness of waterproof materials based on comprehensive experiments on waterproofness in terms of coefficients of permeability, harmfulness of waterproof materials and fish toxicity of Oryzias latipes mortality to verify eco-toxicity of each method of construction and waterproof material, which are to be applied by taking eco-toxicity into account when building ecological flows in upper areas on natural and artificial grounds. As a result, the following conclusions have been reached in this study: 1. In regard of the harmfulness analyzed, each material showed a different result of analytical value in each lab tank. Compared to input water, pH, COD, SS, T-P, and T-N values increased a little, but DO value decreased. The value of turbidity analyzed independent of the water quality standard of aquatic ecosystem set forth by the Ministry of Environment increased a little compared to the value in input water. 2. In the experiment of fish toxicity, compacted quicklime, cement fluid waterproof material, cement mortar waterproof material and bentonite powder were found to have 100% of fish mortality, respectively, and membrane waterproof material showed 83.3% of mortality, indicating strong fish toxicity. Improved asphalt sheet (63.3%) and synthetic rubber sheet (53.3%) were analyzed to have medium fish toxicity, while bentonite sheet (6.7%), Hwang-toh (6.7%) and clay (3.3%) showed relatively lower mortality and fish toxicity. 3. Regarding the analysis on waterproofness in terms of the coefficient of permeability of each waterproof material, improved asphalt sheet, synthetic rubber sheet, membrane waterproof material, cement fluid and mortar waterproof material and bentonite sheet were found impervious in case no leakage takes place in construction. Bentonite powder was found practically impervious based on the analytical results from the experiment done in compliance with weight ratios. So were the clay and Hwang-toh from the experimental results. To sum up such results as found in the experiment mentioned so far, the values of harmfulness and waterproofness analyzed were different in each lab tank, but there was absolutely little correlation with the mortality gained from the experiment on fish toxicity. In the experiment of fish toxicity, environment-friendly waterproof materials were analyzed, and it was found that clay, Hwang-toh and bentonite sheet are highly environment-friendly. In contrast, synthetic rubber and improved asphalt sheets were found to have medium-level environment-friendliness. Also, membrane water-proof materials, compacted quicklime, cement fluid and mortar waterproof material and bentonite powder were analyzed to have low environment-friendliness.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권9호
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• pp.1279-1286
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• 2013

Particle size and metal species are important to both soil microbial toxicity and phytotoxicity in the soil ecosystem. The effects of CuO and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and microparticles (MPs) on soil microbial toxicity, phytotoxicity, and bioaccumulation in two crops (Cucumis sativus and Zea mays) were estimated in a soil microcosm. In the microcosm system, soil was artificially contaminated with 1,000 mg/kg CuO and ZnO NPs and MPs. After 15 days, we compared the microbial toxicity and phytotoxicity by particle size. In addition, C. sativus and Z. mays were cultivated in soils treated with CuO NPs and ZnO NPs, after which the treatment effects on bioaccumulation were evaluated. NPs were more toxic than MPs to microbes and plants in the soil ecosystem. We found that the soil enzyme activity and plant biomass were inhibited to the greatest extent by CuO NPs. However, in a Biolog test, substrate utilization patterns were more dependent upon metal type than particle size. Another finding indicated that the metal NP uptake amounts of plants depend on the plant species. In the comparison between C. sativus and Z. mays, the accumulation of Cu and Zn by C. sativus was noticeably higher. These findings show that metal oxide NPs may negatively impact soil bacteria and plants. In addition, the accumulation patterns of NPs depend on the plant species.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.393-399
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• 2020

The use of different types of wastewater (WW) for the cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria during recent decades has provided important economic and environmental benefits. However, direct use of WW can lead to growth inhibition and biomass contamination. In the present study, we separated the key WW nutrients, namely nitrate and phosphate, by adsorption and regeneration and used the resulting regenerated water to cultivate the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis. The adsorbent was granular γ-alumina derived from waste aluminum cans. This procedure recovered 19.9% of nitrate and 23.7% of phosphate from WW. The cyanobacterial cultures efficiently assimilated the nutrients from the medium prepared using regenerated WW, and the growth and nutrient uptake were similar to those in a synthetic medium. In addition, imposing nutrient limitations to increase carbohydrate productivity was easily achieved using regenerated wastewater nutrients, without requiring additional dilution or complex processing. In acute toxicity tests, the harvested biomass in a regenerated medium had similar toxicity levels compared to the biomass obtained from a synthetic medium. The proposed method of using regenerated WW to produce contamination-free biomass has broad potential applications.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.41-46
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• 2013

The cladoceran Daphniamagna has been used as an aquatic test species in aquatic toxicology. To evaluate the aquatic toxicity of leachate from concrete, the immobilization of D. magna was observed after treatment of various concentrations of leachate specimens. Reliabilities of the culture condition and the experimental protocol for acute toxicity test were successfully achieved from the standard toxicity test. The leachates were prepared from the mixture of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and pozzolanic admixtures, Pulverised fuel ash (PFA), Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and GGBS containing loess. Acute toxicity test showed 100% immobilization of D. magna for OPC or PFA. The leachates from OPC or PFA had high pH 10 to 12. However, GGBS and GGBS containing loess showed less toxicity according to the concentrations. Especially, immobilization was not observed at the concentrations below 12.5% of GGBS containing loess. Also the range of pH for these specimens was 8 to 9. This suggested that the use of loess as the admixture in concrete may be useful to reduce eco-toxicity of leachates from concrete. This our study provided the harmfulness of the alkali leaching from concrete in aquatic environment and the usefulness of D. magna to evaluate the toxicity of leachates from concrete.

• Mycobiology
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.421-433
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• 2021

Morchella is a genus of fungi with the ability to concentrate Cd both in the fruit-body and mycelium. However, the molecular mechanisms conferring resistance to Cd stress in Morchella are unknown. Here, RNA-based transcriptomic sequencing was used to identify the genes and pathways involved in Cd tolerance in Morchella spongiola. 7444 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by cultivating M. spongiola in media containing 0.15, 0.90, or 1.50 mg/L Cd²⁺. The DEGs were divided into six sub-clusters based on their global expression profiles. GO enrichment analysis indicated that numerous DEGs were associated with catalytic activity, cell cycle control, and the ribosome. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways under Cd stress were MAPK signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, pyruvate metabolism, and propanoate metabolism. In addition, several DEGs encoding ion transporters, enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidants, and transcription factors were identified. Based on these results, a preliminary gene regulatory network was firstly proposed to illustrate the molecular mechanisms of Cd detoxification in M. spongiola. These results provide valuable insights into the Cd tolerance mechanism of M. spongiola and constitute a robust foundation for further studies on detoxification mechanisms in macrofungi that could potentially lead to the development of new and improved fungal bioremediation strategies.