• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.603-610
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• 2013

According to industrialization, increased toxic chemicals discharge has been causing water pollution. Especially domestic sewage is a major source of water pollution. Sixty percent of the total wastewater discharged is domestic sewage. Self-purification capacity of rivers and streams is drastically reduced by the emission of domestic sewage, industrial wastewater and livestock wastewater. Although domestic sewage is managed by implementing standards and regulations, toxicity effect of domestic sewage to humans and the environment is not yet clearly understood. In this study, by using daphnia magna, the ecotoxicity of domestic swage was assessed. Cl, Cu, Pb, COD, T-N, DO, pH and residual chlorine were investigated as background concentrations. The experiments were conducted with water samples obtained from three local sewage treatment plants. The experiment results indicated that higher level of toxicity corresponds to the higher pollution concentrations. The higher level of combinations of background concentrations such as heavy metals leads to the worse ecotoxicity. Especially, the Cu concentration affects the TU value.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.426-437
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• 2013

Objective: Gotjawal refers to a special geographical designation found in Jeju Province, Korea, where vegetation forms over a rocky area. Due to the important ecological value of Gotjawal, international concern about such areas is growing. However, only limited information is available regarding environmental contamination of Gotjawal. This study was conducted in order to investigate the levels of contamination and associated ecotoxicological effects of surface water bodies in Gotjawal. Methods: Surface water samples were collected at three sampling sites in two Gotjawal areas and were analyzed for several pharmaceuticals and pesticides in consideration of the potential sources of contamination. The ecotoxicity of the samples was measured using water fleas (Daphnia magna and Moina macrocopa) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). In addition, effects on the gene transcription of zebrafish were investigated following exposure to the samples. Results: Nine pharmaceuticals were detected in the samples, but none of the target pesticides were detected. Following acute exposure to two surface water samples, the survival of waterfleas was significantly reduced, but reproduction was not affected. In zebrafish, time-to-hatch was delayed and fry survival was decreased in some samples. On the other hand, at the transcriptional level, there were no genes significantly influenced by exposure to the samples. Conclusion: This is the first study investigating environmental contamination in Gotjawal areas and associated ecotoxicities. Further studies are warranted to identify the cause of acute Daphnia toxicity and to determine potential consequences of longer-term exposure in Gotjawal areas.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2005

Bioassay using the marine bacteria, Vibrio fischeri and rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, and chemical analyses were conducted to assess the toxicity of the various sewage sludges, one of the major ocean dumped materials in the Yellow Sea of Korea. Sludge elutriates extracted by filtered seawater were used to estimate the ecotoxicity of the sludge. Chemical characterization included the analyses of organic contents, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants in sludge. Bacterial bioluminescent inhibition (15 min), rotifer mortality (24 hr) and rotifer population growth inhibition (48 hr) assay were conducted to estimate the sludge toxicity. EC50 15 min (inhibition concentration of bioluminescence after 15 minutes exposed) values by Microtox(R) bioassay clearly revealed different toxicity levels depending on the sludge sources. Highest toxicity for the bacteria was found with the sludge extract from dyeing waste and followed by industrial waste, livestock waste, and leather processing waste. Clear toxic effects on the bacteria were not found in the sludge extract from filtration bed sludge and rural sewage sludge. Consistent with Microtox(R) results, rotifer neonate mortality and population growth inhibition test also showed highest toxicity in dyeing waste and low in filtration bed and rural sewage sludge. High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals were measured in the samples from the industrial wastes, leather processing plant waste sludge, and urban sewage sludge. However, there was no significant correlation between pollutant concentration levels and the toxicity values of the sludge. This suggests that the ecotoxicity in addition to the chemical analyses of various sludge samples must be estimated before release of potential harmful waste in the natural environment as part of an ecological risk assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1383-1394
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• 2011

Environmental impacts of suspended solids (SS) released in coastal area by dredging, reclamation and construction can cause serious damages to coastal habitats and benthic organisms. Acute toxicity tests (4-7 days) were conducted to identify the relationship between SS concentration and mortality of three marine benthic species; benthic copepod (Tigriopus japonicus) adult, Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) spat, and olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) fry. Benthic copepod was the most sensitive to SS followed by olive flounder fry and Pacific abalone spat, with an $LC_{50}$ (lethal concentration of 50% mortality) value of 61.0 mg/L and LOEC (lowest observed effective concentration) value of 31.3 mg/L for benthic copepod. LOEC and 7 day-$LC_{50}$ for Pacific abalone spat were 500.0 mg/L and 1887.7 mg/L, and those for olive flounder fry were 125.0 mg/L and 156.9 mg/L, respectively. The tolerance limits of the test species to SS revealed the various concentration ranges of SS, which reflects the physiology and ecology of the test species. These results are very valuable for the determination of SS concentration of effluents released into the coastal area by dredging, reclamation and construction etc. Also, sharp increase of SS can cause long-term damages to the benthic and sessile fauna by blanketing of benthic substratum. These experimental procedures for marine bioassay and acute toxicity results can be a useful guideline for practical management planning of SS discharge into coastal area.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.113-124
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• 2019

Insect-resistant transgenic (Bt-9) rice was generated by inserting mCry1Ac1, a modified gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, into the genome of a conventional variety of rice (Ilmi). With regard to potential problems such as safety, an evaluation of non-target organisms is necessary as an essential element of an environmental risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops. We studied the effects of the Bt-9 rice on the survival of cantor Daphnia magna, a commonly used model organism in ecotoxicological studies. D. magna fed on the Bt-transgenic rice (Bt-9) and its near non-GM counterparts (Ilmi) grown in the same environment (a 100% ground rice suspension). The Bt-9 rice was confirmed to have the inserted T-DNA and protein expression evident by the PCR and ELISA analyses. The feeding study showed a similar cumulative immobility and abnormal response of the Daphnia magna between the Bt-9 rice and Ilmi. Additionally, the 48 h-EC50 values of the Bt-9 and Ilmi rice were 4,400 mg/L (95% confidence limits: 3861.01 - 5015.01 mg/L) and 5,564 mg/L (95% confidence limits: 4780.03 - 6476.93 mg/L), respectively. The rice NOEC (No observed effect concentration) value for D. magna was suggested to be 1,620 mg/L. We conclude that the tested Bt-9 and Ilmi have a similar cumulative immobility for D. magna, a widely used model organism, and the growth of Bt-9 did not affect non-target insects.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.815-827
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• 2020

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) transgenic soybean was developed and biosynthesis of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) in soybean seeds was confirmed. Also, EGF transgenic soybean were found to contain a herbicide resistance selectable marker by introduction of phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) gene from the Streptomyces hygroscopicus. For biosafety assessment, the EGF transgenic soybean expressing the EGF biosynthesis gene EGF and herbicide resistant gene PAT was tested to determine effects on survival of Cyprinus carpio, commonly used as a model organism in ecotoxicological studies. C. carpio was fed 100% ground soybean suspension, EGF soybean or non-genetically modified (GM) counterpart soybean (Gwangan). Gene expression of EGF soybean was confirmed by PCR and ELISA to have EGF/PAT. Feeding test showed that no significant differences in cumulative immobility or abnormal response between C. carpio samples fed on EGF soybean and non-GM counterpart soybean. The 48 h-EC50 values of the EGF and non-GM soybean were 1,688 mg·L-1 (95% confidence limits: 1,585 - 1,798 mg·L-1) and 1,575 mg·L-1 (95% confidence limits: 1,433 - 1,731 mg·L-1), respectively. The soybean NOEC (no observed effect concentration) value for C. carpio was suggested to be 625 mg·L-1. We concluded that there was no significant difference in toxicity for non-target organisms (C. carpio) between the EGF soybean and non-GM counterparts.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2024

The ecosystem provides a diverse array of environmental conditions for organisms, and only those that are capable of successfully adapting to these conditions within their habitats can endure, thrive, and proliferate. Further, the environmental conditions within these habitats can significantly affect the bioavailability of chemicals that are introduced therein, thus resulting in varied adverse impacts on the organisms. The present study aims to evaluate the sensitivity of Yuukianura szeptyckii - a species adapted to riparian - to heavy metals following ISO guideline 11276, with the objective of assessing its potential as an indicator species for ecotoxicological evaluations in riparian habitats. The findings revealed that cadmium and copper both had significant toxic effects depending on their concentrations. For cadmium, the LC₅₀ was 280 mg kg^-1, EC₅₀ was 66 mg kg^-1, and NOEC and LOEC were 25 and 50 mg kg^-1, respectively. For copper, the LC₅₀ was 911 mg kg^-1, EC₅₀ was 151 mg kg^-1, and LOEC was 50 mg kg^-1. Comparative analysis with previous results for the international standard species Folsomia candida and the domestic standard species Allonychiurus kimi indicated that Y. szeptyckii exhibited even greater sensitivity to toxicity values. The adverse effects on survival and reproduction were closely associated with the influx concentration of heavy metals in their bodies. Altogether, the results suggest that Y. szeptyckii is a sensitive species for ecotoxicological assessments in riparian habitats, thus making it suitable as an indicator species, particularly in riparian ecosystems that are characterized by relatively high humidity conditions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.212-217
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• 2010

Soil pollution by heavy metals has become a significant environmental concern due to a variety of human activities. Specially toxicity caused by excessive mercury exposure is now being recognized as a widespread environmental problem and is continuing to attract a great deal of public concerns. The earthworms are very important animals that aerate the soil with their burrowing action and enrich the soil by decomposing organic matters. Especially the earthworm Eisenia fetida is routinely used in ecotoxicological studies. The levels of DNA damage in earthworms treated with HgCl2 and ionizing radiation were investigated in this study. Genotoxic effects were evaluated in the earthworm's coelomocytes using the comet assay (Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis; SCGE). The results showed that the mercury chloride and radiation were responsible for the genotoxic effects on earthworms. The level of DNA damage significantly increased after the treatment of mercury chloride combined with ionizing radiation. The combined treatment of $HgCl_2$ and ionizing radiation had a greater genotoxicity. This study is amenable to further study such as enzyme activation assay.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.234-242
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• 2014

In this study, gametotoxicity and embryotoxicity experiments using Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus were carried out to investigate the ecotoxicological effects of bisphenol A (BPA). We examined the effects of BPA on fertilization and normal embryogenesis at various concentrations (0, 300, 500, 800, 1000, and 1500 ppb). The results demonstrated that the fertilization rates were not changed. The normal embryogenesis rates were gradually decreased in a dose-dependent manner, and were significantly lowered following 800 ppb BPA treatment ($EC_{50}$=1056.1 ppb, 95% Cl=981.8~1163.9 ppb). The observed effective concentration and the lowest observed effective concentration of the normal embryogenesis rate were 500 ppb and 800 ppb, respectively. The embryos showed retarded development at each tested concentration, indicating the fact the embryonic development was delayed due to the increasing concentrations of BPA. Furthermore, we examined the expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST) mRNA at various concentrations of BPA in H. pulcherrimus. Interestingly, it was found that the expression level of GST mRNA was significantly increased in the experimental group exposed to BPA. Based on these results, we suggested that BPA at greater than 800 ppb has a toxic effect during the early embryonic stages of H. pulcherrimus, and GST mRNA may be used as a biomarker for risk assessment of BPA contamination.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: The disease resistant (OsCK1) rice was generated by inserting choline kinase (CK1) and phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) genes isolated from Oriza sativa and Streptomyces hygroscopicus into the genome of rice (Nakdongbyeo). With the potential problems of safety, the non-target organism evaluation is required as an essential element for the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops. In present study, we studied the effects on survival of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus and Cyprinus carpio, commonly used as a model organism in ecotoxicological studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: The M. anguillicaudatus and C. carpio were fed on disease resistant (OsCK1) rice and non-genetically modified (non-GM) rice (Nakdongbyeo) to 0, 10, 100, 1,000 and 5,000 mg/L, as treatment concentration respectively. The OsCK1 rice used for the test was confirmed to have the OsCK1/PAT gene expression by the PCR and ELISA analysis. Feeding test showed that no significant differences in cumulative immobility and abnormal response of M. anguillicaudatus and C. carpio fed on between OsCK1 rice and non-GM rice. The 96hr-$LC_{50}$ values showed no difference between OsCK1 rice (>5,000 mg/L) and non-GM rice (>5,000 mg/L). CONCLUSION(S): The results of this study suggested that there was no significant difference in toxicity for M. anguillicaudatus and C. carpio between OsCK1 rice and non-GM counterparts.