• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.287-293
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• 2007

Heavy metal contamination and biological toxicity of mine drainages and sediments in abandoned mines were studied. Mine drainages had pH at a range of 2.94~7.86, and contained heavy metals at a toxic level. For coal mines, toxicity of mine drainage to Daphnia magna was attributable to acidic pH. In addition to the low pH, suspended heavy metals such as Zn and Cu contributed to toxicity of mine drainages at abandoned metalliferous mines. All mine sediments studied in this work showed biological toxicity to Chironomus riparius, having mortality at a range of 15~60%. However, its relationship with physicochemical properties including heavy metal content of the sediments was not statistically explained. Exceptionally clay ($< 2{\mu}m$ particle) content was negatively correlated with the biological toxicity for sediment samples collected at the same abandoned mines.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.1303-1308
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• 2003

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper and lead) on the seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, and examinated the removal effects of biostone and green tea on the heavy metal toxicity. Cadmium and chromium among the four heavy metals had no effect on the seed germination even in the concentration fifty times higher than in the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust notified by the Ministry of Environment. However, seeds were not germinated in the concentration of copper ten times higher and in the concentration of lead fifty times higher than the official standard concentration. When seeds were sown in the solutions of lead (15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/L) and copper(15 and 20 mg/L), the seed germination rates were 0％ and less than 10％, respectively. However, when biostone(3 g/30 $m\ell$) was added, the seed germination rate was 100％ in all the concentrations. The germination rate was 100％ in distilled water and copper solution (5 mg/L). However, green tea (0.2 g/30 $m\ell$) was added, the seed germination rate was 0％ in both. The results show that cadmiun and chromium had no effect on the seed germination, but lead and copper decreased the rate of seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, Biostone removed heavy metal toxicity, but green tea did not removed heavy metal toxicity during germination.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2007

Toxicity of metal plating wastewater was evaluated by using acute toxicity tests on Daphnia magna. To identify toxicants of metal plating wastewater, several manipulations such as solid phase extraction (SPE), ion exchange and graduated pH adjustment were used. The SPE test had no significant effect on baseline toxicity, suggesting absence of toxic non-polar organics in metal plating wastewater. However, anion exchange largely decreased the baseline toxicity by 88%, indicating the causative toxicants were inorganic anions. Considering high concentration of chromium in metal plating wastewater, it is thought the anion is Cr(VI) species. Graduated pH test showing independence of the toxicity on pH change strongly supports this assumption. However, as revealed by toxicity confirmation experiment, the initial toxicity of metal plating wastewater (24-h TU=435) was not explained only by Cr(VI) (24-h TU = 725 at $280\;mg\;L^{-1}$). Addition of nickel($29.5\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and copper ($26.5\;mg\;L^{-1}$) largely decreased the chromium toxicity up to 417 TU, indicating antagonistic interaction between heavy metals. This heavy metal interaction was successfully predicted by an equation of 24-h $TU\;=\;3.67\;{\times}\;\ln([Cu]\;+\;[Ni])\;+\;79.44$ at a fixed concentration of chromium.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2016

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural fields at the abandoned metal mines has been serious problems in Korea. In order to manage heavy metal pollution in surface water and soil, numerous remediation strategies have been established. Therefore, main purpose of this research was to examine feasibility of ecological toxicity assessment for establishing management strategy in heavy metal polluted agricultural fields. Heavy metal concentration in surface water and soil was monitored along with ecotoxicity experiment with Daphnia magna and Eisenia fetida. Result showed that high toxicity was observed in heavily polluted agricultural field with heavy metals. In case of mortality of Daphnia magna (85%) and Eisenia fetida (6.7%), the highest ratio was observed when heavy metal concentration in surface and soil was high. Calculated ecotoxicity index (EI) ranged 0.06-0.30 and the highest EI was observed in heavily polluted sites among 5 abandoned metal mines. Overall, ecological toxicity assessment is necessary to evaluate heavy metal pollution in agricultural fields near at the abandoned metal mines along with chemical concentration analysis.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.945-956
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• 2021

In this study, the effects of single and binary heavy metals toxicity on the growth and phosphorus removal ability of Bacillus sp.. known as be a phosphorus-removing microorganism, were quantitatively evaluated. Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni were used as heavy metals. As a result of analysis of variance of the half of inhibition concentration and half of effective concentration for each single heavy metal treatment group, the inhibitory effect on the growth of Bacillus sp. was Ni < Pb < Zn < Cu < Cd. And the inhibitory effect on phosphorus removal by Bacillus sp. was Ni < Pb < Zn < Cu < Cd. When analyzing the correlation between growth inhibition and phosphorus removal efficiency of a single heavy metal treatment group, a negative correlation was found (R² = 0.815), and a positive correlation was found when the correlation between IC₅₀ and EC₅₀ was analyzed (R² = 0.959). In all binary heavy metal treatment groups, the interaction was an antagonistic effect when evaluated using the additive toxicity index method. This paper is considered to be basic data on the toxic effects of heavy metals when phosphorus is removed using phosphorus removal microorganisms in wastewater.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.175-182
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• 1993

Volatilization of toxic heavy metals, especially, metal chlorides at elevated temperatures in oxidation conditions was observed using a thermogravimetric furnace since such metal chlorides used to be a cause for the disease of industrial workers by their toxicity and high volatile extent. Most of tested metal chloride compounds were evaporated or decomposed into gas phase at elevated temperatures ranged from 200~90$0^{\circ}C$, while CrCl$_3$ and NiC1$_2$became stable with converting into oxide forms. A kinetic model for evaporation/condensation could predict maximum evaporation flux and the calculated values were compared with real evaporation flux. The ratio of two fluxes could be explained as the fraction of impinging gas molecules to the condensing surface( $\alpha$ ) and obtained in the range of 10$^{-3}$ ~10$^{-9}$ for the experimented toxic heavy metal chlorides. This ratio might be used to define the volatile extent or toxicity of such toxic metal compounds. The schemes to avoid volatilization of toxic heavy metals Into the atmosphere were suggested as follows ; 1 ) controlling the compositions of metals and Chlorine produced substances( such as PVC ) in the treated materials using a reverse estimation from regulatory limit and characteristics of a processing facility, 2) Installation of wet type devices such as a scrubber for condensing the metal compounds.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2004

Aim of the present study was the development of a bioassay which enables the detection of toxic effects of heavy metal ions to a bacterium, Escherichia coli. Inhibition effects of the metals on growth rates of the bacterium were studied in the absence or presence of fulvic acid. This method does not clearly differentiate among metals, but does detect overall AGB inhibition rate (toxicity) for 5 different heavy metals. The toxicity of the metals in the absence of fulvic acid in the same testing conditions was significantly increased in following order: Hg < Pb, Zn < Cd < Cu, whereas the inhibition rate (toxicity) in the presence of FA was shown to be increased In following order: Cd < Pb, Hg < Cu < Zn. The results of the present study indicate that this simple and fast biomonitoring assay with direct exposure of E coli. might be a valuable supplement to analytical methods of contaminated media.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.556-562
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• 2017

Heavy metals in water systems are being managed on the concentration-based guidelines in Korea. However, various chemicals present in water can interact with heavy metals affecting their toxicity. Such interactions are not considered in the concentration-based guidelines. This study investigated the effect of hardness and coexisting heavy metals on heavy metal toxicity to emphasize the importance of having the effect-based guidelines together with the concentration-based guidelines in water management. The toxic effects of Cd, Zn, or mixtures of Cd and Zn were studied with Daphnia magna as a test species following the standard test method at different hardness conditions (100, 200, and $300mg\;L^{-1}$ as $CaCO_3$). The toxicities of single metal solutions and mixtures showed a decreasing trend with increasing hardness, and this can be attributed to the competition between heavy metals and cations such as calcium ions ($Ca^{2+}$) that cause hardness. The predicted toxicities of the heavy metal mixtures from the single metal toxicity deviated from the measured toxicities, and the predicted toxic effects tend to be greater than the measured toxic effects suggesting that Cd and Zn are in competition. This shows the limitations of using predicted toxic effects and the needs for further studies on mixture toxicities. Overall, this study shows that the management of heavy metals in waters needs to employ the effect-based guidelines together with the concentration-based guidelines.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 2003

A rapid, inexpensive enzymatic method is proposed for indirect water quality testing in terms of heavy metal toxicity. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was applied for heavy metal toxicity test as an effective criterion in water quality. The toxicity of Pb (lead) and Cd (cadmium) for water flea, Moina macrocopa, were evaluated for 2-8 days with variables of mobilization ability. And the reproduction impairment of Moina macrocopa were investigated as the parameter of chronic toxicity test for Pb and Cd. As a result, the EC$_{50}$ for immobilization of Moina macrocopa were Pb and Cd were 1.6749 and 0.4683, respectively. The values of reproductive impairment to Moina macrocopa for Pb and Cd were 9.5938 and 8.3264 in EC$_{50}$ A significant alteration of G6PDH (Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) activity of Moina macrocopa was observed when Cd and Pb were treated in media. The results obtained indicate that G6PDH activity of Moina macrocopa can be used as an indicative parameter in aquatic toxicity tests for heavy metals.als.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2008

A rapid, inexpensive enzymatic method is proposed for indirect water quality testing in terms of heavy metal toxicity. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was applied for heavy metal toxicity test as an effective criterion in water quality. The toxicity of Pb (lead) and Cd (cadmium) for water flea, Moina macrocopa, were evaluated for $2{\sim}8\;days$ with variables of mobilization ability. And the reproduction impairment of Moina macrocopa were investigated as the parameter of chronic toxicity twst for Pb and Cd. As a result, the $EC_{50}$ for immobilization of Moina macrocopa were Pb and Cd were 1.6749 and 0.4683, respectively. The values of reproducive impairment to Moina macrocopa for Pb and Cd were 9.5938 and 8.3264 in $EC_{50}$. A significant alteration of G6PDH (Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) activity of Moina macrocopa was observed when Cd and Pb were treated in media. The results obtained indicate that G6PDH activity of Moina macrocopa can be used as an indicative parameter in aquatic toxicity tests for heavy metals.