• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.258-263
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• 2004

Bioassay was employed to assess toxicity of soil which had been treated with sewage sludges for seven years. The $Microtox^{(R)}$ and root elongation test of lettuce (Lactuca Sativa.) elucidated that the intensity of soil toxicity was closely related with the types and amount of sewage sludges applied. Both bioassay methods proved to be useful in an assessment of soil toxicity and were consistent to some extent with the conventional chemical analysis methods. $EC_{50}$ values resulted from $Microtox^{(R)}$ were highly correlated with concentration of heavy metals in soils amended with sewage sludges : Cu ($r^2=\;0.86^{**}$), Cr ($r^2\;=\;0.84^{**}$), Ni ($r^2\;=\;0.83^{**}$), and Zn ($r^2\;=\;0.69^{**}$). This demonstrated that both bioassay techniques could be employed as tools for soil toxicity assessment when the soil was exposed to solid wastes such as sewage sludge.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2000.12a
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• pp.68-68
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• 2000

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.104-104
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• 2001

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.161-170
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• 2001

In aqueous ecosystems, the level of toxicity is highly responsive dependant to multiple variables, including rainfall, sunlight, pH, adhesion, etc. Because Korea has particularly distinct wet and dry seasons, the toxicity of pollutants in rivers or streams is dependant on the sampling season and time. In order to examine the effects of rainfall on toxicity, sediment samples were collected from five sites along the Keumho river. It was found that Microtox toxicity levels were generally higher during the dry season than the wet season. It indicated that river pollutants are carried off more quickly by the water during the wet season. As a result, it was recommended that the point sources of pollutants of the Keumho river would be placed between KH3 (Paldalgyo) and KH4(Keumhogyo), KH4(Keumhogyo) and KH5(Dasa).

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.153-159
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• 2001

The main point source of pollution of the Keumho river in Taegu, Korea, stems from waste from the areas of industrial complexes . Although it is widely accepted that pollutants in waste water negatively effects general water quality, it is difficult to evaluate the effluent effect because of varying conditions in ambient water and inconclusive knowledge of causative pollutants. To analyze the water in relation to the industrial effluent in the area, pH. temperature, conductivity, and Microtox toxicity of various river samples were measured. Water samples were collected every 2 hours for 36 hours from Keumho river and Dalseo stream. Data from continuous monitoring for 36 hours showed that effluent in Keumho river originated from Dalseo stream, which is near adjacent to industrial complexes. Change in toxicity and other factors tested during the 36 hours indicated that continuous monitoring was necessary for a satisfactory effluent toxicity test Furthermore, in addition to water quality monitoring, it was concluded that sediment toxicity also needed to evaluate effluent effects.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.500-503
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• 2000

In order to dovelop a novel toxicity measurement system using the persistent swimming property of magnetic bacteria along an externally applied magnetic field, certain characteristics of Magnetospirillum sp. AMB-1 cells were examined including their growth pattern, motility, magnetosensitivity, swimming speed. Plus, the effect of toxic compounds on the swimming speed was assessed relative to application as a toxicity sensor. The relative sensitivity of the proposed system was comparable to $Microtox^{circledR}$, which is commercially available. And the aerotactic behavior of AMB-1 cells was also examined with a viewpoint of another method of toxicity measurement.

• Korean Journal of Hydrosciences
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• v.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 1991

This study assessed the contribution of heavy metals to total toxicity as well as the presence other toxic compounds before and after adding the chemical P to concurrently conducted bioassay tests of Daphnia magna and P. Phosphoreum. The following conclusions were drawn from this study : With excessive EDTA dosage, a toxicity reduction in Microtox would occur due to a metal-comples being formed. Microtox was far less sensitive than D. magna to heavy metal toxicity, but extended exposure time and reagent could increase the sensitivity.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.146-150
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• 2004

Degradation efficiency of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by using direct UV photolysis and $TiO_2$ photocatalysis was evaluated with both chemical analyses and acute toxicity assessment employing luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri. PCP was chosen as a target compound in this study because of its wide application as fungicide, bactericide, insecticide and wood preservative in agriculture and many industries, in addition to its well-known environmental consequences. The acute toxicity to the microbe was reduced by >60% when applying UV alone, and was completely removed when treated with $UV-TiO_2$ combinations. Toxicity reduction pattern determined with the Microtox Assay generally corresponds with the chemistry data: However, it should be noted that toxicity was greater than expected by the chemistry data. Formation of TCBQ, a toxic byprodut, could not explain observed microbial toxicity. These observations are probably due to the presence of unidentified toxic PCP byproducts, which may include polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. When Microtox results were compared between different exposure time, i.e.,5 min and 15 min, an interesting pattern was noted with $UVA-\;TiO_2$ treatment. While no microbial toxicity was observed with 5 min exposure, an EC50 value of 45.4% was estimated with 15 min exposure, which was not observed in $UVB-\;TiO_2$ exposure. This result may suggest the presence of unidentified toxic degradation products generated in the later stage of treatment. Based on this study, $TiO_2$ photocatalyst, together with UVB photolysis could improve the removal of both PCP and its toxic derivatives in more efficient way. The Microtox Assay is promising and economical method for monitoring efficiency of wastewater treatment processes.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 2006

This study was conducted to find a system for screening organic resources with 16 species, 62 samples which were selected to randomizing point from city, province and industrial areas in the whole country. Content of organic matters were $65.3%{\sim}98.0%$ in all samples so that they were largely over than 60%, raw material regulation of compost. Concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were $0.7{\sim}4.8%\;and\;0.8{\sim}5.0$, they could look for effect of the nitrogen and phosphorus supply as a raw material of compost. In case of 8 elements concentrations of heavy metal, they were too high to use as raw materials of compost which were over to regulation limit in Cu, Cr, Ni, and As from fiber industry, Ni from food company and leather industry, and the others are adapt to limit levels. HEM contents fro the highest to $113mg\;kg^{-1}$ from liber industry and PAHs content were the highest to $3,462ug\;kg^{-1}$ from paper-mill manufacture. Distribution of PAHs concentiations were naphthalene>phenanthrene>pyrene>fluoroanthene>acenaphthene. $Microtox{(R)}\;EC_{50}$ values for bioassay were pharmaceutical company>paper-mill manufacture>industrial area sewage sludge>fiber industry>urban sewage sludge>metropolitan sewage sludge. HEM between Zn, Cu, and Ni was significant at the 99% and between Cd was significant at the 95%, Microtox between Hg and BEM significant at the 95%.