• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2007

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the present status of several environmental problems caused by emerging toxic substances such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and arsenic in various environmental media in Vietnam. Monitoring data reported during the 1990s demonstrated elevated contamination of DDTs in most of these compartments in Vietnam. Studies in frame of the Asia-Pacific Mussel Watch Program revealed that fish, mussels and resident birds from Vietnam contained higher concentrations of DDTs as compared to other countries in region, suggesting the role of Vietnamese environment as a significant emission source of DDT in the Southeast Asian region. The estimated dietary intakes of PCBs and DDTs for Vietnamese were relatively high among Asian developing countries, suggesting potential risk for humans posed by thesechemicals. Widespread contamination of some endocrine active compounds such as alkylphenols and phthalates was observed at various sites along the coasts of northern and middle Vietnam. The presence of significant source of bisphenol-A along Red River estuary was revealed with the concentrations comparable to those reported for developed nations. A case study on seasonal variation of alkylphenols and phthalates in surface water of river delta and estuary of north and middle Vietnam indicated the differences in distribution of these compounds between dry and rainy seasons. Higher concentrations of alkylphenols and phthalates were found in dry season in estuary; while the contrasting pattern was observed in the river delta, showing elevated residues in rainy season. This result suggests the different behavior of alkylphenols and phthalates in river delta and coastal environment. From ecotoxicological perspectives, concentrations of bis-phenol A and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalates [DEHP] in surface water from some locations in Vietnam exceeded the guideline values for Ecotoxicological Effects and the Environmental Risk Limit, respectively, suggesting potential for toxic implications on aquatic wildlife. Widespread and elevated arsenic contamination was discovered inour recent surveys in groundwater in a large area of suburban areas of Hanoi city, the capital of Vietnam. The most recent investigation in 4 villages showed about more than 50 % of groundwater samples contained As concentrations exceeding 50 g/L (the WHO and Vietnamese standard). In particular, in Son Dong villages, 58 % of samples analyzed contained As concentrations higher than 200 g/L. Good correlations were found in As concentrations in water and hair and urine of peoples in corresponding families, suggesting the chronic exposure to As by people living in As-contaminated ground water areas. In Son Dong village, As levels in hair (mean: 1.7 mg/kg dry wt) and urine (g/g creatinine) exceeding the reference values recommended by WHO, suggesting potential for human risk posed by long term accumulation of As in human body. Future studies should be focused on the time trends of POPs and EDCs in biota in Vietnam in order to predict future trend of contamination and to reveal new clues for understanding possible toxic impacts on aquatic organisms. The issues of arsenic contamination in groundwater and their chronic toxic implications on human health should be systematically investigated in the future.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.3 s.113
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• pp.352-360
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• 2005

Acheilognathus signifer is distributed widely in high density in the Naechon-stream. The order of this-stream was 2 ${\sim}$ 4 and the water width is wide but the depth is relatively shallow and the sinuosity is 1.83, which indicates a meandering stream. The water width/stream width ratio is 1.59, which suggests moderate entrenchment. Naechon-stream was classed as B type by Rosgen (1995). The natural habitat of A. signifer is a slow flow velocity pool, like a backwater pool, which is made up of piled up boulders that restricts the flow of water. The stream bed is made up of boulders and sands that enable the spawning host to inhabit. A. signifer selects a microhabitat where the boulders furnish hiding places. The Habitat of A. signifer is strongly affected by the existence or not there of U. douglasiae sinuolatus. After hatching from the mussel, A. signifer inhabits the surface of the water. It then moves to the low layer once it acquires swimming ability. While A. signifer inhabits the river in summer, A. signifer moves to the deeper layers in winter, where there are the refuge like rocks and boulders. In spring A. signifer moves from the deep water to the river line where the mussels reside.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2007

We studied spawning, hatching and larval growth of Amphiprion melanopus under laboratory conditions. Each time a fish spawned about 440 to 650 eggs. The eggs were hatched 9 days later. Nest colour of the eggs changed from clear yellow orange to greyish violet with processing of embryogenesis. With regard to spawning according to the substrates, the fish prefered red clay pot and ceramic pot to volcanic scoria and live rock. Hatching rate (%) of the eggs on the former substrates was significantly higher than that on the latter. The number of eggs varied with the food stuff supplied to the fish. The fish fed Tetra bits (commercial diet), meat of short necked clams and mussels, and astaxanthin showed significantly higher fecundity with 638 eggs than that fed only Tetra bits (477 eggs) or Tetra bits with meat of shellfish without astaxanthin ($549{\sim}553\;eggs$). Higher temperature ranging from 24 to $30^{\circ}C$ induced shorter incubation period and smaller total length, but higher hatching rate. The optimum salinity and L:D cycle with $60\;{\mu}mol$ photon $m^{-2}s^{-1}$ for hatching were 33 psu and 16:8, respectively. The newly hatched larvae about 4.6 mm in total length grew to 7.5 mm in one week, 18.8 mm in a month and 37.9 mm in 70 days after hatching.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-134
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• 2014

Sessile marine bivalves including mussels, oysters and clams are often used as a sentinel species in coastal environmental monitoring since changes in the environmental quality are often well preserved in their tissues and shells. In this study, we investigated overall health condition of the Mediterranean Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis on the south coast using histology. Reproductive condition as gonad index (GI), condition index (CI) as a ratio of the tissue weight to the shell weight, digestive gland atrophy (DGA), types of parasites, and pathologic conditions including erosion, necrosis, hemocyte infiltration, and neoplasia were examined from each histological preparation. GI decreased from March to July then increased from July to September and spawning mussel could be observed as early as in April and the activity continued until September. CI also followed the monthly changes in GI, indicating that decrease in CI was associated with the weight loss due to spawning. DGA increased from March to June, decreased in July and increased from July to September. High DGA values observed in June and September were coincided with spawning and high water temperature. Histology also showed high prevalence of erosion in the digestive gland in June (36.0%) and September (56.4%), suggesting that high water temperature and spawning acted as environmental stressors. No parasitic organism was identified during the survey, although some symbiotic copepods were observed. Histology was found to be useful and affordable technique in monitoring the overall health of mussel, providing useful pathologic information of the cells and tissues.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.293-299
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• 1987

At various times and places all over the world men have become ill and some have died after eating shellfish that were intoxicated with paralytic shellfish poison(PSP) caused by Protogonyaulax spp. In late March, 1986, two persons were dead by ingesting wild sea mussels, Mytilur edulis, grown at bottom of an anchored waste ship to be dismantled at Gamchun Bay, Pusan, Korea. The samples were collected from the bottom of the ship during April $1\~April$ 8 of the year to find the cause of the food poisoning accident. The toxicity was estimated by bioassay with ICR male mouse, while the toxins were extracted and characterized. The toxins were extracted with acidified $80\%$ ethanol. The extract was defatted three times with dichloromethane, treated with activated charcoal, and then purified by chromatography on Bio-Gel P-2 and Bio-Rex 70. The toxic fractions obtained were analysed by cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatogaphy. The range and the average of PSP-toxicity of the samples were $132\~295\;MU/g$, 203 MU/g respectively. The amount of PSP was $26.4\~58.9{\mu}g/g$ of whole meat in range and $40.6{\mu}g/g$ in average. The toxicity of the digestive gland of the samples was 9 times higher than that of edible meat (except digestive gland) as $439\~979MU/g$, and it was about $70\%$ in total toxin. The compositional analytical results of the paralytic shellfish toxin, Gonyautoxin $1\~4$ were the major part of the PSP and Saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin were detected as the minor component. It was concluded that the food poisoning accident was caused not by Saxitoxins but by Gonyautoxins.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.313-318
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• 2014

From 2008 to 2013, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected from a major area of mussel production (Changseon area), which is a designated shellfish-cultivating area for export, located on the southern coast of Korea. The samples were analyzed for mercury (Hg) using a direct Hg analyzer and for other metals, such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentrations and bioaccumulation of the heavy metals were determined, and a potential risk assessment was conducted to evaluate their hazards towards human consumption. The concentration and bioaccumulation ratio of Cd were the highest of the three hazardous metals (Cd, Pb, and Hg). The concentrations of hazardous metals in all samples were within the limits set by Korea and other countries. The estimated dietary intake (EDI) was compared to the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) adopted by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EDIs of all heavy metals tested for mussel samples ranged from 0.01 to 4.99% of the PTDI; the highest value was measured for As. The hazard index (HI) can be used to assess the risk of heavy metal consumption associated with contaminated food. The HI for all samples was far less than 1.0, which indicates that the mussels produced in the Changseon area do not represent an appreciable hazard to humans and are fit for consumption.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2015

VHSV is a major viral agent that affects freshwater and marine fish, causing serious economic losses in aquaculture in the world. Due to their filter-feeding activity, bivalve mollusks may act as viral transmitters after accumulation of the fish viruses released into seawater from infected fish. Amplification by RT-PCR was carried out to investigate the presence of VHSV in pacific oysters (Crassotrea gigas) and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), inhabiting regions around aquatic farms in Korea. Primers designed from conserved regions of VHSVs allowed us to detect four different types of VHSV in a single PCR. Twenty two of the eighty four samples showed positive results of VHSV in a 2-step RT-PCR. Using six positive samples from three different regions in Korea, we cloned and sequenced the glycoprotein (G) gene (467-bp long) of VHSVs. Genetic analysis of the VHSVs detected in shellfish in various geographical areas of Korea showed highly restricted results to VHSV type Iva. This was in agreement with the reports showing only a single genotype of VHSV (Iva genotype) in outbreaks in cultured or wild fish in Korea. Consequently, we investigated VHSVs carried by bivalve mollusks inhabiting the vicinity of aquatic farms, and revealed correlationship between the type of viral accumulated in shellfish by filter-feeding, and those detected in disease outbreaks in fish.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.873-883
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• 2008

In this study, we assessed consumers' recognition of frozen foods via a survey study, and monitored the contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria and Escherichia coli in imported and domestic frozen seafoods obtained from five whole sale markets in Seoul. A questionnaire used to assess the perception of frozen food safety and the attitude towards frozen food usage was developed and distributed to 350 adults. A total of 324 questionnaires were subjected to frequency analysis and a chi-square test, using SPSS for Windows. The results of our survey study demonstrated that 44.6% of the respondent consumed frozen processed foods two to three times per month, with dumplings being the most frequently purchased. 70.5% of the respondents selected "convenient cooking" as the principal reason for their frozen food purchases. 58% of the respondents believed that frozen processed food is not safe to eat as the result of food additives and changes in quality during the shelf life period. Consumers most profoundly preferred frozen seafood originating from America, and preferred that from China least profoundly (81.2%). Microbiological analyses demonstrated that the aerobic plate counts of frozen seafood, regardless of origin, fulfill the standard requirements except for one frozen clam (6.6 Log CFU/g), which was a heated-frozen domestic product. In addition, E. coli was isolated from frozen cooked mussels, frozen raw clams and squids, thus indicating that more strict hygienic regulation for frozen seafoods will be necessary to protect the consumer in both domestic and foreign markets.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 2013

This study aims to develop mussel stock, which is the base of sauce, soup, etc., using various nourishing elements in mussels. In mussel stock with different heating times, the moisture content was significantly different according to heating times(p < 0.05). For the color value of mussel stock, L value was highest in MS1(35.48), a value in MS1(-2.39), and b value in MS5(-9.49). pH was lowest as 6.56 in MS5, and with increased heating time, pH decreased significantly (p < 0.001). With increased heating time, the sugar content was highest as $4.03^{\circ}Brix$ in MS3 and lowest as $3.37^{\circ}Brix$ in MS1. The salinity content was lowest as 0.71% in MS1, and with increased heating time, the salinity content increased significantly (p < 0.001). The test for characteristic differences of mussel stock showed that its color intensity, transparency, fish flavor, fish taste, and salty taste increased with increased heating time. Savory taste of mussel stock was highest in MS4 with 4.33% According to the results of acceptance test, taste, and overall acceptance test, MS3 showed the best results. In conclusion, mussel stock showed great preference with increased heating time, and the preference has increased when it was heated for 15 min.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.924-928
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• 2005

Toxin profiles of the paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) detected from domestic shellfishes collected at the market and imported. shellfishes were invested by fluorometric HPLC. Total 9 components in PSP were analysed from the imported ark shell, such as saxitoxin (STX), decarbamoylsaxitoxin (dcSTX), gonyautoxin (GTX) - 1,2,3,4,5, Cl and C2. Among those toxins, 7 components except for GTX1,4 were detected from domestic shellfishes and showed different toxin contents and toxin compositions by species. Only C group toxin (Cl +2) contained in short necked clam and hard clam $(0.06\~0.56\;nmole/g)$ which living under soil but, in the blue mussels and oysters which cultured in the open sea water, showed more higher toxicity and complicate toxin compositions. Toxin compositions in bloody clam and purplish washington clam were very different in some samples even in same species. GTX4 and GTX5 were higher in imported scallop and STX was higher in imported ark shell than other species.