• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2001

Environmental pollution of the Tohyun mine creek area was investigated on the basis of geology, mineralogy and geochemistry. In soils and sediments of the mine area, ${Al_2}{O_3}/{Na_2O}$ and ${K_2}O/{Na_2}O$ ratios are partly negative correlation against ${SiO_2}/{Al_2}{O_3}$, respectively. Geochemical characteristics of some trace and rare earth elements such as V/Ni, Ni/Co, La/Ce, Th/Yb, Th/U, La/Th, ${La_N}/{Yb_N}$, La/Sc and Sc/Th are revealed a narrow range and homogeneous compositions may be explained by simple source lithology. These results suggest that sediments source of the host shale around the mine area could be originated by basic to intermediate igneous rocks. Mineral compositions of soil and sediment near the mine area were partly variable mineralogy, which are composed of quartz, mica, feldspar, chlorite, clay minerals and some pyrite. Soils and sediments with highly concentrated heavy minerals, gravity separated mineralogy, are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, goethite and various kinds of hydroxide minerals on the polished sections. As normalized by bed rock composition, average enrichment indices of major elements in sediments, precipitates, farmland soils and paddy soils are 1.0, 1.7, 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Maximum concentration of environmental toxic elements in the mine creek are detected with Ag = 186 ppm, As = 17,100 ppm, Bi = ]27 ppm, Cd = 77 ppm, Cu = 12,299 ppm, Pb = 8,897 ppm, Sb = 1,350 ppm, W = 599 ppm and Zn = 12,250 ppm, which are increasing with total FeO increasing, and extremely high concentrations of surface sediments and precipitates near the waste rock dump. These toxic elements (As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, W and Zn) of the samples, normalizing by host rock concentration, revealed that average enrichment index is 106.0 for sediments, 279.6 for precipitates, 3.5 for farmland soils and 1.6 for paddy soils. However, on the basis of EPA values, enrichment indices of all the samples are 40.7, 121.4, 1.3 and 0.6, respectively.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.570-578
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• 2003

Background : Ambient particles during Asian dust events are usually sized less than $10{\mu}m$, known to be associated with the adverse effects on the general populations. But, there has been no considerable evidence linking these particles to the adverse effects on airways. The objectives of this study was to investigate the possible adverse effects of Asian dust events on respiratory function and symptoms in subjects with bronchial asthma. Patients and Methods : From march to June 2002, Asthmatic patients who were diagnosed with bronchial challenge test or bronchodilator response were enrolled. We divided them into three groups; mild, moderate, and severe, according to the severity. Subjects with other organ insufficiency such as heart, kidney, liver, and malignancy were excluded. All patients completed twice daily diaries and recorded peak flow rate, respiratory symptom, and daily activity. Daily and hourly mean pollutant levels of particulate matter < $10{\mu}m$ in diameter($PM_{10}$), nitrogen dioxide($NO_2$), sulphur dioxide($SO_2$), ozone($O_3$) and carbon monoxide(CO) were measured at the 10 different monitoring sites. Results : Dust events occured 14 times during the study period. Daily averages of 4 air pollutant were measured with an increased level of $PM_{10}$, decreased level of $NO_2$ and $SO_2$, and no change in CO during dust days compared to those during control days. An increase in $PM_{10}$ concentration was associated with an increase of subjects with PEF variability of >20% (p<0.05), night time symptom(p<0.05), and a decrease in mean PEF (p<0.05), which were calculated by the longitudinal data analysis. Otherwise, there was no association between $PM_{10}$ level and bronchodialtor inhaler, and daytime respiratory symptoms. Conclusion : This study shows evidence that ambient air pollution, especially $PM_{10}$, during Asian dust events, could be one of the many aggravating factors at least in patients with airway diseases. This data can be used as a primary source to set up a new policy on air environmental control and to evaluate the safety of air pollution index. We also expect that this research will help identify precise components of dust, which are more linked to the adverse effects.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.874-882
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• 2017

As the interest on the air-pollution is gradually rising up at home and abroad, automotiv e and fuel researchers have been working on the exhaust emission reduction from vehicles through a lot of approaches, which consist of new engine design, innovative after-treatment systems, using clean (eco-friendly alternative) fuels and fuel quality improvement. This research has brought forward three main issues : evaporative, performance, air pollution. In addition, researcher studied the environment problems of the bio-ethanol, bio-butanol, bio-ETBE (Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), MTBE (Methyl Tert iary Butyl Ether) fuel contained in the fuel as octane number improver. The researchers have many dat a about the health effects of ingestion of octane number improver. However, the data support the con clusion that octane number improver is a potential human carcinogen at high doses. Based on the bio-fuel and octane number improver types (bio-ethanol, bio-butanol, bio-ETBE, MTBE), this paper dis cussed the influence of gasoline fuel properties on the evaporative emission characteristics. Also, this p aper assessed the acceleration and power performance of gasoline vehicle for the bio-fuel property. As a result of the experiment, it was found that all the test fuels meet the domestic exhaust gas standards, and as a result of measurement of the vapor pressure of the test fuels, the bio - ethanol : 15 kPa and the biobutanol : 1.6 kPa. thus when manufacturing E3 fuel, Increasing the biobutanol content reduces evaporation gas and vapor pressure. In addition, Similar accelerating and powering performance was shown for the type of biofuel and when bio-butanol and bio-ethanol were compared accelerated perf ormance was improved by about 3.9% and vehicle power by 0.8%.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2009

Heavy metal pollution may be one of the most serious challenges confront crop production and human health. Therefore, the selection of heavy metal tolerance cultivars which adapted to the contaminated fields will introduced a suitable solution for management this critical environmental risk. The objectives of this research is to assess human health risk using geochemical analyses and exposure assessment of heavy metals in rice cultivars. Risk for inhabitants in the closed mine area was comparatively assessed for As, Cd, Cu and Pb in 10 rice varieties as a major exposure pathway. The average daily dose (ADD) of each heavy metal was estimated by analyzing the exposure pathways to rice and soil. For the non-carcinogenic risk characterization, Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) were calculated using toxicity indices provided by US-EPA IRIS. The different rice varieties revealed a wide range of HI values from 23.6 to 34.3, indicating that all rice varieties have a high potential toxic risk. The DA rice variety showed the lowest HI value while the TB rice variety the highest. The probabilities of cancer risk for As via rice consumption were varied with rice varieties ranging from 2.0E-03 to 3.5E-03 which exceeded the regulatory acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 set by US-EPA. The DA rice variety also showed the lowest value while the TB rice variety gave the highest value. Our results indicate that risk assessment can be contribute to screen the pollution safe rice cultivars in paddy fields affected by the mining activity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2013

The objectives of this study were to analyze chemical the water quality related to the fish community and to evaluate the ecosystem health based on the faunal composition and guild structure in 2007 in Baekma River. Mean concentrations of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were 2.8 and $4.0mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively and total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were $5.0mg\;L^{-1}$ and $158{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, which is indicating that the river is in an eutrophic state. Especially, organic pollution and eutrophication occurred in the downstream reach of Baekma River. A total of 19 fish species were collected during the study and the most dominant species was Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis accounted 48% of the total abundances. The proportion of sensitive species was low (2.3%), compared with that of tolerant species (71.8%). These results suggest that tolerant species and the biotic quality of the fish community was severely degraded. According to the multi-metric model, the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), the mean model value of the fish community in Baekma River was estimated as 14.8 indicating a "poor" condition. The minimum values of the IBI were observed in the downstreams, and this was mainly attributed to chemical pollutions of nutrients (N, P) and organic matters.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.475-489
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• 2010

In order to verify the enhancement of ozone and carbon monoxide (CO) during springtime in East Asia, we investigated weather conditions and data from remote sensors, air quality models, and air quality monitors. These include the geopotential height archived from the final (FNL) meteorological field, the potential vorticity and the wind velocity simulated by the Meteorological Mesoscale Model 5 (MM5), the back trajectory estimated by the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, the total column amount of ozone and the aerosol index retrieved from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), the total column density of CO retrieved from the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT), and the concentration of ozone and CO simulated by the Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers (MOZART). In particular, the total column density of CO, which mightoriginate from the combustion of fossil fuels and the burning of biomass in China, increased in East Asia during spring 2000. In addition, the enhancement of total column amounts of ozone and CO appeared to be associated with both the upper cut-off low near 500 hPa and the frontogenesis of a surface cyclone during a weak Asian dust event. At the same time, high concentrations of ozone and CO on the Earth's surface were shown at the Seoul air quality monitoring site, located at the surface frontogenesis in Korea. It was clear that the ozone was invaded by the downward stretched vortex anomalies, which included the ozone-rich airflow, during movement and development of the cut-off low, and then there was the catalytic photochemical reaction of ozone precursors on the Earth's surface during the day. In addition, air pollutants such as CO and aerosol were tracked along both the cyclone vortex and the strong westerly as shown at the back trajectory in Seoul and Busan, respectively. Consequently, the maxima of ozone and CO between the two areas showed up differently because of the time lag between those gases, including their catalytic photochemical reactions together with the invasion from the upper troposphere, as well as the path of their transport from China during the weak Asian dust event.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.601-607
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• 1997

This study was designed to investigate the biochemical pollutant marker for diagnosis of marine pollutions by the changes in lipid components of the flounder (Pleuronichthys cornutus) in the Yellow Sea of Korea. Hemoglobin levels in serum of wild flounders in the yellow Sea were significantly lower $(15\~30\%)$ than those of wild flounder in Pohang (control) of the East Sea. Triglyceride (TG) contents in serum of wild flounders in the Yellow Sea were higher $(15\~50\%)$ than those of wild flounder in Pohang. Total and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol contents in serum of flounders in the Yellow Sea were significantly higher $(20\~25\%\;and\;15\~35\%,\;respectively)$ than those of wild flounder in Pohang. Atherogenic index (Al) in serum of wild flounders in the Yellow Sea were significantly higher $(10\~60\%)$ than these of wild flounder in Pohang but T-Chol/PL ratios showed almost no change in serum of flounders in the Yellow Sea we examined. These results suggest that near-coastal water as well as neritic water of the Yellow Sea might be affected by pollutant input.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 1992

An investigation on the benthic polychaete community in Youngil Bay was conducted during four seasons of 1991. Polychaetes. the dominant macrofaunal group occupying 71.3% in total macro-faunal density, comprised a total of 72 species with a mean density of 1,485 indiv. m/SUP -2/. The highest species number of 54 spp. and density of 3,207 undiv. m/SUP -2/ was recorded in summer, while the lowest in autumn. The most abundant species was Spiophanes nombyx (37.5%), followed by Pseudopolydora sp.(8.4%), Lumbrineris longifolia(7.0%), Madden cristata(6.5%), Polydora ciliata(4.9%) and so on. Maldane cristata was dominated in winter, Polydora ciliata in spring and Spiophanes bombyx in summer and autumn. The density and species number of Polychaetes were high in the southeastern area of Youngil Bay, and poor near the mouth of Hyoungsan River. Based on the species composition, study area was divided into three regions. Each region sustained its specific benthic faunal assemblage; Maldane-Praxillella assemblage from the middle to the southeastern region of Youngil Bay, Spiophanes-Nephtys assemblage in the northwestern region, and Pseudopolydora-Polydora-Capitella assemblage from the mouth of Hyoungsan River to Pohang Hobour. Maldane Praxillella assemblage showed the highest species number of 55 spp.. and the highest species diversity and species richness indices. Spiophanes-Nephtys assemblage had the highest density of 2,675 indiv. m/SUP -2/ and the highest dominance index because of the predominance of Spiophanes bombyx with a density of 2,073 indiv. m/SUP -2/. Pseudopolydora-Polydora-Capitella assemblage was found in the polluted area and it was a specific assemblage mainly composed of the dominance of organic pollution indicator species. The dominant Polychaetes were Pseudopolydora sp., Polydora ciliata, Capitella capitata, and Dorvillea sp.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.125-133
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• 2007

The environmental and geotechnical properties are investigated to the 8th landfill area made of only sewage sludge in Nanji-Do. To do this, the soils are sampled in this area, and leaching tests, heavy metal content tests, and so on are performed to research the environmental properties. As the result of heavy metal content tests, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Cr were leached from the sewage sludge. Because the leaching concentration of Cu is more than the standard value of California state, Cu content have to bring down during the recycling of the sewage sludge. Meanwhile, a series of tests concerning specific gravity, liquid and plastic limits, compaction, permeability and shear strength is performed to research the geotechnical properties. The sewage sludge is consisted of sand, silt and clay, and is classified into non-organic silt or organic clay with 42.3% of plastic index. As the result of compaction test, it is expected that the compaction effect according to variation of water contents is low relatively because the dry unit weight is low and the curve of compaction forms flatness. Also, as the result of direct shear tests, the cohesion is $0.058kg/cm^2$, and the internal friction angle is $14^{\circ}$. Taking everything into consideration, the various problems are happening in case of recycling the sludge like the cover layer of landfill and so on because the compaction is bad, and the shear strength is low. Also, it is expected that the ground water pollution caused by leaching the heavy metal into the sludge. To do recycling the sewage sludge in this site, supplementary and treatment programs should be prepared.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.274-283
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• 2015

The reservoir shores seem to be vulnerable to biological invasion. The purpose of this research was to find out the floristic composition of alien plants and their relationship between environmental factors on reservoir shorelines in Korea. We investigated flora of alien plants and environmental factors of geomorphology, hydrology, water quality and soil on the shoreline of a total of 35 reservoirs with different water level managements. There were 56 species of alien plants, which was 15% of the total plant species identified in the study of reservoirs. A total of 57% of these alien species were the species which were introduced shortly after opening the port from 1876 to 1921 in Korea. More than 80% of the alien plants on the reservoir shores originated from America and Europe. The current distribution of Ambrosia trifida and Paspalum distichum were restricted in the central part and the southern region of the Korean Peninsula, respectively. The water level fluctuation, flood frequency at the median water level, water pollution index, coverage of rock exposure and mean degree of shoreline slope were determined as important environmental factors that have an effect on the characteristics of shoreline alien flora. Our results suggest that the reservoir shore was in danger of being invaded by alien plants due to the water level management and other human disturbances. For effective conservation of the reservoir ecosystem, periodic monitoring systems are required for the early detection of alien species on the reservoir shore.