• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.7-13
• /
• 2016

As of many organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls are ubiquitous organic contaminants, which can be found in the most environmental matrices. Their toxic effects include endocrinedisrupting activity. Most researches with these toxicants performed with mixtures of congeners, namely Aroclor and related study has been done in complex environmental matrix, rather than single biosystems or pure congeners. 5 congeners were synthesized and their fates in pure microbial culture (Aspergillus niger) were determined in this study. Among biphenyl and synthetic congeners, biphenyl, PCB-1 (2-chlorobiphenyl), and PCB-3 (4-chlorobiphenyl) were rapidly transformed to hydrophilic metabolites, followed by PCB-38 (3,4,5-trichlorobiphenyl), while the degradation of PCB-126 (3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl) was not observed. The amounts of transformation for biphenyl, PCB-1, PCB-3, and PCB-38 were 65, 38, 52, and 2% respectively. The major metabolites of the above congeners were identified as mono- and di-hydroxy biphenyls, which are known to give adverse endocrinological effects.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.273-278
• /
• 2007

As a model compound of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) phenanthrene has been regarded as a toxic material, mutagen and carcinogen in various animals. Biodegradation conditions of phenanthrene such as pH, temperature, shaking speed, stabilizer and cofactor of degrading enzymes were investigated with Trametes versicolor and its transformant T. versicolor MrP1 in YMG medium, minimal medium and soil microcosm. T. versicolor MrP1 can overexpress mrp gene encoding Mn-repressed peroxidase that is involved in fungal degradation. Biodegradations of phenanthrene by T. versicolor and T. versicolor MrP1 were optimally performed in conditions of weak-acid (pH 6.0), $30^{\circ}C$, shaken culture and medium containing 5 mM veratryl alcohol or tryptophan. In these optimal conditions, biodegradation of phenanthrene by T. versicolor MrP1 is 31% higher than that of wild type strain in a minimal medium for 20 days. Biodegradation of phenanthrene by T. versicolor MrP1 was also higher than that of wild type in soil microcosm. T. versicolor MrP1 can be a excellent candidate for the bioremediation of PAHs contaminated environments.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.271-278
• /
• 1998

Heavy metal concentrations in rocks and soils from serpentinite(SP) and in plants (Pinus densiflora: PD and Pinus rigida: PR) were examined at Baekdong mine in Hongsung, Chungnam. Parent rocks were compared with amphibole schist(AS) and gneiss(GN) and plants divided the above grounds and roots were examined, respectively. In rocks, Ni, Cr, Co, Fe concentrations in SP were higher than those in AS and GN. The concentrations of top soils had the similar differences to their rocks; especially Ni, Cr, Co, Fe concentrations were the highest in SP, Zn and Sc concentrations, however, were the highest in AS. Average Ni, Cr, Co, Au, As, Sb, W concentrations of PD were the highest in SP and especially Ni, Cr, Co concentrations were accorded with changes of rocks and top soils. Zn and Sc concentrations in AS were higher and Fe and Mo concentrations in GN were higher than those in SP. Compared with two plants in the same serpentinite sites, most elements of PR were higher than those of PD. Therefore, these suggested PR absorbed much heavy metal than PD. Most element concentrations of roots in two plants and three rocks were higher than those of the above ground. Relative ratios (average plant concentration/soil concentration) of Ni, Cr, Co, Zn, Sc, Fe in AS and GN were higher than those of SP. Especially, relative ratios of most elements except Zn in GN were the highest.

• 한국생태학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2002.08a
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2002

Application of phytoremediation in the polluted area to remove undesirable materials is a complex and difficult subject without detailed investigation and experimentation. We investigated the accumulation patterns of cadmium and lead in plants naturally grown, the bioavailability of plants to accumulate these toxic metals and the responses of P. thunbergii to cadmium and lead. The soil samples contained detectable lead (<17.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/g), whereas cadmium was not detected in the soils of study area. The whole body of Persicaria thunbergii contained detectable lead (<320.8$\mu\textrm{g}$/g) but cadmium was detected only in the stem (<7.4$\mu\textrm{g}$/g) and root (<10.4$\mu\textrm{g}$/g) of P. thunbergii. Cadmium was not detected in Trapa japonica and Nymphoides peltata, whereas lead was detected in T. japonica (<323.7$\mu\textrm{g}$/g) and N. peltata (<177.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/g). Correlation coefficient between lead content in soil and in these plant samples represented positive correlation. The total content of lead in each plant sample increased in the order of N.peltata$\leq$P.thunbergii

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.38 no.3 s.172
• /
• pp.221-236
• /
• 2005

In order to investigate the contamination levels and dispersion patterns of heavy metals such as Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn by urbanization, soils beneath roadside-trees and leaves of Ginkgo biloba were collected from Seoul area during October to November in 2001. All tree leaves were grouped into washed and unwashed ones. The pH of most soil ranges from 6 to 9 indicating a weak acidic and alkaline. The element couples of Cd-Co, Cr-Ni and Zn-Cu-Pb have good correlation in soils, and contamination sources of Cd-Co, Cr-Ni and Zn-Cu-Pb could be similar. High correlation coefficients among Pb, Cu and Zn in G. biloba indicates that these elements show the similar behavior during the metabolism processes. From the results of pollution index calculation for soils, industrialized and heavy traffic area were severly polluted by heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. By the discriminant analysis, industrialized and heavy traffic areas are enriched in the order of Ni> Cr> Pb. Cadmium is useful to discriminate between industrialized and heavy traffic areas, Co and Pb are highly enhanced in heavy traffic area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 1996

Although the Dongjin Au-Ag-Cu mine had been abandoned since about forty years ago, the results of this study on the dispersion patterns and contamination level of heavy metals in the hydrologic system flowing via the waste rump show that the environmental impacts from the mine wastes are still significant. The stream water in the vicinity of the waste rump is severely acidified (pH 3.8 to 4.4) and highly enriched in various dissolved heavy metals. The heavy metal contents of the stream water and stream sediments are systematically attenuated with increasing distance from the mine area. However, it is worth to note that continuous attenuation of heavy metal contents in both media were reenriched in downstream area more than 800 m apart from the mine because it can be acted as a secondary source of heavy metal pollution. The heavy metals, especially Cd, Cu and Zn of polluted downstream sediments mainly occur in Fe-Mn oxides and organic materials, which indicates that these elements are the main pollutants from the waste rump of the Dongjin mine. The heavy metal contents of crops, such as sesame, perilla, red Pepper and brown rice, collected from the polluted farm land in the downstream area are lower than those of land plants from stream sides, but significantly higher in Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn than those from the unpolluted farm land. Especially, almost all of the crops in polluted farm land have been severly contaminated by Cd (>0.4 ppm). On the other hand, the heavy metal contents of the crops collected from refreshed farm land by means of a soil addition method shows significantly lowered level comparing with those of polluted area, which indicates that a soil addition method was effective for the refreshment of polluted farm land by toxic metallic pollutants. Wormwoods from this area showed very high contents in a11 the heavy metals even in unpolluted area (Cd > 1 ppm, Cr > 1 ppm, Cu > 11 ppm, Pb> 4 ppm, Zn > 55 ppm), indicating that a special caution must be payed when one takes ingest them.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.207-208
• /
• 2000

Since trichloroethylene (TCE), dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) arise from anaerobic degradation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and TCE, there is interest in creating aerobic remediation systems that avoid the highly toxic VC and cis-DCE which predonominate in anaerobic degradation. However, it seemed TCE could not be degraded aerobically without an inducing compound (which also competitively inhibits TCE degradation). It has been shown that TCE induces expression of both the toluene dioxygenase of p. putida F1 as well as toluene-p-monooxygenase of P.mendocina KRI. We investigated here the ability of PCE, TCE, and chlorinated phenols to induce toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) from P.stutzeri OX1. ToMO has a relaxed regio-specificity since it hydroxylates toluene in the ortho, meta, and para positions; it also has a broad substrate range as it oxidizes o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and naphthalene; chlorinated compounds including TCE, 1, 1-DCE, cis-DCE, trans-DCE, VC, and chloroform : as well as mixtures of chlorinated aliphatics (Pseudomonas 1999 Maui Meeting). ToMO is a multicomponent enzyme with greatest similarity to the aromatic monooxygenases of Burkholderia pickettii PKO1 and P.mendocina KR1. Using P.sturzeri OX1, it was found that PCE induces P.mendocina KR1 Using P.situtzeri OX1, it was found that PCE induces ToMO activity measured as naphthalene oxygenase activity 2.5-fold, TCE induces 2.3-fold, and toluene induces 3.0 fold. With the mutant P.stutzeri M1 which does not express ToMO, it was also found there was no naphthalene oxygenate activity induced by PCE and TCE; hence, PCE and TCE induce the tow path. Using P.putida PaW340(pPP4062, pFP3028) which has the tow promoter fused to the reporter catechol-2, 3-dioxygenase and the regulator gene touR, it was determined that the tow promoter was induced 5.7-, 7.1-, and 5.2-fold for 2-, 3-, 4-chlorophenol, respectively (cf. 8.9-fold induction with o-cresol) : however, TCE and PCE did not directly induce the tou path. Gas chromatography and chloride ion analysis also showed that TCE induced ToMO expression in P.stutzeri OX1 and was degraded and mineralized. This is the first report of significant PCE induction of any enzyme as well as the first report of chlorinated compound induction of the tou operon. The results indicate TCE and chlorinated phenols can be degraded by P.stutzeri OX1 without a separate inducer of the tou pathway and without competitive inhibition.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2010

The contamination of a suite of heavy metals were evaluated in water and sediments of urban stream, Tancheon down the stream. Tancheon is a urban stream which goes all the way across the urban area where various pollution sources are present. The sixteen study sites from seven different areas were designated down the stream. The heavy metal levels of the streams were detected in the order of Zn>Cu>Ni>Pb>Cd>Cr>Sb. There was a difference in the relative order of the concentration ranking in lake sediments. There is a trend that the heavy metal levels are higher at the sites where the construction causes inflow of soil particles to stream. Toxicity tests using pore-water in sediments were conducted for samples collected in some study sites, and pore-water in one site was proven to be toxic to Japanes medaka (Oryzias latipes). The reason may be the fecal pollution rather than heavy metal effect. Strong odor was detected in the sediment whose pore-water samples showed ecotoxicity. We did not observed the increasing concentration of heavy metals down to stream since the soil texture varied in the stream area of our study. Further study is needed to find quantitative relations between the level of contamination and its eco-effect.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.17-21
• /
• 1993

Eight strains of Bacillus thuringiensis were isolated from soil in Korea and characterized. The isolates were named HL-24, HL-25, HL-33, HL-34, HL-35, HL-38, HL-39, HL-40. Strains HL-24 and HL-25 produced irregular parasporal crystals, HL-33 and HL-35 produced bipyramidal crystals, and others were round form in their cells. The biochemical characteristics of the eight isolates were only minor different in specific characteristics to the known serotypes of Bacillus thuringiensis. The HL-25, HL-33 and HL-34 strains showed resistances to cephalothin, colistin and penicillin G, and HL-39 and HL-40 strains were resistant to penicilin G. The strains of HL-24, HL-25, HL-33 and HL-34 were toxic to Bombyx mori lavae and HL-24, HL-25, HL-38, HL-39 and HL-40 strains killed Culex pipiens 3rd instar larvae. The HL-24 and H25 strains showed lethal activity against two kinds of the larvae, however lethality against mosquito larvae was low.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.253-259
• /
• 2002

Application of phytoremediation in the polluted area to remove undesirable materials is a complex and difficult subject without detailed investigation and experimentation. We investigated the accumulation patterns of cadmium and lead in plants naturally grown, the bioavailability of plants to accumulate these toxic metals and the responses of P. thunbergii to cadmium and lead. The soil samples contained detectable lead (＜$17.5_\mu$g/g), whereas cadmium was not detected in the soils of study area. The whole body of Persicaria thunbergii contained detectable lead (＜320.$8_\mu$g/g/g) but cadmium was detected only in the stem (＜7.$4_\mu$g/g/g) and root (＜10.$4_\mu$g/g/g) of P. thunbergii. Cadmium was not detected in Trapa japonica and Nymphoides peltata, whereas lead was detected in T. japonica (＜323.$7_\mu$g/g/g) and N. peltata (＜177.$5_\mu$g/g/g). Correlation coefficient between lead content in soil and in these plant samples represented positive correlation. The total content of lead in each plant sample increased in the order of N. peltata$\leq$P. thunbergii