• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.313-318
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• 2007

Monitoring for the quality of coastal water is necessary to improve its biological resources and to maintain healthy environments. We measured the concentrations of phenols, nine polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tributyltin (TBT) in surface water at 5 stations and the concentrations of mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr (VI)), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) in surface water of 10 stations in Tongyeong marine ranching ground of Korea in August, 2003. The concentrations of analytes were determined as follows: phenols: 1.6$\sim$2.8 ppb, PCBs: not detected (ND), Hg: <0.1 ppb, Cr (VI): 0.01$\sim$5.32 ppb, Cd: ND$\sim$0.41 ppb and Pb: 0.43$\sim$2.60 ppb. These concentrations satisfied the standards of human health protection in coastal water by Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea as follows: phenols; 5 ppb, PCBs: 0.5 ppb, Hg: 0.5 ppb, Cr (VI): 50 ppb, Cd: 10 ppb and Pb: 50 ppb. TBT was not listed in the standards. The concentrations of Sn in TBT analyzed in sea water of Tongyeong marine ranching ground were in the range of ND$\sim$0.0273 ppb which are similar with the values of 8$\sim$35 ng Sn $L^{-1}$ (0.008$\sim$0.035 ppb) in Chinhae Bay studied by Shim et al.. Therefore, the quality of sea water in Tongyeong marine ranching ground was safe enough to protect human health.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

The prohibition of usage of tributyltin (TBT) compounds and the legal usage of new antifouling agents have changed the Korean costal environments in recent. 39 sampling sites of southwestern tidal flats were chosen in order to investigate the concentration of antifouling agents, and results in 2006 were compared with previous results in 1998. The concentrations of TBT compounds in most of sites except Incheon (It1) have been drastically decreased. Interestingly, In Jebudo (Jt2), Mokpo(MOt4) and Suncheon(SUt3) sites were detected as below the limit of detection and it is because of the legal restriction of TBT compounds. However, in most of the sampling sites in Korea, new antifouling agents, viz. Irgarol 1051, Dichlofluanid and Chlorothalonil, were detected. In particular, Irgarol 1051 was detected with high concentrations. In Jebudo (Jt4), a high concentration of Irgarol 1051 of 159.45 ng $g^{-1}$(dry wt) was detected. We were able to observe that the concentration of TBT compounds are has gradually been reduced whereas the new major antifouling agents are easily detected in most Korean tidal flats.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.39-44
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• 2002

Bans on TBT based antifouling paints have been drafted since 1999 by meetings 42, 43, 45 and 46 for the MEPC (Marine Environmental Protection Committee) of the International Marine Organization, and decided finally at a Diplomatic Conference of the IMO in October 2001. It was a key issue that there should be a global prohibition on the application of organo-tin compounds as biocides in Anti-fouling systems by Jan. 2003, and a complete prohibition on te presence of organo-tin compounds on ships by 1 Jan. 2008. This paper suggests a method to design International Anfi-fouling system cretificate, Record of anti-fouling system, Endorsement of the Records, Declaration on Anti-fouling System, Port State Control and reform(legislative) associated a law.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.378-384
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• 2012

In aquatic invertebrates, particularly marine gastropods, organotin compounds induce irreversible sexual abnormality in females, which is termed imposex, at very low concentrations. Organotin compounds are agonists for nuclear receptors such as RXRs and $PPAR{\gamma}$. However, the imposex phenomenon has not been reported to act as an antagonist on estrogen receptors in other species, including vertebrates and invertebrates. In order to gain insights into the antagonistic activity of organotin compounds on estrogen receptors (ERs), we examined the inhibitive effect of these compounds on estradiol-dependent ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity using the yeast two-hybrid detection system consisting of a combination of the human estrogen receptor ($hER{\beta}$) ligand-binding domain and the co-activator steroid receptor co-activator-1 (SRC1). Tributyltin-hydroxide (TBT-OH) and triphenyltin-chlorine (TPT-Cl) exhibited an inhibitive effect on $E_2$-dependent transcriptional activity, similar to antagonistic chemicals such as 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT) or ICI 182,780, at a very low concentration of $10^{-14}$ M TBT or $10^{-10}$ M TPT, respectively. The yeast growth and transcriptional activity with transcriptional factor GAL4 did not exhibit any effect at the tested concentration of TBT or TPT. Moreover, the yeast two-hybrid system using the interaction between p53 and the T antigen of SV40 large did not describe any effect at the tested concentration of OHT or ICI 182,780. However, the interaction between p53 and T antigen was inhibited at a TBT or TPT concentration of $10^{-9}$ M, respectively. These results indicate that TBT and TPT act as inhibitors of ER-dependent reporter gene transcriptional activation and of the interaction between $hER{\beta}$ LBD and the co-activator SRC1 in the yeast two-hybrid system. Consequently, our data could partly explain the occurrence of organotin compound-induced imposex on the endocrine system of mammals, including humans.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.93-105
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• 2004

Arkshell clams, Scapharca broughtonii, are economically important edible bivalves and widely cultivated in the Southern coast of Korea. Recently, the production of S. broughtonii has been dramatically decreased and various reasons including chemical pollution were suspected to be related to the production declines. However, it remains unknown whether the chemical pollution levels of the surrounding environments were high enough for the biological and ecological disturbance for the population of S. broughtonii, because no systematic toxicological study using S. broughtonii has been conducted previously. In the present study, we exposed arkshell clams, S. broughtonii to various waterborne pollutants including heavy metals (Cd, Cu and Hg), ammonia and organotins (tributyltin and triphenyltin) to determine the effect concentrations of these pollutants for the survival of S. broughtonii for 20 days. The median lethal concentrations ($LC_50$) of S. broughtonii were 2.1 mg/l for Cd, 0.065 mg/l for Cu, 0.40 mg/l for Hg, 79.4 mg/l for total ammonia (1.9 mg/l for unionized ammonia), 0.5 ${\mu}$g/l for TBT, and 14${\mu}$g/l for TPhT. Lethal toxicity of the most pollutants increased with both exposure duration and concentration. The toxicity of TBT was greatest for S. broughtonii, followed by TPhT > Cu > Hg > Cd > ammonia. The sensitivities of S. broughtonii to heavy metals and TBT were comparable to those of other aquatic organisms, but they were relatively tolerable to ammonia. The environmental concentrations of the tested pollutants were compared with the effect concentrations of those for the survival of S. broughtonii to assess the potential risks of the pollutants in the field conditions.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.459-473
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• 2008

Antifouling agents including tributyltin (TBT) compound and its derivatives have been used for many years, but the usage of TBT in Korea was legally restricted in 2003, due to its significant environmental impact. Following this, many new alternative antifouling agents have been used. In this experiment, four major antifouling agents were selectively analyzed to study their release in seawater and tidal flats on the Korean Peninsula. These new antifouling agents were extracted from the seawater and tidal flats using a liquid-liquid extraction method and microwave extraction, respectively. The measured concentrations of Irgarol 1051, Sea-Nine 211, Dichlofluanid and Chlorothalonil ranged from N.D.$-23.80ng/{\ell}$, N.D.$-15.30ng/{\ell}$, N.D.$-61.69ng/{\ell}$ and N.D.$-4.19ng/{\ell}$ in the seawater samples and from N.D.-159.45 ng/g, N.D.-476.57 ng/g, N.D.-59.79 ng/g and N.D.-21.27 ng/g in the tidal flat samples, respectively. Interestingly, these new antifouling agents were not detected in any area in the tidal flats at Pusan, whereas a certain amount of them was found in the seawater.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.10 no.S_4
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• pp.173-179
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• 2001

The chemical behavior and properties of the redox state of environmental pollutants was investigated using electrochemical methods. The purpose was to measure the variations in the redox reaction of differential pulse polarograms and cyclic voltammograms. The results observed the influences on redox potential and current of various factors including concentration, temperature, salt, and pH. These were established factors as the effect of the redox reaction. It can be clearly recognized that the electrode reaction are from reversible to irreversible processes. Also, it was mixing with reaction current controlled.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.424-431
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Tributyltin chloride is among the most toxic compounds known for aquatic ecosystems. Microorganisms are responsible for removal of TBTCl. Nevertheless, only a limited number of marine bacteria were investigated for biodegradation of TBTCl in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: The number of TBTCl resistant bacteria ranged from $2.5{\times}10^3$ to $3.8{\times}10^3$ cfu/mL in the seawater, and ranged from $3.2{\times}10^5$ to $9.1{\times}10^5$ cfu/g in the surface sediment, respectively. The morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of TBTCl resistant bacteria were investigated by API 20NE and other tests. The most abundant species of TBTCl resistant bacteria were Vibrio spp. (19.2%), Bacillus spp. (16.2%), Aeromonas spp. (15.2%), and Pseudomonas spp. (13.1%), etc. Eleven TBTCl resistant isolates also had a resistance to heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, and Zn). Among them, isolate T7 showing the strong TBTCl-resistance was selected. This isolate was identified as the genus Pantoea by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and designated as Pantoea sp. T7. In addition, this bacterium was cultivated up to the growth of 50.7% after 60 hrs at TBTCl concentration of $500{\mu}M$. TBTCl-degrading activity of Pantoea sp. T7 was measured by GC-FPD analysis. As a result of biological TBTCl-degradation at TBTCl concentration of $100{\mu}M$, TBTCl-removal efficiency of Pantoeasp. T7 was 62.7% after 40 hrs. CONCLUSION(S): These results suggest that Pantoea sp. T7 is potentially useful for the bioremediation of TBT contamination.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2008

Many alternative biocidal additives were applied to antifouling paint to replace TBT, and Sea-Nine 211 is one of alternating organic booster compounds used in antifouling paint. In this study, extent of Sea-Nine 211 toxicity on marine benthic bivalve is evaluated. Sea-Nine 211 was injected to surf clam, Pseudocardium sachalinensis, that inhabitate northern part of Gangwon Province, Korea. Survival rate of the clam and xenobiotics metabolizing enzyme activities in digestive gland were measured during 4 day-exposure period. The results were compared with those of TBT exposed clam. There were no mortality of clam in the solvent (DMSO) control group and the three Sea-Nine 211 exposure groups (5, 25, 50 mg kg$^{-1}$ body weight), while the clam exposed to 1, 2 and 5 mg kg$^{-1}$ TBT chloride (TBTC) demonstrated 70, 30 and 0% survival rate, respectively. The Sea-Nine 211 exposure group showed a tendency of cytochrome P450 (CYP) induction according to the exposure duration, on the other hand, CYP content was decreased in the TBT exposure group. NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase activity slightly increase according to the exposure duration in the Sea-Nine 211 exposure group, while TBTC inhibit its activity as CYP content. Moreover, there was no significant change of NADH cytochrome b5 reductate activity in the clam epxosed to Sea-Nine 211. In the TBTC exposure group, its activity increased in early exposure period and then significantly decreased the rest of exposure period. All the results indicate that Sea-Nine 211 demonstrated a tendency to induce CYP level, while TBTC inhibits the CYP level, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase and NADH cytochrome b5 reductase activities.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2008

To evaluate the extent of Sea-Nine 211 (4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-3(2H) isothiazolone), one of the alternating organic booster compound used in antifouling paint to replace TBT, on marine benthic bivalve, we injected Sea-Nine 211 to clam, Pseudocardium sachalinensis, and then determined some xenobiotics metabolizing enzyme activities, especially EROD (ethoxyresorufin deethylase) and MROD (methoxyresorufin demethylase), in digestive gland during 4 day-exposure period. Moreover, the results were compared with those of TBT exposed clam. CYP1A1 dependant EROD activity in both the Sea-Nine 211 and the TBTC exposure groups showed no significant differences compared to those of the solvent control group. CYP1A2 dependant MROD activity in Sea-Nine 211 exposure group was significantly induced, but no significant difference was obtained in the TBTC exposure group. These results indicate that Sea-Nine 211 demonstrated a tendency to induce MROD activity, while TBTC inhibits the activities of this enzyme.