• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2011

The purpose of the study is to analyze the environmental characteristics of fish acute toxicity that is dependent on the harmfulness of ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quat)-Treated Wood and Oryzias latipes mortality in a comprehensive way, provide objective verification method on the eco-toxicity and environment-friendliness of landscaping materials and methods, and utilize it as a basic datum for evaluation criteria. The main results are summarized as follows : 1. As a result of analysis on the harmfulness characteristics, each experimental plot showed different values respectively. In particular, it has been found that in proportion to the volume of testing materials, COD and Cu increases at a constant rate, compared to the input water. In the plot C with three testing materials, COD increased 67 times more than that of the input water, and Cu increased up to 12.36mg/L. 2. In case of fish toxicity, plot C, B, A all showed a mortality rate of 100%, indicating that fish toxicity is strong. In particular, the mortality rate of each plot within the initial time of one and a half hour showed clearly, which suggests that the fish toxicity is influenced by the increased concentration of hazardous substances depending on the volume ratio of testing materials. 3. As a result of comparison and analysis on the harmfulness and fish toxicity, the harmfulness showed different values on each experimental plot but, we found that the changing rate of values of toxicity of COD and Cu is mutually similar to that of mortality in the initial hour according to the experiment of fish toxicity, which shows that COD and Cu are major factors to increase fish toxicity.

• Clean Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2015

This study investigated the effects of six metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs: CuO, NiO, TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, Co₃O₄, ZnO) on seed germination and germination index (G.I) for five types of seeds: Brassica napus L., Malva verticillata L., Brassica olercea L., Brassica campestris L., Daucus carota L. NPs of CuO, ZnO, NiO show significant toxicity impacts on seed activities [CuO (6-27 mg/L), ZnO (16-86 mg/L), NiO (48-112 mg/L)], while no significant effects were observed at > 1000 mg/L of TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, Co₃O₄. Tested five types of seed showed different sensitivities on seed germination and root activity, especially on NPs of CuO, ZnO, NiO. Malva verticillata L. seed was highly sensitive to toxic metal oxide NPs and showed following EC₅₀s : CuO 5.5 mg/L, ZnO 16.4 mg/L, NiO 53.4 mg/L. Mostly following order of toxicity was observed, CuO > ZnO > NiO > Fe₂O₃ ≈ Co₃O₄ ≈ TiO₂, where slightly different toxicity order was observed for carrot, showing CuO > NiO ≈ ZnO > Fe₂O₃ ≈ Co₃O₄ ≈ TiO₂.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.153-161
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate effect of heavy metals (i.e., $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Cr^{6+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Hg^{2+}$, and $Pb^{2+}$) to toxicity of Triclosan as binary mixture. The individual toxicity and combined toxic effects of Triclosan with heavy metals were evaluated by Vibrio fischeri assay. In individual toxicity, the $Hg^{2+}$ was found to be most toxic followed by Triclosan, $Pb^{2+}$, $Cr^{6+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and $Cd^{2+}$, respectively. To evaluate combined toxic effect, correlation analysis of 'predicted value' calculated by Concentration addition (CA) model and Independent action (IA) model with 'experimental value' were performed based on the toxicity of individual compound. As a result, all of the combinations showed that IA model were more correlated with experimental value than CA model. On the basis of the median effect concentration of combination ($EC_{50mix}$) predicted by IA model, experimental $EC_{50mix}$ of Triclosan + Cu, Triclosan + Zn, Triclosan + Pb, Triclosan + Hg, Triclosan + Cd, and Triclosan + Cr were 191%, 226%, 138%, 137%, 209%, and 138% of $EC_{50mix}$ predicted by IA model, respectively, indicating that all of the combinations produced antagonistic effect.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of exposured $Cu^{2+}$ on growth and bioaccumulation of abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Abalone were exposed to various concentration of $Cu^{2+}$ (0, 5, 10, 20, $40{\mu}g/L$). Bioaccumulation of tissues, hepatopancreas, muscles and gills were measured. hepatopancreas and gills $Cu^{2+}$ concentration of abalone increases to extent during the 4 weeks accumulation time. But muscles showed no significant changes, with respect to control. These data indicate that abalone Haliotis discus hannai hepatopancreas and gills can be considered adequate target tissues for waterborne exposured of $Cu^{2+}$. Weight growth rate of abalone exposed to $Cu^{2+}$ was significantly decreased in 20 and $40{\mu}g/L$ groups compared to control. This study revealed that high $Cu^{2+}$ concentration (${\geq}20{\mu}g/{\ell}$) reduced growth of abalone. These data indicate that excessive waterborne $Cu^{2+}$ can affect the toxicity of xenbiotics to abalone through alterations in growth rate. Thus, environmental standard of $Cu^{2+}$ $20{\mu}g/L$, should be considered a potential source of variation in toxicological studies with abalone.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.136-142
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• 2012

Acute toxicity test of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Zn) were examined using the hatching rates of fertilized eggs in the oliver flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Eggs were exposed to Cd, Cu, Zn (0, 10, 100, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000 ppb) and then normal hatching rates were investigated after 48 h. The normal hatching rates in the control condition (not including Cd, Cu and Zn) were greater than 80%, but suddenly decreased with increasing of heavy metal concentrations. Cd, Cu and Zn reduced the normal hatching rates in concentration-dependent way and a significant reduction occurred at concentration grater than 1000, 100, 100 ppb, respectively. The ranking of heavy metal toxicity was Zn>Cu>Cd, with $EC_{50}$ values of 584, 1015 and 1282 ppb, respectively. The no-observed-effect-concentration (NOEC) and the lowest-observed-effect-concentration (LOEC) showed each 100 and 500 ppb of normal hatching rates in exposed to Cu and Zn. The NOEC and LOEC of normal hatching rates in Cd were 500 ppb and 1000 ppb, respectively. From these results, the normal hatching rates of P. olivaceus have toxic effect at greater than the 100 ppb concentrations in Cu, Zn and the 500 ppb concentrations in Cd in natural ecosystems. These results suggest that biological assay using the normal hatching rates of P. olivaceus are very useful test method for the acute toxicity assessment of a toxic substance as heavy metal in marine ecosystems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.11-14
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• 2001

In this study, the relationship between metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn. Pb, and Fe) 5 fractions and toxicity of soil samples from various contaminated sites in Korea were investigated. Metal toxicity of soils was tested using MetPLATE$^{TM}$ test kit, which is known as metal sensitive and organic insensitive. Significant amount of Fe was found in soils, and metal contents were in the order of Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd. Metal levels in organic fraction were rather high for all metals except Fe, and quite high percentages (35~79%) for residual fraction were observed for all metals. There were no significant relationships between the content of each metal fraction and toxicity which showed regression $R^2$in the range of 0.0003~0.414. However, correlation between toxicity and total metal contents showed regression coefficient $R^2$= 0.72. These results showed that the risk evaluation of metals in contaminated sites should be difficult to assess only by the contents of metal distribution because of the complexity of mixture of various metals.s.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.212-222
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• 2015

Experiments were conducted on the immobilization of eight heavy metals (HMs) (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Cr) during 20-day rotary drum composting of water hyacinth. The Tessier sequential extraction procedure was used to investigate the fractionation of HMs. The eco-toxicity risk of HMs was assessed by risk assessment code (RAC). In the results, the bioavailability factor (BAF) for different HMs presented in the following order: Mn > Zn = Fe > Cu > Cr > Cd = Pb > Ni. The total concentration of Pb was higher than that of Zn, Cu, Mn, Cd and Cr; however, its BAF was the lowest among these HMs. These results confirmed that the eco-toxicity of HMs depends on bioavailable fractions rather than on the total concentration. The greatest reduction in bioavailability and eco-toxicity risk of HMs occurred in lime 1% and 2% as compared to control and lime 3%. The eco-toxicity risk of Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr was reduced from low risk to zero risk by rotary drum composting. These studies demonstrated the high efficiency of the rotary drum for degrading compost materials and for reducing the bioavailability and eco-toxicity risk of HMs during the composting process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2007

In order to elucidate the relationship between the sludge retention time(SRT) and the toxicity of heavy metals, such as copper (Cu), cadmium(Cd), and zinc(Zn), in sequencing batch reactor(SBR) process, IC50 was estimated with measuring of INT-dehydrogenase activity in variable SRTs. When the concentrations of heavy metals were increased, the activity of INT-dehydrogenase was gradually decreased indicating the heavy metals inhibit bacterial activity. Cu showed higher toxicity than Zn and Cd. $IC_{50}$ of Cu, Cd, and Zn ranged from $0.37\sim1.96$ mg/L, $15.4\sim16.9$ mg/L, and $9.70\sim23.4$ mg/L, respectively. The toxicity of Cu and Zn was reversely proportional to the length of SRT. It is probably caused by the increased concentration of extracellular polymeric substances in longer SRT which absorb heavy metals. Therefore, the operation of SBR with increased SRT is desirable in treatment of industrial wastewater containing heavy metals.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2015

In this study, the inhibitory effect of toxic metals was investigated on the activated sludge of the municipal sewage treatment plant. The allowable concentration of toxic metals was also estimated for the stable operation of the biological treatment process. The single and mixture toxicity of $Cu^{2+}$, $Al^{3+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ were evaluated for the activated sludge microorganisms. As a result, nitrifying microorganisms were more susceptible than heterotrophic microorganisms. $IC_{10}$ (Inhibition Concentration of 10%) of $Cu^{2+}$, $Al^{3+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ for the nitrifying microorganisms was 3 mg/L, 7 mg/L and 25 mg/L, respectively. The mixture toxicity showed three times more sensitive than the single toxicity. The concentrations of $Cu^{2+}$, $Al^{3+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ to minimize the inhibitory effect on organic matter removal and nitrification in batch experiments were found to be 1.3 mg/L, 2.5 mg/L and 6.3 mg/L.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2017

Although green algae of the genus Closterium are considered ideal models for testing toxicity in aquatic ecosystems, little data about the effects of toxicity on these algal species is currently available. Here, Closterium ehrenbergii was used to assess the acute toxicity of copper (Cu). The median effective concentration ($EC_{50}$) of copper sulfate based on a dose response curve was $0.202mg\;L^{-1}$, and reductions in photosynthetic efficiency ($F_v/F_m$ ratio) of cells were observed in cultures exposed to Cu for 6 h, with efficiency significantly reduced after 48 h (p < 0.01). In addition, production of reactive oxygen species significantly increased over time (p < 0.01), leading to damage to intracellular organelles. Our results indicate that Cu induces oxidative stress in cellular metabolic processes and causes severe physiological damage within C. ehrenbergii cells, and even cell death; moreover, they clearly suggest that C. ehrenbergii represents a potentially powerful test model for use in aquatic toxicity assessments.