• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.203-210
• /
• 2004

This study was conducted to assessment organic compound and bioassay (density of inhabited animal, fluctuation of predominant fungi, and survival ratio of earthworm) for finding damage on red pepper by heavily amount application of sludges in soil, which was treated with 3 pharmaceutical byproducts and a cosmetic industry wastewater sludge as raw materials of compost, and for establishing estimation method. HEM contents in the soil treated with pharmaceutical byproducts sludge2 (PS2) and cosmetic sludge (CS) were 0.51, 1.10 mg/kg respectively. PAHs content of PS2 treatment in the soil was 3406.8 ug/kg on July 8. In abundance of soil faunas, the pharmaceutical byproducts sludge2 treatment was the most highest. The next was decreased in the order of pig manure (PM) and the cosmetic sludge treatment. However the other pharmaceutical sludge treatments were remarkably reduced populations of soil inhabited animals. In upland soil treated with organic sludges, the numbers of bacteria and fungi of the pharmaceutical sludge treatment were 736, 909 cfu/g and those of the cosmetic sludge treatment were 440, 236 cfu/g, respectively. The pharmaceutical sludge treatments and the cosmetic sludge treatment in identification of predominant bacteria were not any tendency to compare with non fertilizer and pig manure treatments, but they had diverse bacteria than NPK treatment. In microcosm tests, the survival of the tiger earthworm in five soil samples was hardly affected against the soil of PSI (20%) after three months treated in the upland But after six months, survival of PS1 was 80%. At present, raw material of compost was authorized by contents of organic matter, heavy metal (8 elements), and product processing according to 'The specified gist on possible materials of using after analysis and investigation among raw materials of compost', however, for preparing to change regulation of raw material of compost and for considering to possibility of application, this study was conducted to investigate toxic organic compound and bioassay methods using inhabited animal, fungi, and earthworm without current regulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.241-258
• /
• 1998

The experimental demersal trawl surveys to provide the essential information for the assessment, management and utilization of commercially important fish stocks in the southern waters of Korea were carried out during five research cruises between October 1996 and October 1997 by the training ship “KAYA” of Pukyong National University. The biological sampling was conducted by using the trawl net with a cover net of 36 mm in mesh size at 64 planned trawl stations during daylight to identify the biological characteristics of fish. Each catch was standardized into catch per unit of time and the catches at each trawl station were sorted, weighed and counted by species. The changes in catches of each fish species and the shifts in dominant species by seasions and sampling regions in the research area were analyzed, and the abundance of fish was estimated from the relationship between the trawl catches and the volume of the water column sampled by demersal trawls. The results obtained can be summarized as follows : 1. During the 64 demersal trawls conducted in the southern waters of Korea, 129 species including 112 species of fishes, 8 species of Cephalopoda and 7 species of Crustacea, were identified Also, during the 1996 and 1997 trawl surveys in the reseach area, a large number of commercially important species with small differences in proportion was found. me proportion of Japanese horse mackerel which comprised 19.8% of the total catch by weight was highest, followed by chub mackerel(15.0%), swordtip squid(9.0%), redwing searobin(6.2%), konoshiro gizzard shad(6.1%), Japanese flying squid(5.8%), silver pomfet(5.1%), blackmouth goosefish(5.1%), etc. Swordtip squid, Japanese flying squid, blackmouth goosefish and blackthroat seaperch were among the dominant species in all seasons with a relatively high and stab1e proportion(3.6~9.0%), and were widely distributed in the entire southern water of Korea. 2. The catch rates by cover net varied at 0.7~91.9% by weight of the total trawl catch by codend and cover net at 64 planned trawl stations and the mean catch rate was 44.4%. Species comprising a major portion of the catches by cover net mainly were swordtip squid, konoshiro gizzard shad, the juveniles of Japanese horse mackerel, blackthroat seaperch and chub mackerel, etc. 3. The distribution density of fish in terms of biomass per unit volume which derived from the catch data by 63 bottom trawl hauls in the southern waters of Korea ranged from 17.9 $\times$ 10-6 to 1,440.9 $\times$ 10-6kg/m3 with the mean value of 153.8 $\times$ 10-6 kg/m3. These fish densities varied between seasons, location of sampling stations and sea conditions. From these results, it is worth noting that the catch composition of multispecies and the increased occurrence of small fish in the southern waters of Korea may also result in new problems in determining the total allowable catch(TAC) levels for economically important species.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.519-524
• /
• 2005

Due to the low C/N ratio of domestic wastewater characteristic, addition of external carbon source for the effective N and P removal is necessary. High organic content of food waste can be used for the external carbon source in biological nutrient removal processes, The applicability of condensate of food waste (CFW), which is produced during the high-rate fermentation process, was examined in membrane bioreactor for the nutrient removal. Under the various operating conditions, nutrient removal efficiencies and membrane fouling characteristics were evaluated using synthetic wastewater. From nitrate utilization rate (NUR) test, denitrification rate was 0.19 g $NO_3-N/g$ VSS/day. With the addition of CFW increased, average removal efficiencies of T-N and T-P could be increased up to 64% and 41%, respectively. Also the optimal retention time was 3 hr/5 hr for anoxic/aerobic reactor. When applied to real sewage, membrane fouling resistance was increased up to 60%, which could be reduced from $10.4{\times}10^{12}m^{-1}$ to $5.9{\times}10^{12}m^{-1}$ with the control of influent suspended solid concentration. In summary, it was suggested that CFW could be used as an economical and effective carbon source for membrane assisted biological N and P removal.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.2 s.57
• /
• pp.75-79
• /
• 2006

In this study. we evaluated anti-aging activity of medical plants that protect the skin cell damage induced by UV irradiation. We have investigated diverse biological activities of Selaginella tamariscina as an anti-aging ingredient of cosmetics. S. tamariscina was found to show scavenging activities of radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the $IC_{50}$ values of $65.1{\mu}g/mL$ against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and $40.9 {\mu}g/mL$ against superoxide radicals in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system, respectively. For testing intracellular ROS scavenging activity, the cultured human dermal fibroblasts were analyzed by increase in dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence upon exposure to UVB $20 mJ/cm^2$ after treatment of S. tamariscina. UVA-induced MMP-1 protein and mRNA expression in human dermal fibroblasts were reduced in a dose-dependent manner by S. tamariscina. Moreover, S. tamariscina inhibited MMP-2 (gelatinase) activity in UVA-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts assayed by zymography and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Taken together, these results suggest that S. tamariscina may act as an anti-aging agent by Increasing collagen and preventing the skin cell damage induced by UV irradiation, and imply that S. tamariscina nay be useful as a new ingredient for anti-aging cosmetics.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.566-574
• /
• 2022

Heavy metals are one of the dangerous pollutants that threaten urban biodiversity due to their accumulation over a long period without being decomposed in vivo. Accordingly, there is a need for biological monitoring to compare accumulation concentrations in living organisms according to the degree of heavy metal exposure to evaluate heavy metal contamination in the air in urban areas. This study aims to examine the possibility of using nesting materials as heavy metal monitoring samples and determine the effects of heavy metals on Paridae. We installed 54 artificial nest boxes in the research areas that included campus green spaces (14), urban forests (11), and urban parks (29) on a university campus in Cheonan City, Chungcheongnam Province. The birds' use rate of artificial nest boxes was 11/14 (78.57%) in campus green spaces, 8/11 (72.72%) in urban forests, and 6/29 (20.68%) in urban parks. Moss materials were collected from collected nests, and the heavy metal accumulation characteristics of each type of urban green space and the effects of heavy metals on the success of fledging of Paridae were compared through heavy metal analysis. The analysis showed that the average concentrations of zinc and lead were 228.08±209.62 ㎍/dry g and 17.67 ± 6.72 ㎍/dry g, respectively. There was no significant difference in zinc concentration for each type of urban green space (Kruskal-Wallis test, p-value=0.28), but lead concentration showed a significant difference (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05^*). Of the 21 Paridae, nests analyzed for heavy metals, fledging of birds was observed in 11 nests (52.38%). Fledging of birds observed in each urban green space type was 7 campus green spaces (77.78%), 6 in urban forests (85.71%), and 1 in urban park (20%), mainly in urban forests and green spaces on campus. Heavy metal concentrations were compared to check the effect of heavy metal accumulation on the successful fledging of Paridae, but there was no statistically significant difference (Zn: W=44, p-value=0.74, Pb: t=0.64676, df =7.2422, p-value=0.54). This study is a basic study using the nesting materials of Paridae as heavy metal monitoring samples, and it is determined that it can be used as basic data for non-invasive biological monitoring.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.305-310
• /
• 2015

In 2014, the city of Seoul revised the ordinance regarding water-cycle restoration in the Seoul Metropolitan areas by incorporating the 'Low Impact Development (LID)' policy. The new ordinance plan will utilize 630 mm or almost 45 to 50% of annual rainfall until 2050 by means of providing a rainwater management system consisting of infiltration, retention and vegetation. The LID is believed to be the key to achieving the target requirements, specifically in development projects. This research was performed to evaluate the stormwater runoff and pollutant reduction performance of three different LID facilities (water circulation facilities) including an infiltration inlet, bioretention swale, and permeable pavement constructed in Seoul City. Results show that among the water circulation facilities, the permeable pavement achieved the highest runoff reduction as it was able to entirely capture and infiltrate the runoff to the ground. However, in order to attain a long-term performance it is necessary to manage the accumulated sediment and trapped pollutants in the landscape areas through other water circulation techniques such as through soil erosion control. In terms of pollutant reduction capability, the infiltration inlet performed well since it was applied in highly polluted areas. The bioretention facility integrating the physico-chemical and biological mechanisms of soil, microorganisms and plants were able to also achieve a high runoff and pollutant reduction. The water circulation facilities provided not only benefits for water circulation but also various other benefits such as pollutant reduction, ecological restoration, and aesthetic functions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.232-241
• /
• 2010

Epilithic diatom communities and water quality were monitored to evaluate the ecological impact of the inflow of Wonju-stream passing through the urban area in the Seom River Watershed. We selected the 14 sampling stations (5 main stream sites and 9 tributary sites), and collected diatom and water samples between October 2007 and September 2008, on the seasonal basis. The results indicate that most water quality parameters showed the site-specific patterns over the study, except for water temperature and dissolved oxygen. The levels of water quality parameters were highest at the site of Wonju stream, whereas the lowest in the upstream sites, and intermediate or gradually decreased in the downstream sites of the Seom river. One species, Achnanthes convergens, showed the highest biomass and frequency over the sites, while three saprophilous species-Navicula goeppertiana, Navicula subminuscula, Nitzschia palea were appeared only in Wonju Stream and other polluted sites. According to trophic diatom index (TDI) values, which were highly correlated with nutrients and EC, the study sites were classified into three classes: upstream and tributary (Class A and B), Wonju Stream (Class D), and mixed zone and downstream (Class C). A cluster analysis supported the result of TDI classification. Therefore, Wonju-stream located in populated urban area exerted the adverse ecological effects on the epilithic diatom community and water quality of the lower Seom River System, although its severity gradually decreased downstream.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.409-422
• /
• 2022

Riverine wetlands are an important element of the river ecosystem and account for approximately 38% of the inland wetlands surveyed so far. The Shincheon Wetland located in Mangyeong River is also a channel wetland as the flow rate is slowed by the constructed weirs, leading to sediment accumulation. To identify the conservation value and ecological characteristics of Shincheon Wetland, its vegetation and plant diversity were identified using a phytosociological method, and a total of 45 vegetation-related datasets were collected. Overall, 24 plant communities, comprising a total of 153 taxa (49 families, 117 genera, 146 species, 2 subspecies, 5 varieties) were identified. The plant with the highest appearance rate in the communities was Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc. In addition, annual herb species, including Rumex crispus L., Bromusjaponicus Thunb., Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers., and Artemisia indica Willd. were frequently observed to be growing in the secondary grassland. Naturalized plants were surveyed in the 38 taxa; the urbanization index was 10.3% and the naturalized index was 24.8%. Plant communities were largely classified into submerged vegetation, floating and floating-leaved vegetation, annual and biennial vegetation, perennial herb vegetation, and woody vegetation. The distribution of plant communities reflecting various habitats, including the lentic and lotic zone maintaining a constant water depth, littoral zone experiencing intermittent water level fluctuations, and dry floodplain environment was also confirmed. Overall, plant community development plays an important role in the habitat for wild animals; therefore, it is expected to positively impact biodiversity enhancement.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.900-907
• /
• 2018

This study was carried out to evaluate the possibility of unripe apple peel water extracts as cosmetic materials and to evaluate the biological activities of the antioxidant and whitening effects of the samples. The antioxidative properties of the samples were confirmed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) cation radical scavenging ability. To evaluate the whitening effect of the samples, several analytical techniques were used, including toxicity evaluations of the samples by MTT assays. Measurements of the inhibition rates of cellular tyrosinase, melanin synthesis rates, and expression rates of whitening-related proteins and genes were confirmed using melanoma (B16F10 cell). At equivalent unripe apple peel water concentrations ($1,000{\mu}g/ml$), the DPPH radical scavenging and the ABTS cation radical scavenging activities were 77.3% and 93.1%, respectively. The whitening activity evaluation showed that tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis were inhibited by 19.8% and 17.3%, respectively, at unripe apple peel water extract concentrations of $50{\mu}g/ml$. In B16F10 cells induced by ${\alpha}$-MSH, the expression of tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2 decreased. Also, the activity of the transcription factor MITF was inhibited. In real-time PCR experiments, the expression of related genes at the upstream signal level was also found to be progressively lowered as the concentration of unripe apple peel water extracts increased. From these results, it was confirmed that the unripe apple peel water extracts showed excellent whitening efficacy and could be used as safe, natural, raw cosmetic material in the future.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.57-67
• /
• 2009

In soil and sediment environment, microorganisms play major roles in biochemical cycles of ecological significant elements. Because of its ecological significance, microbial diversity and community structure information are useful as indexes for assessing the quality of subsurface ecological environment and bioremediation. To achieve more accurate assessment, it is requested to gain sufficient yield and purity of DNA extracted from various soil and sediment samples. Although there have been a large number of basic researches regarding soil and sediment DNA extraction methods, little guideline information is given in literature when choosing optimal DNA extraction methods for various purposes such as environmental ecology impact assessment and bioremediation capability evaluation. In this study, we performed a thorough literature review to compare the characteristics of the current DNA extraction methods from soil and sediment samples, and discussed about considerations when selecting and applying DNA extraction methods for environmental impact assessment and bioremediation capability evaluation. This review suggested that one approach is not enough to gain the suitable quantity and yield of DNA for assessing microbial diversity, community structure and population dynamics, and that a careful attention has to be paid for selecting an optimal method for individual environmental purpose.