• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.45-53
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• 2005

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of changes in soil temperature on biodegradation rate of diesel compounds from a field pilot test using hot air injection process. Total remediation time was estimated from in-situ biodegradation rate and temperature for optimum biodegradation. All tests were conducted by measuring in-situ respiration rates every about 10 days on highly contaminated area where an accidental diesel release occurred. The applied remediation methods were hot air injection/extraction process to volatilize and extract diesel compounds followed by a bioremediation process to degrade residual diesels in soils. Oxygen consumption rate varied from 2.2 to 46.3%/day in the range of 26 to $60^{\circ}C$, and maximum $O_2$ consumption rate was observed at $32.0^{\circ}C$. Zero-order biodegradation rate estimated on the basis of oxygen consumption rates varied from 6.5 to 21.3 mg/kg-day, and the maximum biodegradation rate was observed at $32^{\circ}C$ as well. In other temperature range, the values were in the decreasing trend. The first-order kinetic constants (k) estimated from in-situ respiration rates measured periodically were 0.0027, 0.0013, and $0.0006d^{-1}$ at 32.8, 41.1, and $52.7^{\circ}C$, respectively. The estimated remediation time was from 2 to 9 years, provided that final TPH concentration in soils was set to 870 mg/kg.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.335-345
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• 2005

A study on changes on the distribution of vascular hydrophytes and the growth pattern of Schenoplectus triqueter (Scirpus triqueter) was undertaken at the Nakdong River estuary from 2002 to 2004. The change was due to physical alteration of the estuary for the past 25 years. These plant species are the major food sources for winter waterfowl. A total of 32 species of vascular hydrophytes from 17 families were found in the West Nakdong River (freshwater), the main channel of Nakdong River (freshwater) and the Nakdong River Estuary (brackish water). After the construction of the barrage on the estuary in 1987, the number of hydrophytes has remarkably increased to 17 species (5 species in 1985) in the main channel of the River. In particular, a community of Eurale ferox was found at the backwater wetland of the Daejeo side of the main channel. The introduced species of Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes that were epidemic in 2001 at West Nakdong River was not found any more. The other species such as Nymphoides indica, Myriophyllum spicatum, Ruppia spp. were rediscovered. The large area (about 1,300ha) of Zostera spp. was the main sources of food for swans, but disappeared because of direct and indirect impacts of reclamation in the River estuary. Currently, there remains a small patch of Zostera spp. and about 250ha of S. triqueter. Schenoplectus triqueter grew mostly between April-September and tuber formed, between September-October. The growth of S. triqueter up to $60\sim80cm$ in length was observed in 5 sites out of the 7 sites in brackish area. Tubers of S. triqueter were eaten by waterfowls such as swans as winter food. In five sites, tubers took $44\sim57%$ of total biomass in October. Tubers were found in deep layers; $5\sim15cm$ (9%), $15\sim25cm$ (28%), $25\sim40cm$ (55%), below 40cm $(6\sim7%)$. The distribution of vascular hydrophytes has remarkably changed in the Nakdong River Estuary due to the reclamation of the area. In order to determine the extent of changes of the distribution of these plants and the carrying capacity of the area for waterfowl, an intensive research is urgently needed.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2008

Objective of this study was to investigate residual the levels of heavy metals in rice grain and soils of "Top-Rice" and common rice cultivation areas from 2005 to 2007. Soil and rice grain samples were taken from 33 "Top-rice" areas and neighboring paddies, and analyzed for the elements using ICP-OES and ICP-TOF-MS after acid digestion. A concentration of arsenic in paddy soil was 1.33 mg/kg which was below 1/5-1/11 fold of the threshold levels(concern: 4 mg/kg, action: 10 mg/kg), and paddy soil was 0.06 mg/kg of Cd(cadmium) being below 1/25-1/67 fold of the limits(concern: 1.5 mg/kg, action: 4 mg/kg). A level of Cu(copper) in paddy soil was 4.57 mg/kg which was below 1/11-1/27 fold of the threshold levels(concern: 50 mg/kg, action: 125 mg/kg), and Pb(lead) concentration in paddy soil was found to be a 4.68 mg/kg. In addition, Hg(mercury) concentration in paddy soil was to be a 0.03 mg/kg, which was below 1/131-1/328 fold of the threshold levels(concern: 4 mg/kg, action: 10 mg/kg). The average concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg in the polished rice samples were 0.037, 0.043, 0.280, 0.048 and 0.002 mg/kg, respectively. These levels are lower than those of other countries in rice grains. Assuming the rice consumption of 205.7 g/day by total dietary supplements in Korea, the amount of total weekly metal intake of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg by polished rice were estimated to be 0.0892, 1.035, 6.712, 1.161 and 0.054 ${\mu}g/kg$ body weigh/week, respectively. The PTWI(%) of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg were 5.95(inorganic arsenic), 0.26(total arsenic), 14.79, 0.19, 4.65 and 1.07% estimated to be 0.0892, 1.035, 6.712, 1.161 and 0.054 ${\mu}g/kg$ body weigh/week, respectively. In conclusion, it was appeared that the heavy metals contamination in the brown and polished rice should not be worried in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.531-536
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• 2013

We developed a simple, sensitive, and specific analytical method for prometryn using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Prometryn is a selective herbicide used for the control of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in cotton and celery crops. On the basis of high specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility, combined with simple analytical operation, we propose that our newly developed method is suitable for use as a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS, Korea) official method in the routine analysis of individual pesticide residues. Further, the method is applicable in clams. The separation condition for GC-MS was optimized by using a DB-5MS capillary column ($30m{\times}0.25mm$, 0.25 ${\mu}m$) with helium as the carrier gas, at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. We achieved high linearity over the concentration range 0.02-0.5 mg/L (correlation coefficient, $r^2$ >0.998). Our method is specific and sensitive, and has a quantitation limit of 0.04 mg/kg. The average recovery in clams ranged from 84.0% to 98.0%. The reproducibility of measurements expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV%) ranged from 3.0% to 7.1%. Our analytical procedure showed high accuracy and acceptable sensitivity regarding the analytical requirements for prometryn in fishery products. Finally, we successfully applied our method to the determination of residue levels in fishery products, and showed that none of the analyzed samples contained detectable amounts of residues.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2005

This survey was conducted to assess the consumer perceptions of food-related hazard in 500 housewives from all over Korea. The subjects were selected by stratified random sampling method. The survey was performed using structured questionnaire through telephone interview by skilled interviewers. The results showed that 34.6% of the respondents felt secure and were not concerned about food safety, and 65.4% were concerned about food safety. Logistic regression analysis showed that the increasing concern on food brands, food additives (such as food preservatives and artificial color), and imported foodstuffs indicated the current increasing concern on food safety. Other related factors indicating the increasing concern on food safety were education level and care for children's health. The respondents who cared about food safety expressed a high degree of concern on processed foodstuffs such as commercial boxed lunch (93.3%), imported foods (92.7%), fastfoods (89.9%), processed meat products (88.7%), dining out (85.6%), cannery and frozen foods (83.5%), and instant foods (82.0%). The lowest degree of concern was on rice. All the respondents perceived that residues of chemical substances such as pesticides and food additives, and endocrine disrupters were the most potential food risk factors, followed by food-borne pathogens, and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). However, these results were not consistent with scientific judgment. Therefore, more education and information were needed for consumers' awareness of facts and myths about food safety. In addition, the results showed that consumers put lower trust in food products information such as food labels, cultivation methods (organic or not), quality labels, and the place of origin. Nevertheless, the respondents expressed their desire to overcome alienation, and recognized the importance of knowing of the origin or the producers of food. They identified that people who need to take extreme precautions on food contamination were the producers, government officials, food companies, consumers, the consumer's association, and marketers, arranged in the order of highest to lowest. They also believed that the production stage of agriculture was the most important step for improving the level of food safety Therefore, the results indicated that there is a need to introduce safety systems in the production of agricultural products, as follows: Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), and Traceability System (75).

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.198-202
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• 2011

Rice has been the most important staple food in everyday meals of Korean people for thousands of years. Nowadays, it is getting increasingly used as flour ingredients in a variety of processed foods, so that it is consumed in more diversified ways. As a consequence, production volume of rice flour to manufacture rice cakes, noodles, breads, or confectioneries is recently getting increased in Korea. But there are not sufficient research outcomes to guarantee Korean consumers microbiological qualities of rice flour as well as rice. As a preliminary experiment, therefore, the microbiological profiles (aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB), spore-forming aerobic bacteria (SAB), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), yeasts and molds (YM), and Escherichia coli and coliforms) have been monitored for nine retailed white rice samples in this study. AMB counts ranged $10^2-10^6$ CFU/g for all the nine white rice samples. All the nine rice samples have SAB counts within a narrow range $(1.0{\times}10^2-2.5{\times}10^3$ CFU/g). LAB was detected in two white rice samples ($4.0{\times}10^2$ and $3.7{\times}10^3$ CFU/g), YM was detected in one white rice sample ($2.0{\times}10^2$ CFU/g) only. E. coli was not detected from all the nine samples. Coliforms were detected in one white rice sample ($4.1{\times}10$ CFU/g) only. All the rice samples were conclusively considered to have various microorganisms, though most of them are harmless and some, such as coliforms, may be harmful.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.413-420
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• 2001

To prevent salt accumulation in cut-flower rose soil through proper nutrient management, the optimum concentration of nitrogen and potassium for fertigation was investigated. For the purpose, 'Noblesse' cut-flower roses was transplanted to a sandy loam soil in a plastic house and four nutrient levels (0, 25, 50 and $100mg\;l^{-1}$) of N and K separately were applied by drip-irrigation under -20 kPa of soil moisture tension. The growth and yield responses were assessed in terms of the length, weight and number of cut-flower roses, and the nutrient availability absorbed by plant. The length of cut-flowers was not affected by N concentration, but the weight and number of cut-flowers were greatest at $50mg\;N\;l^{-1}$. For K, the length and weight of cut-flowers were greatest at 25 and $50mg\;l^{-1}$, but the number of cut-flowers were remarkably great at $50mg\;l^{-1}$. Despite of increase of N and K fertigation concentration ranged from 25 to $100mg\;l^{-1}$, there was not significant difference between the uptake concentration of plant parts. As a result, the availability of N and K in $50mg\;l^{-1}$ fertigation was highest when compared to other fertigation concentrations, while the remaining amounts of N and K to soil was very low. The results of this study suggested that N and K concentrations of $50mg\;l^{-1}$ would be adequate for the fertigation of 'Noblesse' cut-flower rose.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2005

A plasticizer is a substance which is added to a material to improve its processability, flexibility and stratchability. Phthalates and adipates are the most frequently used plasticizers of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). However, they can migtate into food from PVC food packaging, and some of them are especially suspected as endocrine disruptors. In this study, Simultaneous analysis of 13 phthalates and 9 adipates were carried out by dual-column gas chromatography system equipped wi two FID detectors for rapid confirmation and quantification. The Proposed method was validated with > 0.993 of linearity in the ranges of 10-500 mg/l, < $3.5\%$ RSD of reproducability in 10 inter-days sample preparations, and > $98.1\%$ of recoveries for all the plasticizers. DEHA was detected in all the 3 PVC wraps at levels of 176.9-198.5mg/g. Among the 51 samples of PVC gaskets, the targeted plasticizers were detected in 41 samples. Of these plasticizer detected samples,40 contained DIDP at the levels of 157.3-374.7 mg/g and one contained DMP at the levels of 165.6 mg/g. Also, some plasticizers were detected in other packaging materials such as PET, PP, PE, Pulp. But it might be attributed to contamination in manufacturing.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2014

Among pre-harvest environmental factors, increasing attention has been paid to the effects of chemical and microbiological factors on fresh produce. The occurrence and prevalence of these factors have been usually studied with regard to the final products at the post-harvesting stage and/or when they are sold in the market. However, the origin and routes of transmission of both factors remain to be clarified. In the present study, we examined the contamination levels of food-borne pathogens and chemical factors such as pesticide residues and heavy metals in 83 and 43 samples, respectively, including various soil, water, and fertilizer samples, as well as post-harvested and processed samples. Among the organic farming samples, only one pesticide, dimethomorph, was detected in the soil sample, however no pesticides were observed from any other samples in organic farming system. Thus, it was thought that might be contaminated from conventional farm land in the vicinity. Whereas many pesticide residues were detected in conventional farming systems such as soil, fertilizer, water, and fresh produce as expected. Furthermore, heavy metals detected from all tested samples did not shown contamination levels higher than the standard limit. We comparatively assessed the levels of contamination by food-borne pathogens on the samples from organic and conventional farming systems, and found aerobic bacteria at approximately 7 log CFU/g, with no significant differences observed between the two systems. Coliforms were present at lower levels than aerobic bacteria. No human pathogens were present among the coliforms detected, indicating that these bacteria are saprophytes without the ability to cause food-borne illnesses. In contrast, among the high-risk food-borne pathogens, only sporadic cells of Bacillus cereus were found on samples of organic farming system. These data extend previous findings that the most prevalent food-borne pathogen is B. cereus and demonstrate that it spreads to whole living plants via soil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2014

Amur silver grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) were selected for RDX removal experiments in hydroponic culture conditions based on vegetation survey at three shooting ranges in northern Kyunggi province. Seedling of two plants were grown in 1/4 strength Hoagland solution in quadruplicates containing 10, 20, 30, 40 mg/L RDX for 15 days along with control and blank treatments. During the 15 days of incubation, pH and RDX concentration in medium were routinely analyzed and RDX contents in the shoot and the root were determined after solvent extraction at the end of the experiments. Both plant species showed no symptoms of RDX phyto-toxicity. The pseudo first order RDX-removal constants for amur silver grass and reed canary grass were in the range of $0.0143{\sim}0.0484day^{-1}$ and $0.0971{\sim}0.1853^{-1}$, respectively. Plant biomass normalized RDX removal rates, which decreased with the increase of initial RDX concentration, were in the range of $0.27{\sim}1.01mL{\cdot}g^{-1}day^{-1}$ and $0.87{\sim}1.66mL{\cdot}g^{-1}day^{-1}$ for amur silver grass and reed canary grass, respectively. After 15 days of treatment, RDX removal from the medium decreased from 49.0% to 23.7% with increase in the initial RDX concentration in amur silver grass and 7.3% of the initial RDX remained in the plant. In reed canary grass planted medium, less than 16.8% and 5% of the initial RDX remained in the medium and in the plant, respectively. Large quantities of unidentified polar compound, which was not detected in amur silver grass, accumulated in the root and shoot of reed silver grass.