• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.592-597
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• 2008

Current water quality standard (WQS) in Korea is based on the protection of human health, not considering the protection of aquatic organisms. Most of chemicals can be toxic to ecological biota as well as human. Health of aquatic biota is closely related to the human health via food chain, therefore ecological risk based-WQS needs to be developed to protect the aquatic ecosystem. In this study, we selected the 31 chemicals in the Project entitled 'Development of integrated methodology for evaluation of water environment'. The methodology for calculating water quality criteria was derived from the Australian and New Zealand processes for deriving guideline trigger value for aquatic ecosystem. The available ecotoxicity data were collected from US EPA's ECOTOXicology Database (ECOTOX), TOX-2000 Database, European Chemicals Bureau (ECB)'s International Uniform Chemical Information Database (IUCLID) and Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)'s report 'Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC)'. The aquatic toxicity data for the Korean species were selected for risk assessment to reflect the Korean water environment. The monitoring values were calculated from the water quality monitoring data four main Korean rivers. We suggested the order of priorities of chemicals based on ecological risk assessment. We expect that these results can be useful information for establishing the WQS for the protection of aquatic ecosystem.

• 한국기후변화학회지
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.451-463
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• 2016

We explore the impact of Chinese future air pollutant emissions on ozone air quality in Northeast Asia (NEA) and health in South-Korea using an assessment framework including ICAMS (The Integrated Climate and Air Quality Modeling System) and BenMAP (The Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program). The emissions data sets from the climate change scenarios, the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (emission scenarios, EMSO), are used to simulate ozone air quality in NEA in the current (1996~2005, 2000s), the near future (2016~2025, 2020s) and the distant future (2046~2055, 2050s). Furthermore, the simulated ozone changes in the 2050s are used to analyze ozone-related premature mortality and economic cost in South-Korea. While different EMSOs are applied to the China region, fixed EMSO are used for other country regions to isolate the impacts of the Chinese emissions. Predicted ozone changes in NEA are distinctively affected by large changes in NOx emission over most of China region. Comparing the 2020s with the 2000s situation, the largest increase in mean ozone concentrations in NEA is simulated under RCP 8.5 and similarly small increases are under other RCPs. In the 2050s in NEA, the largest increase in mean ozone concentrations is simulated under RCP 6.0 and leads to the occurrence of the highest premature mortalities and economic costs in South-Korea. Whereas, the largest decrease is simulated under RCP 4.5 leads to the highest avoided premature mortality numbers and economic costs. Our results suggest that continuous reduction of NOx emissions across the China region under an assertive climate change mitigation scenario like RCP 4.5 leads to improved future ozone air quality and health benefits in the NEA countries including South-Korea.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.985-992
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• 2007

There are about 40,000 chemicals used in Korea and 300 new types of chemicals are added to the list every year, influencing quality of air, soil and water. Water quality standards that serve as the basis for water quality management have been proved inefficient and insufficient compared to those of advanced countries. This study aims to improve the existing water quality standards. Most importantly, the water quality standards need to take into account not only protection of human health but also aquatic resources. To that end, water quality criteria need to be set by monitoring each watershed every year and conducting risk assessment. Criteria for human health are set at $10^{-6}$ cancer risk level, and for aquatic life at conservative level, adopting the methodology of the U.S. and Australia, respectively. After carrying out technical and economic feasibility studies, more conservative criteria will be used to decide final water quality standards. The development of this system to establish integrated water quality standards for both human health and aquatic resources protection is urgently needed.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.640-649
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is the analysis of the water quality spatial characteristics for the main stream of Nakdong River in consideration of the tributary inflow. The flow and water quality (BOD, TOC, TP) data for 32 monitoring stations located in the main stream and the tributaries of Nakdong River were collected from 2003 to 2016. From the results of the flow and water quality analyses for each site, a status map of the flow and the water quality for Nakdong River was produced. The water quality of each river section was classified according to seven river-environment standards. The water quality changes in the main stream before and after the confluence were analyzed spatially. As a result, the water quality of Kumho River, in particular the Kumho B to Kumho C section, is the worst among the tributaries. In addition, the water quality grades of the lower streams such as Nam River and Miryang are worse than that of the upper streams of the Nakdong River. In the case of the main stream, the water quality grades of the sections between the Wicheon and Nam River confluences and the section from Nakbon L to Nakbon N are relatively poor.

• 환경분석과 독성보건
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.264-280
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• 2018

In this study, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured using a proton transfer reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) at the Seoul Metropolitan Area Intensive Monitoring Station (SIMS) in Korea during the summer season of 2018. The results revealed that oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) contributed a large fraction (83.6%) of the total VOCs, with methanol being the most abundant constituent (38.6%). The VOCs measured at SIMS were strongly influenced by local conditions. Non-volatile organic compounds (NVOCs), such as pinene, increased due to northeasterly wind direction in the morning, and OVOCs and anthropogenic VOCS (AVOCs) increased with northwesterly wind direction during the daytime. This was the result of the eastward location of Bukhansan National Park and the westward location of urban area from the SIMS location. The VOCs included abundant oxidized forms of VOCs, which can affect the generation of fine dust through various response pathways in the atmosphere. The real-time measurement technique using PTR-ToF-MS suggested in this study is expected to contribute to an improved scientific understanding of high-concentration fine dust events because the high temporal resolution makes it possible to analyze the variations of VOCs reflected in dynamic events.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.521-534
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• 2020

In this study, the variation of water quality was analyzed for six sites in major tributaries of the Nakdong River Basin. Standard-FDC (Flow Duration Curve) was developed using PM (Percentile Method), one of the statistical FDC estimation methods. The LDC (Load Duration Curve) was obtained using the developed FDC. The current method and the LDC evaluation method were compared and analyzed to evaluate the achievement of TWQ (Target Water Quality). Regarding the monthly flow rate variation, the five sites showed the distribution of the lowest flow rate between May and June, indicating a high probability of dry weathering of the streams. The variation of water quality confirmed the vulnerable timing of flow rate in each site, and it is therefore deemed necessary to plan to reduce T-P and TOC. A comparison and evaluation of TWQ showed that there was a difference between the TWQ values achieved by the two techniques. In addition, the margin ratio to the 50% excess ratio can be found in the LDC evaluation. The results of the LDC evaluation by section and by month showed whether or not the water quality was exceeded by flow conditions, along with the vulnerable sections and timing. Accordingly, it is judged that this method can be used for water quality management in TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads).

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제20권7호
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• pp.112-120
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• 2015

Statistical trend analysis using the data from the National Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (NGQMN) of Korea was conducted to establish a new groundwater quality management framework. Sen’s test, a non-parametric statistical method for trend analysis, was used to determine the linear trend of the groundwater quality data. The analysis was conducted at different confidence levels (i.e., at 70, 80, 90, 95, and 99% confidence levels) for three of groundwater quality parameters, i.e., nitrate-nitrogen, chloride, and pH, which have sufficient time series of the NGQMN data between 2007 and 2013. The results showed that different trends can be determined for different depths even for the same monitoring site and the numbers of wells having significant trends vary with different confidence levels. The wells with increasing or decreasing trends were far less than the wells with no trend. Chloride had more wells with increasing trend than other parameters. On the other hand, nitrate-nitrogen had the most wells with increasing trend and concentration exceeding 75% of the threshold values (TVs). Based on the methodology used for this study, we suggest including groundwater TVs and trend analysis to evaluate groundwater quality and to establish an advanced groundwater quality management framework.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제50권5호
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• pp.576-588
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• 2017

Some of the mariculture grounds near Ongjin-gun, Korea, were designated as mariculture management areas in 2007. Areas are so designated when the environmental quality of the mariculture ground deteriorates or there is an outbreak of hypoxia or harmful red tide that kills mariculture organisms. We surveyed the water and sediment quality and examined the mortality of mariculture organisms in the Ongjin-gun mariculture area. In a survey conducted in 2016, the water quality was better than the environmental quality standards for mariculture grounds, excepts for dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and the sediment quality was good. However, there was still mortality of mariculture organisms in some of the designated management areas. The areas that met the environmental quality standards should be delisted and the areas in which we observed mortality should be classified as management areas. This will enable the sustainable development of aquaculture and preserve healthy mariculture grounds.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.630-640
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• 2013

It is one of the most critical steps identifying impaired waterbodies exactly in the selection of target water quality indicators for the management of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Excess ratio and excess level were applied and analyzed by the stream zone basis in order to evaluate water impairment for Nakdong, Geum, Youngsan and Seomjin rivers. Each river basin was divided into stream zones in the light of its watershed and waterbody characteristics. Selected water quality parameters discussed in this study were pH, DO, BOD, COD, SS, T-P, T-Coli and F-Coli. The excess ratios of the water quality parameters were used to discriminate water bodies that did not meet water quality standards. The excess levels were used to classify the degradation of water quality. The excess ratios and the excess levels to the water quality criteria of the medium influence areas were used for each stream zone. The results indicate that the excess ratios and the excess levels are varied on the stream zone in each river basin. Three parameters, pH, DO and SS, met water quality standards in all stream zones. The other five parameters indicated very high excess ratios in most waterbodies, and especially T-P and T-Coli revealed to be very high excess levels in some waterbodies. These parameters could be considered as major target indicators for the management of TMDLs.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.680-688
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• 2017

Water quality monitoring for flow rates and BOD/COD/T-N/T-P/SS/TOC concentrations has been conducted in Nakdong river tributaries since 2011. In this study concentrations and loading rates of BOD, T-P, and TOC were analyzed to evaluate water quality monitoring stations using accumulated data at 206 tributary monitoring stations in Nakdong river 2012 ~ 2016. Average concentration ranges for 206 monitoring stations were 0.3 ~ 6.4 mg/L, 0.025 ~ 1.562 mg/L, and 0.6 ~ 10.7 mg/L for BOD, T-P, and TOC, respectively. Additionally, average loading rate ranges were 0.96 ~ 46,040 kg/d, 0.087 ~ 1,834 kg/d, and 1.51 ~ 80,425 kg/d for BOD, T-P, and TOC, respectively. Average concentration for BOD, T-P, and TOC at each monitoring station was evaluated using ambient water quality standards of rivers and water quality regulation level for medium-sized management areas. Average loading rate and specific loading rate (loading rate/drainage basin area) for BOD, T-P, and TOC at each monitoring station was considered to evaluate monitoring stations using suggested classification (BOD, TOC: -1, 1 ~ 10, 10 ~ 100, 100 ~ 1,000, and 1,000 ~ kg/d; T-P: -0.1. 0.1 ~ 1, 1 ~ 10, 10 ~ 100, and 100 ~ kg/d) Using results of this study, various water quality status maps were provided, and three evaluation methods were suggested to determine priority monitoring stations in Nakdong river for rational water quality control and tributaries basin management.