• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.28-38
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• 2024

Phytoremediation presents a low-carbon and eco-friendly solution for heavy metal-contaminated soils, which pose great health and environmental risks to humans and ecosystems. A hydroponic culture was used to quantitatively assess the phytoremediation potential of plant species to remediate As or Cd-contaminated soil in field application. This study examined the growth, uptake, and distribution of Cd in the roots and shoots of Phalaris arundinacea and Brassica juncea in hydroponic conditions with Cd concentrations ranging from 0 to 20 mg/L for 10 days. Additionally, Aster koraiensis and Pteris multifida were cultivated in hydroponic conditions containing As concentrations ranging from 0 to 40 mg/L for 10 days. The concentrations of Cd in the above-ground part and root tissues of P. arundinacea and B. juncea reached a maximum of 147.7 and 1926.7 mg/kg-D.W.(Dry Weight), and 351.6 and 11305.5 mg/kg-D.W., respectively. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) for P. arundinacea and B. juncea were 68.9 and 122.3, respectively. Both species exhibited a translocation factor (TF) of less than 0.1, indicating their eligibility for phytostabilization. Aster koraiensis exhibited significant As accumulation of 155.1 and 1306.7 mg/kg D.W. in the above-ground part and root, respectively. However, this accumulation resulted with substantial weight loss and the manifestation of toxic symptoms. P. multifida exhibited higher accumulation of As (345.1 mg/kg-D.W.) in the fronds than in the roots (255.4 mg/kg-D.W.), corresponding to BCF values of 18.6 and 7.6, respectively, and a TF greater than 1.2. A TF value greater than 1.0 indicates that P. multifida is a viable option for phytoextraction.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2015

Chironomous is aquatic insect belonging to order Diptera, family Chironomidae. Their larval stage can be found mainly in aquatic benthic environment, hence good model organism to study environmental toxicology assessments and consider as useful bio indicators of contamination of the aquatic environment. In this study, Chironomus Heat Shock Proteins, Cytochrome 450, Glutathione S-transferase, Serine-type endopeptidase gene expressions were compared between polluted field areas (Chironomus plumosus) and under laboratory conditions (Chironomus riparious) to investigate molecular indicators for environmental contaminant stress assessment. Heavy metal (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, Zn, Se, Pb, As, Cd) concentrations in sediments collected from three study areas exceeded the reference values. Moreover, HSPs, CYP450 and GST gene expression except SP for C. plumosus showed higher expression than C. riparious gene expression. Similar gene expression pattern was observed in C. riparious that exposed environment waters up to 96 h when compared to C. plumosus exposed to waters that grown in lab conditions. In summary, this comparative gene expression analysis in Chironomous between field and laboratory condition gave useful information to select candidate molecular indicators in heavy metal contaminations in the environment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1542-1546
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of zeolite-supported sulfatereducing bacteria (SRB) in enhancing the removal of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cr⁶⁺ in contaminated seawater. Our results show that SRB-immobilized zeolite carriers can enhance the removal of heavy metals. In addition, heavy metals were generally better removed at conditions of 37°C. Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cr⁶⁺ were effectively removed by 98.2%, 90.1%, and 99.8% at 100 parts per million concentration of the heavy metals, respectively. These results indicate that SRB-zeolite carriers hold great potential for use in the removal of cationic heavy metal species from marine environment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.565-571
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the tolerance of some resistant fungal strains from soils contaminated with heavy metals. Various fungal strains were isolated from soil samples collected from studied sites which heavy metals and other pollutants have been emitted in effluents for several years. Fungi isolated belong to different genera; however, Penicillium spp. showed the most frequent species. The microbial number was remarkably higher in the control soil than contaminated soil samples collected from mining areas. $Pb^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ had the highest concentration in the polluted soils ranging from 89 - 3,521 ppm and 98 - 4,383 ppm, respectively. The minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of $Pb^{+2}$ and $Zn^{+2}$ showed the highest values against the fungal strains. $Ni^{+2}$ and $Co^{+2}$ were the lowest contaminants in the polluted soils with the concentration of 5 to 12.1 ppm and 1.8 to 4.8 ppm, respectively. The tested resistant strains showed the strongest inhibition for $Ni^{+2}$ and $Co^{+2}$ up to 200-400 ppm. Cadmium was the most highly toxic heavy metal for most of strains, however, 1 mM of $Cr^{3+}$, $Cu^{2+}$ and $Pb^{2+}$ accelerated the growth of Penicillium verrucosum KNU3. $Cu^{+2}$ and $Zn^{+2}$ at concentration of 1 mM did not affect the growth rate P. funiculosum KNU4. Tolerance of fungal species to heavy metals appears to be strain and origin dependent.

• ALGAE
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 2006

Amphora costata W. Smith 1853 is a down thrown diatom species and also known as metal corrosive ship-fouling organism. A. costata was isolated from Alang ship breaking yard, Alang and evaluated the toxicity tolerance and growth responses of the cultures exposed to different doses of toxic and relatively accessible heavy metals, such as Fe, Mn, Cd, Co, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb in the constantly monitored laboratory culture conditions. The strongest toxic effect was observed on A. costata exposed to Cd even at relatively low concentrations as compared to other metals. The following trend of decreasing order of toxicity i.e. Cd>Zn>Ni>Co>Pb>Cu>Fe was observed, when they were exposed to equal concentration and expose time.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.489-494
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• 2007

Transcriptional modulation of metallothionein (MT) during acute metal exposures (cadmium, copper or zinc) was examined in fry of Hemibarbus mylodon, a threatened fish species in Korean peninsula. Viability of H. mylodon fry was most affected by copper exposure (up to 79% of mortality at 1 ppm for 48 hours) and considerably by cadmium exposure (21 to 54% of mortality). On the other hand, Zn showed the least adverse effect on the viability (0 to 13% of mortality) of this species. Based on the semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis, the stimulation of MT mRNA in response to metal exposures followed generally in a dose-dependent fashion where cadmium was the most potent inducer for the induction of MT transcripts in fry (up to more than 5-fold) while the lowest response was observed in zinc-exposed group (2-fold at maximum). From the exposure using environmentally realistic doses of cadmium (0 to 0.05 ppm for 24 hours), MT expression at mRNA level was also sensitively modulated toward upregulation up to more than 3-fold as relative to non-exposed control. Results from the present study would be a good basis for understanding the adaptive capacity and stress physiology of this endangered fish species during metal pollution.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2007

Nine surface sediments from Masan Bay and Gadeog Channel were taken for grain size and geochemical and foraminiferal analyses in August 2002. The sediments consist of mud with 7.29-8.54 $\phi$ in mean grain size. Average concentrations of Al, Fe and Mn are higher in Gadeog Channel than those in Masan Bay. On the other hand, average concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni and V are higher in Masan Bay than those in the channel. The latter group of elements show the highest concentration at station M4, off the outfall of treated wastewater disposal. Eighty-one foraminiferal species are identified in total assemblages, including 21 species of living populations. The number of individuals, species number, species diversity and equitability in Masan Bay have lower values than those in Gadeog Channel. The foraminiferal fauna off the outfall is relatively poor. Compared to geochemical and foraminiferal data obtained in 1996, heavy metals are more enriched, and the characteristics of foraminifera are little changed. These features indicate that the pollution of Masan Bay has not been reduced.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.615-620
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• 1991

This study was performed to investigate the contamination level of harmful metals in 4 species of freshwater fishes collected at the three sampling sites of Yeong san river from January to October in 1990. The levels of total mercury, lead, zinc, manganese, copper and cadmium were ditermined and the results were summarized as follows : The overall range(ppm) were Hg, 0.022~0.139 ; Pb, 0.666~0.984 ; Zn, 8.673~15.214 ; Mn, 2.751~5.049 ; Cu, 0.328~1.174 ; Cd, 0.017~0.052. Among the six heavy metals contents, the highest was zinc and the lowest was cadmium. The results showed that all the 4 species of freshwater fishes of Yeong san river studied have not yet dangerous levels enough to pose a health problem.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.655-666
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate urinary arsenic concentrations by arsenic species and to identify related factors among local residents near abandoned metal mines in Korea. Methods: Among the subjects of the Health Survey of Residents Near Abandoned Metal Mines for 2013-2017, 664 people were enrolled in this study. Urinary arsenic species analysis was performed using ICP/MS. Result: The geometric means (95% Confidence Interval) by urinary arsenic species were 0.15 (0.13-0.17) ㎍/L for AsIII, 0.64 (0.55-0.75) ㎍/L for AsV, and 1.21 (1.05-1.40) ㎍/L for inorganic arsenic. The geometric means of urinary MMA and DMA were 1.58 (1.35-1.86) ㎍/L and 77.93 (72.61-83.63) ㎍/L, respectively, and that of organic arsenic was 83.15 (77.80-88.88) ㎍/L. The concentration of inorganic arsenic in the group using groundwater as drinking water was 1.36 (1.13-1.64) ㎍/L, which was statistically significantly higher than the 1.00 (0.80-1.25) ㎍/L in the other drinking water groups. Regarding rice consumption, the concentration of inorganic arsenic in urine in the group whose consumption was more than half rice produced in the residential area was 1.32 ㎍/L, which was statistically significantly higher than that of the 1.12 ㎍/L for the group whose consumption was less than half. Conclusion: In the analysis of the factors affecting the urinary inorganic arsenic concentration of the residents of the abandoned metal mine area, the use of groundwater as drinking water and consumption of rice produced in the residential area were considered related factors.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2003

This study was carried out to examine the heavy metal concentrations in soils under roadside trees and tree ring layers, and to investigate the relationship between heavy metal concentrations and tree ring growth of roadside trees in Seoul. Soil samples at $0{\sim}20\;cm$ depth and tree line were collected from Platanus occidentalis and Ginkgo biloba at nine streets, and pH and heavy Metal concentrations were analyzed. Soil pH ranged from 6.62 to 8.01 and soil heavy metal concentrations under roadside trees were higher (Zn 109.03, Pb 26.49 and Cu 44.98 mg/kg) compared with those of the referred forest soils. Soils at Cheonggye2ga street showed the highest heavy metal concentrations, and seemed to be related to heavy traffic and dense hardware stores. Tree ring width significantly decreased from 1979 through 2000 for both species. There were positive correlations between Cr, Pb and Cu concentrations in soils and tree ring layers for P. occidentalis and Ni for G. biloba. However, there were negative correlations between Cr concentration in tree ring layers and tree ring width for P. occidentalis, and Ni and Cu for G. biloba. Also there were no significant correlations between climatic factors in Seoul and tree ring width.