• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1599-1606
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• 2011

To evaluate the effects of microorganism agents on oil biodegradation, treatability and microcosm studies were conducted. Petroleum oil degrading bacteria were isolated from enriched cultures of oil-contaminated sediment samples using a mineral salts medium (MSM) containing 0.5% Arabian heavy crude oil as the sole carbon source. After a 5 day-incubation period using MSM, mixed microorganisms of three species (strains BS1, BS2 and BS4) degraded 48.4% of aliphatic hydrocarbons and 30.5% of aromatic hydrocarbons. Treatability and microcosm tests were performed in the three different treatment conditions (AO: Arabian heavy crude oil, AO+IN: Arabian heavy crude oil+inorganic nutrient, AO+IN+MM: Arabian heavy crude oil+inorganic nutrient+mixed microorganism agents). Among these, significantly enhanced biodegradation of aliphatic hydrocarbons were observed in AO+IN and AO+IN+MM conditions, without showing any different biodegradation rates in either condition. However, the degradation rates of aromatic hydrocarbons in an AO+IN+MM condition were increased by 50% in the treatability test and by 13% in the microcosm test compared to those in an AO+IN condition. Taken together, it can be concluded that mixed microorganism agents enhance the biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in laboratory, a treatability test, and a microcosm test. This agent could especially be a useful tool in the application of bioremediation for removal of aromatic hydrocarbons.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.163-166
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to evaluate substrate interactions of BTEX for multicomponent. Although BTEX compounds have similar chemical structures, biodegradation of individual BTEX is different with the present of certain BTEX compounds. The biodegradation rate is order to Benzene=Toluene>Ethylbenzene> m, p-Xylene>o-Xylene. Xylenes is stimulated when benzene or toluene is present. Especially o-xylene Inhibit other BTEX compounds.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.298-310
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• 2007

This study compared the correlation between the accumulated copper content in earthworms and the copper concentration rate of soil measured using several methods to extract heavy metals from soil. For the experiment, a microcosm soil test was carried out using copper contaminated soil from the vicinity of copper-roofed buildings and earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Soils from the study area were used to produce 6 treatments; control, 1C (contamination level with the lowest treated copper concentration rate), 2C, 4C, 8C, and 16C (contamination level with the highest treated copper concentration rate). Microcosm soil test using the 6 treatments proved that as the copper content in soil and the experiment time increased, the growth rate of and the accumulated copper concentration rate in earthworms increased as well. The degree of the increase corresponded to the order of the treated copper concentration levels in microcosm soils. Standard method of the ministry of environment and EPA method 3051 were used to obtain the copper concentration in soil and the total copper content in soil, respectively. The correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9875~0.9993 between the copper content extracted by the standard method and the total copper content shows high positive correlation. The correlation coefficient of the copper content in soil extracted by the standard method and the accumulated copper content in earthworms, and the correlation coefficient of the total copper content in soil and the accumulated copper content in earthworms were ranged from 0.9193 to 0.9728 and from 0.9282 to 0.9844, respectively, showing highly significant positive correlation. Due to the high correlation between the copper concentration in soil and the accumulated copper content in earthworms, it is concluded that earthworms are suitable to be used as biological indicator species or for bio-monitoring against copper contamination of soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.228-235
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• 2016

Aquatic ecosystems are receiving various harmful effects due to anthropogenic chemical pollutions. To protect wildlife, risk assessments of the chemicals are conducted using reference indexes of toxicity estimated by species-level laboratory tests and/or micro-/mesocosm community-level studies. However, the existing micro-/mesocosm communities are structurally too complicated, and it is also difficult to compare the experimental results directly with those from species-level tests. Here, we developed a procedure of a simple bi-trophic microcosm experiment which contains the common species (a green algae, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and a cladoceran, Daphnia magna) for testing chemical toxicities. For the proper operation of bitrophic microcosm experiment, the minimum required concentration of primary producer (P. subcapitata) is $5{\times}10^5cells\;mL^{-1}$. The microcosm system showed higher stability when the initially introduced D. magna population was composed of neonates (<24-h old) than adults and those mixture. This simple microcosm system would be an applicable tool to estimate the disturbing impacts of pollutants on plant-herbivore interactions, and linking the species- and population-/community level risk assessments in the future studies.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.824-830
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• 2006

Several tests were conducted to optimize the design parameters of ln-situ soil flushing processes for diesel contaminated soil. According to the batch extraction test for three anionic surfactants evaluation, Calgonit limiting bubble occurrence was selected for its higher oil cleaning efficiency. After optimum surfactant selection, there were many sets of column flushing test. Over 70% of BTEX was removed in this surfactant dose with 400% of soil volume. In the case of no surfactant addition flushing in column, so called "blank flushing test", BTEX removal rate was 64%. But when we reused the effluent for the cleaning solution, the removal rate was decreased to 46.9%. This result showed reabsorption of oil occurred on the soil. With the addition of Calgonit solution to the diesel contaminated column, BTEX was removed up to 98.9% during the first flushing and 99.4% for the second recirculation flushing. In microcosm tests, diesel contaminated soils were cleaned by both surfactant flushing and biological activities. In anoxic condition, nitrate was used as an electron acceptor while the surfactant and the oil were used an electron donor. BTEX removal efficiency could be achieved up to 80% by biological degradation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2003

Diesel oil-degrading bacterial strains were isolated from diesel oil contaminated soil and called HS series (HS1, HS2 and HS3). These strains were identified as Acinetobacter sp. (HS1) and Pseudomonas sp. (HS2 and HS3) based on Biolog test, cellular fatty acid composition, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. These strains were coltivated in liquid minimal media containing 2% diesel oil, and diesel oil-degrading activity was measured. As result, all strains degraded over 70% of total diesel oil. But PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon)- and pris- tane-degrading rate of these strain was below 20％ of total PAH and pristane. The HS 1 strain showed highest hydrophobicity and low emulsifying activity among the experimental strains and high diesel oil-degrading activity. From the above-mentioned result, microcosm experiment was performed with the HS1 strain. The HS1 strain showed a degrading activity of over 80% of total diesel oil in microcosm test. And microbial activity was correlated to diesel oil-degrading activity. Therefore, it is suggested that the HS1 strains could be effectively used for the bioremediation for diesel oil.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.192-195
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• 2003

As a part of our research project for in-situ bioremediation of nitrate contaminated. groundwater, screening studies to determine an effective electron donor (EO) and/or carbon source (CS) such as acetate, ethanol, formate, fumarate, lactate, and propionate were conducted. To evaluate the feasibility for the biological degradation of nitrate, soil microcosm studies using nitrate-contaminated soil and groundwater were performed. The nitrate removal percentage in the order from the highest to the lowest was: formate, fumarate, and ethanol > lactate > propionate. Essentially no nitrate consumption was observed In acetate-fed microcosms. The order of nitrate removal rate from the highest to lowest was fumarate, formate, lactate, ethanol, and propionate. These results suggest that fumarate and formate are promising EDs/CSs for in-situ bioremediation of nitrate - contaminated oxygenated groundwater.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.194-201
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• 2017

Objectives: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in various commercial products, but they are exposed to the environment and can induce toxicity. In this study, we investigated the environmental fate and bioaccumulation of ZnO NPs in a microcosm. Methods: The microcosm was composed of water, soil (Lufa Soil 2.2) and organisms (Oryzias latipes, Neocaridina denticulata, Semisulcospira libertina). Point five and 5 mg/L of ZnO NPs were exposed in the microcosm for 14 days. Total Zn concentrations were measured using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and intracellular NPs were observed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Results: In the initial stages of exposure, the Zn concentrations in water increased in all exposure groups and then decreased, while the Zn concentration in soil increased after three hours for the 5 mg/L solution. Zn concentrations also showed increasing trends in N. denticulata and S. libertina at 0.5 and 5 mg/L, and in O. latipes at 5 mg/L. Accumulation of NPs was found in the livers of O. latipes and hepatopancreas of N. denticulata and S. libertina. Conclusions: In the early stages of exposure, ZnO NPs remained in the water, and then were transported to the soil and test species. Unlike other species, total Zn concentrations in N. denticulata and S. libertina increased for both 0.5 mg/L and 5 mg/L. Therefore, ZnO NPs were more easily accumulated in zoobenthos than in fish.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1110-1117
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• 2014

Tidal flats are continuously contaminated by human activities. This study assessed the bioremediation efficiency of tidal flat soil using microcosm reactors and microorganisms originating from the tidal area. We screened 135 bacterial strains that produce extracellular enzymes from the tidal area located in the North port of Incheon bay. Two bacterial strains (Pseudoalteromonas sp. and IC35 Halothiobacillus neapolitanus IC_S22) were selected and used in the microcosm reactors, which were specially designed to functionally mimic the ecological conditions of the tidal flats. Pseudoalteromonas sp. IC35 was selected based on its relatively high activity of the enzymes amylase, cellulose, lipase, and protease. Halothiobacillus neapolitanus IC_S22 was selected for oxidation of sulfur. The M1 and M2 microcosm reactors were operated by continuous feeding of seawater under the same conditions, but M2 was first inoculated with Pseudoalteromonas sp. IC35 before the seawater feeding. The initial COD in both the M1 and M2 microcosm reactors was 320 mg/l. The final COD was 21 mg/l (M1) and 7 mg/l (M2). The M3 and M4 microcosm reactors were operated by continuous feeding of seawater under the same conditions, but M4 was first inoculated with H. neapolitanus IC_S22. The initial sulfate concentration in both the M3 and M4 microcosm reactors was 660 mg/l, and the maximum sulfate concentration was 1,360 mg/l (M3) and 1,600 mg/l (M4).

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.630-636
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• 2005

Groundwater contamination by nitrate exceeding water quality criteria (10 mg $NO_3{^-}-N/L$) occurs frequently. Fumarate, acetate, formate, lactate, propionate, ethanol, methane and hydrogen gas were evaluated for their nitrate removal efficiencies and removal rates for in situ bioremediation of nitrate contaminated groundwater. Denitrification rate for each substrate was in the order of: fumarate > hydrogen > formate/lactate > ethanol > propionate > methanol > acetate. Microcosm studies were performed with fumarate and acetate. When fumarate was used as a substrate, nitrate was removed 100 percent with rate of 0.66 mmol/day while conversion rate from nitrate to nitrogen gas or another by-product was 87 percent. 42 mg of fumarate was needed to remove 30 mg $NO_3{^-}-N/L$. When using acetate as carbon source, 31 percent of nitrate was removed during initial adjustment period. Among removed fraction, however, 83 percent of nitrate removed by cell growth. Overall nitrate removal rate was 0.37 mmol/day. Acetate showed longer lag time in consumption compared to that of nitrate, which implying that acetate would be better carbon source compared to fumarate as more amount was utilized for nitrate removal than cell growth.