• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.113-123
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• 2011

Objectives: Industrial development in Korea results in a rapid increase in the number of chemicals, some of which may be responsible for toxicity to aquatic ecosystems. In addition, the types of hazardous chemicals included in industrial effluents have gradually increased. Therefore, chemical analysis alone is not enough to assess ecological effects of toxic chemicals in wastewater. Methods: In response to new regulations as whole effluent toxicity (WET) tests for effluent discharge of 15 publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and 25 industrial effluent treatment plants in Gyeonggi-do, which will be effective from 2011, a necessity of studies emerges that investigates toxicity levels. Results: In case of the public treatment plants, none of them had exceeded the criteria for ecotoxicity. As for individual wastewater discharge facilities, on the other hand, two types were found to exceed the criteria: pulp and paper manufacturing facilities and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. For the pulp and paper manufacturing facilities, monitoring results could not help determine the exact toxicant identification. However, Daphnia magna inhibition effect or death was found to leave white plums, suggesting that suspended solids treated and the polymer used in coagulant dose. In case of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, the general water quality parameters cannot affect Daphia magna. However, conductivity and salinity can have an effect to be 14,000 ${\mu}s/cm$, 8.1‰ by salts, respectively. Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) and Toxicity Reduction Evaluation (TRE) procedures results appeared to be effective for identifying toxic compounds in $Cl^{-}$ and $SO_4^{2-}$. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop control measures for water treatment chemicals and salts used for processes such as coagulation in individual wastewater discharge facilities in order to achieve the goal to protect aquatic ecosystems in public waters.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제35권6호
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• pp.433-446
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• 2009

Pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment are trace contaminants of growing importance in environmental health due to their physiologically active nature. Pharmaceuticals could affect non-target species and might eventually damage sustainability of susceptible populations in the ecosystem. Potentials for health consequences among susceptible human population cannot be ruled out since long-term exposure to cocktails of pharmaceuticals, which might be present in drinking water, is possible. Selection of antibiotic resistant microorganisms is of another concern. In order to understand, and if needed, to properly address the environmental health issues of pharmaceutical residues, knowledge gaps need to be filled. Knowledge gaps exist in many important areas such as prioritization of target pharmaceuticals for further risk studies, occurrence patterns in different environments, chronic toxicities, and toxicities of pharmaceutical mixtures. Appropriate treatment technologies for drinking water and wastewater could be developed when they are deemed necessary. One of the simplest, yet most efficient measures that could be undertaken is to implement a return program for unused or expired drugs. In addition, implementation of environmental risk assessment frameworks for pharmaceuticals would make it possible to efficiently manage potential environmental health problems associated with pharmaceutical residues in the environment.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.173-181
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• 2020

Adsorption and heterogeneous electro-Fenton process using iron-loaded ZSM-5 nano-zeolite were investigated for the removal of Tetracycline (TC) from wastewater. The nano-zeolite was synthesized hydrothermally and modified through impregnation. The zeolite was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, N₂ adsorption-desorption, and NH₃-TPD techniques. The equilibrium data were best represented by the Freundlich isotherm. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was the most accurate model for the adsorption of TC on the modified nano-zeolite. The effect of parameters such as pH of solution and current density were investigated for the heterogeneous electro-Fenton process. The results showed that the current density of 150 mA and pH of 3 led to the highest TC removal (90.35%) at 50 min. The nano-zeolite showed the appropriate reusability. Furthermore, the developed kinetic model was in good agreement with the removal data of TC through the electro-Fenton process.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제31권9호
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• pp.783-792
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• 2009

서울 인근의 하수처리장에서 채취한 유입/유출수에 내포되어 있는 31개의 미량 EDC/PPCPs(내분비계장애물질/의 약 개인관리용품물질)의 발현 특성에 대한 조사 연구를 수행하였다. 유입수에서 검출된 EDC/PPCPs의 용도별 분류에 따른 총농도 관점의 발현 비율은 각성제(59.67%), X선 조영제(20.20%), 난연제(9.00%), 기타 등의 순으로 나타났으며, 유출수의 경우에는 베타 차단제(30.54%), 난연제(20.49%), X선 조영제(18.17%), 기타 등의 순으로 발현 빈도가 나타났다. 본 연구에서 검출된 대상 미량물질의 전반적인 농도 검출 범위는 다른 국내 선행연구에 비해 다소 낮은 것으로 나타났으며, 국외의 연구결과와 비교해서는 상당한 낮은 수준으로 검출되는 것으로 나타났다. 특히 유럽 지역의 연구결과와 비 교하면 일부 의약물질항목에 따라서는 수천 배의 농도차이를 보여주는 것으로 나타났다. 한편, 선택된 9개의 의약물질에 대해 유입수와 유출수의 예상환경농도(PEC)를 계산하고 실제 측정된 농도(MEC)와 비교한 결과 물질별 발현 농도 수치 관점에서는 큰 편차를 보였으나, 물질별 상대적 발현 빈도 순서 관점에서는 대체적으로 유사한 것으로 나타났다.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.453-479
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• 2011

오늘날 전세계적으로 수환경에서의 잔류 의약물질들의 오염에 대한 연구결과들이 많이 보고되고 있다. 이들 잔류 의약물질들은 다양한 종류와 그들이 가지는 물리 화학적인 특성들로 인해 수환경에서의 거동, 오염현황, 영향 및 독성 등도 매우 다양하여 수환경 및 수처리 공정에서의 거동을 예측 평가하기가 어렵다. 선진 외국의 경우 환경 중에서의 오염 현황 및 사용량을 정량화하기 위한 조사를 이미 시작하였고, 잔류 의약물질들의 인체에 대한 잠재적 위험성뿐만 아니라 상수나 하수처리 공정에서의 제거기술에 관한 다양한 연구도 활발히 진행하고 있다. 그러나 국내의 경우 잔류 의약물질들에 대해 전국 주요하천과 상수원에 대한 모니터링 결과도 매우 부족한 실정이다. 우선 국내의 경우는 상수원으로 이용되는 전국 주요 하천과 호소에 대해 주기적이고 체계적인 오염현황 평가가 선행되어야 하며, 잔류 의약물질들이 비교적 고농도로 검출되는 상수원에 대해서는 주오염원에 대한 조사도 병행되어야 한다. 또한, 의약물질 사용량은 지속적으로 증가할 것으로 전망되기 때문에 하수처리 시설에 대한 부하도 지속적으로 증가할 것이다. 따라서 수환경에서의 유해도를 저감시키기 위해 효과적인 하수처리 공법의 도입이 절실하며, 상수에 대한 안전성 확보를 위해서도 잔류 의약물질들의 수환경중에서의 물리 화학적 거동에 대한 면밀한 연구가 요구된다.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.268-279
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• 2023

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh produces a diverse range of antibiotics for human and animal use, however, waste disposal management is inadequate. This results in substantial quantities of antibiotics being discharged into water bodies, which provide suitable environment for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, capable of spreading resistance genes. This study intended for exploring the bacterial antibiotic resistance profile in adjoining aquatic environmental sources of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. Seven surface water samples were collected from the vicinity of two pharmaceutical industries located in the Savar area and 51 Escherichia coli isolates were identified using both phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed the highest percentage of resistance against ampicillin, azithromycin, and nalidixic acid (100%) and the lowest resistance against meropenem (1.96%) out of sixteen different antibiotics tested. 100% of the study E. coli isolates were observed with Multidrug resistance phenotypes, with the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) value ranging from 0.6-1.0. Furthermore, 69% of the isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) positive as per the Double Disk Diffusion Synergy Test (DDST). ESBL resistance genes bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M-13, bla_CTX-M-15, and bla_SHV were detected in 70.6% (n = 36), 60.8% (n = 32), 54.9% (n = 28), and 1.96% (n = 1) of the isolates, respectively, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Additionally, 15.68% (n = 8) of the isolates were positive for E. coli specific virulence genes in PCR. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical wastewater, if not properly treated, could be a formidable source of antibiotic resistance spread in the surrounding aquatic environment. Therefore, continued surveillance for drug resistance among bacterial populations around drug manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh is necessary, along with proper waste disposal management.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제45권5호
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• pp.764-771
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• 2012

질소 및 인 함유 폐양액 처리를 위한 최적 인공습지 시스템을 선정하기 위해 처리조의 연결방식을 달리하여 최적 system을 선정하였고, 선정된 최적조건하에서 폐양액 부하량에 대한 적응성을 평가하였다. 현장 폐양액처리장에서 시스템별 정화효율을 평가한 결과 system A의 BOD, COD, SS, T-N 및 T-P의 처리효율은 각각 88, 77, 94, 54 및 94%로서 다른 시스템에 비해 가장 높은 정화효율을 보였다. 현장 폐양액처리장에서 폐양액 부하량별 수처리 효율을 조사한 결과 system A의 BOD, COD, SS, T-N 및 T-P의 처리효율은 폐양액 부하량에 따라 별 차이 없이 각각 87-89, 76-79, 93-94, 52-55 및 91-94%로 전반적으로 높고 안정적으로 처리되었다. 하지만 T-N의 처리효율은 55% 정도 수준으로 폐수배출기준을 안정적으로 만족하기 위해서는 질소처리효율을 좀 더 향상시킬 필요가 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.124-132
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• 2011

Biofilm and aeration tank of pilot and full RABC (rotating activated Bacillus contactor) plant were analyzed to characterize and determine bacterial community structure in food wastewater treatment system at winter. Concentration of heterotrophic bacteria and Bacillus group was $10^7$ and $10^5$ CFU/ml, respectively, at biofilm of pilot-plant while others represented $10^6$ and $10^4$ CFU/ml, respectively. Five and eight phyla were detected at biofilm of pilot- and full-plant, respectively, by 16S rDNA sequencing. Biofilm of pilot-plant was dominated by ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria (38.8%), ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria (22.4%), and Bacteroidetes (12.2%), and the most dominant genus was Zoogloeae genus (22.4%). Candidate division TM7 (12.5%) was only detected at biofilm of full-plant and it was dominated by Bacteroidetes (33.3%), ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria (29.2%), and ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria (20.8%). Clostridium genus specific primer set enabled to detect the sequences of Clostridium genus. These suggested that anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were coexisted even from the initial period of biofilm formation and ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria, ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were major phyla in biofilm of food wastewater treatment system at winter.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.45-64
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• 2020

Objectives: Limited information is available on the presence and associated ecological risks of pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments near pharmaceutical manufacturing areas in Korea. In this study, we investigated the current state of pharmaceutical contamination and its associated ecological risks in streams near a pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. Methods: Seven pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, clarithromycin, diclofenac, diphenhydramine, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and roxithromycin) were measured in water samples collected from the streams near a pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. A predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) was derived using either the assessment factor method or species sensitivity distribution method. In addition, a hazard quotient for each pharmaceutical was calculated by dividing its measured environmental concentration by its PNEC. Results: Samples collected downstream from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) had higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals than those collected from the reference site (upstream). Moreover, pharmaceutical concentrations were greater in ambient water than in the final effluent from the WWTP, which suggested that non-point sources were contributing to the contamination of the ambient water environment. Some of the target pharmaceuticals exhibited a hazard quotient >1, indicating that their potential ecological effects on the aquatic environment near the pharmaceutical industrial area should not be ignored. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the pharmaceutical manufacturing area was contaminated with residual drugs, and that there was a possible non-point source near the WWTP effluent discharge area. The results of this study will aid in the development of management plans for pharmaceuticals, particularly in hotspots such as pharmaceutical industrial sites and their vicinities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권10호
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• pp.1808-1819
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• 2017

Knowledge on the functional characteristics and temporal variation of anaerobic bacterial populations is important for better understanding of the microbial process of two-stage anaerobic reactors. However, owing to the high diversity of anaerobic bacteria, close attention should be prioritized to the frequently abundant bacteria that were defined as core bacteria and putatively functionally important. In this study, using MiSeq sequencing technology, the core bacterial community of 98 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was determined in a two-stage upflow blanket filter reactor treating pharmaceutical wastewater. The core bacterial community accounted for 61.66% of the total sequences and accurately predicted the sample location in the principal coordinates analysis scatter plot as the total bacterial OTUs did. The core bacterial community in the first-stage (FS) and second-stage (SS) reactors were generally distinct, in that the FS core bacterial community was indicated to be more related to a higher-level fermentation process, and the SS core bacterial community contained more microbes in syntrophic cooperation with methanogens. Moreover, the different responses of the FS and SS core bacterial communities to the temperature shock and influent disturbance caused by solid contamination were fully investigated. Co-occurring analysis at the Order level implied that Bacteroidales, Selenomonadales, Anaerolineales, Syneristales, and Thermotogales might play key roles in anaerobic digestion due to their high abundance and tight correlation with other microbes. These findings advance our knowledge about the core bacterial community and its temporal variability for future comparative research and improvement of the two-stage anaerobic system operation.