• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.60-70
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• 2011

The sediment removal index derived from the chemical contaminants, $CI_{HC}$, is currently in use to identify and define the spatial extent of the contaminated sediments in the sea. In order to analyze the sensitivity of the ecological and human risk associated with contaminated sediment, we evaluated five hypothetical contaminated sediments, whose $CI_{HC}$ values are identical but consisted of different contaminant contents, using $TrophicTrace^{(R)}$ model dedicated to evaluate sediment risk, against the resident greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) and humans by calculating No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level based Toxicity Quotient (NOAEL TQ) and Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level based Toxicity Quotient (LOAEL TQ), and cancer risks and hazard indices (HI), respectively, based on the site conceptual model and exposure assumptions of fish ingestion to human receptor populations. NOAEL and LOAEL TQ values varied as much as a factor of 2 among 5 hypothetical sediments. Chemical element specific contribution to the carcinogenic risk and HI varied also greatly in these sediments. The reason for this significant dissimilarity in ecological and human risk stems from the different risk of each contaminant to the resident fish and human receptor. When the conceptual food web model is constructed for the target biological species for a given site, the ecological and human risk analysis considering trophic transfer of contaminants will add a ecosystem based tool for the management of contaminated sediments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

The effect of sediments in a waste dumping area on marine organisms was evaluated using sediment toxicity tests with a benthic amphipod (Monocorophium acherusicum) and bioluminescent bacterium (Vibrio fischeri) in accordance with the Korean Standard Method for Marine Wastes (KSMMW). Nine sites in the East Sea-Byeong, East Sea-Jeong, and Yellow Sea-Byeong areas were sampled from 2016 to 2019. The test results showed that the relative average survival rate (benthic amphipods) and relative luminescence inhibition rate (luminescent bacteria) were below 30%, which were judged to be "non-toxic." However, in the t-test, a total of 12 benthic amphipod samples (6, 1, 1, and 4 in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively) were significantly different (p<0.05) from the control samples. To identify the source of toxicity on benthic amphipods, a simple linear regression analysis was performed between the levels of eight heavy metals (Cr, As, Ni, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg) in sediments and the relative average survival rate. The results indicated that Cr had the highest contribution to the toxicity of benthic amphipods (p = 0.000, R2 = 0.355). In addition, Cr was detected at the highest concentration at the DB-85 station and exceeded the Marine Environment Standards every year. Although the sediments were determined as "not toxic" according to the ecotoxicity criteria of the KSMMW, the results of the statistical significance tests and toxicity identification evaluation indicated that the toxic effect was not acceptable. Therefore, revising the criteria for determining the toxic effect by deriving a reference value through quantitative risk assessment using species sensitivity distribution curves is necessary in the future.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.347-370
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• 2013

A study on the presence of benthic dinoflagellates in the intertidal zone along the coasts of Jeju Island, Korea was conducted during 2011 and 2012. Identification and taxonomic observations were made of the benthic dinoflagellate samples using light and epifluorescence microscopy. Thirty-seven dinoflagellate taxa belong to five orders, nine families, 18 genera and 30 species, which are new records for Korean waters, were detected in this study. The detailed nomenclature, references, distribution, and illustrations are presented here. The commonly occurring genera were Amphidinium, Coolia, Ostreopsis, Prorocentrum, and Thecadinium. Among the recorded species, 26 were found only in sand sediment, seven in macroalgal samples, and four were found in both sand and macroalgal samples. Of the 37 species, nine were potentially toxic. These results suggest that diversified benthic dinoflagellates including several potentially toxic species occur in sand sediment and macroalgae in the intertidal zone along the coasts of Jeju Island. The morphological features of the identified species were more or less similar to observations made by previous studies in Korea and elsewhere. The presence of known toxic species may indicate a potential risk of toxicity in the marine ecosystem of Jeju Island. The present study can be helpful for further detailed taxonomic, toxicological, molecular phylogenetic studies and may help in the management and conservation of Jeju Island's marine ecosystem.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.226-234
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• 2002

A sediment exposure experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of acid volatile sulfides (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in sediments on the bioavailability and toxicity of Cd, Ni and Zn to a marine polychaetes Neanthes arenaceodentata. The test animals were exposed to contaminated sediments spiked by metal mixtures of Cd, Ni, Zn (0.5～15 $\mu$mol/g of total SEM) in low (～1 $\mu$mol/g), medium (～5 $\mu$mol/g) and high AVS series (～10 $\mu$mol/g) to determine bioaccumulation, mortality and individual growth rate in each treatment after 20 days. Cd and Zn bioaccumulation in test animals increased with increasing of overlying water (OW) concentration controlled by AVS. In contrast, Ni bioaccumulation increased with increase of SEM concentration. Mortalities and growth inhibitions of N. arenaceodentata observed in only treatments with ［SEM-AVS］>0, due to a high level of OW-Zn. With regard to the mortality, the 20-d LC5O value fur OW-Zn was 9.3(8.0$\pm$11.0) $\mu$M. The LOEC (Lowest Observed Effect Concentration) for Tissue-Zn was 7.8 $\mu$mol/g and the NOEC (No Observed Effect Concentration) was 6.2 $\mu$mol/g. Regarding the inhibition of individual growth rate, the LOEC fer Tissue-Zn was 5.9 $\mu$mol/g, and NOEC was 5.1 $\mu$mol/g. In this study, the toxicity of dissolved metals, especially for Zn, was overemphasized due to the reduced distribution coefficients (K$\_$d/s) of metals in the experimental sediments.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.96-100
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• 1998

The effects of electron acceptors and acclimation of inoculum on the anaerobic degradation of benzene, toluene, and m-xylene (BTX) were investigated to enhance the rate of degradation by estuarine sediment inoculum. With the fresh sediment inocula, degradation of BTX ensued after a 10-week acclimation period, and 37~61% of benzene and 57~61% of toluene were degraded after 16 weeks. Sediments from heavily contaminated sites showed higher degradation rates of BTX. After a 6-month of acclimation, degradation onset rapidly from the time of BTX addition and no difference was found among the sediment inocula. Single compound of BTX was slowly degraded in the methanogenic conditions, however, the degradation of BTX mixture was slow in the denitrifying conditions. Although the degradation rate of m-xylene was the fastest among the components of BTX mixture, longer acclimation enhanced the degradation rate of BTX, especially that of benzene. When the culture fluids were tested with Microtox, anaerobic degradation of BTX reduced the toxicity of BTX as well.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2005

This is a subsequent study to our previous finding that Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, gained a so-called upper plateau concentration, around 30,000 ng/g dry weight digestive gland for benzo(a)pyrene, showed reproductive behavior but produced their ensuing reproductive outputs damaged. A serial dilution of sediment elutriates from Jinhae Bay, Korea, where pollution was progressive, were exposed to gametes of the Pacific oyster for 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min to detail the pollutant effects on very young specimens. There was an apparent critical dilution over which adverse effects are evident. This was $10\%$ of the present sediment elutriate, corresponding to 0.3 ng/g on the basis of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for the oyster. Within the dilution the embryonic development was not influenced by the duration of exposure to its gamete stage. At higher dilutions over the critical dilution, occurrence of abnormality increased dependent on the pollutant dilution and the duration of exposure. Similar trends were also found in larval mortality. However, overall, the chemical toxicity was more significant to morphogenesis than to survival, suggesting a potential recruitment of the pollutants-induced abnormal larvae in the wild population to threaten the population integrity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2011

In this study, experiments on total digestion and sequential extraction were conducted in order to understand total metal contents, and mobility, bioavaliability and toxicity of metals in marine dredged sediment from Busan New Port. The total concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals in the dredged sediment were relatively low as follows: Al (2.36~2.96 wt.%), As (1.6~3.3 mg/kg), Ba (30.0~33.8 mg/kg), Cd (0.12~0.18 mg/kg), Cr (27.5~35.0 mg/kg), Cu (11.3~15.0 mg/kg), Fe (2.91~3.51 wt.%), Mn (324~408 mg/kg), Ni (18.8~23.8 mg/kg), Pb (23.8~31.3 mg/kg), and Zn (70.0~86.3 mg/kg). In addition, it was found that most of Al (87.5~95.9%), As (74.1~93.8%), Ba (71.8~77.6%), Cr (69.5~94.3%), Cu (50.0~78.7%), Fe (70.8~87.6%), Ni (64.5~75.3%), Pb (53.4~64.3%), and Zn (62.5~81.7%) existed in the residual fraction, meaning that those elements might come from natural sources. On the other hand, Cd and Mn were present mainly in the non-residual fraction. Due to low concentrations of toxic heavy metals and high percentage of residual fraction, it could be possible to reuse the dredged sediment for bricks, pavement base material, etc.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.320-329
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• 2023

Cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal found in the aquatic environment, accumulates in organisms through the food chain. In the study, we investigated the survival rates, measurement of body Cd levels, and expression analysis of the stress response genes (Heat shock protein 70: HSP70 and Heat shock protein 60: HSP60) and antioxidant enzyme Glutathione S-Transferases (GST) on benthic oligochaete worm Tubifex tubifex exposed three concentrations of Cd, to analyze the bioaccumulation and changes of stress gene expressions to exposure toxicity of the Cd-spiked sediment. Survival rates of T. tubifex exposed to the Cdspiked sediment were 93% at 0.4 mg kg^-1 Cd, 96% at 1.87 mg kg^-1 Cd, and 93% at 6.09 mg kg^-1 Cd for 10 days. Cd concentration in the body of T. tubifex was higher than that in the sediment. After Cd exposures for 10 days, the body Cd levels were 18.4 mg kg^-1, 13.06 mg kg^-1, and 79.11 mg kg^-1 at exposed three concentrations of Cd, respectively. Upregulation of HSP70 gene expression was observed at all concentrations of exposed Cd as a time-dependent manner, whereas transcriptional expression of the HSP60 gene increased as a timedependent manner in T. tubifex exposed to the relative high concentration (6.09 mg kg^-1) of Cd. However, GST gene expression increased on day 1 at all concentrations after Cd exposures, and then downregulated until 10 days. These results indicate to ecotoxicological and molecular effects in benthic oligochaete worm T. tubifex to Cd-spiked sediment and provide the basic information for the utilization of environmental toxicity assessment using the T. tubifex as a aquatic pollution indicator species.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.9-12
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• 1996

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) is one of major toxic pollutants in marine environments, This artificial chlorinated compound has been found in freshwater, seawater, soil, sediments and organismes living in various environments. Because of its toxicity and degradability, its uses in industrial processes have been banned after 1984 in Korea. Coastal area is an important environment for agriculture, industry, transportation, reduction of pollution loads through biogeochemical processes, cycling of nutrients and recreation. Input of pollutants from land and freshwater has been occurring through runoff, rivers and estuaries. Concentrations of PCBs were determined with GC-ECD. Concentrations of PCBs were in the range of 1.0 - 19.2 ng/g-dry weight of sediment(g-d.w.) at Ulsan, 4.5 -8,2 ng/g-d.w. at Onsan, 2.7 - 33.5 ng/g-d.w. at Masan and 4.0 - 60.7 ng/g-d.w. in Kwangyang, In Inchon area, PCBs were not detected in sediments. In sediments of Nakdong estuary, the distribution of PCBs' concentrations was 0.19 - 303 ng/g-d.w.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

Objectives: This study intends to evaluate the ecological risk of lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and their compounds according to the 2010 action plan on inventory and management for national priority chemicals and provide calculations of risks to the environment. By doing so, we aim to inform risk management measures for the target chemicals. Methods: We conducted species sensitivity distribution (SSD) analysis using the collected ecotoxicity data and obtained predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) for the in-water environment using a hazardous concentration of 5% (HC5) protective of most species (95%) in the environment. Based on the calculated PNECs for aquatic organisms, PNEC values for soil and sediment were calculated using the partition coefficient. We also calculated predicted exposure concentration (PEC) from nation-wide environmental monitoring data and then the hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated using PNEC for environmental media. Results: Ecological toxicity data was categorized into five groups and five species for Pb and four groups and four species for As. Based on the HC5 values from SSD analysis, the PNEC value for aquatic organisms was calculated as 0.40 ㎍/L for Pb and 0.13 ㎍/L for As. PNEC values for soil and sediment calculated using a partition coefficient were 77.36 and 350.50 mg/kg for Pb and 24.20 and 112.75 mg/kg for As. The analysis of national environmental monitoring data showed that PEC values in water were 0.284 ㎍/L for Pb and 0.024 ㎍/L for As, while those in soil and sediment were respectively 45.9 and 44 mg/kg for Pb, and 11.40 and 19.80 mg/kg for As. Conclusions: HQs of Pb and As were 0.70 and 0.18 in water, while those in soil and sediment were 0.59 and 0.13 for Pb and 0.47 and 0.18 for As. With HQs <1 of lead and arsenic in the environment, their ecological risk levels are found to be low.