• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.51-60
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• 2017

In this study, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in agricultural soils across a region of South Korea (Buyeo County) were investigated. Their pollution sources were assessed using multivariate statistical analysis, and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology was used to determine the distribution of these elements. Surface soil samples were collected from 114 locations across the agricultural fields in the study site. Cu and Zn were derived from natural sources (i.e., parent rocks of the soil), whereas As, Cd, and Pb were found to be originated from abandoned mines. The results of this study clearly show that the transport of anthropogenic As, Cd, and Pb is governed mostly by the specific environment of the paddy soil. Our approach was effective in clearly identifying the sources of metals and analyzing their contamination characteristics. We believe this study will provide useful information to future studies on soil pollution by anthropogenic sources.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.414-419
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• 2016

The aims of this study were to investigate microbial contamination levels and to survey sanitation management between Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and non-GAP farms of lettuce and cucumber. The samples (lettuce, cucumber, soil, agricultural water, gloves, and packing plastic bag) were tested to analyze sanitary indicator bacteria (total aerobic bacteria, coliforms and Escherichia coli) and major pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus). In the lettuce farms, the contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms in GAP farms were little lower than non-GAP farms or similar. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in soil and agricultural water of GAP farms were detected at higher levels than non-GAP farms in soil and agricultural water. In the case of cucumber farms, levels of total bacteria and Bacillus cereus in soil and total bacteria and coliform in gloves of GAP farms were higher than those of non-GAP farms, and other bacteria contamination levels in collected samples were similar. These results indicate that agricultural products produced from GAP farm still exhibited potential microbial risks. According to the field survey, a sanitation management in GAP farms was insufficient. These results could be useful as basic data to suggestion of plan for preventing microbial contamination and to improvement of GAP certification.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1070-1077
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• 2021

Objective: An experiment was conducted to determine the appropriate fasting time prior to slaughter for broilers in floor-feed and scatter-feed mode. Methods: On 21 d since hatching, 120 Arbor Acres broilers were divided into floor-feed and scatter-feed groups, chicks from each group were further assigned to feed withdrawal treatments for 0, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h. Some resultant indicators such as carcass contamination, body weight loss, meat quality of 54-day-old broilers were measured. Results: It appears that longer feed withdrawal increased weight loss, lightness, drop loss of meat but reduced pH. A significant higher weight loss and lightness for both floor-feed and scatter-feed chicks coincided after 6 to 10 h feed withdrawal (p<0.05). pH for breast muscle at 45 min postmortem reduced when chicks of scatter-feed were fasted 6 and 10 h, while the reduction of floor-feed group occurred only in 10 h (p<0.05). A noticeable effect of feed withdrawal on drop loss occurred after 10 h fasting in scatter-feed of which drop loss were significantly higher than that for other groups including control (p<0.05). The change of contamination propensity revealed that 6 to 10 h fasting significantly reduced the likelihood of carcass contamination under both floor-feed and scatter-feed (p<0.05). Net weights of intestinal contents for gizzard were significantly reduced after feed deprived for 10 h in floor-feed and 6 and 10 h in scatter-feed (p<0.05). The decrease for whole intestine occurred after floor-feed broilers have been without feed for more than 4 h, scatter-feed broilers for more than 8 h (p<0.05). Conclusion: On the premise that poultry product properties and welfare were not significantly damaged, proper fasting time could reduce carcass contamination. Current data implied that 6 h fasting was recommendable for both floor and scatter feed pre-slaughter broilers.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2015

Purpose: Fungal secondary metabolite (mycotoxin) contamination in foods can pose a serious threat to humans and animals. Spectroscopic techniques have proven to be potential alternative tools for early detection of mycotoxins. Thus, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current developments in nondestructive food safety testing techniques, particularly regarding fungal contamination testing in grains, focusing on the application of spectroscopic techniques to this problem. Methods: This review focuses on the use of spectroscopic techniques for the detection of fungi and mycotoxins in agricultural products as reported in the literature. It provides an overview of the characteristics of the main spectroscopic methods and reviews their applications in grain analysis. Results: It was found that spectroscopy has advantages over conventional methods used for fungal contamination detection, particularly when combined with chemometrics. These advantages include the rapidness and nondestructive nature of this approach. Conclusions: While spectroscopy offers many benefits for the detection of mycotoxins in agricultural products, a number of limitations exist, which must be overcome prior to widespread adoption of these techniques.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2003

Nitrate contamination by human activities is a serious problem to water-supply in agricultural area. Shallow groundwater is the main source of water-supply, but it is very sensitive to contamination. Study area for nitrate contamination is a region of Iljuk, Kyunggi where is an agricultural area having many livestock facilities in various scales. As a result, the points having availability of incoming of external contaminant are 77%, and the ones over the Drinking Water Limit (DWL) are 32～42%. For a nitrogen isotope analysis, all the points having availability of incoming of external contaminant have $\delta$$^{15}$ N-NO$_3$ values over 5$\textperthousand$, and the points of 59% are strongly affected by nitrogen originated from animal wastes. The major source of nitrate in this area is intensive livestock facilities. Even though a livestock facility had enclosed, it affects groundwater quality for a long time. The chemical property of contaminant source is various according to animal species in surface water, but not in groundwater since some solutes are removed by reactions during an inflow to subsurface.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.179-194
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• 2022

In this review, the mycotoxin contamination of Korean cereals and their products is analyzed by crop based on scientific publications since 2000. Barley, rice, and corn were investigated heavier than the others. The common mycotoxins occurred in all cereals and their products were deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. Nivalenol was detected in all samples analyzed but more frequently or mainly in barley, rice, and oat. Fumonisin was commonly detected in corn and sorghum but also in adlay, millet, and rice. Adlay and millet were similar in the contamination pattern that fumonisin and zearalenone were the most frequently detected mycotoxins. Zearalenone was the most commonly detected mycotoxin with concentrations higher than the national standards (maximum limit), followed by deoxynivalenol, and aflatoxin. However, most occurrence levels were below the maximum limits for respective mycotoxins. This result shows that barley, rice, corn, sorghum, millet, and adlay are more vulnerable to mycotoxin contamination than other cereals and therefore continuous monitoring and safety management are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42
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• pp.212-237
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• 2009

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.34-43
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• 2001

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2017

There is an increasing concern over heavy metal(loid) contamination of soil in agricultural areas including paddy soils. This study was conducted to determine the bioconcentration factor (BCF) for heavy metal(loid)s to brown rice grown in paddy soils vulnerable to heavy metal(loid)s contamination, for the quantitative health risk assessment to the residents living nearby the metal contaminated regions. The samples were collected from 98 sites nationwide in the year 2015. The mean and range BCF values of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in brown rice were 0.027 (0.001 ~ 0.224), 0.143 (0.001 ~ 2.434), 0.165 (0.039 ~ 0.819), 0.028 (0.005 ~ 0.187), 0.006 (0.001 ~ 0.048), and 0.355 (0.113 ~ 1.263), respectively, with Zn showing the highest. Even though the relationship between heavy metal(loid) contents in the vulnerable soils and metal contents in brown rice collected at the same fields was not significantly correlated, the relationship between log contents of heavy metal(loid)s in the vulnerable soils and BCF of brown rice wes significantly correlated with As, Cd, Cu, and Zn in rice. In conclusion, soil environmental risk assessment for crop uptake should consider the bioconcentration factor calculated using both the initial and vulnerable heavy metal(loid) contents in the required soil and the crop cultivated in the same fields.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.32 no.E
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• pp.1-19
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• 1990

Abstract Over the last several decades, crop production in the United States increased largely due to the extensive use of animal waste and fertilizers as plant nutrient supplements, and pesticides for crops pests and weed control. Without the application of animal waste best management, the use of animal waste can result in nonpoint source pollution from agricultural land area. In order to increase nutrient levels and decrease contamination from agricultural lands, nonpoint source pollution is responsible for water quality degradation. Nonpoint source pollutants such as animal waste, ferilizers, and pesticides are transported primarily through runoff from agricultural areas. Nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, can be a major water quality problem because they cause eutrophic algae growth. In 1985, it was presented that Watershed/Water Quality Monitoring for Evaluation BMP Effectiveness was implemented for Nomini Creek Watershed, located in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The watershed is predominantly agricultural and has an aerial extent of 1505 ha of land, with 43% under cropland, 54% under woodland, and 3% as homestead and roads. Rainfall data was collected at the watershed from raingages located at sites PNI through PN 7. Streams at stations QN I and QN2 were being measured with V-notch weirs. Water levels at the stream was measured using an FW-l Belfort (Friez FWl). The water quality monitoring system was designed to provide comprehensive assessment of the quality of storm runoff and baseflow as influenced by changes in landuse, agronomic, and cultural practices ill the watershed. As this study was concerned with the Nomini Creek Watershed, the separation of storm runoff and baseflow measured at QNI and QN2 was given by the master depletion curve method, and the loadings of baseflow and storm runoff for TN (Total Nitrogen) and TP (Total Phosphorus) were analyzed from 1987 through 1989. The results were studied for the best management practices to reduce contamination and loss of nutrients, (e.g., total nitrogen and total phosphorus) by nonpoint source pollution from agricultural lands.