• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.191-208
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• 2024

The peptide-type hepatotoxins microcystins (MCs) and nodularin (NOD) are secondary metabolites produced by cyanobacteria. MCs and NOD can bioaccumulate in agricultural products through toxin-contaminated water, soil, and manure and can cause human health risks through the consumption of agricultural products. As interest in the contamination of agricultural products by MCs or NOD has recently emerged, occurrence studies based on various analysis methods for agricultural products have been conducted. However, studies on agricultural products are still insufficient compared to research on drinking water and seafood. In addition, research is primarily conducted on agricultural products grown in areas where green algae occur, but not on marketed products. In the present study, we review the physicochemical properties, toxicity, analysis methods, occurrence studies, and management status of MCs and NOD in agricultural products to build a foundation for systematic monitoring and safety management.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-65
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• 2003

A series of numerical simulations were carried out using STOMP( Subsurface Transport over Multiple Phase) simulator. The flow and distribution of LNAPL were analyzed in homogeneous fine and coarse sand. Vertical movement of LNAPL is faster in the coarser sand. But the total volume of LNAPL retained in the unsaturated zone is larger in the finer sand. A fine layer in the coarse sand domain is also simulated. The results showed that the retained LNAPL volume and shape are highly influenced by the Position of the fine layer. Flow and distributions of LNAPL were simulated when there were heterogeneous lenses in the sand domain. Water table fluctuation was also considered. In these cases, it was found that the heterogeneous lens was a barrier to LNAPL flow, and water table fluctuation stimulated the downward movement of retained LNAPL. The LNAPL flow and distribution observed in these numerical experiments show that in the subsurface environment, the behaviors of LNAPL highly depend on heterogeneities of unsaturated zone and the dynamic hydrogeologic condition such as water table fluctuation. These results can explain some of the complexity of LNAPL flow and distribution Patterns in LNAPL contaminated field sites.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.219-227
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate water purification properties of porous concrete by using effective microorganisms through the long-term continuous flow test. To solve the problems such as desorption of conventional microorganisms, in this study, tertiary treatment of the effective microorganisms identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis was adopted per each step in the manufacturing process of porous concrete. And concentration for optimum continuous flow test and operation conditions through basic experiments according to retention time were investigated. Based on the experimental results, the porous concrete applying effective microorganisms showed no toxicity on the biological water quality and exhibited excellent removal efficiency than normal porous concrete. Therefore, contaminated water quality would be improved by treatment performance investigation of contaminants through long-term continuous flow test. If problems are complemented during the experiment process, it is expected to be able to reduce the non-point pollution sources flowing into river.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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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 fish pathology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2007

Cell number of Vibrio spp. was examined for the surface and bottom sea water harvested from the 9 stations in the Jeonam Archipelago Marine Ranching Ground in 2006～2007. Species population composition and dominant species were analyzed as well. The largest number of Vibrio spp. was detected in summer (June, 2007) among the 4 seasons with the surface and bottom sea water samples of 5.4～93.2 cfu㎖-1 and 1.0～53.1 cfu㎖-1. respectively. In winter (January, 2007), Vibrio spp. was not detected at all except that one station from which 0.2 cfu㎖-1 of Vibrio spp. was counted in the surface sea water sample. Cell numbers were 0～11.9 cfu㎖-1 and 0～8.3 cfu㎖-1, respectively, in the surface and bottom sea water samples retrieved in spring (April, 2007), and the corresponding sea water samples in autumn(November, 2006) were contaminated with 0.1～21.4 cfu㎖-1 and 0～2.9 cfu㎖-1, respectively. Species population composition of Vibrio spp. was found to be V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus and V. cholerae non-01 among which V. parahaemolyticus and V. alginolyticus were dominant in all seasons. V. alginolyticus was detected from all stations even in the winter season indicating that this species seems to be less temperature dependent than the other Vibrio spp..

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.162-166
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• 2011

Phosphorous contaminated in the effluent from sewage treatment plants can cause the eutrophication in surface water bodies. In this study, a powder of titanium oxysulfate-sulfuric acid made of ion-exchange materials was immobilized in an alginate gel and this material was examined to evaluate its phosphorous removal efficiency. Equilibrium and kinetic studies were carried out to quantify the adsorption capacity and time dependent removal rate of phosphorous. Adsorption isotherms and kinetic parameters were obtained for the entrapped titanium beads with three different methods. Equilibrium data were analyzed using Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and found to be well fitted to the model. The maximum adsorption capacity for phosphorous by the titanium bead synthesized with the solution method was 92.26 mg/g. Kinetic data followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Due to the low production cost and high adsorption capacity, the titanium bead synthesized by the solution method has a potential to be utilized for the cost-effective removal of phosphorous from wastewater.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.29 no.6 s.102
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• pp.589-593
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• 2005

A laboratory study on the adsorption of nitrate in polluted coastal water using various materials including several types of dredged sediments(ST) and yellow c1ays(YC), which are activated by heat(HT), bioleaching for heavy metal removal(BL) and neutralization(NR) was performed. The equilibrium time of the adsorption for the sediment bioleached and treated by heat(BL-HT-ST) was only 17min which was faster than the sediment bioleached, neutralized and treated by heat(BL-NR-HT-S) (25min) or the sediment treated by the bioleaching process(BL -ST)(27min), but longer equilibrium times for yellow c1ay(YC) or heat treated yellow day(HT- YC) were required. The adsorption processes of nitrate in sea water for tested material could be described by Freundlich isotherm, but were significantly affected by surface characteristics of the materials. The adsorption capacities for raw sediment and heat treated sediment were 2.12 and 2.19mg NO3-N/g, respectively, which were higher than others, indicating that the sediment activated by heat could be used as a material for the improvement of nearshore water quality.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2007

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the present status of several environmental problems caused by emerging toxic substances such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and arsenic in various environmental media in Vietnam. Monitoring data reported during the 1990s demonstrated elevated contamination of DDTs in most of these compartments in Vietnam. Studies in frame of the Asia-Pacific Mussel Watch Program revealed that fish, mussels and resident birds from Vietnam contained higher concentrations of DDTs as compared to other countries in region, suggesting the role of Vietnamese environment as a significant emission source of DDT in the Southeast Asian region. The estimated dietary intakes of PCBs and DDTs for Vietnamese were relatively high among Asian developing countries, suggesting potential risk for humans posed by thesechemicals. Widespread contamination of some endocrine active compounds such as alkylphenols and phthalates was observed at various sites along the coasts of northern and middle Vietnam. The presence of significant source of bisphenol-A along Red River estuary was revealed with the concentrations comparable to those reported for developed nations. A case study on seasonal variation of alkylphenols and phthalates in surface water of river delta and estuary of north and middle Vietnam indicated the differences in distribution of these compounds between dry and rainy seasons. Higher concentrations of alkylphenols and phthalates were found in dry season in estuary; while the contrasting pattern was observed in the river delta, showing elevated residues in rainy season. This result suggests the different behavior of alkylphenols and phthalates in river delta and coastal environment. From ecotoxicological perspectives, concentrations of bis-phenol A and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalates [DEHP] in surface water from some locations in Vietnam exceeded the guideline values for Ecotoxicological Effects and the Environmental Risk Limit, respectively, suggesting potential for toxic implications on aquatic wildlife. Widespread and elevated arsenic contamination was discovered inour recent surveys in groundwater in a large area of suburban areas of Hanoi city, the capital of Vietnam. The most recent investigation in 4 villages showed about more than 50 % of groundwater samples contained As concentrations exceeding 50 g/L (the WHO and Vietnamese standard). In particular, in Son Dong villages, 58 % of samples analyzed contained As concentrations higher than 200 g/L. Good correlations were found in As concentrations in water and hair and urine of peoples in corresponding families, suggesting the chronic exposure to As by people living in As-contaminated ground water areas. In Son Dong village, As levels in hair (mean: 1.7 mg/kg dry wt) and urine (g/g creatinine) exceeding the reference values recommended by WHO, suggesting potential for human risk posed by long term accumulation of As in human body. Future studies should be focused on the time trends of POPs and EDCs in biota in Vietnam in order to predict future trend of contamination and to reveal new clues for understanding possible toxic impacts on aquatic organisms. The issues of arsenic contamination in groundwater and their chronic toxic implications on human health should be systematically investigated in the future.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 1986

A research was performed to examine the applicability of aerobic fixed-biofilm reactors for removal of biodegradable organics in raw waters. Crushed briquette ashes or granite were utilized as media. Experiments were carried out by feeding packed bed reactors with a synthetic raw water prepared by dissolving phenol in tap water with other inorganic nutrients. Results of the research showed that the effluent TBOD concentrations were lower than 6 mg/l when the influent BOD concentrations were kept below 50 mg/l and a detention time of about 2.7 hours was provided. The SBOD concentrations of the treated waters should be less than 5 mg/l since the effluent SS could be removed by conventional water treatment methods such as coagulation and filtration. It was also found that most of the SS in the effluents were humic materials since the effluent SS caused little BOD. This means the biofilm in the reactor was in endogenous respiration phase due to low F/M ratio. According to the results of this study, it is recommended to pretreat any raw water contaminated with biodegradable organics in an aerobic fixed biofilm reactor with a detention time of 2 to 3 hours.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2002

There are several abandoned coal mines around Donghae mine area in the Taebaek coal field. Two major creeks, Soro and Sanae, are contaminated with the colored precipitates formed from the coal mine drainages. Bed rocks of the study area consist of limestone, shale, and sandstone. Limestone consisted mainly of calcite and dolomite, and shale of quartz, pyropyllite and chlorite, and sandstone of quatz and illite. Coal coal spoil dumps composed mainly of pyrite and chlorite. The oxidative dissolution of sulfide minerals leads to acid mine drainage and adds the metal ions in the stream water. The ion concentrations of Fe, Ca, Mg, Al, Si, SO$_{4}$in the stream polluted by AMD are generally higher than those in the unpolluted stream water. High concentrations of Ca and Mg, Al and Si can be resulted from dissolution of carbonate minerals such as calcite, dolomite and aluminosilicates such as chlorite, pyrophyllite. Although the Fe, Al, Si, SO$_{4}$ contents are considerbly high in the acid water released from the mine adits, they become decreased downstream due to dilution of unpolluted water and precipitation of oxide/hydroxide and sulfate minerals on the bottom of stream.