• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.744-753
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• 2021

This study suggests ways to improve the standard test method and judgment criterion for the "Eco-toxicity Test" based on the rules and regulations provided in 'performance and qualifying test standards for marine pollution prevention materials and chemicals' in the Republic of Korea. Compared with the relevant references of other countries, this study attempted to find the limitations in the existing standards. As for the growth inhibition test of algae using Skeletonema costatum as an indicator, applying comparative analysis to measure specific growth rates, together with statistical analysis, instead of applying current methods, judged by the appearance of colors from the culture medium was suggested. Considering the exponential growth phase of the test species, the test duration was suggested to be reduced to less than four days. For the test with fish as an indicator, resetting the appropriate body size was suggested to, show consistent sensitivity against chenicals applied during testing. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider the criteria needs, which should be established in reasonable and objective ways. For the testing species, marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis could be a replacement for Artemia sp., and a bivalve for fish in the test. To improve the performance effectiveness of the "Eco-toxicity test", it is worth considering the designation of accredited testing institutes, by placing it in the same loop. Thus it is also expected to have a reliable management system in place, having the capacity of cost calculation properly and adjusting testing items if required.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.106-111
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• 2008

Six standard methods for marine ecotoxicological tests were established(or applicated) using marine decomposer, primary producers and consumers. Development processes referred to the standard methods established by USEPA(United States Environmental Protection Agency), international organizations and European methods. However, the standard test species were selected among the domestic species generally found in the Korean waters and sediments. The test methods provide the culture/maintenance of test species, test methods, reproducibility and quality acceptance criteria etc. A total of nine test species were designated including bioluminescent bacteria(Vibrio fischeri), diatom(Skeletonema costatum), seaweed(Ulva pertusa), rotifer(Brachionus plicatilis), benthic copepod(Tigriopus japonicus), benthic amphipods(Mandibulophoxus mai, Monocorophium acherusicum), and fishes(Oryzias latipes, Paralichthys olivaceus). These test species represent the decomposer, primary producer and consumers in marine trophic system in Korean coastal ecosystems, and we recommend the "battery test" including at least one species from the each trophic level for marine ecotoxicological test.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.204-211
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• 2013

In this study, the deriving optimum conditions for decolorization of Acid Orange II solution was carried using $TiO_2$ advanced oxidation process. After that, on base of the deriving results, the range of dye concentration was estimated. In addition, acute toxicity test was also carried to assess toxicity unit according to decolorization and TOC removal. In case of the blockage of light, 20 mg/L of dye solution, and 0.5 g $TiO_2$, the effect of decolorization at pH 3 was larger than at pH 6 and 10, so it was shown that decolorization is dependent on pH. The use of 5 g $TiO_2$ showed best performance of decolorization, but that of 3 g $TiO_2$ was chosen to optimum condition in considering of economical aspects. Four light sources, sun, fluorescent lamp, BLB lamp, and UV-B lamp, were used and decolorization was 99.4% and 100% at 50 mg/L, 98.6% and 99.7% at 100 mg/L for sun and UV-B lamp, respectively. In spite of the optimum condition of decolorization at pH 3, the evaluation of acute toxicity test showed highly toxic. In conclusion, although the optimum treatment of dye solution is performed, water ecology can be polluted in discharging it into water system. Therefore, it is needed to study of water ecological system with dye water treatment, and it takes all the circumstances into consideration.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

The phenomenon of sediment resuspension in rivers and lakes causes contaminants (heavy metals and nutrients) accumulated in the sediment to leach into the overlying water. As a result, it can lead to changes in toxic effects and eutrophication in the aquatic ecosystem. In this regard, it is important to quantitatively determine the amount of contaminants leached during sediment resuspension. In this study, methods for assessing the amount of released contaminants and the types of contaminants potentially released due to sediment resuspension were studied and summarized. Methods for assessing leaching can be divided into three groups based on the principle of causing resuspension: (i) the oscillating grid chamber method, (ii) the mechanical stirrer method, and (iii) the shaker method. It was confirmed that the types of contaminants that can potentially be released include heavy metals bound to sulfides, as well as exchangeable and labile forms of heavy metals and nutrients. To effectively manage stable aquatic ecosystems in the future, a simplified leaching test method is needed to assess in advance the risks (i.e., changes in toxic effects and eutrophication) that sediment resuspension may pose to aquatic ecosystems.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2008

Marine ecotoxicological standard method was applicated using marine rotifer and benthic copepod as primary consumer of marine ecosystem. Marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis and benthic copepod, Tigriopus japonicus were designated as standard test species with the endpoints of 24hr neonate mortality (24hr $LC_{50}$) and 48hr population growth (48hr $EC_{50}$) for rotifer, and 48hr nauplius mortality (48hr $LC_{50}$) for benthic copepod. Tests method was referred to those of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) with the replacement of test species which are widely distributed in Korean waters. The two species showed a wide tolerance on salinity ($5{\sim}35\;psu$) and can be easily cultured in small space even they were not as sensitive as in the mortality test using the nauplius of marine invertebrates. However, these species revealed the significant "concentrationresponse relationship" tested with ocean disposal wastes, and reproducibility using cadmium as standard reference material between laboratories. Accordingly, these two species have good potential as test species for marine ecotoxicological test species. Also, we strongly recommend that at least one of these species be included in the test species of "battery test" in marine bioassay.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.50-60
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• 2012

This study was carried out to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of Alum and Ferric chloride on the population of Eisenia fetida in vermicomposting of sewage sludge. Using contact filter toxicity test, it was shown that LC50 of Alum and Ferric chloride on adult Eisenia fetida were 457.4 mg $kg^{-1}$ and 1,665.2 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively,which meant Ferric chloride had much higher acute toxicity on earthworm than Alum. Alum didn't affect on cocoon production, hatchability and number of hatched larvae of Eisenia fetida. Ferric chloride didn't have any efects on number of hatched larvae per cocoon, but reduced cocoon production and hatchability. Larval density of next generation was reduced by the food containing Alum and Ferric chloride. Above results indicated that the Alum and Ferric chloride could be one of the hazardous materials that made extinction of earthworm population when the sewage sludge treated with Alum and Ferric chloride was supplied to the earthworms.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.306-312
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• 2016

Microalgae are the potential bioindicators of environmental changes, for the environmental risk assessment as well as to set limits for toxic chemical release in the aquatic environment. Here, we evaluated the effects of two endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), namely bisphenol A (BPA) and Aroclor 1016, on the green algae Tetraselmis suecica, diatom Ditylum brightwellii, and dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. Each species showed wide different sensitivity ranges when exposed to these two EDCs; the 72 h effective concentration ($EC_{50}$) for these test species showed that Aroclor 1016 was more toxic than BPA. $EC_{50}$ values for the diatom D. birghtwellii were calculated at 0.037 mg/L for BPA and 0.002 mg/L for Aroclor 1016, representing it was the most sensitive when compared to the other species. In addition, these results suggest that these EDC discharge beyond these concentrations into the aquatic environments may cause harmful effect to these marine species.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.123-126
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• 2002

Pollutants that are persistent, bioaccurnulative, and toxic have been linked to numerous adverse effects in human and animals, PBTs include heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in addition to pesticides. This study focuses on toxic effects of the PBTs except pesticides on insects. Eight PBTs were selected from subgroups: three heavy metals (Pb, Hg, and Cd), two PCB mixtures (Aroclor mixtures 1 and 2), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, two monophenols (4-octylphenol and 4-nonylphenol), and tetrabutyltin, Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, was used as test target insect species. Three physiological markers (metamorphosis, immune reaction, and follicle patency) were assessed in each exposure to different doses of the PCBs. Heat-shock proteins as molecular markers were also analyzed in response to the PCBs. All tested PBTs were toxic to metamorphosis from larvae to pupae when they were applied with diet. Two PCB mixtures were the most toxic compounds in this assay by giving significant toxicity at 0.005 ppm, while others had from 10 to 1000 ppm. Dioxin (0.1 ppb), tetrabutyltin (0.1 ppb), Pb (10 ppb), and Hg (0,01 ppb) were potent to inhibit immune reactions analyzed by inducing phenoloxidase activity and blocked phospholipase $A_2$ enzyme, Tetrabutyltin and dioxin significantly induced follicle cell patency, but their effects were lower than that of endogenous juvenile hormone, Dioxin, Pb, Hg, and Cd could induce the expression of heat shock proteins that were detected by immunoblotting against human HSP70 monoclonal antibody. HSP78 and HSP80 were upregulated in response to the PBTs. This expression was detected from the fat body and epidermis at as fast as 4h after injection. All these results clearly suggest that PBTs give significant ecotoxicity to insects that are valuable organisms in our environment.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.383-391
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• 2020

Use of nanoparticles (NPs) in several commercial products has led to emergence of novel contaminants of air, soil and water bodies. The NPs may exhibit greater ecotoxicity due to nano-scale dependent properties over their bulk counterparts. The present investigation explores the effect of in vitro supplementation of TiO₂, silica and silver NPs on radial growth and ultrastructural changes in the hyphae and spores of two mushroom genera, Ganoderma lucidum and Volvariella volvaceae. A concentration dependent decrease in radial growth on NP amended potato dextrose agar medium was recorded. However, in comparison to control, there was decrease in radial diameter on supplementation with TiO₂ NPs while an increase was recorded for silica and silver NPs amendments as compared to their bulk salts at same concentrations after 48 h of incubation. Optical microscopy studies showed decrease in the number of spores while increase in spore diameter and thinning of hyphal diameter on NPs supplementation. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of fungal growth showed presence of deflated and oblong spores in two fruiting strains of Ganoderma while Volvariella exhibited decreased sporulation. Further, hyphal thinning and branching was recorded in response to NP amendments in both the test mushrooms. Enhancement of protein content was observed on NP compared to bulk supplementation for all cultures, concentrations and hours of incubation except for TiO₂ NPs. Likewise, bulk and NP supplementations (at 100 mg L^-1) resulted in enhanced laccase activity with occurrence of laccase specific protein bands on SDS-PAGE analysis.

• 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.