• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 2001

Environmental risk factors such as ionizing radiations, heavy metals, and pesticides can cause environmental disasters when they exist in excess. The increases in use of ionizing radiation and agricultural pesticide are somewhat related to the possibility of the disaster. The risk of radiation and pesticide was evaluated by means of the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay on the human blood lymphocytes. The lymphocytes were irradiated with $0{\sim}2.0Gy$ of $^{60}Co$ gamma ray. Another groups of lymphocytes were exposed to various concentrations of parathion. Significantly increased tail moment, which was a marker of DNA strand breaks in SCGE assay, showed a clear dose- or concentration-response relationship. Parathion of a recommended concentration for agricultural use ($1mg {\ell}^{-1}$ ) has a strong cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes, which is equivalent to damage induced by 0.1 Gy of ${\gamma}$-ray. Furthermore, $2mg{\ell}^{-1}$ of parathion can give rise to DNA damage equivalent to that induced by 0.25 Gy at which the radiation-induced damage can start to develop into clinical symptoms. The comparative results of this study can provide an experimental basis and biological information for the prevention of environmental disaster.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Surface soils on Barton Peninsula, King George Island, West Antarctica were investigated to acquire the mineralogical and geochemical data of soil in Antarctica. Multiline of techniques for example, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and wet chemistry analysis were performed to measure the composition of clay minerals, Fe-oxidation states, cation exchange capacity, and total cation concentration. Various minerals in sediments such as smectite, illite, chlorite, kaolinite, quartz and plagioclase were identified by XRD. Fe-oxidation states of bulk soils showed 20-40% of Fe(II) which would be ascribed to the reduction of Fe in clays as well as Fe-bearing minerals. Moreover, redox states of Fe in smectite structure was a ~57% of Fe(III) consistent to the values for the bulk soils. The cation exchange capacity of bulk soils ranged from 100 to 300 meq/kg and differences were not significantly measured for the sampling locations. Total cations (Mg, K, Na, Al, Fe) of bulk soils varies, contrast to the heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn). These results suggested that composition of bed rocks influenced the distribution of elements in soil environments and soils containing clay compositions may went through the bio/geochemical alteration.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2000

Bentonite has been considered as a liner material to restrict the release of hazardous heavy metals from the landfill. The adsorption of copper onto a domestic bentonite was studied to provide the adsorption isotherm and the effect of solution chemistry and temperature. The copper adsorption was fitted well to a Freundlich isotherm, in which Freundlich constants and correlation coefficient were calculated to be $K_F=1.18$, n=1.65, and $r^2=0.97$, respectively. The distribution coefficients ($K_d$) for the adsorption of copper decreased with increasing initial copper concentration. The $K_d$ increased with increasing the pH of solution, and drastically increased at pH > 5.3 because of precipitation of most copper species. As the ion strength of $Na^+$ in solution increased the $K_d$ decreased, while it increased with increasing the concentration of $SO_4{^{2-}}$ in solution. An increase in the temperature of experimental solution decreased the $K_d$ values.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2004

A large amount 2.1×106 ㎥ of the polluted sediment was dredged from the Masan Bay and deposited in Gapo confined area, Masan. The dissolved metal concentrations of seawater in the dumping site (Gapo area) were observed during one tidal cycle and compared with those of seawater obtained from Jinhae Bay. The sediment was evaluated as from Non polluted to Moderately polluted by USEPA standards. It was judged that toxicological effects of sediment analyzed ranged from ERL to ERM with copper and zinc, and ERL with cadmium, chrome, lead, and nickel by the Adverse Biological Effects. The pollutant concentration was low in surface sediment compared to deeper sediment since the sediments with relatively low concentrations of pollutant were dumped to the surface. The pollutant concentration was low in surface sediment compared to deeper sediment since the sediments with relatively low concentrations of pollutant were dumped to the surface. The benthic organisms in Gapo area had higher concentrations of trace metals (Oyster: Zn 238.96, Cu 5.29 ㎍/g wet wt., Clam: Zn 17.71, Cu 1.00 ㎍/g wet wt., Mussel. Zn 187.98, Pb 0.28, Cr 0.15, Mn 4.23, Sr 1.45 and Fe 100.33 ㎍/g wet wt.) compared to outside of dumping site. However, the trace metal level in the bivalves was less than the NFPQIS (National Fisheries Products Quality Inspection Service) standard.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.424-431
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Tributyltin chloride is among the most toxic compounds known for aquatic ecosystems. Microorganisms are responsible for removal of TBTCl. Nevertheless, only a limited number of marine bacteria were investigated for biodegradation of TBTCl in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: The number of TBTCl resistant bacteria ranged from $2.5{\times}10^3$ to $3.8{\times}10^3$ cfu/mL in the seawater, and ranged from $3.2{\times}10^5$ to $9.1{\times}10^5$ cfu/g in the surface sediment, respectively. The morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of TBTCl resistant bacteria were investigated by API 20NE and other tests. The most abundant species of TBTCl resistant bacteria were Vibrio spp. (19.2%), Bacillus spp. (16.2%), Aeromonas spp. (15.2%), and Pseudomonas spp. (13.1%), etc. Eleven TBTCl resistant isolates also had a resistance to heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, and Zn). Among them, isolate T7 showing the strong TBTCl-resistance was selected. This isolate was identified as the genus Pantoea by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and designated as Pantoea sp. T7. In addition, this bacterium was cultivated up to the growth of 50.7% after 60 hrs at TBTCl concentration of $500{\mu}M$. TBTCl-degrading activity of Pantoea sp. T7 was measured by GC-FPD analysis. As a result of biological TBTCl-degradation at TBTCl concentration of $100{\mu}M$, TBTCl-removal efficiency of Pantoeasp. T7 was 62.7% after 40 hrs. CONCLUSION(S): These results suggest that Pantoea sp. T7 is potentially useful for the bioremediation of TBT contamination.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2007

In this experiment we transformed the Ca-bentonite into Na-bentonite with two inorganic Na-chemicals under different temperatures. These two Na-chemicals were selected among five different Na-chemicals which carries Na as cation. The swelling capacity of the Na chemical-treated bentonite was increased with increasing Na concentration, while the maximum concentration of Na solution decreased with increasing temperature. $Na_2CO_3$ was most effective in exchanging Ca ions and resulting in the highest swelling index among the Na-chemicals. The swelling index was significantly increased with increasing temperature to $100^{\circ}C$. But the equilibration time reversely affected the swelling index due to a rapid increase in evaporation of water. Within same amount of Na treatment SI slightly decreased not only with increasing contacting time but also with increasing temperature. The adsorption for the transformed Na-bentonite was increased with increasing equilibrium concentrations of Pb and Cd ions for all the activated Na-B and indigenous Ca-B and Na-B while the adsorbability of $Pb^{2+}$ onto each Na-B sample is more than that of $Cd^{2+}$. And the maximum adsorption capacity sequence of Na-B samples for Pb and Cd has been found to be 5 % $Na_2CO_3.$ - 5 % $NaHCO_3$ > 3 % $NaHCO_3$ > 3 % $Na_2CO_3$ > 1 % $NaHCO_3$ > 1 % $Na_2CO_3$ > indigenous Na-B > indigenous Ca-B, showing that there are contradictory results about the relationship of cation adsorption to CEC.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2019

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent and commonly detected in marine ecosystem. They coexist with a various contaminants including heavy metals in real environment, but most studies have been still focused on single effects of these contaminants to aquatic organisms. In this study, the single and combined effects of benzy[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and HgCl₂ were investigated in the brackish water flea, Diaphanosoma celebensis. For combined effect study, three mixtures A (3:7), B (5:5), and C (7:3) of benzy[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and HgCl₂ were determined by 48 h - LC₅₀ values of single exposure. Combined effects of both chemicals were estimated by concentration addition (CA) model and independent action (IA) model. As results, 48 h - LC₅₀ values of benzy[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and HgCl₂ was 25.75 ㎍ l^-1 and 3.6 ㎍ l^-1, respectively. TU values of mixture A, B, and C were 1.06, 0.83, and 0.96, respectively, indicating additive effects of mixtures using CA model. This study will be helpful as basic data for understanding the combined effects of contaminants in marine environment.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2016

Heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and human, even at trace concentration. Herein we investigated the effect of Cd on the gene expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in marine ciliate Euplotes crassus. Seven ABC transporters and one GST genes were partially cloned and sequences, and thereafter, transcriptional modulation of these genes after exposure to Cd for 8 h was investigated using quantitative real time RT- PCR (qRT-PCR). As results, sequence analysis and phylogenetic study revealed that E. crassus ABCs are likely typical ABC transports, in particular, B/C family, and GST gene may be similar to GST theta isoform. A significant increase in the expression of ABCs, except for ABCB21 was observed in a concentration dependent manner after exposure to Cd (0.1 and 0.5 mg/l) for 8 h. The GST mRNA level was the highest at 0.5 mg/l Cd and then reduced until control level. These findings suggest that ABCs and GST may be involved in a protective mechanism against Cd-mediated toxicity in E. crassus.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.298-310
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• 2007

This study compared the correlation between the accumulated copper content in earthworms and the copper concentration rate of soil measured using several methods to extract heavy metals from soil. For the experiment, a microcosm soil test was carried out using copper contaminated soil from the vicinity of copper-roofed buildings and earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Soils from the study area were used to produce 6 treatments; control, 1C (contamination level with the lowest treated copper concentration rate), 2C, 4C, 8C, and 16C (contamination level with the highest treated copper concentration rate). Microcosm soil test using the 6 treatments proved that as the copper content in soil and the experiment time increased, the growth rate of and the accumulated copper concentration rate in earthworms increased as well. The degree of the increase corresponded to the order of the treated copper concentration levels in microcosm soils. Standard method of the ministry of environment and EPA method 3051 were used to obtain the copper concentration in soil and the total copper content in soil, respectively. The correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9875~0.9993 between the copper content extracted by the standard method and the total copper content shows high positive correlation. The correlation coefficient of the copper content in soil extracted by the standard method and the accumulated copper content in earthworms, and the correlation coefficient of the total copper content in soil and the accumulated copper content in earthworms were ranged from 0.9193 to 0.9728 and from 0.9282 to 0.9844, respectively, showing highly significant positive correlation. Due to the high correlation between the copper concentration in soil and the accumulated copper content in earthworms, it is concluded that earthworms are suitable to be used as biological indicator species or for bio-monitoring against copper contamination of soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2012

The stabilization using limestone ($CaCO_3$) and steel making slag as the immobilization amendments for Cu and Pb contaminated farmland soils was investigated by batch tests, continuous column experiments and the pilot scale feasibility study with 4 testing grounds at the contaminated site. From the results of batch experiment, the amendment with the mixture of 3% of limestone and 2% of steel making slag reduced more than 85% of Cu and Pb compared with the soil without amendment. The acryl column (1 m in length and 15 cm in diameter) equipped with valves, tubes and a sprinkler was used for the continuous column experiments. Without the amendment, the Pb concentration of the leachate from the column maintained higher than 0.1 mg/L (groundwater tolerance limit). However, the amendment with 3% limestone and 2% steel making slag reduced more than 60% of Pb leaching concentration within 1 year and the Pb concentration of leachate maintained below 0.04 mg/L. For the testing ground without the amendment, the Pb and Cu concentrations of soil water after 60 days incubation were 0.38 mg/L and 0.69 mg/l, respectively, suggesting that the continuous leaching of Cu and Pb may occur from the site. For the testing ground amended with mixture of 3% of limestone + 2% of steel making slag, no water soluble Pb and Cu were detected after 20 days incubation. For all testing grounds, the ratio of Pb and Cu transfer to plant showed as following: root > leaves(including stem) > rice grain. The amendment with limestone and steel making slag reduced more than 75% Pb and Cu transfer to plant comparing with no amendment. The results of this study showed that the amendment with mixture of limestone and steel making slag decreases not only the leaching of heavy metals but also the plant transfer from the soil.