• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.25-34
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• 2001

Heavy metal level and distribution in sediment and bivalves from the tidal flats along the mid-western coast, Korea. were investigated in this study. The averages of heavy metal concentrations in sediments from 5 sampling sites ranged from 86.35-187.77mg/kg for Mn. 13.25-17.73mg/kg for Zn.6.80-11.85mg/kg for Cr,4.28-6.25mg/kg for Ni, 1.85-3.09mg/kg for Cu, 0.004-0.02()mg/kg for Cd and 5.70-10.41 mg/kg for Pb, respectively. From the results of heavy metal concentrations in mussels, the levels of Mn and Fe concentrations in S. strictus collected from S1 antral S2 sites were particularly high. Deviations of heavy metal concentrations am(Ing the individual mussels from the same site could be largely minimized by selecting mussel samples of the limited range in body size(8.5-11cm). Among the mussels of the limited body size, heavy metal concentrations both in the flesh and in the whole soft part were not strongly related to the body size. It was shown that ,in S. strictus, Cu moves fast into the flesh parts after absorption, while Pb and Fe move fast into the non-flesh parts. Overally. the heavy metal concentration in the tends to increase with that in the whole soft parts. The concentration factors(heavy metal concentration in 5. strictus/heavy metal concentration in sediment) showed that, of the examined meta1s. Cd is the most cumulative in the body of S. strictus followed by Zn and Cu, while Mn, Cr. Ni and Pb are not cumulative.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.271-274
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• 2002

Heavy metal concentrations of roadside soils around interchanges were found to decrease as Zn)Cu>Pb and be lower than the legal guideline levels. The concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in roadside soils around Kyeong-bu highway interchanges were 1.3 to 1.5 times higher those around Yeong-dong highway interchanges. Difference of heavy metal concentrations in soils seems to be caused by difference of traffic volume between Kyeong-bu and Yeong-dong highway interchanges. This means that contamination of interchange roadside soils mainly depends on traffic volume.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2012

This study was performed mainly to examine whether a city with a metal industrial presence presents different characteristics in ambient volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations compared to residential (RES) and commercial/residential combined (CRC) areas of another city by using long-term monitoring data (from January 2006 to February 2009). For most target VOCs, ambient concentrations in the metal-industrialized city were lower than for the RES and CRC areas. Aromatic compounds were the predominant VOC groups for the metal industry city as well as for other land uses. The ambient concentrations of aromatic VOCs were higher in the winter and spring seasons than in the summer and fall seasons, whereas those of chlorinated VOCs did not show any distinctive variations. In addition, higher concentrations were observed during daytime hours. The correlations between the ambient target compounds were statistically significant, except for the correlation between benzene and ozone.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.329-339
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• 2016

The short-term effects of low-level contamination by heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, and Pb) on the soil health were examined by analyzing soil nematode community in soils planted with tomatoes. For this, the soils were irrigated with five metal concentrations ([1, 1/4, $1/4^2$, $1/4^3$, and 0] ${\times}$ maximum concentrations [MC] detected in irrigation waters near abandoned mine sites) for 18 weeks. Heavy metal concentrations were significantly increased in soils irrigated with MC of heavy metals, among which As and Cu exceeded the maximum heavy metal residue contents of soil approved in Korea. In no heavy metal treatment controls, nematode abundances for all trophic groups (except omnivorous-predatory nematodes [OP]) and colonizer-persister (cp) values (except cp-4-5) were significantly increased, and all maturity indices (except maturity index [MI] of plant-parasitic nematodes) and structure index (SI) were significantly decreased, suggesting the soil environments might have been disturbed during 18 weeks of tomato growth. There were no concentration-dependent significant decreases in richness, abundance, or MI for most heavy metals; however, their significant decreases occurred in abundance and richness of OP and cp-4, MI2-5 (excluding cp-1) and SI, indicating disturbed soil ecosystems, at the higher concentrations (MC and MC/4) of Pb that had the most significant negative correlation coefficients for heavy metal concentrations and nematode community among the heavy metals. Therefore, the short-term effects of low-level heavy metal contamination on soil health can be analyzed by nematode community structures before the appearance of plant damages caused by the abiotic agents, heavy metals.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of heavy metal concentrations in the blood and urine of the general population. This research had been conducted from April to December 2008, studying 545 residents of Daejeon and Chungcheong Province. Through the concentrations of heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Mn) in the biota samples and questionnaires, the residents heavy metal exposure level and the influential factors according to personal characteristics or lifestyle were evaluated. As to the heavy metal concentration in the blood and urine of the comparing region, were As and Mn statistically significant(p<0.01, p<0.05). Blood lead and urinary mercury concentrations were higher in males than females. The heavy metal concentration for each age group increased blood mercury. The concentration of all heavy metals were higher in the drinkers than in the non-drinkers. Blood lead and mercury concentrations were higher in the smokers than in the non-smokers, but the urinary cadmium, arsenic and blood manganese was higher in the non-smokers than in the smokers. As to the blood lead and urinary cadmium concentration according to the food preference fish showed high concentration. To clarify the factors affecting the heavy metal concentration in biota among subjects multiple regression analysis was conducted. As a results, it turned out that as to lead content in blood, sex, age and smoking have influence on the subjects with explanatory adequacy of 14.0 %. These results demonstrated that the factors affected the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine. The results of this study could be used as the foundational data for setting the health risk assessment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 1991

Determination of Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in coal and respirable coal dust were performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The coal samples of 18 coal mines in Gangneung area were collected and 25 coal mines in Taebaek area. Crushed coal samples were divided into three mesh sizes. The results were as follows : 1. Metal concentrations of coals in Gangneung area by sieve sizes( -100/+200 mesh, -200/+325 mesh, -325 mesh) were as follows: Cu ; 20, 18, 19, Fe ; 1,830, 1,765, 1,107, Pb ; 6, 8, 14, Ni ; 17, 17, 14, Zn ; 4, 2, $4{\mu}g/g$, respectively. Metal concentrations in coals in Taebaek area by sieve sizes(-100/+200 mesh, -200/+325 mesh, -325 mesh) were as follows: Cu ; 30, 32, 26, Fe ; 1,741, 1,822, 1,773, Pb ; 8, 9, 7, Ni ; 13, 13, 13, Zn ; 8, 5, $4{\mu}g/g$, respectively. There were not significant differences of Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations of coals statistically in Gangneung and Taebaek area by sieve size. 2. Metal concentrations of coals in Gangneung and Taeback area were as follows : Cu ; 19, 30, Fe ; 1,514, 1,778, Pb ; 9, 8, Ni ; 16, 13, Zn ; 3, $6{\mu}g/g$, respectively. Differences of copper and zinc concentrations of coal samples were significant between Gangneung and Taebaek area, but those of iron, nickel and lead concentrations were not significant. 3. Copper, iron, lead, nickel and zinc concentrations of coals and respirable coal dust were as follows : Cu ; 30, 6, Fe ; 1,779, 5,075, Pb ; 8, 7,814, Ni ; 13, 5,681, Zn ; 5, $134{\mu}g/g$, respectively. Differences of nickel, lead and zinc concentrations were significant between coals and respirable coal dust but those of copper and iron concentrations were not significant.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1992

A study was performed to measure the heavy metal concentrations of suspended particles in iron castings during February, 1990. The heavy metal concentrations were analyzed using patricles atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results were as fellows 1. The concentrations of suspended paticles by casting process were at furnace 4.19mg/m$^{3}$ at pouring 2.93mg/m$^{3}$ at nonferrous furnace 3.90mg/m$^{3}$, at molding 1.17mg/m$^{3}$, jung ja 2.23mg/m$^{3}$, desanding 5.42mg/m$^{3}$, sand treatment 4.82mg/m$^{3}$, finishing 1,20mg/m$^{3}$. 2. Among the total of 8 iron casting workplaces, the concentrations Fe of furnace was 0.36mg/m$^{3}$, Cu of nonferrous furnace 0.02mg/m$^{3}$, Pb of pouring 0.02mg/m$^{3}$, Cr of desanding 0.01mg/m$^{3}$ and Mn of furnace 0.03mg/m$^{3}$.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.278-284
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• 2015

In general, plant roots accumulate more heavy metals than the above ground organs such as leaf, stem, and fruit. This implies that root medicinal plants would be an issue with excessive heavy metal accumulation. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate the distribution of heavy metal (focused on Cd and Pb) concentrations in soils and medicinal plant roots grown in different region of Korea. Total 293 samples for each soil and plant were collected along the national wide. Soil pH, total and phytoavailable metal concentrations (1 M $NH_4NO_3$ extracted) in soils were determined and heavy metal concentrations in root of the medicinal plants were analyzed. Heavy metal concentrations of the soil samples studied were not exceeded standard limits legislated in 'Soil Environmental Conservation Act', except 2 samples for Cu. However, substantial amount of Cd was accumulated in medicinal plant roots with 29% samples exceeding the standard limit legislated in 'Pharmaceutical Affairs Act' while all plant samples were lower than the standard limit value for Pb. Also the current study demonstrated that cadmium concentrations in the roots were governed by the phytoavailable Cd in soils, which decreased as soil pH increased. From this result, application of heavy metal immobilization technique using a pH change-induced immobilizing agents can be suggested for safer root medicinal plant production.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.41-51
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• 1998

The research was conducted to measure the heavy metal pollution of soils and vegetations adjacent to the closed Daeseong coal mine in Keumsan, Chungnam. The studied area was divided into two sites ; the coal-bearing polluted and the non-polluted without coal. The samples of the weathered soils and vegetations(Miscnthus sinenis(MS) and Pinus rigida(PR)) were collected from both area. Cr, Mo, Ni, and Fe concentrations were high in the polluted soils, whereas Co, Sc, and Zn concentrations were high in the non-polluted soils. In the vegetations, Co, Cr, Sc, and Fe concentrations in the roots of MS and PR growing on the polluted sites were higher than the above-ground. However, on the non-polluted sites, Mo and Ni concentrations had an opposite trend. In the above-ground parts, high heavy metal concentrations (except Cr) were shown in MS of the non-polluted sites, whereas in the roots, heavy metal concentrations (except Zn) were high in the polluted sites. In the average heavy metal concentrations of two plants, most elements (except Zn) were lower in the plants than the soils. Comparing with vegetations and adjacent forest soils, heavy metal concentrations of the MS were similar to those of soil concentrations relative to the PR, suggesting that absorptions of the elements were higher in the MS than the PR.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 1999

The heavy metal concentrations in seawater and winkles (Littorina brevicula) collected from the Onsan bay area in southeast of Korea were analyzed. The heavy metal concentrations in the seawater obtained from the most polluted site showed approximately 189. 205. and 110 fold higher cadmium, copper. and zinc concentrations, respectively. than the uncontaminated control site. The contamination levels of these metals in winkles were 11.08 - 2.35, 334.5 - 212.5, and 426.0 - 499.2$\mu\textrm{g}$ per gram dry body weight. respectively. The concentrations of all three metals in both the seawater and winkles decreased gradually with increasing distance from Daejeong stream, suggesting the stream being the major source of heavy metal input into the bay. Among the four body parts of digestive gland and gonad. gill. kidney, and remaining tissue in contaminated winkles, kidney showed the highest accumulation level of cadmium: copper and zinc, however. were more or less distributed among the four body parts. Upon gel filtration chromatography of the cytosol from the kidney of cadmium induced winkles, one cadmium peak corresponded to the elution peak of horse kidney metallothionein.