Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and ecotoxicity assay using human cell and environmental species for the screening of the risk from pollutant exposure

For the screening of the risk from environmental contamination, the cytotoxic/genotoxic effects of various model pollutants were determined using an in vivo system comprised of human HeLa cells; the ecotoxicity was also determined using the acute and genotoxicity tests on two aquatic sentinel species widely used in biomonitoring, namely, freshwater crustacean, Daphnia magna and larva of aquatic midge, Chironomus tentans. Nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEPH) and paraquat dichloride (PQ) were used as the model pollutants. The results showed that exposure of HeLa cells to NP, BPA and DEHP was sufficient for the expression of noticeable genotoxic and cytotoxic effects. Ecotoxicity results showed that, as expected, D. magna was more sensitive than C. tentans to chemical exposure. BPA may exert a genotoxic effect on D. magna and C. tentans, given that DNA strand breaks increased in both species exposed to this compound, whereas NP-induced DNA damage occurred only in C. tentans. In vivo genotoxic data obtained in aquatic sentinel species could provide valuable information for freshwater quality monitoring. From the results of the present study, the use of cytotoxic, genotoxic and ecotoxic tests using human cell system, as well as, biomonitoring species, seems to be relevant for preliminary evaluation of the human health and ecological effects of pollutants and thus, a promising screening tool for environmental monitoring and risk assessment.     

Transfer of 90Sr to rice plants after its acute deposition onto flooded paddy soils

The transfer of 90Sr to rice plants following its acute ground deposition was examined experimentally in a greenhouse. Lysimeters were flooded after being filled with the soil monoliths from 12 paddy fields. A solution of 90Sr was applied to the standing water in the flooded lysimeters at the pre-transplanting stage or booting stage. Applied 90Sr was mixed with the topsoil only after the pre-transplanting application (PTA). The transfer was quantified with the areal transfer factor (TF(a), m2 kg(-1)-dry) defined as the ratio of the plant concentration to the initial ground deposition. In the PTA, the first-year TF(a) values in the 12 soils were in the range of 8.2 x 10(-3) -2.1 x 10(-2) and 1.7 x 10(-4) -3.6 x 10(-4) for the straws and hulled seeds, respectively. The TF(a) values from the booting-stage application (BSA) were higher than those from the PTA by a factor of up to four. The ratios of the seed TF(a) to the straw TF(a) were, on the whole, higher in the BSA. The 90Sr TF(a) in the PTA was negatively correlated with the soil pH and, to a lesser degree, the exchangeable Ca content. In the second year, the TF(a) in the PTA reduced to 53-90% of that in the first year. A more significant reduction, in general, occurred in a sandier soil. Based on the four consecutive years' transfer data, an overall half-time of the 90Sr TF(a) was estimated to be 2.2 years.     

Evaluation of Korean recycled aggregates as backfilling underground power system considering particle breakage effect

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Attempts have been made to address the strict regulations on eco-friendly construction and recycle aggregate resources, encouraging researchers to...     

Characteristics of metal contamination in paddy soils from three industrial cities in South Korea

Paddy soil contamination is directly linked to human dietary exposure to toxic chemicals via crop consumption. In Korea, rice paddy fields are often located around industrial complexes, a major anthropogenic source of metals. In this study, rice paddy soils were collected from 50 sites in three industrial cities to investigate the contamination characteristics and ecological risk of metals in the soils. The cities studied and their major industries are as follows: Ulsan (petrochemical, nonferrous, automobile, and shipbuilding), Pohang (iron and steel), and Gwangyang (iron and steel, nonmetallic, and petrochemical). Thirteen metals (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES). The mean concentration of Cd (1.98 mg/kg) exceeded the soil quality guideline of Canada (1.4 mg/kg), whereas concentrations of other metals were under the standards of both Korea and Canada. Generally, levels of metal concentrations decreased with increasing distance from industrial complexes. Among the three cities, Pohang showed high concentrations of Zn (142.2 mg/kg), and Ulsan and Gwangyang showed high concentrations of Cr (33.9 mg/kg) and Ba (126.4 mg/kg), respectively. These contamination patterns were influenced by the different major industries of each city, which was clearly demonstrated by the principal component analysis results. Pollution indices suggested that As, Cd, Pb, and Zn were enriched in the paddy soils via anthropogenic activities. Comprehensive potential ecological risk indices were at considerable levels for most sites, especially because of major contributions from As and Cd, which can pose potential ecological threats.

     

Submerged arc plasma system combined with ozone oxidation for the treatment of wastewater containing non-degradable organic compounds

• Submerged arc plasma was introduced in terms of wastewater treatment. • Ozone oxidation was coupled with submerged arc plasma system. • Ozone was converted into O and O₂ by submerged arc plasma. • Decomposition rate was accelerated by submerged arc plasma. • Introduction of ozone led to significant increase in mineralization. Submerged arc plasma technology was assessed for the removal of phenols from wastewater. The OH radicals generated from the boundary between the plasma and waste solution were considered as a significant factor on the degradation reaction. In this study, the effects of highly energetic electrons released from the submerged arc plasma were mainly studied. The highly energetic electrons directly broke the strong chemical bond and locally increased the reaction temperatures in solution. The effects of the submerged-arc plasma on the decomposition of phenol are discussed in terms of the input energy and initial concentration. The single use of submerged arc plasma easily decomposed the phenol but did not increase the mineralization efficiency. Therefore, the submerged arc plasma, coupled with the ozone injection, was investigated. The submerged arc plasma combined with ozone injection had a synergic effect, which led to significant improvements in mineralization with only a small increase in input energy. The decomposition mechanism of phenol by the submerged arc plasma with the ozone was analyzed.     

Electrochemical conversion of biomass-derived aldehydes into fine chemicals and hydrogen: A review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The decrease in fossil fuel usage and the projected 28% increase in the global energy demand by 2040 are calling for advanced methods to convert modern biomass...     

The use of food waste-based diets and Napier grass to culture grass carp: growth performance and contaminants contained in cultured fish

The present study used commercial feeds, food waste feeds, Napier grass, and mixed feeds (food waste feed to Napier grass ratio, 1:10) to feed grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). The results indicated that grass carp fed with food waste feeds and mix feeds achieved growth performance (based on specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio) that was similar to commercial feeds (p?>?0.05). Concentrations of metalloid/metals in food waste feeds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Napier grass were relatively higher than other types of fish feeds (p?<?0.05). However, most of the metalloid/metals and PAH levels in fish fed with four types of fish feeds were not significantly different (p?>?0.05). These findings show that food waste feeds are suitable for using in the production of fish feed and Napier grass can be served as supplemental feeds for grass carp, and hence reducing the production cost.     

Assessment of environmental injustice in Korea using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status: A cross-sectional study

Despite the existence of the universal right to a healthy environment, the right is being violated in some populations. The objective of the current study is to verify environmental discrimination associated with socioeconomic status in Korea, using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status. The concentrations of NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide), SO₂ (sulfur dioxide), PM₁₀ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm), and O₃ (ozone) in ambient air were integrated into a synthetic air quality index. Socioeconomic status was measured at individual level (income, education, number of household members, occupation, and National Basic Livelihood status) and area level (neighborhood index). The neighborhood index was calculated in the finest administrative unit (municipality) by performing standardization and integration of municipality-level data of the following: number of families receiving National Basic Livelihood, proportion of people engaged in an elementary occupation, population density, and number of service industries. Each study participant was assigned a neighborhood index value of the municipality in which they reside. Six regression models were generated to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and overall air pollution. All models were adjusted with sex, age, and smoking status. Stratification was conducted by residency (urban/rural). Moran’s I was calculated to identify spatial clusters, and adjusted regression analysis was conducted to account for spatial autocorrelation. Results showed that people with higher neighborhood index, people living with smaller number of family members, and people with no education lived in municipalities with better overall air quality. The association differed by residency in some cases, and consideration of spatial autocorrelation altered the association. This study gives strength to the idea that environmental discrimination exists in some socioeconomic groups in Korea, and that residency and spatial autocorrelation must be considered in order to fully understand environmental disparities.Implications: This is the first study that provides the possible evidence of the environmental injustice in Korea using air quality index. The findings suggested that air quality index was negatively correlated with several important socioeconomic status measured at either individual or area level. The main implication of this paper, therefore, is to provide another insight to environmental policy makers to consider environmental injustice problem into community intervention for resolving the public health problems by air pollution.