Background levels and dietary intake of PCDD/Fs in domestic and imported meat in South Korea

A survey was conducted in South Korea to determine residual levels and dietary intake of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) from meat. Altogether 119 domestic and 164 imported samples of beef, pork, and chicken were examined. The mean levels of PCDD/Fs in upper bound were 0.21, 0.22, and 0.04pg WHO-TEQ/g fat for beef, pork, and chicken, respectively. The low level of PCDD/Fs in chicken probably resulted from the low fat content in the samples used. The samples were separated into domestic and imported products in order to investigate the sources of contamination. PCDFs were the more dominant congeners in domestic beef and were similar to those found from emission of incineration. However, the congener profiles of domestic beef and incineration were difficult to compare because the environmental fate and animal metabolism were involved. The upper bound dietary intake of PCDD/Fs from beef, pork and chicken was calculated to be 0.04pg/WHO-TEQ/kgbw/day. The combined consumption of beef, pork, and chicken was found to be 84.8g per day for a person weighing 60kg and represented 5.7% of their total daily food intake.     

Identification of potential biomarkers for diazinon exposure to Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes) using annealing control primers

A new differential display-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on annealing control primers was used to screen and identify potential biomarkers from differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in medaka exposed to sub-lethal concentration of diazinon (100 ppb). Among the differentially expressed genes identified, the majority were in functional categories of protein biosynthesis, transport and metabolism according to the gene ontology classification. The differential expression of ribosomal protein genes was quantified by real time PCR. The genes encoding ribosomal proteins including L3 and S17 were selected as potential biomarkers for diazinon exposure in medaka fish.     

Performance of an electrochemical COD (chemical oxygen demand) sensor with an electrode-surface grinding unit

An electrochemical COD (chemical oxygen demand) sensor using an electrode-surface grinding unit was investigated. The electrolyzing (oxidizing) action of copper on an organic species was used as the basis of the COD measuring sensor. Using a simple three-electrode cell and a surface grinding unit, the organic species is activated by the catalytic action of copper and oxidized at a working electrode, poised at a positive potential. When synthetic wastewater was fed into the system, the measured Coulombic yields were found to be dependent on the COD of the synthetic wastewater. A linear correlation between the Coulombic yields and the COD of the synthetic wastewater was established (10-1000 mg L(-1)) when the electrode-surface grinding procedure was activated briefly at 8 h intervals. When various kinds of wastewater samples obtained from various sewage treatment plants were measured, linear correlations (r(2)> or = 0.92) between the measured EOD (electrochemical oxygen demand) value and COD of the samples were observed. At a practical wastewater treatment plant, the measurement system was successfully operated with high accuracy and good stability over 3 months. These experimental results show that the application of the measurement system would be a rapid and practical method for the determination of COD in water industries.     

Effect of amorphous silica and silica sand on removal of chromium(VI) by zero-valent iron

The effect of two surfaces (amorphous silica and silica sand) on the reduction of chromium(VI) by zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) was investigated using batch reactors. The amendment of both surfaces significantly increased the rate and extent of Cr(VI) removal. The rate enhancement by amended surfaces is presumed to result from scavenging of Fe(0)-Cr(VI) reaction products by the provided surfaces, which minimized surface deactivation of Fe(0). The rate enhancing effect was greater for silica compared to sand, and the difference is attributed to silica's higher surface area, greater affinity for reaction products and pH buffering effect. For a given mass of Fe(0), the reactivity and longevity of Fe(0) to treat Cr(VI) increased with increasing dose of silica. Elemental analyses of the reacted iron and silica revealed that chromium removed from the solution was associated with both surfaces, with its mass distribution being approximately 1:1 per mass of iron and silica. The overall result suggests reductive precipitation was a predominant Cr(VI) removal pathway, which involves initial reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), followed by formation of Cr(III)/Fe(III) hydroxides precipitates.     

Comparison of preservation values between Internet and interview survey modes: the case of Dokdo,South Korea

With the increase in employment of Internet surveys, there is a need to address how this survey mode affects inferences. Internet and interview modes are compared in estimating the preservation value of Dokdo, South Korea. Estimates of willingness to pay in the Internet survey are smaller than those in the interview survey. This may be attributable to the interview respondents being conscious of the presence of the interviewers, given the social importance of Dokdo to Koreans. Internet surveys may be effective in reducing overestimation of the willingness to pay in situations where potential social desirability is present.     

Stable isotope on the evaluation of water quality in the presence of WWTPs in rivers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We investigated the distribution of nitrogen compounds in Han River as well as two tributaries of Tancheon and Jungrangcheon. Particularly, we...     

Inhibition of residual <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-hexane in anaerobic digestion of lipid-extracted microalgal wastes and microbial community shift

Converting lipid-extracted microalgal wastes to methane (CH₄) via anaerobic digestion (AD) has the potential to make microalgae-based biodiesel platform more sustainable. However, it is apparent that remaining n-hexane (C₆H₁₄) from lipid extraction could inhibit metabolic pathway of methanogens. To test an inhibitory influence of residual n-hexane, this study conducted a series of batch AD by mixing lipid-extracted Chlorella vulgaris with a wide range of n-hexane concentration (～10 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L). Experimental results show that the inhibition of n-hexane on CH₄ yield was negligible up to 2 g COD/L and inhibition to methanogenesis became significant when it was higher than 4 g COD/L based on quantitative mass balance. Inhibition threshold was about 4 g COD/L of n-hexane. Analytical result of microbial community profile revealed that dominance of alkane-degrading sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and syntrophic bacteria increased, while that of methanogens sharply dropped as n-hexane concentration increased. These findings offer a useful guideline of threshold n-hexane concentration and microbial community shift for the AD of lipid-extracted microalgal wastes.     

A comparative study on per capita waste generation according to a waste collecting system in Korea

As cities are becoming increasingly aware of problems related to conventional mobile collection systems, automated pipeline-based vacuum collection (AVAC) systems have been introduced in some densely populated urban areas. The reasons are that in addition to cost savings, AVAC systems can be efficient, hygienic, and environmentally friendly. Despite difficulties in making direct comparisons of municipal waste between a conventional mobile collection system and an AVAC system, it is meaningful to measure the quantities in each of these collection methods either in total or on a per capita generation of waste (PCGW, g/(day*capita)) basis. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the difference in per capita generation of household waste according to the different waste collection methods in Korea. Observations on household waste show that there were considerable differences according to waste collection methods. The value of per capita generation of food waste (PCGF) indicates that a person in a city using AVAC produces 60 % of PCGF (109.58 g/(day*capita)), on average, compared with that of a truck system (173.10 g/(day*capita)) as well as 23 %p less moisture component than that with trucks. The value of per capita generation of general waste (PCGG) in a city with an AVAC system showed 147.73 g/(day*capita), which is 20 % less than that with trucks delivered (185 g/(day*capita)). However, general waste sampled from AVAC showed a 35 %p increased moisture content versus truck delivery.