Concentrations and accumulation profiles of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in adipose fat tissues of Korean women

Reports on residue levels and accumulation profiles of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in human adipose tissue are scarce in Korea. In this study, concentrations and accumulation features of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were determined in the samples of adipose tissue collected from Korean women in 2007-2008. The total dioxin-like toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations (3.4-42 pg g(-1) lipid wt) in Korean adipose tissues were similar to those reported in European and other Asian countries. The relative contributions of individual compounds to total TEQs were as follows: non-ortho PCBs (mean: 45%) > PCDFs (28%) > PCDDs (24%) > mono-ortho PCBs (3%), a pattern similar to those reported for seafoods in Korea. The dominant PCDD/F congeners found in adipose tissues were OCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and dominant PCBs were 118, 156 and 105. No correlation was found between subject's age and concentrations of dioxin-like contaminants. Body mass index was not correlated with concentrations of PCDD/Fs and was negatively (p < 0.001) correlated with concentrations of DL-PCBs. The results of this study provide baseline information on PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in adipose tissues of the general population in Korea.     

Assessment of total concentrations of heavy metals in industrial sludges from the North of Vietnam and their potential impact on the ecosystem

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Industrial sludges from wastewater treatment plants of industrial parks and a drinking water treatment plant in northern Vietnam were investigated in...     

Arsenite oxidation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alcaligenes</Emphasis> sp. strain RS-19 isolated from arsenic-contaminated mines in the Republic of Korea

Arsenite [As(III)]-oxidizing bacteria play important roles in reducing arsenic [As] toxicity and mobility in As-contaminated areas. As-resistant bacteria were isolated from the soils of two abandoned mines in the Republic of Korea. The isolated bacteria showed relatively high resistances to As(III) up to 26 mM. The PCR-based 16S rRNA analysis revealed that the isolated As-resistant bacteria were close relatives to Serratia marcescensa, Pseudomonas putida, Pantoea agglomerans, and Alcaligenes sp. Among the five As-resistant bacterial isolates, Alcaligenes sp. strain RS-19 showed the highest As(III)-oxidizing activity in batch tests, completely oxidizing 1 mM of As(III) to As(V) within 40 h during heterotrophic growth. This study suggests that the indigenous bacteria have evolved to retain the ability to resist toxic As in the As-contaminated environments and moreover to convert the species to a less toxic form [e.g., from As(III) to As(V)] and also contribute the biogeochemical cycling of As by being involved in speciation of As.     

Modeling the e ects of constructed wetland on nonpoint source pollution control and reservoir water quality improvement

This article describes the integrated modeling approach for planning the size and the operation of constructed wetlands for maximizing retention of nonpoint source pollutant loads and reservoir water-quality improvement at a catchment scale. The experimental field-scale wetland systems (four sets, 0.88 ha each) have been in operation since 2002, where water depth was maintained at 30–50 cm and hydraulic loading rate was at 6.3–18.8 cm/day. The wetland system was found to be adequate for treating polluted stream water with stable removal e ciency even during the winter. The integrated modeling system (modified-BASINS) was applied to the Seokmoon estuarine reservoir watershed and calibrated with monitoring data from constructed wetland, stream, and reservoir. The calibrated integrated modeling system estimated that constructing wetlands on 0.5% (about 114 ha) of the watershed area at the mouth of reservoir could reduce 11.61% and 13.49% of total external nitrogen and phosphorus loads, respectively. It also might improve the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of the reservoir by 9.69% and 16.48%, respectively. The study suggested that about 0.1%–1.0% of the watershed area should be allocated for constructed wetland to meet specified water-quality standards for the estuarine reservoir at the polder area where land use planning is relatively less complicated.     

Dust Storms are an Indication of an Unhealthy Environment in East Asia

Dust storms frequently occur in Mongolia and in northern China. Each year there are 30 to 120 dusty days in source regions of Mongolia and 14–20 dusty days on the Korean Peninsula. Intense sand storms and associated dust falls produce environmental impacts in East Asia. This paper discusses the environmental degradation in Mongolia and the social, economic and atmospheric impacts of dust storms in the sink area. The impact of dust storms on environmental compartments as well as their direct and indirect consequences to basic resources like water and energy demand and supply is explained. Governments are encouraged to take appropriate action in specified regions. For monitoring dust storms there is a need for international cooperation to combat growing environmental and human security concerns.     

First-trimester screening for Down syndrome; the role of nasal bone assessment in the Korean population

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of nasal bone assessment in first-trimester screening for Down syndrome (DS) in the Korean population. Methods From July 2004 to March 2006, we prospectively evaluated the fetal nasal bones at 11–14 weeks' gestation in the Korean population. Results A successful evaluation was possible in 6490 of 6787 fetuses (95.6%). Absent, hypoechoic, and short nasal bones were seen in 4 (26.7%), 4 (26.7%), and 1 (6.7%) of 15 fetuses with DS, respectively, whereas in 5 (0.1%), 11 (0.2%), and 246 (3.8%) of 6456 normal fetuses. The incidence of absent and hypoechoic nasal bone showed significant differences between normal fetuses and fetuses with DS (P < 0.0005, both). Screening for DS using an absent or hypoechoic nasal bone resulted in a sensitivity of 53.3%, a specificity of 99.8%, a positive likelihood ratio of 215.2, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.5. Conclusion Our study showed that nasal bone abnormality at 11–14 weeks of gestation had a high association with DS in the Korean population. This suggests that nasal bone assessment can be used to supplement the current first-trimester screening for DS in the Korean population. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Toxicity of the mosquito control pesticide Scourge to adult and larval grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio)

This study investigated the toxicity of various concentrations of technical resmethrin and Scourge on adult and larval Palaemonetes pugio, a common grass shrimp species. Two types of tests were conducted for each of the resmethrin formulations using adult and larval grass shrimp life stages, a 96-h static renewal aqueous test without sediment, and a 24-h static nonrenewal aqueous test with sediment. For resmethrin, the 96-h aqueous LC50 value for adult shrimp was 0.53 microg/L (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46-0.60 microg/L), and for larval shrimp was 0.35 microg/L (95% CI: 0.28-0.42 microg/L). In the presence of sediment, technical resmethrin produced a 24-h LC50 value for adult shrimp of 5.44 microg/L (95% CI: 4.52-6.55 microg/L), and for larval shrimp of 2.15 microg/L (95% CI: 1.35-3.43 microg/L). For Scourge, the 96-h aqueous LC50 for adult shrimp was 2.08 microg/L (95% CI: 1.70-2.54 microg/L), and for larval shrimp was 0.36 microg/L (95% CI: 0.24-0.55 microg/L). The 24-h sediment test yielded an LC50 value of 16.12 microg/L (95% CI: 14.79-17.57 microg/L) for adult shrimp, and 14.16 microg/L (95% CI: 12.21-16.43 microg/L) for larvae. Adjusted LC50 values to reflect the 18% resmethrin concentration in Scourge are 0.37 microg/L (adult), 0.07 microg/L (larvae) for the 96-h aqueous test, and 2.90 microg/L (adult), 2.6 microg/L (larvae) for the 24-h sediment test. Larval grass shrimp were more sensitive to technical resmethrin and Scourge than the adult life stage. The results also demonstrate that synergized resmethrin is more toxic to P. pugio than the nonsynergized form, and that the presence of sediment decreases the toxicity of both resmethrin and Scourge.     

Effect of soil properties on bioavailability and extractability of phenanthrene and atrazine sequestered in soil

Sixteen soils with markedly different properties were analyzed to determine their porosity in the range of 7 nm-10 microm, cation-exchange capacity (CEC), surface area and clay mineralogy. The extent of sequestration of phenanthrene and atrazine has been shown to differ markedly among these soils. Correlations were sought between soil characteristics and four methods of measuring sequestration. Simple correlation analysis showed that some but not all measures of phenanthrene and atrazine sequestration were highly correlated with organic C content, nanoporosity or CEC but not other properties of the soils. Multiple linear-regression analysis suggested an interaction of organic C content with soil texture, CEC or surface area in determining the extent of atrazine or phenanthrene sequestration. We conclude that organic C content, CEC and other properties of soil may be useful predictors of sequestration of some compounds.     

Temperature dependence of hydroxyl radical formation in the hv/Fe3+/H2O2 and Fe3+/H2O2 systems

The thermal enhancement of the formation of *OH by the hv/Fe(III)/H2O2 system (including the Fe(III)/H2O2 system) was quantitatively investigated with reaction temperatures ranging from 25 to 50 degrees C. A temperature dependent kinetic model for the hv/Fe(III)/H2O2 system, incorporating 12 major reactions with no fitted rate constants or activation energies, was developed, and successfully explained the experimental measurements. Particularly, the thermal enhancement of Fe(OH)2+ photolysis which is the most significant step in the hv/Fe(III)/H2O2 system was effectively explained by two factors; (1) the variation of the Fe(OH)2+ concentration with temperature, and (2) the temperature dependence of the quantum yield for Fe(OH)2+ photolysis (measured activation energy=11.4 kJ mol(-1)). Although in both the hv/Fe(III)/H2O2 and Fe(III)/H2O2 systems, elevated temperatures enhanced the formation of *OH, the thermal enhancement was much higher in the dark Fe(III)/H2O2 system than the hv/Fe(III)/H2O2 system. Furthermore, it was found that the relative thermal enhancement of the formation of *OH in the presence of *OH scavengers (tert-butyl alcohol) was magnified in the Fe(III)/H2O2 system but was not in the hv/Fe(III)/H2O2 system.     

Effect of copper chloride on the emissions of PCDD/Fs and PAHs from PVC combustion

The influences of temperature, air flow and the amount of copper chloride upon the types and amount of the toxic emissions such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during combustion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were investigated. The mechanism concerning the effect of temperature and copper chloride on the PCDD/Fs and PAHs formation was discussed. The results shown that without copper chloride, trace amounts of PCDD/Fs and large amounts of PAHs were found in the emissions from the pure PVC combustion under various combustion conditions. The addition of copper chloride enhanced PCDD/Fs formation, but it seems that the formation of PAHs decreased with increasing amount of copper chloride, and greater total amount of PAHs were produced at the higher temperature under our experimental conditions.