To estimate the inhibitory effect of some mushroom extract on melanin biosynthesis, we tested its inhibitory effects of five mushroom extracts on tyrosinase promoter in Bl6 mouse melanoma cells. In five mushroom extracts, Cordyceps militaris and Poria cocos exhibited low repression effect on tyrosinase promoter. However, Ganoderma lucidum, Paecilomyces japonicus, Phellinus linteus showed high repression effect, Especially, Paecilomyces japonicus and Phellinus linteus extracts had very higher repression effect approximately $81{\sim}83%\;at\;100{\mu}g/mL$. In the MTT assay, Paecilomyces japonicus and Phellinus linteus extracts exhibited high cytotoxicity. Therefore, repression effect of the extracts were closely connected with cytotoxicity.

From March 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006 mineral water wells were selected for 13 areas in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore) and 20 areas in Northeast Asia (Korea, North Korea, China, Japan) and the study on their mineral water quality was analyzed. - Mineral water quality was the best in Korea. Mineral spring waters in some area of China and North Korea and in the whole area of the Southeast Asia were of poor quality. - The hardness of mineral water was the low in Korea $(10{\sim}47mg/L\;as\;CaCO_3)$, Japan $(4{\sim}66mg/L\;as\; CaCO_3)$, Geumgang-san North Korea Area $(4mg/L\;as\;CaCO_3)$. Mineral spring water in Thailand, Indonesia $(1{\sim}97.5mg/L\;as\;CaCO_3)$ and in the other area $(120{\sim}1205mg/L\;as\;CaCO_3)$ were high degree of hardness. - pH value in the mineral water of Southeast Asia $(pH\;6.7{\sim}8.2)$ and Northeast Asia $(pH\;5.9{\sim}7.9)$ was up to WHO standard $(pH\;6.5{\sim}8.5)$. Fluorine of negative ion was found in 10 mineral waters: Indonesian mineral water 'ATARTN'(0.02mg/L), Thailand mineral water 'SIAM' (0.6mg/L), 'MASAFI' (0.02mg/L). Korean mineral water 'SAEMMULNARA' (1.1mg/L), 'SANSU'(0.6mg/L), 'ICIS'(0.3mg/L), 'DONGWON SAEM-MUL'(0.03mg/L), 'PYEONGCHANG' (0.6mg/L), North Korean mineral water 'KUMGANGSAN'(0.1mg/L), Japanese mineral water 'CRYSTAL GEYSER'(0.55mg/L). However Fluorine in the other 23 mineral waters were not detectable.

As traffic in city-centre around the world continues to increase, so levels of atmospheric pollutants continue to rise. High concentrations of NOx can have negative effects on human health, and we must find new ways to reduce their levels in the air we breathe. Nitrogen oxide gas (NOx), consisting of nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide $(NO_2)$ produced using $O_3$ oxidation, at a low concentration corresponding to that on roads as a result of exhaust from automobiles, was carried out to evaluate the removal characteristics of NOx through a laboratory-scale biofilter packed with soil as a packing material. A mixture media (yellow soil (30%): soil (40%): compost (10%): a used briquet (20%)) was applied. After about 1day of operation, the removal efficiency for $NO_2$ in all experiments with a constant condition ($25^{\circ}C$ and water humidity (60%)) was over 98%. The retention times of the section between phase I and phase II for formation and reduction of $NO_3$ NO and $NO_2$ on the initial $NO_3$ concentration was 50min $(O_3:195\;ppb),\;55min\;(O_3:925\;ppb),\;65min\;(O_3:1743\;ppb),\;70min\;(O_3:2616\;ppb),\;75min\;(O_3:3500\;ppb)$, respectively The soil biofilter system is a unique technology that purifies urban air by utilizing the natural processes that take place in the soil. Although some of the processes are quite complex, they can broadly be summarized as adsorption onto soil particles, dissolution into soil pore water, and biochemical.

For the last 20 years, China has transformed itself from a rural economy into an industrial giant, averaging over 8 % annual growth of GDP. Unfortunately, this rapid growth has taken a significant toll on its natural resource base as well, particularly water resources. These problems have been exacerbated by a low level of sewage treatment technology and by the operating and maintenance (O&M). In case of urban areas, most big cities in China have a well functioning sewage system comprised of sewers and sewage treatment plants (STPs). Nevertheless, the existing STPs are still not capable of properly treating the sewage, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The rural areas in China cover a large land, with two-third of the nation's population. The low educational and poor economic states make it hard to process self-protection and management. In the surveyed area in Henan, there was no STPs put into use as of 2004, and the sewer lines are not well organized. The big issue for the currently planned STPs is the collection system not included in the plans.

Recently, needs for reuse of sludge produced from WTP(water treatment plant) have been increased with shortage of landfill sites and difficulties of the treatment and disposal processes. Therefore, Reusing is becoming an Increasingly popular waste management alternative to divert waste from landfills. In order to research the characteristics of WTP sludges, we used the sludges of C WTP which intake the lake Dae-Cheong and the sludges of S WTP which intake Keum river, The specific surface area of C and S WTP sludges were $0.9986m^2/cc\;and\;1.874m^2/cc$, respectively. The gravity was about $2.0{\sim}2.4$ which are scope of peat or loamy clay. The major minerals of C WTP sludges were kaolinite(48.4%), muscovite(19.5%), and quartz(16.7%). Also, muscovite(31.6%), quartz(30.3%), and kaolinite(17.3%) in S WTP sludges were major minerals.

To estimate the inhibitory effect of Rubus coreanum extract on melanin biosynthesis, we tested its inhibitory effects on tyrosinase promoter in B16 mouse melanoma cells. Rubus coreanum extract by methanol had inhibitory effect approximately 10% on tyrosinase promoter at $100{\mu}g/mL$. In the MTT assay, the same extract exhibited very low cytotoxicity under $100{\mu}g/mL$. The fractions of methylene chloride, butyl alcohol and water did not showed the inhibitory effect on tyrosinase promoter, but the fraction of ethyl acetate exhibited inhibitory effect approximately 11% at $100{\mu}g/mL$.

The ion exchange resins have been synthesized from chlormethyl styrene-1,4-divinylbenzene(DVB) with 1%, 2%, and 20%-crosslinking and macrocyclic ligand of cryptand 21 by copolymerization method and the adsorption characteristics of uranium(VI), copper(II) and dysprosium(III) metallic ions have been investigated in various experimental conditions. The synthesis of these resins was confirmed by content of chlorine, element analysis, and IR-spectrum. The effects of pH, equilibrium time, dielectric constant of solvent and crosslink on adsorption of metallic ions were investigated. The metal ion was showed fast adsorption on the resins above pH 3. The optimum equilibrium time for adsorption of metallic ions was about two hours. The adsorption selectivity determined in ethanol was in increasing order uranium$(UO^{2+}_2)\;>\;copper(Cu^{2+})\;>\;dysprosium(Dy^{3+})$ ion. The adsorption was in order of 1%, 2%, and 20% crosslink resin and adsorption of resin decreased in proportion to order of dielectric constant of solvents.

This study was carried out for verification of efficiency of seawater exchange breakwater which was installed in joomoongin harbor for the first time in our country. The joomoongin harbor, where seawater exchange breakwater has been constructed, shows typical for fishery and tourist port city specifics of greatest pollutants discharge volume in spring and summer, when tourist inflow and fishery activity is most vigorous. On the East Sea seawater flux through seawater exchange breakwater for the smallest waves (up to 0.5 m) was found out to be $1,526-3,052m^3/day$. After construction of seawater exchange breakwater, Zone 1 and Zone 2 of stagnant water inside the port were found to be a lot improved. Zone 3, adjacent to outport area, was found to be lower comparing with Zone 1 and Zone 2. The results of statistical analysis show that comparing with water quality improvement effect before and after seawater exchange, water quality after installation of seawater exchange breakwater became much better, primarily because of physical change around the harbour.