• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.4 s.118
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• pp.445-449
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• 2006

Phenolic compounds are manufacturing by-products commonly found in industrial wastewater. The toxicity of high level phenolic compounds in wastewater threatens not only the aquatic organisms, but also many components of the adjacent ecosystem. One of the major light harvesting pigments in cyanobacteria is phycocyanin which can be rapidly and specifically degraded by external stimuli such as nutritional depletion or environmental stress. We employed the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 as an indicator organism in estimating the pollution level by phenolic compounds. The phycocyanin content of the cyanobacterium decreased without significantly altering the total chlorophyll as the phenol concentration in a medium increased. We examined the phenol contamination level using the correlation of the phycocyanin content and the phenol concentration. Our results indicated that no significant pollution by phenolic compounds was found in several waterbodies in the vicinity of Daegu, South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 1975

This study was performed from July to December 1974 to investigate the rates of contamination of distilled water for injection and local anesthetics. 222 vials were sampled from 7 different places of St. Mary's Hospital The samples were cultured for isolation of microorganisms. The results were as follows; 1. Of 222 vials, 11 were Contaminated by 6 types: Staphylococcus epidermis, Bacillus subtilis, Mima polymorph a, Alcaligenes faecalis, Herellea vaginicala and pepto- streptococcus. 2. 5(9.1 %) of 55 vials from surgical wards, 2 (4.2 %) of 48 vials from surgical OPD, and 4 (12,l %) of 33 vials from pediatric wards were contaminated 3. Between rates of contamination of distilled water for injection and local anesthetics and the number of punctures, there was no significant relationship. (CR=1.42 P〉0.1) 4. There was no significant relationship (CR=1.02 P〉0.1) between the rates of contamination of vials and the duration of the first and the last punctures. 5. The ratios of contamination between 75% alcohol and 2% phenol used for disinfection of rubber lids of vials did not show significant difference.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

This study presents a technical perspective to the fate characteristics of phenol and m-cresol, which represent some of the most common organic chemicals found in chemical spill accidents, and likely to persist in soil and groundwater due to their highly stable physicochemical properties. Some cases of domestic and foreign chemical accidents linked to phenol and m-cresol contamination were compiled. Due to their low organic carbon-water partitioning coefficient (Koc), phenol and m-cresol tend to migrate into groundwater and remained as dissolved phase. On the other hands, phenol and m-cresol can be readily decomposed by microbes in soil and groundwater under appropriate conditions. Therefore, the fate characteristics of these chemicals are highly contingent on environmental conditions. Thus, if a great quantity of leakage is occurred by chemical accidents, the up-to-date and correct information about fate characteristics taking into account both the chemical and environmental conditions is greatly needed to minimized the potential hazards from these chemicals.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2022

Food delivery is gaining popularity due to changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns. However, packages used to delivery food may contain contaminants including heavy metals, or additives added during manufacturing process which may migrate into food during processing and transportation. In this study, a total of 58 food packages for delivery were collected and tested for migration of heavy metals (lead, cadmium and arsenic), bisphenol A and phenol into food simulants. The method was validated by evaluating linearity of calibration curve, limit of detection, limit of quantification, recovery and precision. Result of heavy metal migration showed that lead was the most frequently migrated metal and the highest concentration was detected in a polypropylene sample. Although there are no specific migration limits for bisphenol A and phenol in packaging materials tested in this study, migrations of bisphenol A and phenol were detected in some packages. This may due to contamination or additives added during manufacture of packages. Risk (%) was calculated to analyze the risk associated with the migration of heavy metals, bisphenol A and phenol, and was always below 1 %. These results showed that food packages for delivery are safe in terms of heavy metals, bisphenol A and phenol migration.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.1001-1007
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• 2003

Metal ions contamination may inhibit microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of organic compounds and affect biodegradation rates. Therefore, it is likely that bioremediation of xenobiotics-contaminated soils and waste will require inoculation with efficient biodegrading microbial communities, with capabilities of being resistant to heavy metals as well. Two different transconjugants (Pseudomonas sp. KMl2TC and P. aeruginosa TC) were constructed by conjugation experiments. Results on MIC, induction and growth inhibition strongly indicated that arsenic-resistant plasmid, pKM20, could be mobilized, and the newly acquired phenotype of pKM20 was not only expressed but also well regulated, resulting in newly acquired resistances to $As^{5+},\;As^{3+},\;and\;Sb^{3+} in\;addition\;to\;Cd^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;and\;Hg^{2+}$. The phenol- degradation efficiencies of Pseudomonas sp. KMl2TC were maintained significantly even at high heavy metal concentrations at which these efficiencies of P. aeruginosa TC were completely impaired. The results in this study on the effects of heavy metals on phenol degradation, especially after conjugation, are the first ever reported. All the results described in this study encourage to establish a goal of making "designer biocatalysts" which could degrade certain xenobiotics in the area contaminated with multiple heavy metals.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2007

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the present status of several environmental problems caused by emerging toxic substances such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and arsenic in various environmental media in Vietnam. Monitoring data reported during the 1990s demonstrated elevated contamination of DDTs in most of these compartments in Vietnam. Studies in frame of the Asia-Pacific Mussel Watch Program revealed that fish, mussels and resident birds from Vietnam contained higher concentrations of DDTs as compared to other countries in region, suggesting the role of Vietnamese environment as a significant emission source of DDT in the Southeast Asian region. The estimated dietary intakes of PCBs and DDTs for Vietnamese were relatively high among Asian developing countries, suggesting potential risk for humans posed by thesechemicals. Widespread contamination of some endocrine active compounds such as alkylphenols and phthalates was observed at various sites along the coasts of northern and middle Vietnam. The presence of significant source of bisphenol-A along Red River estuary was revealed with the concentrations comparable to those reported for developed nations. A case study on seasonal variation of alkylphenols and phthalates in surface water of river delta and estuary of north and middle Vietnam indicated the differences in distribution of these compounds between dry and rainy seasons. Higher concentrations of alkylphenols and phthalates were found in dry season in estuary; while the contrasting pattern was observed in the river delta, showing elevated residues in rainy season. This result suggests the different behavior of alkylphenols and phthalates in river delta and coastal environment. From ecotoxicological perspectives, concentrations of bis-phenol A and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalates [DEHP] in surface water from some locations in Vietnam exceeded the guideline values for Ecotoxicological Effects and the Environmental Risk Limit, respectively, suggesting potential for toxic implications on aquatic wildlife. Widespread and elevated arsenic contamination was discovered inour recent surveys in groundwater in a large area of suburban areas of Hanoi city, the capital of Vietnam. The most recent investigation in 4 villages showed about more than 50 % of groundwater samples contained As concentrations exceeding 50 g/L (the WHO and Vietnamese standard). In particular, in Son Dong villages, 58 % of samples analyzed contained As concentrations higher than 200 g/L. Good correlations were found in As concentrations in water and hair and urine of peoples in corresponding families, suggesting the chronic exposure to As by people living in As-contaminated ground water areas. In Son Dong village, As levels in hair (mean: 1.7 mg/kg dry wt) and urine (g/g creatinine) exceeding the reference values recommended by WHO, suggesting potential for human risk posed by long term accumulation of As in human body. Future studies should be focused on the time trends of POPs and EDCs in biota in Vietnam in order to predict future trend of contamination and to reveal new clues for understanding possible toxic impacts on aquatic organisms. The issues of arsenic contamination in groundwater and their chronic toxic implications on human health should be systematically investigated in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

In this study, a selecvively block barrier was developed to prevent the spread of contaminants (TPH, Phenol) in the ground only when contamination occurs. The materials were used Jumunjin sand, bentonite, polyolefin elastomer and spill hound marine. First, the properties and environmental hazards characteristics of materials were analyzed for evaluated their usability. Then, the possibility of use as a barrier material was confirmed by analyzing the water permeability characteristics that change after 24 hours of contact with contaminants. As a result of the analysis, the pH of each component was similar to the general groundwater pH range. In addition, the toxicity characteristics and the possibility of dissolution of hazardous substances, it was determined that there was no environmental hazard as the content was below the regulation value. Lastly, when comparing the permeability coefficient before and after contact with the contaminant, the permeability coefficient of approximately α × 10^-3cm/sec before contact was reduced to α × 10^-6cm/sec after contact with the contaminant.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.293-298
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• 2004

This study was performed to compare the growth rates, cellular fatty acid compositions and morphology by using electron microscope of Escherichia coli (E. coli) grown in various conditions including different concentrations of phenol, CdCl₂ and HgCl₂. Ninety eight E. coli strains were isolated from Naktong river and human feces. The content of unsaturated fatty acids, especially 16:1ω7c and 18:1ωc increased as the concentration of phenol and CdCl₂ increased. The content of unsaturated fatty acid increased up to 50 ppb of HgCl₂, but decreased at 75 ppb of HgCl₂. There were more unsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acid in the presence of toxic substances. However, the ration was reversed when the affected E. coli was transferred to toxic substance free fresh trypticase soy broth medium. Also, by using transmission electron microscope these cells were observed to various morphological deformation by heavy metals and their deposition on the surface. From these results, we suggested that the changes of major fatty acids composition and morphology of E. coli may be considered to indicate contaminated levels of heavy metals or organic solvents. The information presented here may be useful in predicting effects of heavy-metal and organic solvent contamination in streams and provides a basis for further studies of metal or organic solvent effects on microbial communities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.435-441
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• 2004

A drum bioreactor was used for the treatment of sandy soil contaminated with three kinds of aromatic compounds (phenol, naphthalene, and phenanthrene), and its performance was evaluated in two different operation modes; intermittent and continuous rotation of drum. When the drum bioreactor was operated with one rotation per day, the microbial growth was relatively low, and most of the compounds remaining in soil, except naphthalene of 90 mg/kg dry soil, disappeared mainly due to volatilization. In contrast, when the drum was continuously rotated at 9 rpm (rotation/min), the number of microorganisms was drastically increased and nitrate was consumed for growth as a nitrogen source. Phenol and phenanthrene were removed at rates of 56.7 mg/kg dry soil/day and 3.2 mg/kg dry soil/day, respectively.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.202-209
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• 1993

A accidental spills of phenol(100%) to the river Nakdong with subsequent contamination of the tap water fer about two million consumers in Taegu city of Korea were occurred in March 1991. A historical cohort study of 6,913 individuals was undertaken to determine the associated with illness. Population subjects were divided into two groups of exposed and unexposed. Exposed subjects were reported to be phenol associated symptoms significantly higher than those in a nearby unexposed area(39.6% vs 9.4%, p<0.01). Especially, in the related symptoms, highly significant differences were noted in the number of subjects reporting gastrointestinal illness such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. During the accident, study subjects who experienced peculiar taste or odor in the tap water were significantly higher in the exposed areas(92% vs 34.3%). Chlorophenols formed from chlorination of water may have aggravated the problem.