Rae-Hong Jung

Contamination and potential sources of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in water and sediment from the artificial Lake Shihwa, Korea

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in water and sediment collected from the artificial Lake Shihwa and surrounding creeks. Total concentrations of 23 PBDE congeners in water and sediment ranged from 0.16 to 11.0ngL(-1) and from 1.3 to 18700ngg(-1)dryweight, respectively. The concentrations of BDE 209 in water and sediment were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than the total concentrations of other PBDE congeners. The concentrations of total PBDEs and BDE 209 in sediments were the highest compared to previously reported worldwide levels. The highest concentrations of PBDEs in water and sediments were found in creeks near industrial complexes. The PBDE concentrations gradually decreased with increasing distance from the creeks to the inshore and then offshore regions of the lake. BDE 209 was a major congener, accounting for 80% of the total PBDEs in water and sediment, consistent with a high consumption of deca-BDE for the brominated flame retardant market in Korea. Non-parametric multidimensional scaling ordination showed that surrounding creeks are major pathways of PBDE contamination associated with deca-BDE technical mixtures used in industrial complexes around Lake Shihwa. A significant correlation between total organic carbon and total PBDE concentration was found in sediments, and the correlation coefficients for individual PBDE congeners relatively increased from lower to higher brominated congeners.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as a source of sediment contamination by toxic organic pollutants and fecal sterols in a semi-enclosed bay in Korea.

Toxic organic contaminants and a macrobenthic community were assayed in sediments collected near a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall to assess the impact of WWTP discharges on an aquatic environment. Average concentrations of toxic organic contaminants in sediments from 20 locations were 96.7ng TEQ/kg dry matter for PCDD/Fs, 1.84ng TEQ/kg dry matter for dioxin-like PCBs, 29.1microg/kg dry matter for PBDEs, 411microg/kg dry matter for nonylphenols, 1021microg/kg dry matter for fecal sterols, and 928microg/kg dry matter for PAHs. Concentrations of all the organic contaminants and fecal sterols varied widely and there was a clear decrease in concentration gradients with increasing distances from the WWTP outfall. This result suggests that WWTP activities contribute to contamination by organic chemicals. A survey of benthic organisms showed the dominance of a few polychaete species, indicating a deterioration of the macrobenthic community by the WWTP discharge. Non-parametric multidimensional scaling (MDS) ordination and Spearman correlation analyses showed that organic contamination is associated with the benthic community structure. For polychaete species, the sensitive species for organic contaminants was Paraprionospio pinnata, while contaminant-tolerant species were Spiochaetopterus koreana and Capitella capitata. BIOENV analyses of all locations suggested PCDDs and PCDFs as the major contaminants influencing the structure of the macrobenthic community. The present study highlights that continuous WWTP discharges contribute to severe organic contamination and risks for the benthic community in an aquatic ecosystem.

Rapid determination of organochlorine pesticides in fish using selective pressurized liquid extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A rapid automated extraction and cleanup method using selective pressurized liquid extraction was developed and validated for 14 organochlorine pesticides in fish. The lipid-removal efficiencies achieved by adding alumina, Florisil, acid-treated silica gel, and silica gel to the extraction cell were determined and optimized. In the optimized method, fish (2-3g) was placed above alumina (30 g) in the extraction cell, then the sample was extracted using a 7:3 mixture of hexane and dichloromethane. The method was validated using certified reference materials (NIST SRM 1946 and 1974c), spiked fish, and four lipid-rich fish samples. The mean low- and high-concentration spike recoveries were 91% and 93% with RSD<20%, respectively. Measured concentrations of target OCPs showed good agreement with the certified concentrations in certified reference materials. It suggests the good accuracy and precision of the SPLE method. The proposed method met the most important requirements of an extraction and cleanup procedure, including having a short preparation (cleanup and concentration) time and minimal sample contamination and being able to be automated.

Impacts of long-line aquaculture of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) on sulfate reduction and diffusive nutrient flux in the coastal sediments of Jinhae–Tongyeong, Korea

We investigated the environmental impacts of long-line aquaculture of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) on sediment geochemistry and carbon oxidation by sulfate reduction and diffusive benthic nutrient flux in a coastal ecosystem in Korea. Inventories of the NH4(+) and HPO4(2-) at the farm site were 7.7-11.5 and 1.8-8.0 times higher, respectively, than those at a reference site. Sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) at the oyster farm were 2.4-5.2 times higher than SRRs at the reference site. The SRRs at the farm site were responsible for 48-99% (average 70%) of the total C oxidation in the sediment. The diffusive benthic fluxes of NH4(+) and HPO4(2-) at the oyster farm were comparable to 30-164% and 19-58%, respectively, of the N and P demands for primary production, and were responsible for the enhanced benthic microalgal biomass on the surface sediment.

Rates of Sulfate Reduction and Iron Reduction in the Sediment Associated with Abalone Aquaculture in the Southern Coastal Waters of Korea

We investigated geochemical properties, and microbial sulfate- and iron(Ⅲ) reduction in sediment influenced by the aquaculture of abalone in the Nohwa-do, southern coastal sea in Korea. Concentrations of ammonium, phosphate, and sulfide in the pore-water were higher at farm sites than at control sites. The differences between the 2 types of sites were most apparent in terms of the weights of abalone and the temperature increase during September. Accordingly, the rates of sulfate reduction at the farm sites during September (61 m㏖ S m?²d?¹) were 3-fold higher than the sulfate reduction during May (20 m㏖ S m?²d?¹1). In contrast, Fe(Ⅲ) reduction rates were highest at the control sites in May, but its significance was relatively decreased at farm sites during September when sulfate reduction rates were highest. During September, benthic ammonium flux was 3-fold greater at the farm sites (35 m㏖ N m?²d?¹) than at the control sites (12 m㏖ N m?²d?¹), and phosphate flux was 8-fold higher at the farm sites (0.018 m㏖ P m?²d?¹) than at control sites (0.003 m㏖ P m?²d?¹). Overall results indicated that the inappropriate operation of a large-scale aquaculture farm may result in excess input of biodeposits and high nutrient fluxes from the sediment, thereby decreasing diversity of the benthic ecosystem and deepening eutrophication in coastal waters.

Sustainability Evaluation for Shellfish Production in Gamak Bay Based on the Systems Ecology 1. EMERGY Evaluation for Shellfish Production in Gamak Bay

This research outlines a new method for evaluation of shellfish production in Gamak Bay based on the concept of EMERGY. Better understanding of those environmental factors influencing oyster production and the management of oyster stocks requires the ability to assess the real value of environmental sources such as solar energy, river, tide, wave, wind, and other physical mechanisms. In this research, EMERGY flows from environment sources were 76% for shellfish aquaculture in Gamak Bay. EMERGY yield ratio, Environmental Loading Ratio, and Sustainability Index were 4.26, 0.31 and 13.89, respectively. Using the Emergy evaluation data, the predicted maximum shellfish aquaculture production in Gamak Bay and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, U.S.) designated area in Gamak Bay were 10,845 ton/y and 7,548 ton/yr, respectively. Since the predicted shellfish production was approximately 1.3 times more than produced shellfish production in 2005, the carrying capacity of Gamak Bay is estimated to be 1.3 times more than the present oyster production.

Polychaete Community Structure from Inshore and Offshore of Lake Shihwa (Korea) in March, 2008

Polychaete community structure and its spatial distribution was investigated in 2008 from inshore and offshore of Lake Shihwa, Korea, in order to evaluate status of the benthic environment according to construction of the dike and the water gate. In the present study, the number of species, density, and diversity of polychaete community in inshore was significantly different from those in offshore. The density of polychaete community in offshore increased with the number of species whereas the diversity in inshore increased with the number of species. Dominant species in offshore were 13 species, higher than 1% of the total polychaete individuals. Heteromastus filiformis, known as the most dominant species before the construction of the dike, was the most dominant species in offshore, which collectively account for 54% of the total polychaete individuals. In inshore, the seven species were dominant, higher than 1% of the total individuals. Lumbrineris longifolia, Polydora sp., Capitella capitata, Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata, known as pollution tolerant species, contributed to higher than 75% of the total individuals in inshore. Multivariate statistical analyses, non-metric multidimensional scaling, showed apparent difference in polychaete community structure between inshore and offshore, and also difference between inner sites and outer sites of inshore around the water gate. Sediment characteristics (total organic carbon and nitrogen, ignition loss, and acid volatile sulfide) measured in this study also supported to this result. Therefore, this indicates that the offshore provides better benthic environments for polychaete habitation than the inshore, and the inshore around the water gate shows improving benthic environment, compared to the inner inshore.

Distributions of Organic Matter and Trace Metals in Intertidal Surface Sediment from the Mokpo-Haenam Coast

To evaluate the organic matter and trace metal pollution in intertidal sediment of the coastal zone, various geochemical parameters (grain size, ignition loss [IL], chemical oxygen demand [COD], acid volatile sulfide [AVS], and metals [Al, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Mn, Hg, and As]) were measured for the intertidal surface sediment of the mainland and islands between Mokpo and Haenam in the southwestern coast of Korea. The surface sediments consist mainly of finer sediments, such as mud and silt. The concentrations of IL, COD, and trace metals in intertidal sediment were relatively high in the shoreline of the mainland than in that of islands and those in some stations exceeded the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). Moreover, the concentrations of IL, COD, and trace metals (except As) in sediment showed relatively good positive correlations with mean grain size, indicating that the concentrations of organic matter and trace metals in intertidal sediment of the study region are dependent on grain size of sediment. Pollution evaluation for trace metals using geochemical assessment techniques, such as enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, and SQGs, suggested that the intertidal sediments in the study region show light pollution with Cr and moderate pollution with As. More extensive interdisciplinary studies are required to determine the potential causes of As pollution in intertidal sediment.

A primary study on the effect of artificial disturbance on a fishing area by shrimp beam trawl

It has been considered that fishing areas for shrimp beam trawl have been in ruin because Korean localgovernments have permitted trawling into the areas limited by the fisheries local regulations from 1994.Physical and biological effects of the trawling were investigated in the study. Physical effects wereinvestigated by optical methods such as trawling tracking by side scan sonar and comparing the gear bothbefore and after trawling. Biological aspects were investigated by grab sampling of benthic animals,concentration of trace metals in sediment and a flux evaluation of NH

Sustainability Evaluation of Shellfish Production in Gamak Bay Based on Systems Ecology 3. Energy Modeling of Shellfish Aquaculture Production in Gamak Bay

This research was performed to simulate shellfish production systems and sales in Gamak Bay, South Korea. To study the way the shellfish system generates maxima, a numerical model was developed to simulate the model under a control and a number of different scenarios. The program calculates the EMERGY flows by multiplying the flows of energy and materials by the appropriate solar transformity. In this study, an energy systems model was built to simulate the variation of sustainability for oyster aquaculture. The results of the simulation based on 2005 data that as oyster production yield slightly increases, money and assets increase to a steady state. When the program is run control simulation, the system reaches carrying capacity after 8 years. The simulation of models with price of purchased inputs increased with 3.5% inflation rate per year showed maximum benefit of shellfish production occurs after 6 years but amounts are less than control simulation, and then decreases slightly in money and yield results. The results with 3.5% inflation and increase of oyster price annually showed steady and slightly increase of money and yield.