Improving the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the determination of total carbon in soils.

Nguyen, Hang Vo-Minh,Moon, Seung-Jae,Choi, Jung Hyun D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2015 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.187 No.2

<P>The increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases such as CO2 has caused noticeable climate change. Since increased CO2 may contribute to carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems through the CO2 cycle between the atmosphere and vegetation, it is necessary to improve methods for measuring C in soil. In this study, we determined the total carbon concentrations of soils using a highly sensitive and rapid method, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. The presence of C has been measured by detecting signal at the wavelength of 247.86 nm. The obstacle of Fe interference at the C measurement wavelength of 247.86 nm was reduced by selecting the optimal delay time of 1.4 μs. The ratio of peak intensities (areas) at 247.86 nm for C and 248.20 nm for Fe was then successfully applied to the calibration curve. In addition, to dismiss the problem of measuring the C lines at 247.86 nm, 193.03 nm has been used to observe C emission. Both the 193.03- and 247.86-nm lines provided significant linear calibrations. The 193.03-nm lines presented stronger relative accuracies in predicting the lower C concentrations of the unknown samples than that one at 247.86 nm.</P>

Analysis of spatial and seasonal distributions of MODIS aerosol optical properties and ground-based measurements of mass concentrations in the Yellow Sea region in 2009.

Kim, Hak-Sung,Chung, Yong-Seung,Lee, Sun-Gu D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2013 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.185 No.1

<P>Satellite-retrieved data on aerosol optical depth (AOD) and ngstrom exponent (AE) using a moderate resolution imaging spectrometer (MODIS) were used to analyze large-scale distributions of atmospheric aerosols in East Asia. AOD was relatively high in March (0.44 +/- 0.25) and low in September (0.24 +/- 0.21) in the East Asian region in 2009. Sandstorms originating from the deserts and dry areas in northern China and Mongolia were transported on a massive scale during the springtime, thus contributing to the high AOD in East Asia. However, whereas PM10 with diameters a parts per thousand currency sign10 mu m was the highest in February at Anmyon, Cheongwon, and Ulleung, located leeward about halfway through the Korean Peninsula, AOD rose to its highest in May. The growth of hygroscopic aerosols attendant on increases in relative humidity prior to the Asian monsoon season contributed to a high AOD level in May. AE typically appears at high levels (1.30 +/- 0.37) in August due to anthropogenic aerosols originating from the industrial areas in eastern China, while AOD stays low in summer due to the removal process caused by rainfall. The linear correlation coefficients of the MODIS AOD and ground-based mass concentrations of PM10 at Anmyon, Cheongwon, and Ulleung were measured at 0.4 similar to 0.6. Four cases (6 days) of mineral dustfall from sandstorms and six cases (12 days) of anthropogenically polluted particles were observed in the central area of the Korean Peninsula in 2009. PM10 mass concentrations increased at both Anmyon and Cheongwon in the cases of mineral dustfall and anthropogenically polluted particles. Cases of dustfall from sandstorms and anthropogenic polluted particles, with increasing PM10 mass concentrations, showed higher AOD values in the Yellow Sea region.</P>

Blood lead levels of residents living around 350 abandoned metal mines in Korea.

Kim, Nam-Soo,Sakong, Joon,Choi, Jae-Wook,Hong, Young-Seoub,Moon, Jai-Dong,Lee, Byung-Kook D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2012 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.184 No.7

<P>In 2007, as part of the control and prevention of environmental contamination threatening public health, the Korean Ministry of Environment planned to implement a national biomonitoring survey of three metals: lead, cadmium, and mercury in the blood of residents living near 350 abandoned metal mines known to be contaminated and as possible threats to the health of inhabitants. Thus, we investigated demographic and lifestyle variables and blood lead levels in residents living around the mines and compared them against those of control subjects. We measured the blood lead concentrations in 14,849 subjects (14,132 from nearby the 350 abandoned metal mines and 717 subjects from eight control areas). A questionnaire was provided to all subjects to determine gender, age, mining experience, period of time living in the vicinity of mines, smoking status, and personal perception of abandoned mines as a health risk. The geometric means (95% confidence intervals) of the blood lead levels of residents living around the abandoned metal mines and control areas were 3.017 (2.996-3.037 관g/dL) [female, 2.797 관g/dL (2.771-2.822 관g/dL); male, 3.330 관g/dL (3.298-3.363 관g/dL)] and 2.757 (2.677-2.837 관g/dL) [female, 2.604 관g/dL (2.506-2.700 관g/dL); male, 2.993 관g/dL (2.859-3.126 관g/dL)], respectively. Among residents of the mining areas, nonsmokers and residents who had no mining experience showed significantly lower mean blood lead levels than did smokers, past smokers, and those with mining experience. The mean blood lead concentrations of residents who expressed some concern about the abandoned mines were significantly higher than those of residents without concerns. The mean blood lead concentration of residents living around the abandoned mines was significantly higher than that of residents living in control areas as well as that of the general adult Korean population. We also confirmed that smoking is an important variable to consider, as it increases blood lead concentration.</P>

Estimation of visibility using a visual image.

D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2015 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.187 No.3

<P>Optical-based visibility measurement instruments have been widely used to quantify atmospheric light extinction for decades. The light extinction coefficient is converted to visual range using a well-known formula since visibility is defined as the longest distance at which a black object can be observed against the horizon. In this study, a camera-based visibility monitoring technique was introduced to directly estimate visual range using a visual image obtained from a camera system. It was denoted as image visual range. The visual, optical, and geographical visibility monitoring were conducted to investigate the relationship between image visual range and distance from camera installed at the monitoring site. The visibility estimation formula, which is the function of the y position of the coordinates in the visual image, was introduced. And image visual range was estimated from the visual image using the chromatic analysis. It was found that the relationship between the image visual range and the y position of the visual image was a nonlinear function. The average relative error of image visual range less than 50 km was acceptable from the results of the relationship between optical-based visual range and image visual range. It was estimated that the relative error between two variables was not only attributed to the perspective and the faint outline of the visual image in the chromatic analysis but also associated with the assumption of the uniform distribution of the light extinction by aerosol within the field of view in the optical monitoring.</P>

Multi-year evaluation of ambient volatile organic compounds: temporal variation, ozone formation, meteorological parameters, and sources.

Kim, Ku H,Chun, Ho-Hwan,Jo, Wan K D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2015 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.187 No.2

<P>The multi-year characteristics of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their source contribution in a selected metropolitan (Seoul) and rural (Seokmolee) areas in Korea were investigated to provide the framework for development and implementation of ambient VOC control strategies. For Seoul, none of the three VOC groups exhibited any significant trend in their ambient concentrations, whereas for Seokmolee, they all showed a generally decreasing trend between 2005 and 2008 and an increasing trend after 2008. Two paraffinic (ethane and propane) and two olefin (ethylene and propylene) hydrocarbons displayed higher concentrations during the cold season than warm season, while the other target VOCs did not exhibit any significant trends. Ethylene and toluene were the first and second largest contributors to ozone formation, respectively, whereas several other VOCs displayed photochemical ozone formation potential values less than 0.01 ppb. For both areas, there was a significant negative correlation between ambient temperature and the selected VOC group concentrations. In contrast, a significant positive correlation was observed between relative humidity and the three VOC group concentrations, while no significant correlation was observed between wind speed and VOC group concentrations. For Seoul, the combination of vehicle exhaust and gasoline/solvent evaporation was the greatest source of VOCs, followed by liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid petroleum gas (LPG). However, combination of LNG and LPG was the greatest source of VOCs at Seokmolee, followed by the combination of vehicle exhaust and gasoline evaporation, and then biogenic sources.</P>

Cloning metallothionein gene in Zacco platypus and its potential as an exposure biomarker against cadmium.

Lee, Sangwoo,Kim, Cheolmin,Kim, Jungkon,Kim, Woo-Keun,Shin, Hyun Suk,Lim, Eun-Suk,Lee, Jin Wuk,Kim, Sunmi,Kim, Ki-Tae,Lee, Sung-Kyu,Choi, Cheol Young,Choi, Kyungho D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2015 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.187 No.7

<P>Zacco platypus, pale chub, is an indigenous freshwater fish of East Asia including Korea and has many useful characteristics as indicator species for water pollution. While utility of Z. platypus as an experimental species has been recognized, genetic-level information is very limited and warrants extensive research. Metallothionein (MT) is widely used and well-known biomarker for heavy metal exposure in many experimental species. In the present study, we cloned MT in Z. platypus and evaluated its utility as a biomarker for metal exposure. For this purpose, we sequenced complete complementary DNA (cDNA) of MT in Z. platypus and carried out phylogenetic analysis with its sequences. The transcription-level responses of MT gene following the exposure to CdCl2 were also assessed to validate the utility of this gene as an exposure biomarker. Analysis of cDNA sequence of MT gene demonstrated high conformity with those of other fish. MT messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and enzymatic MT content significantly increased following CdCl2 exposure in a concentration-dependent manner. The level of CdCl2 that resulted in significant MT changes in Z. platypus was within the range that was reported from other fish. The MT gene of Z. platypus sequenced in the present study can be used as a useful biomarker for heavy metal exposure in the aquatic environment of Korea and other countries where this freshwater fish species represents the ecosystem.</P>

Characteristics of aerosol types during large-scale transport of air pollution over the Yellow Sea region and at Cheongwon, Korea, in 2008.

Kim, Hak-Sung,Chung, Yong-Seung,Lee, Sun-Gu D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2012 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.184 No.4

<P>Episodes of large-scale transport of airborne dust and anthropogenic pollutant particles from different sources in the East Asian continent in 2008 were identified by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite RGB (red, green, and blue)-composite images and the mass concentrations of ground level particulate matter. These particles were divided into dust, sea salt, smoke plume, and sulfate by an aerosol classification algorithm. To analyze the aerosol size distribution during large-scale transport of atmospheric aerosols, aerosol optical depth (AOD) and fine aerosol weighting (FW) of moderate imaging spectroradiometer aerosol products were used over the East Asian region. Six episodes of massive airborne dust particles, originating from sandstorms in northern China, Mongolia, and the Loess Plateau of China, were observed at Cheongwon. Classified dust aerosol types were distributed on a large-scale over the Yellow Sea region. The average PM10 and PM2.5 ratio to the total mass concentration TSP were 70% and 15%, respectively. However, the mass concentration of PM2.5 among TSP increased to as high as 23% in an episode where dust traveled in by way of an industrial area in eastern China. In the other five episodes of anthropogenic pollutant particles that flowed into the Korean Peninsula from eastern China, the anthropogenic pollutant particles were largely detected in the form of smoke over the Yellow Sea region. The average PM10 and PM2.5 ratios to TSP were 82% and 65%, respectively. The ratio of PM2.5 mass concentrations among TSP varied significantly depending on the origin and pathway of the airborne dust particles. The average AOD for the large-scale transport of anthropogenic pollutant particles in the East Asian region was measured to be 0.42 0.17, which is higher in terms of the rate against atmospheric aerosols as compared with the AOD (0.36 0.13) for airborne dust particles with sandstorms. In particular, the region ranging from eastern China, the Yellow Sea, and the Korean Peninsula to the Korea East Sea was characterized by high AOD distributions. In the episode of anthropogenic polluted aerosols, FW averaged 0.63 0.16, a value higher than that in the episode of airborne dust particles (0.52 0.13) with sandstorms, showing that fine anthropogenic pollutant particles contribute greatly to atmospheric aerosols in East Asia.</P>

Assessment of anthropogenic influences on surface water quality in urban estuary, northern New Jersey: multivariate approach.

Shin, Jin Y,Artigas, Francisco,Hobble, Christine,Lee, Yung-Seop D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2013 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.185 No.3

<P>Concentrations of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Fe, and Zn), nutrients (NO (3) (-) and NH(3)), fecal coliform colonies, and other multiple physical-chemical parameters were measured seasonally from 12 locations in an urban New Jersey estuary between 1994 and 2008. Stepwise regression, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were used to group water quality results and sampling locations, as well as to assess these data's relationship to sewage treatment effluents and the distance to the mouth of the river. The BOD(5), NH(3), NO (3) (-) and fecal coliform counts clustered as one group and positively correlated to the distances from treated effluent and the measures of magnitude at the discharge points. Dissolved solids and most metal species scored high along a single principal component axes and were significantly correlated with the proximity to the industrialized area. From these data, one can conclude that the effluent discharge has been a main source of anthropogenic input to the Hackensack River over the past 15?years. Therefore, the greatest improvement to water quality would come from eliminating the few remaining combined sewer overflows and improving the removal of nutrients from treated effluents before they are discharged into the creeks and river.</P>

Assessment of phenanthrene bioavailability in aged and unaged soils by mild extraction.

Khan, Muhammad Imran,Cheema, Sardar Alam,Shen, Chaofeng,Zhang, Congkai,Tang, Xianjin,Shi, Jiyan,Chen, Xincai,Park, Joonhong,Chen, Yingxu D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2012 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.184 No.1

<P>It has become apparent that the threat of an organic pollutant in soil is directly related to its bioavailable fraction and that the use of total contaminant concentrations as a measure of potential contaminant exposure to plants or soil organisms is inappropriate. In light of this, non-exhaustive extraction techniques are being investigated to assess their appropriateness in determining bioavailability. To find a suitable and rapid extraction method to predict phenanthrene bioavailability, multiple extraction techniques (i.e., mild hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and organic solvents extraction) were investigated in soil spiked to a range of phenanthrene levels (i.e., 1.12, 8.52, 73, 136, and 335?μg?g(?-?1) dry soil). The bioaccumulation of phenanthrene in earthworm (Eisenia fetida) was used as the reference system for bioavailability. Correlation results for phenanthrene suggested that mild HPCD extraction was a better method to predict bioavailability of phenanthrene in soil compared with organic solvents extraction. Aged (i.e., 150?days) and fresh (i.e., 0?day) soil samples were used to evaluate the extraction efficiency and the effect of soil contact time on the availability of phenanthrene. The percentage of phenanthrene accumulated by earthworms and percent recoveries by mild extractants changed significantly with aging time. Thus, aging significantly reduced the earthworm uptake and chemical extractability of phenanthrene. In general, among organic extractants, methanol showed recoveries comparable to those of mild HPCD for both aged and unaged soil matrices. Hence, this extractant can be suitable after HPCD to evaluate risk of contaminated soils.</P>

Heavy metal contamination and metallothionein mRNA in blood and feathers of Black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) from South Korea.

Kim, Miran,Park, Kiyun,Park, Jin Young,Kwak, Inn-Sil D. Reidel Pub. Co ; Springer 2013 Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol.185 No.3

<P>The objectives of this study were to determine levels of heavy metal in the feathers and blood of Black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris), to evaluate metallothionein (MT) mRNA level in Black-tailed gulls on three independent islets, and to examine the correlation between heavy metal concentrations and MT mRNA expression. Eleven heavy metals (Al, Cd, Mn, Pb, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Hg, and As) were investigated in blood and feathers of 65 chicks from breeding colonies (Seomando, Hongdo, and Dokdo islet) of South Korea in 2010. Heavy metals were assayed by PerkinElmer NexION 300 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The mean concentrations of non-essential heavy metals were found to blood containing Cd (0.002 similar to 0.02 ppm), Pb (0.06 similar to 0.18) ppm, Hg (0.03 similar to 0.05) ppm, and As (0.26 similar to 0.48 ppm), and feather containing Cd (0.05 similar to 0.30 ppm), Pb (2.47 similar to 10.80 ppm), Hg (1.18 similar to 1.57 ppm), and As (0.15 similar to 0.44 ppm). Chicks on Seomando islet showed the highest levels of metals (Cd, Pb, Mn, Cr, Cu, and Se in blood; Al, As, Mn, Cr, Fe, Cu, and Se in feathers) among the colonies. Concentrations of Pb and Hg in feathers were the highest on Hongdo, and the levels of Cd and Zn in feathers were the highest on Dokdo islet. MT mRNA in the blood of Black-tailed gulls was relatively higher in gulls from Seomando than in gulls from Hongdo and Dokdo islet. MT mRNA level is thus positively correlated to heavy metal concentrations in Black-tailed gulls.</P>