Anthropogenic As pollution mediated by submarine groundwater discharge in a marine ranch.

Arsenic (As) pollution, is a global problem, threatening human health and ecological security, especially in the bay environment with dense population and human activities. Among potential pathways of As into the bay, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has not received adequate attention due to its invisibility. We determined As and 222Rn activity concentrations in different water mass. Spatial variation of dissolved As concentration in the groundwater was large and attributed to the adjacent local industries. By combining 222Rn mass balance modeling with As concentrations measured, the SGD-derived As fluxes was conservatively estimated to be 1310 kg As d-1 and 5880 kg As d-1 in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The migration of arsenic may be enhanced by rainfall and dissolved carbon. The amount of SGD derived As input to the bay was greater than the total combined As input from river discharge, atmosphere, sewage drainage, and diffusion from sediment.

Source identification and implications of heavy metals in urban roads for the coastal pollution in a beach town, Busan, Korea.

Heavy metals in the sediments of urban roads (RDS), storm drains (SDS), and marine areas (MS) were investigated to assess road pollution in a beach town adjacent to the coast in Busan and identify their relationships with the marine environment. RDS were considerably polluted with Zn, Cu, Cr, and Pb, with mean concentrations of 1090, 178, 171, and 199 mg/kg, respectively. MS were severely contaminated with Zn and Cu, exceeding the effects range median (ERM; Cu = 270, Zn = 410 mg/kg). PCA and HCA identified tire and brake wear in RDS as the major sources of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd, and that high levels of Zn, Cu, and Pb in RDS originating from traffic activities contaminated MS through the urban storm drain system. The results suggested that traffic-originated metals in RDS are potential pollutants in coastal environments, and further studies on their fate and management should be conducted.

Distribution of 239,240Pu in marine products from the seas around the Korean Peninsula after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.

In March 2011, an earthquake caused the shutdown of the active reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), with the succeeding tsunami resulting in the release of radioactively contaminated water into the adjacent Japanese coastal waters. Marine biota selected from various trophic levels were collected in Korean coastal waters throughout 2014 and 2015 and their plutonium levels were measured to evaluate the radioactive contamination levels in the marine organisms that constitute the primary seafood diet in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The results showed that the activity concentrations of 239,240Pu in plankton, macroalgae, mollusks, crustaceans, and cephalopods ranged from 13 to 58, 0.64 to 0.80, 0.94 to 5.40, 0.06 to 0.50, and 0.26 mBq kg-1 of wet weight (w.w.), respectively. The activity concentrations of 239,240Pu measured in the muscles of fish varied from 0.09 to 0.30 mBq kg-1 (w.w.), relatively low values compared to those in other groups regardless of fish species, size, and sampling area. The concentration characteristics of 239,240Pu in the various organs in the respective marine products revealed that the internal organs showed higher concentrations than the muscle or skin (or exoskeleton). The highest concentration of 239,240Pu was measured in the viscera of an abalone, which had an activity concentration of 6.31 mBq kg-1 (w.w.). The concentration factors (CFs) in the >300-µm fraction of plankton and in anchovy, shrimp, and mackerel ranged 67-84% of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-recommended values, although the CF in macroalgae was much lower at approximately 5% of IAEA values, suggesting a wide range of 239,240Pu CF in macroalgae. The mean transfer factor (TF) between macroalgae (0.6-0.8 mBq kg-1) and abalone (5.4 mBq kg-1) was estimated to be 7.5, implying that effective Pu transfer occurred between the two species. These figures equate to annual effective doses of 239,240Pu to Koreans through consumption of macroalgae, shellfish, and fish of 1.8 × 10-6, 1.4 × 10-6, and 7.1 × 10-7 mSv yr-1, respectively, and a total dose of 3.9 × 10-6 mSv yr-1, values that are negligible compared to the annual effective dose limit of 1 mSv yr-1.

On the role of 210Bi in the apparent disequilibrium of 210Pb-210Po at sea.

The disequilibrium of the grandparent-daughter pair 210Pb (t1/2=22.3 years)-210Po (t1/2=138 days) has been used to estimate the export fluxes of particulate organic carbon in the ocean using particulate-matter-associated 210Po. 210Po is produced from 210Bi, not from 210Pb. The half-life of 210Bi (t1/2=5.01 days) is sufficiently long compared to the rates of biological particle formation and decomposition or dissolution occurring at sea. The role of 210Bi has not yet been assessed quantitatively in the apparent disequilibrium between 210Pb and 210Po, partly due to the non-existence of 210Bi depth profile measurements at sea up to now. However, greater affinity of 210Bi over 210Po and 210Pb was found recently in coastal waters and phytoplankton 207Bi uptake experiments. Build upon these findings, we developed a primitive and simple analytical approach to elucidate the role of 210Bi in the 210Po-210Pb pair in the ocean using a simplified two-box irreversible steady-state ocean model. We assumed that the activity concentrations in the dissolved and particulate phases of 210Pb, 210Bi, and 210Po in a given water column are solely determined by the concentration of the particles, their input and output, the distribution coefficients between dissolved and particulate phases, and decay constants of these radionuclides in the steady-state ocean. The 210Bi contribution to the 210Pb-210Po activity difference in seawater is found to be significant, therefore, it needs to be considered in estimating particle fluxes using 210Pb-210Po secular equilibrium at sea.

Studies on the Role of Nitrogen in the Feed for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Under Fixed-Bed Reactor System.

In this study, Co/Al203 catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was prepared via slurry impregnation method and the catalyst was characterized by various techniques such as TPR, XRD, TGA and N2 physisorption. To dissolve the wax, after-reaction catalyst was dewaxed using n-Hexane at 60 *C. The experiments were performed in a bench-scale fixed-bed reactor, under the reaction condition of 230 degrees C, 20 bar and feed volume ratio of H2:CO:N2 = 2:1:0.5-1.5. The methane selectivity and the ratio of olefin to paraffin among C2-C4 hydrocarbons were increased with higher contents of nitrogen in feed gas which result in higher partial pressure ratio of H2 to CO, and also affect methane selectivity which has a significant role in increased CO conversion.

Metal elements in the bottom sediments of the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent continental shelf of the East China Sea.

The metal elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb and Ca) in the bottom sediment of the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent continental shelf of the East China Sea were studied to map their spatial distribution and to assess their potential risk to the marine biota. These metal concentrations except Ca were generally higher in the inner shelf and northeastern part, and were found to decrease from the coast to the offshore of the Changjiang Estuary. Sedimentary Ca was most abundant in the outer shelf sediments and decreased in inner shelf. Arsenic (As) appeared to be contaminated due to economic development from 1980s in the inner shelf overall, but the potential ecological risk from the selected metals was low in the coastal sea off the Changjiang.

Distribution and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides residues in sediments and Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) from along the Mid-Western coast of Korea.

The distribution and bioaccumulation features of PCBs, DDTs, and HCHs were investigated in the sediments and Manila clams collected from along the Mid-Western coast of Korea. The measured concentrations of ΣPCBs, ΣDDTs and ΣHCHs were 1.08-3.5, 0.12-0.35 and 0.090-0.30 ng g(-1) dw in sediment, and 33-390, 7.4-46 and 6.3-27 ng g(-1) lipid in Manila clam, respectively. Their levels were found to be relatively lower than those of other contaminated areas and the consumption of Manila clam from these areas seems to be safe for human health according to calculated lifetime cancer risk and hazard indices. The ΣPCBs and ΣDDTs concentrations in sediments showed a significant relationship to those in clams. The significant correlation was observed between BSAF in clams and Kow for each PCB congeners and DDT metabolites. These findings support that the PCBs and DDTs levels, which are highly hydrophobic chemicals, in clam reflect the sediment pollution through bioaccumulation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in starfish body and bottom sediments in Mohang Harbor (Taean), South Korea.

The concentrations of 27 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in bottom sediments and starfish from Mohang Harbor (MH) in Taean peninsula, South Korea. In December 2007, crude oil washed ashore from the M/V Hebei Spirit and was subsequently cleaned up within a few months of the incident. The ecological risk, bioaccumulation factor (BAF), and composition of the 27 PAHs were examined. The PAH concentrations in the bottom sediment ranged from 24 to 366 µg/kg dried weight, and the ecological risk was determined as minimal (mERL-Q < 1). Total PAH concentrations in Asterina pectinifera (inside seawall) and Asterias amurensis (outside seawall) were 1,226 and 1,477 µg/kg dry weight (d.w.), respectively. The total BAFs (∑BAF) for A. amurensis was 3.8 times higher than that of A. pectinifera, and the PAH concentrations of 5-6 log K OW were highest in the two starfish species. Further, PAH fingerprint analysis (nine alkyl-substituted PAHs fraction, low molecular weight (LMW)/high molecular weight (HMW), Phe/Ant, and Flu/Pyr), and principal component analysis (PCA) based on three crude oil samples from the M/V Hebei Spirit showed no remaining influence of crude oil.

Magnetic characteristics of sediment grains concurrently contaminated with TBT and metals near a shipyard in Busan, Korea.

Bottom sediments near shipyards are often susceptible to receiving accidental spills of TBT and metals or their degradation products from hull scraping of antifouling system paints applied prior to 2008, when the AFS Convention 2001 was not in force. We investigated TBT and metal contamination of sediments near the shipyards of a small marina located in Busan, Korea and found that they were highly contaminated with TBT, Cu, and Zn. To better understand the environmental impacts and to make an optimal remediation plan, we characterized individual antifouling fragments in terms of metal and TBT contents, magnetic properties, and grain-size. Coarse-sized individual antifouling fragments exhibited simultaneously high levels of TBT, metals and high magnetic susceptibility, and appeared to be a major source of pollution in the sediment. Therefore, magnetic separation in combination with size-separation appears to be a cost-effective remediation method to remove the TBT and metals from contaminated shipyard sediments.

Evaluation of plating conditions for the recovery of ²¹°Po on a Ag planchet.

The polonium-210 in the sea and its radiological consequences have been widely studied. Current processes for (210)Po recovery from seawater vary significantly. We compared selected processes to determine optimal conditions for recovery in modestly equipped laboratories. Plating (210)Po onto a Ag planchet with constant stirring for 15 h at room temperature after preconcentration from seawater samples with Mn was preferred, achieving more than 96% recovery with 3% or less precision. Possible contaminants were masked only by ascorbic acid treatment.

Congener-specific accumulation and environmental risk assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in diverse Korean sewage sludge types.

Industrial, domestic wastewater, and livestock sludge samples were collected from 23 wastewater treatment plants in Korea and analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The concentrations of Σ19PBDE ranged from 4.01 to 10,400 ng/g dry weight. The average Σ19PBDE concentrations in industrial, domestic wastewater, and livestock sludge were 1,560 ± 3,610, 402 ± 148, and 27.6 ± 50.4 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The composition of PBDEs differed according to the type of sludge. Among the PBDE congeners, BDE 209 was dominant in all sludge samples. After BDE 209, relatively high levels were found for BDE 28 and 47 from industrial sludge, BDE 47 and 99 from domestic wastewater sludge, and BDE 206, 207, and 208 from livestock sludge. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, sludges were divided into three groups according to PBDE congener composition. A risk assessment of PBDEs in sludge used for soil amendment was carried out. Preliminary results indicated that the potential risk of soil exposed to PBDEs in sludge was relatively low.

Distributions of heavy metals in the sediments of South Korean harbors.

Bottom sediments of harbors in the South Korea have been long suspected for metal contamination due to ship-based and urban-based activities for the past several decades. A number of areas have been suspected to impair ecosystem services to the local residents and drawn complaints from main stakeholders. Twelve contamination suspected harbors were subject to evaluate the level of contamination of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg. The level of sediment contamination for each metal was evaluated comparing the relative enrichment of a given metal to pollution-insensitive aluminum. Regional background concentration of a given metal was also determined based on its down core measurement and sediment texture. Ecological risk posed by the presence of heavy metals was evaluated using the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) developed by United States National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration (US NOAA) as benchmarks for evaluating sediment chemistry to aquatic organisms. Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg in the surface sediment were found to be higher than a factor of 1.5 than background sediments, and the overall metal contaminations of surface sediment can be regarded as medium-high- to high-priority sites in the sense of SQGs.

Anthropogenic and natural radionuclides in caribou and muskoxen in the western Alaskan Arctic and marine fish in the Aleutian Islands in the first half of 2000s.

A number of caribou and muskoxen samples from the western Alaskan Arctic and fish samples from the Aleutian Islands were collected between 1998 and 2006 and analyzed for anthropogenic ((90)Sr and (137)Cs) and natural radionculides ((40)K, (210)Pb and (226)Ra), as part of the radiological assessment for the regional subsistence hunting communities in the first half of 2000s. We examined the relationship between the activities of these nuclides with the size of the fish. In caribou samples, concentration of (90)Sr in muscle was below the detection limit of 0.14 Bq kg(-1) and (137)Cs concentration in bones was below the detection limit of 0.15 Bq kg(-1). (137)Cs activity varied over an order of magnitude in caribou muscle samples with an average value of 2.5 Bq/kg wet wt. Average (137)Cs activity in muskoxen muscle was found to be 9.7 Bq/kg wet wt. However, there were a little variation (less than 60%) in (210)Pb, (40)K, and (226)Ra in both muscle and bone of both caribou and muskoxen. The activities of total (210)Pb in caribou and muskox bones were found to be 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than that of parent-supported (210)Pb indicating the potential for dating of bones of terrestrial mammals (time elapsed since the death of the animal) based on the excess (210)Pb method exists. In fish muscle samples, (137)Cs activity varied from below detection limit to 154 mBq/kg wet wt. and its content increased with the size of the fish due to its transfer through the food chain. Among the seven fish species investigated, (210)Pb activities varied almost an order of magnitude; however, (40)K and (226)Ra activities varied less than a factor of two. Total annual effective dose due to (90)Sr and (137)Cs from the ingestion of those terrestrial and marine meats was estimated to be negligible (ca. 9 µSV/a) compared to the natural radionuclides present thus posing negligible radiological threat to humans.

Acetylthiocholine (ATC)--cleaving cholinesterase (ChE) activity as a potential biomarker of pesticide exposure in the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, of Korea.

The acetylthiocholine (ATC) - cleaving cholinesterase (ChE) activity in Manila clam, which is widely distributed throughout the coastal environment of Korea, was assayed as a potentially useful biomarker of organophosphorous pesticides (OPs). A clear dose-response relationship was determined between inhibited ChE in adductor muscle of clams and four OPs (methidathion, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, IBP) which are heavily used OPs in Korea. The measured EC(50)-24 h values of methidathion, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and IBP for Ruditapes philippinarum were 7.16 µg l(-1), 0.34 mg l(-1), 3.01 mg l(-1), and 3.41 mg l(-1), respectively. In field studies, ChE activity in Manila clams collected from 23 stations in the mid-western coastal region demonstrated spatial variation with statistical differences. These results suggest that ChE activity in R. philippinarum is a potential biomarker for assessing organophosphorous pesticide contamination in coastal environments.

Multicriteria decision analysis to assess options for managing contaminated sediments: Application to Southern Busan Harbor, South Korea.

Many years of untreated effluent discharge from residential areas, a shipyard, a marina, and a large fish market resulted in substantial contamination of bottom sediment in Southern Busan Harbor, South Korea. Contaminants in these sediments include heavy metals and organic compounds. Newly introduced regulations for ocean disposal of dredged material in South Korea pose significant challenges, because the previous practice of offshore disposal of contaminated dredged material was no longer possible after August 2008. The South Korean government has mandated that such sediments be assessed in a way that identifies the most appropriate dredged material management alternative, addressing environmental, social, and cost objectives. An approach using multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) in combination with comparative risk assessment was used as a systematic and transparent framework for prioritizing several dredged sediment management alternatives. We illustrate how MCDA can recognize the multiple goals of contaminated sediment management. Values used in weighting decision criteria were derived from surveys of stakeholders who were sediment management professionals, business owners, or government decision makers. The results of the analysis showed that land reclamation was the preferred alternative among cement-lock, sediment washing, 3 contained aquatic disposal alternatives (one in combination with a hopper dredge), geotextile tubes, solidification, and land reclamation after solidification treatment. Land reclamation was the preferred alternative, which performed well across all MCDA objectives, because of the availability of a near-shore confined disposal facility within a reasonable distance from the dredging area.

A decision-analysis approach for contaminated dredged material management in South Korea.

To meet London Protocol requirements, South Korea is preparing to reduce the need for disposal of dredged material at sea. The new requirements controlling ocean disposal of dredged material pose significant challenges to the South Korean government, because the previous practice of offshore disposal of contaminated dredged material is no longer permitted. Hence, other alternatives for treating and disposing of contaminated dredged material are being evaluated and selected for implementation. A new management and decision approach is therefore needed for regulators and implementers to show what information and what decision-making processes were used to make the decision, to increase administrative transparency for such projects in the public domain. To address this need, an iterative approach was developed for dredged material management that includes the essential elements of process, people, and tools needed for successful environmental decision making. The approach has 6 steps: problem definition, developing objectives and criteria, identifying alternatives, performing the evaluation, comparing alternatives, and selecting the preferred alternative. The primary objective of the approach is to provide a systematic means of exploring contaminated dredged material management alternatives in South Korea using criteria that integrate risk with economic and stakeholder value information. The approach incorporates the desired decision-making attributes of transparency, comparative analysis, and inclusion of public input. Although it was developed for South Korea, the approach can be applied in any situation in which dredged material management alternatives are being considered to manage contaminated sediment risks.

90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu concentration surface water time series in the Pacific and Indian Oceans--WOMARS results.

Under an IAEA's Co-ordinated Research Project "Worldwide Marine Radioactivity Studies (WOMARS)" 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu concentration surface water time series in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have been investigated. The Pacific and Indian Oceans were divided into 17 latitudinal boxes according to ocean circulation, global fallout patterns and the location of nuclear weapons test sites. The present levels and time trends in radionuclide concentrations in surface water for each box were studied and the corresponding effective half-lives were estimated. For the year 2000, the estimated average 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu concentrations in surface waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans varied from 0.1 to 1.5 mBq/L, 0.1 to 2.8 mBq/L, and 0.1 to 5.2 microBq/L, respectively. The mean effective half-lives for 90Sr and 137Cs in surface water were 12+/-1 years for the North, 20+/-1 years for the South and 21+/-2 years for the Equatorial Pacific. For (239,240)Pu the corresponding mean effective half-lives were 7+/-1 years for the North, 12+/-4 years for the South and 10+/-2 years for the Equatorial Pacific. For the Indian Ocean the mean effective half-lives of 137Cs and (239,240)Pu were 21+/-2 years and 9+/-1 years, respectively. There is evidence that fallout removal rates before 1970 were faster than those observed during recent decades. The estimated surface water concentrations of 90Sr, 137Cs and (239,240)Pu in latitudinal belts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans for the year 2000 may be used as the average levels so that any new contribution from nuclear facilities, nuclear weapons test sites, radioactive waste dumping sites and from possible nuclear accidents can be identified.