To provide evidence that the changes in oceanic environmental conditions are useful indices for predicting stock structure and distribution of the Pacific saury (Cololabis saira), the body length compositions and catch per unit fishing effort were examined in relation to the sea surface temperature(SST) anomalies in the Tsushima Warm Current(TWC) region. The size of the fish became larger(smaller) than the average in the same size category during the season of higher SST(lower SST) as opposed to the normal SST. The year-to-year changes in body size caused by the changes in the environmental conditions led the stock to be homogeneous during the period of high stock level from the late 1950s to early 1970s and in the 1990s.
The changes in body size manifested by higher(lower) occurrence rates of larger (smaller) sized groups in relation to temperature anomalies suggest that the changes in the environmental conditions affect the distribution and the structure of the stock in the TWC region. Therefore, if the SST anomaly derived from satellite data is large enough in the early spring months(Mar. or Apr.), it is possible to predict whether or not sea temperature will be favorable for large sized groups of saury at normal or slightly earlier time of commencement of the fishery in spring(Apr.~June).
The surface sediments inside Hallim Harbor, one of the major harbors of Jeju Island, were sampled three times (June, September and December, 2001) and analyzed for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), recommended by US-EPA as priority pollutants, to assess their distribution levels and to suggest their possible origins. The concentrations of PAHs ranged from 19 to 496 ng/g on a dry weight basis with a mean value of 245 ng/g, and the levels were low to moderate in comparison with other areas in the world. Based on comparisons of individual and total PAH concentrations with effects-based and equilibrium partitioning-based on sediment quality guidelines, the potential for the biological effects were expected to be low. The sedimentary PAHs may be correlated with organic carbon and mud contents to some extent. From the examinations of the four PAH origin indices, such as LMW/HMW (low molecular weight 2-3 ring PAHs over high molecular weight 4-6 ring PAHs), phenanthrene/anthracene ratio, fluoranthene/pyrene ratio, chrysene/benzo[a]anthracene ratio, it can be concluded that the sediment PAH contaminations were ascribed to both pyrolytic and petrogenic origins.
The Carbon Bond Mechanism Ⅳ has been developed for use in urban- and regional-scale oxidant models. The photochemical mechanism, CBM4, contains extensive improvements to earlier carbon bond mechanisms in the chemical representations of aromatics, biogenic hydrocarbons, peroxyacetyl nitartes, and formaldehyde. Ozone is produced mainly by nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon. By altering the initial concentrations of the mechanism, an analysis of the sensitivity of ozone concentrations to VOC/NOx ratios and VOC composition is conducted in this one-dimensional mechanism. Note that it is considered a chemical mechanism in order to understand the photochemical reactions within this mechanism. It analyzed the results of these simulations by applying a NOx-sensitive and a VOC-sensitive regime. These sensitivity regimes are changed to match the relative contribution of VOC and NOx concentrations to ozone production in simulations of two sets.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important group of organic contaminants present in sewage sludge, due to their persistence, toxic, bioaccumulative and long range transfer. These characters make themselves as Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs) in Long Range Transboundary Air Pollutions convention(LRTAP) of Europe. A method of the gas chromatographicmass spectrometric (GCMS) determination of PAHs present in sewage sludge was developed and applied to analyzed samples from five sewerage treatment plants (SWTPs), having different treatment types.
PAHs were extracted from freeze-dried samples by toluene 16 hours in a soxhlet extraction system. The sludge extracts were cleaned-up by an activated silica gel column chromatography. The sum of the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency PAHs sewage sludge samples varied from 2.44 to 4.82 ㎍/ g. Concentration of emission carcinogen PAHs(PAHcarc), such as Benzo(a)anthracene, Benzo(b)fluoran- thene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene and Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene ranged from 0.62 to 1.03 ㎍/g. The total amount of PAHs emission from sewage sludge in Korea was calculated as a top-down approach. PAHs and ∑PAHcarc from sewage treatment plants had emitted to environment by several pathway. The highest amount of emission to the environment was remarked in the ocean dumping(PAHs and ∑PAHcarc emissions were 1155.95 kg/year and 5040.32 kg/year, respectively).
Laboratory sorption isotherm batch studies have been attempted to elucidate interaction of synthetic pyrethroids (bifenthrin and permethrin) with sediments and their fractions. As a nonlinear isothermal model, the Freundlich equation was applied to sorption results obtained from sediments to investigate the relationship between synthetic pyrethroids and sediments containing different amounts of organic carbon. Results demonstrated that the sorption capabilities of bifenthrin and cis- and trans-permethrin was in the order of bifenthrin, cis-permethrin and trans-permethrin, respectively, indicating that adsorbed bifenthrin was the most stable followed by cis- and trans-permethrin in all sediments. Their sorption capability was closely related to organic carbon contents in sediments. Higher sorption was observed in sediments containing higher organic carbon contents. Sorption study extended into the fractions, clay and humic acids, extracted from a sediment, indicated that higher sorption capacity in humic acids occurred than in the clay of both examined bifenthrin and permethrin. This study demonstrates the sorption of synthetic pyrethroids with sediments, and will help in the understanding of the transport and fate of synthetic pyrethroids existing in field sediments.
Hibiscus hamabo, called "Hwang-geun", growing about 3m in height is a deciduous shrub or subtree of Malvaceae. Because the number of these species is very limited in the world, the Ministry of Environment has designated H. hamabo as a preserved plant. The Korea Forest Service also protects it strictly by law since H. hamabo is an out-of-the-way plant and possibly may be exterminated soon in Korea. Investigation for distribution and ecological characteristics of the habitat for H. hamabo was carried out on Soan Island. Two wild H. hamabo were found at the forest edge (34。11‘35.4“N, 126。38'55.9"E) along the sea coast located in the southern part of Soan Island and this was the first report in the Korean academic world. These two wild H. hamabos were growing in a naturally inhibited area.
The diameters at the base were 12cm and 15cm. The Tree heights were 150cm and 210cm and the number of branches of each wild H. hamabo was 4 and 7. However, the present condition of these plants was not good. Environmental conditions of the naturally inhibited area of H. hamabo were very mild because it is located at the edge of the forest and is always sunny during the daytime since the slope of the inhibited area is facing South. The ground drained very well since the soil was made of gravels and sand. Because the percent of vegetation of the subtree layer where H. hamabo was growing was 40%, the cover degree and sociability of Ilex crenata trees and Eurya japonica were found to be high. In the naturally inhibited area of H. hamabo, a dominant value of Rubus parvifolius in the lower part of the herb layer was very high and many plants in Compositae, such as Artemisia princeps var. orientalis and Erigeron annuus, were also present. A dominant value of liana, such as Vitis thunbergii var. sinuata, Rosa multiflora, Clematis terniflora and Hedera rhombea, and Gramineae plants that rhizomes were well developed and aggressively propagated, such as Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens, Phragmites communis, Spodiopogon cotulifer and Oplismenus undulatifolius which were surveyed as high, too. These results imply that H. hamabo might be exterminated soon through a natural selection if the proper management of the naturally inhibited area of H. hamabo is not conducted continually.
The effect of boron and aluminum on the development of adventitious roots was studied in sunflower cuttings. Three-day-old seedlings were de-rooted and grown in nutrient solutions with or without boron and supplemented with different concentrations (from 50 to 700 μM) of aluminum. The number and length of the adventitious roots and proline content in adventitious roots in response to insufficient boron and aluminum stress were determined periodically. The micronutrient boron caused the development of numerous roots in the lower parts of the hypocotyl. A dose-response of boron-induced rooting yielded an optimum concentration of 0.1 mM boron. In the absence of boron, in the majority of the adventitious roots, a significant inhibition was observed with or without aluminum, indicating that the most apparent symptom of boron deficiency is the cessation of root growth. Increasing concentrations of aluminum caused progressive inhibition of growth and rooting of the hypocotyls, and a parallel increase in proline levels of adventitious roots. Supplemental boron ameliorated the inhibitory effect of aluminum, suggesting that aluminum could inhibit root growth by inducing boron deficiency. Ascorbate added to medium in the absence of boron improved root growth and induced a significant decrease in proline levels. These findings suggest that adventitious root growth inhibition resulting from either boron deficiency or aluminum toxicity may be a result of impaired ascorbate metabolism.