The larvicidal and repellent activities of 33 plant extracts against two mosquitoes as Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus were examined using direct contact application for larva and a patch test for adult. Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. alpinum, Cnidium officinale, Ginkgo biloba, Magnolia kobus, and Magnolia denudate at 1,000 ppm caused 100% mortality to Cx. pipiens larva within 24 hr. Ailanthus altissima, Dryopteris crassirhizoma, Houttuynia cordata, Mentha arvensis, Phyllostachys nigra, and Parthenocissus tricuspidata showed over 90% mortality to Cx. pipiens. C. zawadskii var. alpinum, C. officinale, G. biloba, M. kobus, M. denudate, and P. nigra gave 100% mortality at 1,000 ppm to Ae. albopictus. Acorus gramineus, Campanula takesimana, and D. crassirhizoma, showed 97.8%, 94.5%, and 94.4% mortality to Ae. albopictus at 24 hr, respectively. Five plant extracts (C. zawadskii var. alpinum, C. officinale, G. biloba, M. kobus, and M. denudate) showed 100% mortality both Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus. However, A. altissima gave 90% larvicidal activity to Cx. pipiens, whereas 7.8% mortality to Ae. albopictus. Several plant extracts which have highly larvicidal activities, were determined repellency against two mosquitoes species.

The insecticidal activities of materials derived from the rhizomes of turmeric, Curcuma longa L., against third instar larva of Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus were evaluated using a direct contact mortality bioassay. Curcuma longa L. hexane extraction showed 100% larvicidal activity both two mosquitoes species at 1,000 ppm after treated 24 h. Purification of the biologically active constituents from the hexane extraction with larvicidal activity was done using silica gel column chromatography. H1 fraction gave 100% mortality to C. pipiens and A. albopictus at 100 ppm. H12 fraction was determined 100% and 87.8% larvicidal activity to C. pipiens and A. albopictus at 50 ppm, respectively. H12 fraction was analyzed as the sesquiterpene, ar-turmerone (C15H20O) and turmerone(C15H22O) by GC and GC-MS.

Repellency of 20 plant essential oils to malaria main vector in the Republic of Korea (ROK), Anopheles kleini, was evaluated using skin direct contact bioassay. Anopheles kleini showed the highest repellency to Pelargonium graveolens with EC50 value of 0.244 mg/cm2, followed by Pinus sylvestris and Cinnamomum camphora with EC50 values of 0.484 mg/cm2 and 0.862 mg/cm2. The lowest repellency of An. kleini was revealed from Clary sage oil with EC50 value of 4.665 mg/cm2. Anopheles kleini did not demonstrated any repellency to Lemon, Orange, Neem, Coconut and Olive oil over 20 mg/cm2. Major repellent constituents of Geranium, Pine and Camphora oil were analyzed and identified using Mass-data, GC and GC-Mass. Major constituent of Geranium were β-citronellol (37.0%) and Camphora, 1,8-cineole (35.8%) and Pine, α-terpineol (39.5%). Anopheles kleini showed higher repellency to β-citronellol and 1,8-cineole than to DEET and IR3535 and did not showed any repellency to sabinene and γ-eudesmol over 20 mg/cm2. Residual repellent time of 1,8-cineole and β-citronellol were 26 and 41 min, respectively and DEET, 84 min and IR3535, 102 min. In the light of global efforts to reduce the level of highly toxic synthetic repellents, the three essential oils and their major constituents described merit further study as potential biorepellents for the control of An. kleini populations

Insecticide resistance and activation of the metabolic detoxification enzymes of female Culex pipiens pallens by the blood meal were assessed using a micro-application bioassay and micro-plate enzyme activity assays. Four group of Cx. pipiens pallens were used, a susceptible non-engorging group at seven days after emerging, SNE7 Cp; a resistant non-engorging group at seven days after emerging, RNE7 Cp; a resistant engorged group at one day after blood feeding and a resistant engorged group at seven days after blood feeding, REG7 Cp. Insecticide resistance of Cx. pipiens pallans was increased by the blood feeding. Based on LC50 values, SNE7 Cp demonstrated >50 fold of higher susceptibility to all tested insecticides when compared with RNE7 Cp. RNE7 Cp showed higher susceptibility to all tested insecticides than REG1 Cp and REG7 Cp with a relative susceptibility LC50 (SRLC50) of 25.8 to 50.0 and 25.0 to 48.8. In micro-plate enzyme assays, the metabolic detoxification enzyme activity of Cx. pipiens pallans adult females was increased by the blood feeding. Activation of non-specific esterases (EST), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and mixed function oxidase (MFO) in RNE7 were higher than in SNE7 and the all tested enzymes in REG1 and REG7 demonstrated significantly higher enzyme activation than RNE7, except for activation of GST in REG1. Activation of MFO in REG1 and REG7 were 209.4- and 74.6- fold higher than in REG7, respectively. Non-specific esterases (EST) and glutathione-S-transferase exhibited < 10 fold of higher Rr values. These results may be significant in terms of the criteria that are used to evaluate resistance, because blood fed female mosquitoes may show enhanced expression of the resistance phenotype, possibly allowing for earlier detection of insecticide resistance.

Gamma-ray treatment was used to exterminate nematodes, which were harmful to agriculture. When gamma-ray at the dose range of 5～75 kGy was irrdaidated, nematodes were reduced by 40～50%. When irradiated over 30 kGy, almost nematodes were non-mobile and fluorochromatic reactions showed that 60～80% of nematodes with non-mobility died after irradiation. The results of electron spin resonance spectroscopy suggested that radicals generated by radiolysis could damage to nematodes.

This study was focused on the manufacturing method of a dewatering aid, which would reduce the water content of the sludge cake by enhancing the dewaterability of sewage sludge. The pretreatment technology for sludge by using radiation and among diverse discarded resources were starfish selected as the material to manufacture the dewatering aid. Starfish went through the process of washing, drying, and pulverizing. The starfish powder made in this process was applied to the digested sludge generated at the sewage treatment plant of D City, and its effects were investigated. The starfish powder that was 300 μm in particle size was added to the irradiated digested sludge. After the application of the condensation process, the sludge with the starfish powder added was dewatered using the belt press and centrifuge, which were the traditional pressure dewatering devices. As the result, it reduced the water content of the sludge 20% higher than the dewatered cake with no dewatering aid added and irradiation. When the powder was added, it contributed to less use of the coagulant added. The more irradiation dose, the lower water content did the dewatered cake have and the more coagulant was needed for condensation, which seems to be a disadvantage that can be compensated for by the starfish dewatering aid. A small-scaled treatment of the study to a radiation technology and dewatering aid using a discarded resource confirmed the potential of dewaterability. Based on the results saying that the dewatering aid and radiation technology can improve dewatering effects using the traditional dewatering devices, this pretreatment technology will be expected to be applied to sewage treatment plants.