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In this study, trends in hazardous pollution emissions in South Korea for the last decade were investigated to protect people’s health and contribute to the prevention of environmental risks by reducing emissions. It was found that hazardous pollution emissions increased from 47,688,000 kg in 2007 to 57,247,000 kg in 2016. Among them, Xylene and Toluene exhibited the highest proportions. 99% of hazardous pollution were emitted to the atmosphere. Among the Group 1 carcinogens, the top two substances (trichloroethylene, benzene) accounted for more than 80% of the emissions, and trichloroethylene took up the most. Carcinogen emissions also increased, and emissions from major industrial complexes represented approximately 30% of the total chemical emissions from all industrial complexes. Chemical emissions exhibited no significant relationship with particulate matter, cancers, and allergic diseases. It can be said, however, that the use of various chemicals has chemical accident risks. Owing to the nature of chemical accidents, an accident may lead to secondary damage. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare measures for the management of various chemicals and to perform continuous monitoring for reducing chemical emissions.

Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and has been frequently detected in surface waters around the world. Although endocrine disruption and reproduction related effects of NSAIDs are of increasing concern, the ecotoxicity of naproxen in aquatic organisms is limited primarily to acute lethal effects. In this study, chronic toxicity of naproxen was evaluated employing two daphnids (Daphnia magna and Moina macrocopa) and a fish (Oryzias latipes). The effects of naproxen on sex steroid hormones and gene transcription related to steroidogenesis were also evaluated in H295R cells. The chronic no observed effect concentrations (NOECs) of naproxen for reproduction were determined to be 10 mg L−1 in D. magna and 0.3 mg L−1 in M. macrocopa. At concentrations of 0.5 mg L−1, the survival of juvenile medaka fish was significantly decreased and transcription of erβ2 gene was significantly increased. Concentration of 17β-estradiol (E2) and the ratio of E2 and testosterone were significantly increased in H295R cells at 10 mg L−1, suggesting that naproxen could modulate sex hormone production. The current detected levels of naproxen in ambient Korean rivers are far lower than the effective levels, however potential adverse effects cannot be ignored in some highly polluted areas. Endocrine disruption effects in fish warrant further investigation particularly for their ecological implications.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been found in water environment globally. However, the difference on occurrence profiles between PFASs in water from coastal areas and inland rivers or/and agricultural areas is still limited. In this study, the presence of thirteen PFASs in sixty-five surface water samples collected from coastal areas of three southeastern industrialized bays, four major rivers, and six rice field areas in Korea were analyzed. Total PFAS concentrations (ng/L) range from 0.22-73.9 (mean=22.1) for the major rivers, 0.54-3.19 (mean=1.77) for the rice field areas, and

Pharmaceutical residues are potential threats to aquatic ecosystems. Because more than 3000 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are in use, identifying high-priority pharmaceuticals is important for developing appropriate management options. Priority pharmaceuticals may vary by geographical region, because their occurrence levels can be influenced by demographic, societal, and regional characteristics. In the present study, the authors prioritized human pharmaceuticals of potential ecological risk in the Korean water environment, based on amount of use, biological activity, and regional hydrologic characteristics. For this purpose, the authors estimated the amounts of annual production of 695 human APIs in Korea. Then derived predicted environmental concentrations, using 2 approaches, to develop an initial candidate list of target pharmaceuticals. Major antineoplastic drugs and hormones were added in the initial candidate list regardless of their production amount because of their high biological activity potential. The predicted no effect concentrations were derived for those pharmaceuticals based on ecotoxicity information available in the literature or by model prediction. Priority lists of human pharmaceuticals were developed based on ecological risks and availability of relevant information. Those priority APIs identified include acetaminophen, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, metformin, and norethisterone. Many of these pharmaceuticals have been neither adequately monitored nor assessed for risks in Korea. Further efforts are needed to improve these lists and to develop management decisions for these compounds in Korean water.

The uptake of nanoparticles by aquatic organisms such as fish has raised concerns about the possible adverse effects of nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the toxicological effects in juvenile common carp exposed to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for 12 weeks. The carp were exposed to 0 (control), 0.1, 0.3, 0.8, and 2.4 mg/L of ZnO-NPs under a flow-through exposure system. Fish were sampled at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks to test for zinc in the test water and blood, and biochemistry analysis; further, they were sampled at 12 weeks to observe ultrastructural changes in the liver, kidney, and gill. In the organic serum, changes in the glutamic pyruvic transaminase/alanine aminotransferase (GPT/ALT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase/aspartate aminotransferase (GOT/AST) levels were significant, but changes in the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were not significantly different across all exposure periods. In the inorganic serum, the magnesium (Mg), inorganic phosphorus (IP), sodium (Na+), and chloride (Cl–) levels were significantly different in the exposure group and across exposure periods. However, calcium (Ca) and potassium (K+) levels were not significantly different. In the enzyme serum, the glucose (GLU) level significantly increased for the highest exposure group, but the total cholesterol (TCHO), triglyceride (Tg), and total protein (TP) levels were not significantly different during the exposure period. Ultrastructural changes in the liver induced changes in the black granules (of various sizes) in the lysosomes, indistinct nucleus membrane, and non-spherical nucleus. In the kidney, some mild changes were observed in the size and number of the lysosomes in the renal tubule. Desquamation and hypertrophy of pavement epithelial cells and vacuolation in the cytoplasm of the chloride cells were observed in the gill. Nanoparticles were also observed in the red blood cells, cytoplasm of all tissues, and glomerulus of the kidney. The observed changes in the serum and tissues may provide useful information regarding environmental conditions and risk assessments of aquatic organisms.

To elucidate the multi-generational estrogenic potential of Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) mixture, vitellogenin (VTG) expression, growth indices, histological alteration, fecundity, hatching rate, larval survival rate, and sex ratio of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were investigated by exposing the fish to a mixture of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluroroctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) for three generations (238 days). Mixture composition is in the ratio of 1:1:1:1. In addition, whole body burden for each PFAA was analyzed. According to the results, concentrated levels of the PFAAs in both F1 and F2 generation O. latipes were ordered PFOS PFNA PFOA PFBS at both low concentration (0.5 μg/L) and high concentration (5 μg/L), whereas a significant difference in whole body burden based on sex or generation was not detected. Significant induction of VTG expression in F2 and the decline of the gonad somatic index (GSI) in F1 were observed following PFAAs mixture exposure (p 0.05, one-way ANOVA). Furthermore, suppression level of reproduction rate relative to the control increased as generation was transferred to the next in response to PFAAs mixture or 17 β-estradiol exposure, with the inhibition of hatchability observed in the F1 generation. The PFAA high concentration caused significant alteration of F1 generation sex ratio, suggesting the adverse effect of PFAA in population level (Chi-square test, P 0.05). Overall, this study demonstrated that PFAA mixture could have the potential of multi-generational endocrine disruptors in O. latipes.

The Nackdong River is the longest river in South Korea and passes through major cities that have several industrial complexes, including chemical, electric, and petrochemical complexes, and municipal characteristics such as apartment complexes. Along the river, the Gumi region has an electric industrial complex and an apartment complex that may be possible point sources of xenoestrogens such as phenolic compounds. To identify the causative chemicals for estrogenic activity in the river water of this region, bioassay-directed chemical analysis was performed. All samples from six sampling sites (an upstream point: S1; hot spot points: S2-1, S2-2, and S2-3; and downstream points: S3, and S4) showed estrogenic activity in the E-screen assay, with bio-EEQs (17beta-E(2)-equivalent quantities) ranging from 25.35-677.15 pg/L. Samples from S2-2, the sampling point downstream of the junction of stream water, and domestic and industrial wastewater, contained the highest estrogenic activity. Since the bio-EEQ of the organic acid fraction (F2) of the S2-2 sample had the highest activity (823.25 pg-EEQ/L) and F2 may contain phenolic compounds, GC-MS analyses for phenolic xenoestrogens were conducted with the organic acid fractions of the river water samples. Six estrogenic phenolic chemicals, 4-NP, BPA, 4-t-OP, 4-t-BP, 4-n-OP, and 4-n-HTP, were detected, with the highest concentrations (I-EEQ) found in S2-2 (231.80 pg/L). Among these phenolic chemicals, 4-NP was the most potent estrogen (bio-EEF; 8.12 x1 0(-5)) and acted as a full agonist. Furthermore, 4-NP was present at levels (2.0 microg/L in S2-2) that can induce VTG induction in fish (1 microg/L). In addition, we confirmed that river water (S2-2) significantly increased serum VTG levels in crucian carp (Carassius auratus) in a fish exposure experiment under laboratory conditions. Therefore, phenolic xenoestrogens, especially 4-NP, may be the main causative compounds responsible for the estrogenic effect on the Nackdong River.

Pharmaceutical residues are potential threats to aquatic ecosystems. Because more than 3000 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are in use, identifying high-priority pharmaceuticals is important for developing appropriate management options. Priority pharmaceuticals may vary by geographical region, because their occurrence levels can be influenced by demographic, societal, and regional characteristics. In the present study, the authors prioritized human pharmaceuticals of potential ecological risk in the Korean water environment, based on amount of use, biological activity, and regional hydrologic characteristics. For this purpose, the authors estimated the amounts of annual production of 695 human APIs in Korea. Then derived predicted environmental concentrations, using 2 approaches, to develop an initial candidate list of target pharmaceuticals. Major antineoplastic drugs and hormones were added in the initial candidate list regardless of their production amount because of their high biological activity potential. The predicted no effect concentrations were derived for those pharmaceuticals based on ecotoxicity information available in the literature or by model prediction. Priority lists of human pharmaceuticals were developed based on ecological risks and availability of relevant information. Those priority APIs identified include acetaminophen, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, metformin, and norethisterone. Many of these pharmaceuticals have been neither adequately monitored nor assessed for risks in Korea. Further efforts are needed to improve these lists and to develop management decisions for these compounds in Korean water.

Pharmaceuticals have been frequently detected in the aquatic environment. Their potential effects on the endocrine system in wildlife are of special concern because these alterations could lead to impaired reproduction. We evaluated ecotoxicities associated with long-term exposure to mefenamic acid (MFA) and potential endocrine disruption. For this purpose, acute and chronic toxicities of MFA on several aquatic organisms, including two cladocerans, Daphnia magna and Moina macrocopa , and a teleost, Danio rerio were evaluated. The 48 h acute median effective concentration (EC 50 ) of D. magna and M. macrocopa was 17.16 mg/L and 2.93 mg/L, respectively. In chronic toxicity test, D. magna and M. macrocopa showed significant changes in reproduction (number of young per adult) after the exposure to 1.0 mg/L and 0.25 mg/L MFA, respectively. In early life stage exposure using D. rerio , significant decrease of larval survival was observed at 1 mg/L. Changes in vitellogenin (VTG) protein concentrations in 32 day post fertilization fish and vtgI mRNA expression in adult male fish suggest endocrine disruption potentials of MFA. Among the genes of hypothalamus–pituitary–gonad axis, transcriptions of gnrh , gnrhr , cyp19a , and cyp19b increased, supporting estrogenic potential of MFA. Along with histological changes in ovaries, the results of this study provide evidences of endocrine disruption capacity of MFA. However, the effective concentrations are orders of magnitude greater than those occurring in the ambient aquatic environment.

The sequence of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) cDNA of medaka (Oryzias latipes) was determined, and its messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) regulation by beta-naphthoflavone (betaNF) was evaluated. The determined cDNA sequence contained 2,349 base pairs (bp), and the open reading frame contained a total of 1,563 bp encoding 521 predicted amino acids. The induction of CYP1A mRNA in medaka was evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The concentration-dependent induction of CYP1A mRNA in the liver was observed after exposure to betaNF at nominal concentrations of 20, 100, and 500 microg/L for 2 d. Time-dependent changes of CYP1A mRNA levels were also observed in the liver, gill, gut, and caudal fin tissues of medaka exposed to 100 microg/L of betaNF for 7 d. Our results showed that the degree of CYP1A mRNA induction in the gill, gut, and caudal fin after exposure to betaNF was relatively higher than that in the liver, possibly because of low basal levels of CYP1A mRNA in the gill, gut, and caudal fin of nonexposed fish. The induction of medaka CYP1A mRNA was also observed after exposure to an environmental sample, landfill leachate. The CYP1A mRNA inductions in the gill, gut, and caudal fin were also higher than that in the liver as shown in the betaNF-treated groups. These results show that CYP1A mRNA determination in the gill, gut, and caudal fin, which are in direct contact with the polluted water, may become a useful method for monitoring CYP1A-inducible chemicals.