Qualitative Evaluation of Factors Inducing Environmental Pollution of the Sandy Beaches of Jeju Island Using Styrene Oligomers

Objectives : Plastic pollution is a very important environmental issue in Korea as well as abroad. The objective of this study is to evaluate the internal and external factors that cause pollution of the coastal environment of Jeju Island using styrene oligomers (SOs) originated from polystyrene (PS) plastic.Methods : In order to achieve the above objective, this study is conducted to quantitatively measure the concentration of 12 individual SOs chemicals, through gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analyzing seawater and beach sand samples around sandy beaches in Jeju Island. This study evaluates the degree of environmental pollution according to internal or external factors of the sandy beach by using the physicochemical characteristic that SOs species are adsorbed on the surface of sand particles.Results and Discussion : The average concentration of SOs in the beach sand of Jeju Island ranges from a minimum of 9.80 ng/g to a maximum of 13.62 ng/g, and the average concentration of SOs in seawater is relatively low with a constant 0.05 to 0.11 µg/L. Although the concentration distribution of SOs species differs considerably depending on the sample collected, the concentration of SOs decreases in the order of styrene trimers (7 isomers) > styrene dimers (4 isomers) > styrene monomer. As a result of monitoring, the concentration of SOs at the sandy beaches of Jeju Island is much higher in the beach sand than in the seawater. This result means that the major beaches of Jeju Island can be polluted mainly by internal factors (e.g. population density, number of travelers according to population movement, and so on), because SOs species are adsorbed on the surface of the sand particles and their mobility is limited.Conclusions : This study shows that the sandy beaches of Jeju Island are mainly polluted by internal factors. It is thought that the pollution degree of the sandy beaches is the highest in the order of Gwakji Beach < Samyang Beach, Hamdeok Beach, Pyoseon Beach < Ihoteho Beach, Sagye Beach < Seopjikoji Beach, Gimnyeong Beach, and Hyeopjae Beach. This study is expected to contribute to the evaluation of the causes of plastic pollution in the coastal environment of Jeju Island.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi Genotypes and Infections in the Horses in Korea

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a microsporidian pathogen. Recently, the equestrian population is increasing in Korea. The horse-related zoonotic pathogens, including E. bieneusi, are concerns of public health. A total of 1,200 horse fecal samples were collected from riding centers and breeding farms in Jeju Island and inland areas. Of the fecal samples 15 (1.3%) were PCR positive for E. bieneusi. Interestingly, all positive samples came from Jeju Island. Diarrhea and infection in foals were related. Two genotypes (horse1, horse2) were identified as possible zoonotic groups requiring continuous monitoring.

Nocardioides donggukensis sp. nov. and Hyunsoonleella aquatilis sp. nov., isolated from Jeongbang Waterfall on Jeju Island

Two bacterial strains, designated MJB4T and SJ7T, were isolated from water samples collected from Jeongbang Falls on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the two strains belonged to the genera Nocardioides and Hyunsoonleella , owing to their high similarities to Nocardioides jensenii DSM 29641T (97.5 %) and Hyunsoonleella rubra FA042 T (96.3 %), respectively. These values are much lower than the gold standard for bacterial species (98.7 %). The average nucleotide identity values between strains MJB4T, SJ7T and the reference strains, Nocardioides jensenii DSM 29641T, Nocardioides daejeonensis MJ31T and Hyunsoonleella flava T58T were 77.2, 75.9 and 75.4 %, respectively. Strains MJB4T and SJ7T and the type strains of the species involved in system incidence have average nucleotide identity and average amino acid threshold values of 60.1–82.6 % for the species boundary (95–96 %), which confirms that strains MJB4T and SJ7T represent two new species of genus Nocardioides and Hyunsoonleella , respectively. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic data, strains MJB4T and SJ7T are considered to represent novel species of the genus Nocardioides and Hyunsoonleella , respectively, for which the names Nocardioides donggukensis sp. nov. (type strain MJB4T=KACC 21724T=NBRC 114402T) and Hyunsoonleella aquatilis sp. nov., (type strain SJ7T=KACC 21715T=NBRC 114486T) have been proposed.

Ecology of Red-Tongue Viper (Gloydius ussuriensis) in Jeju Island, South Korea

Understanding the ecology of species at risk is extremely important for their conservation and management. Due to land clearing for urban expansion, agriculture, and the import of pets, several snake species including the red-tongue viper (Gloydius ussuriensis) on Jeju Island of South Korea, have become threatened. We studied morphology, distribution, habitat characteristics, diet, and reproduction of red-tongue viper to provide a higher understanding of species ecology. This species on average reach 242–580 mm snout-vent length and is found in a wide range of habitat from mountain forest to lowland areas. Adult snakes prey almost entirely on amphibians followed by mammals and centipedes. The mating usually takes place in spring and birth takes place in autumn. This study points out the major threats and ill-information if addressed will not only contribute to the conservation efforts but also improve the negative attitudes that people hold toward these fascinating animals. The ecological data of G. ussuriensis herein provides basic information which assists in designing the management technique for conservation. Similar applications may be generalized and used to other vulnerable species to detect and quantify population ecology and risks, bolstering conservation methods that can be used to optimize the efficacy of conservation measures.