Analysis of composition and microstructure of diatom frustules in mud on the coast of Boryeong- city, South Korea

Mi Kyung Bok; Chung Hwa Chin; Hee Jung Choi; Ju Hyun Ham; Byung Soo Chang

doi:10.1186/s42649-022-00082-1

Analysis of composition and microstructure of diatom frustules in mud on the coast of Boryeong- city, South Korea

Appl Microsc. 2022 Dec 15;52(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s42649-022-00082-1.

Authors

Mi Kyung Bok¹, Chung Hwa Chin², Hee Jung Choi³, Ju Hyun Ham⁴, Byung Soo Chang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Pango Korea Co., Ltd. Boryeong, 33443, Chungnam, South Korea.
² Department of Global Medical Beauty, Konyang University, 32992, Nonsan, Chungnam, South Korea.
³ Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, CHA university, 13488, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
⁴ Department of Health Consultation Welfare, Hanseo University, Chungnam, 31962, Seosan, South Korea.
⁵ Department of Cosmetology, Hanseo University, 31962, Seosan, Chungnam, South Korea. bschang@hanseo.ac.kr.

Abstract

The microstructure of diatom frustules found in mud sediments along the coast of Boryeong- city, South Korea, was observed using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the constituent elements of diatoms were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Diatom frustules and clay minerals were present in the SEM images of the mud powder. High-magnification SEM images revealed that the surface of the frustules contained identically shaped circular pores, measuring 1 μm in diameter, arranged at regular intervals. This study revealed that the diatom shell fragments in the mud powder ranged in size from 3 to 30 μm, with an average thickness of approximately 2.5 μm. The elements Si, Al, Fe, K, Na, Mg, and Ti were detected while analyzing the frustule constituents, with Si being the primary component with the highest content.

Keywords: Clay mineral; Diatom; EDS; Frustule; Mud; SEM.