Minamata disease made its first appearance in the world at Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, in May 1956. In 1962 methyl mercury poisoning through the placenta was found for the first time in the world. This was called congenital Minamata disease. In all cases the clinical symptoms were consistent with those of cerebral palsy. The time and place of outbreak were the same as those for Minamata disease. Their mothers had eaten fish and shellfish during pregnancy. The principal symptoms of congenital Minamata disease are mentalretardation ($100\%$); primitive reflexes ($100\%$); disturbance of coordination ($100\%$); dysarthria ($100\%$); limb deformation (100%); growth disorders ($100\%$); nutritional disorders ($100\%$); chorea-athetose ($95\%$); and hypersalivation ($95\%$). However, today, when the world is polluted by mercury in various places and at various levels, the data we need is not represented by those severe cases, but rather by the chronic milder type. Even in Minamata, the issue of Minamata disease has not been resolved. And likewise, on a global scale the problem of Minamata disease is not yet over.

Industrial plasticizers such as phthalates can induce peroxisome proliferation. A growing concern among environmental and health groups has arisen because phthalates such as di-2-ethy1hexy1 phthalate (DEHP) and DBP may cause hormonal disorders, reproductive toxicity, hepatocellular tumors, genital disorders owing to a capacity to bind estrogen receptors, and a low-dose toxic action during certain periods of fetal development. Phthalate esters are used extensively as a plasticizer for plastic manufacture such as PVC bags and medical devices. This study investigated the effects of leached components from spring water container's cap and seal film. Phthalates, e.g. dimethy1 phthalate (DMP), diethy1 phthalate (DEP), di-n-buty1 phthalate (DBP), benzy1buty1 phthalate (BBP), di-(2-ethy1hexy1) phthalate (DEHP), and bisphenol A (BPA) were measured in the spring water. The bisphenol A was not detected or below the detection limit on the leaching from cap, sealing or spring water. DEHP were detected 90-116 ppb on the leaching from seal after 2 weeks, and 0.48-0.51 ppb from the spring water after I week. BBP were measured from seal within 1 week 25.4-66 ppb and below 0.12 ppb from spring water within 2 days. DMP were detected from seal within 2 weeks 51-68.5 ppb and 0.12 ppb after 2 weeks. DEP were measured from seal within 2 weeks 48.1-141 ppb and the concentrations were increased by the time from 0.10 to 0.31 ppb at spring water. DBP were detected from the seal within 2 weeks 92.3-5100 ppb and the concentration were decreased by the time from 0.24 to 0.10 ppb at spring water. These results indicate that some phthalate esters contaminated with spring water using the intact cap and seal film. It is concluded that the measured levels of phthalates leaching from these materials might in vivo only be slightly less than 1/10 of the LOAEL.

The runoff characteristics of combined sewer overflow(CSO) in the urban area of Jeonju were investigated and analyzed by using the SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) and GIS. From August to November 2004, investigations on two rainfall events were performed and flowrate, pH, BOD, COD, SS, T-N and T-P were measured. these data were used for model calibration. Using GIS technique, watershed characteristics of study area were calculated. that is, divide into sub_basin, total width, slope, make soil map etc. On the basis of the measured data and the simulation results by SWMM, it could be known that the $80-90\%$ of pollution load are discharged in early-stage storm runoff. SMC(site mean Concentration) for combined sewer system area were BOD 28.1, COD 31.5, SS 186 ppm etc. this is shown that during the rain fall, high concentration of waste was loaded to receiving water. Unit loads of combined sewer system area were BOD 306, COD 410, SS 789, T-N 79, T-P 6.8 kg/ha/yr.

This study aimed to determine the fluoride intakes in 120 preschool children aged 3 to 6 residing in Jumunjin (community water fluoridation area) and Gangneung (non-fluoridation area). The parents were asked to collect 24-hour urine samples and to duplicate the samples of all the diets that their children ingested in the day of urine collection. The acid-diffusible fluoride in the food and non-carbonate beverages were isolated by the acid-diffusion technique and then measured with a fluoride electrode. The fluoride in carbonate beverages, drinking waters and urine samples were measured directly with a fluoride electrode. The geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) of daily fluoride intakes from all kinds of diet was 5.99 (2.27) $\mu$g/kg/day in the children in Gangneung and that of the children in Jumunjin was 18.36 (2.69). The amount of fluoride intake by food and drinking water in fluoridation area were significantly larger than that in non-fluoridation area but the statistical difference of fluoride intake by beverages between two areas was not observed. The GMs (GSDs) of daily fluoride excretion by urine of children in non-fluoridation area and in fluoridation area were 8.39 (1.73) and 18.62 (1.77) $\mu$g/kg/day, respectively. The correlation between fluoride intake from diet excluding beverage and urinary excretion was statistically significant. It is concluded that the amount of fluoride intake of children living in fluoridation area did not exceed the upper intake level to avoid the risk of dental fluorosis (2.2 mg/day in 4- to 8-year-olds) and urinary excretion of fluoride was good indicator of fluoride intake from diets.

The waste seashells were used for the removal of hydrogen sulfide from a hot gas stream. The sulphidation of waste seashells with $H_{2}$S was studied in a thermogravimetric analyzer at temperature between 600 and $800^{circ}C$. The desulfurization performance of the waste seashell sorbents was experimentally tested in a fixed bed reactor system. Sulfidation experiments performed under reaction conditions similar to those at the exit of a coal gasifier showed that preparation procedure and technique, the type and the amount of seashell, and the size of the seashell affect the $H_{2}$S removal capacity of the sorbents. The pore structure of fresh and sulfided seashell sorbents was analyzed using mercury porosimetry, nitrogen adsorption, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Measurements of the reaction of $H_{2}$S with waste seashells show that particles smaller than 0.631 mm can achieve high conversion to CaS. According to TGA and fixed bed reactor results, temperature had influenced on $H_{2}$S removal efficiency. As desulfurization temperature increased, desulfurization efficiency increased. Also, maximum desulfurization efficiency was observed at $800^{circ}C$. Desulfurization was related to calcinations temperature.

A numerical method for the mathematical water modeling in 2-dimensional flow has been developed. The model based on a split operator technique, in which, the advection term is calculated using the upwind scheme. The diffusion term is one- dimensionalized and calculated using Crank-Nicholson's implicit finite difference scheme to reduce the numerical errors from large time steps and variable spacings. It also provides a relatively simple and economic method for more accurate simulation of pollutant dispersion. Water depths and flow velocities in the Boreyong reservoir during the normal water periods were predicted by numerical experiments with a 2-dimensional flow model so as to provide current field data for the study of advection and diffusion of pollutants. Developed 2-dimensional water quality model is applied to Boreyong reservoir to simulate a spatial and periodical changes of water quality.

Stability of soybean isoflavone isomers according to extraction conditions such as temperature, pH, and extracting solvents was investigated. Heating induced three chemical reactions to occur for malony1 derivatives of isoflavones, namely decarboxylation of malony1 groups into acety1 derivatives, deesterification of malony1 residues, and hydrolysis of $\beta$-glycosidic bonds. Among the twelve isoflavone isomers, change in concentrations of acety1glycosides were most pronounced: Acety1 derivatives were present only in trace amounts in unheated hypocotyls, but the content increased dramatically during heating. As for the glycosides, concentrations of daidzin and glycitin increased due to heat treatment, though that of genistin remained almost unchanged. Heat decomposition rates and the patterns differed among the three malony1 derivatives. After 120 min at $80^{circ}C$, the relative concentrations of daidzin, glycitin and genistin were increased from $9.2\%$, $12.4\%$ and $3.3\%$ to $19.3\%$, $21.9\%$ and $6.2\%$, respectively. When crude isoflavones were solubilized in glycine buffer (pH 10.0) and incubated at $80^{circ}C$, deesterification occurred faster than at pH 7.0. When the pH of isoflavone solution was increased, the malony1glycosides were hydrolyzed to their respective glycosides at increased rate. Both acetyl and aglycone forms were unchanged and only de-esterification reactions occurred. At the acidic pH, malonylglycosides were much stable both at 60 and $80^{circ}C$. However at pH 10, $80^{circ}C$ and 1 hr, $75-80\%$ of malonylglycosides were transformed to their deesterified glycosides. When isoflavones were extracted with $60\%$ aqueous ethanol at $60^{circ}C$, isoflavone isomers were stable and the deesterification reactions did not occur in these conditions. However, at $80^{circ}C$ deesterification of malonyiglycosides occurred significantly with $15-20\%$ of malonylglycosides being hydrolyzed into their respective glycosides. This experiment showed that malonylglycosides undergo decomposition when heated or exposed to alkaline conditions. Also, aqueous ethanol was preferred to aqueous methanol as solubilizing media for obtaining extract with minimum degradation of malonylglycosides.