• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.223-232
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• 2012

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between fish consumption and blood mercury levels in a sample of adult Koreans. Methods: The study subjects were 299 residents of Busan (male: 65, female: 234) and 185 residents of Namhae (male: 69, female: 116), South Korea. Demographic characteristics, current smoking, current drinking, fish consumption per week, past history of amalgam treatment, and residential district were recorded by trained interviewers in June and July, 2009. We considered a portion of fish to be equivalent to 70 gm weight, and calculated amounts of fish consumed per week. Using chi-square tests, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis, we estimated the relationships between blood mercury levels and amount of fish consumed per week and other factors. Results: The mean blood mercury level of our subjects was 6.61 ${\mu}g/L$, higher than the criterion defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (5.8 ${\mu}g/L$). In multiple linear regression analysis, residential district and amount of fish consumed per week were associated with blood mercury levels. However, marital status, current drinking, and gender, and age were not associated with blood mercury levels. Conclusions: In conclusion, we suggest the implementation of systematic and periodic population-based studies to decrease the risks of mercury poisoning among South Koreans who consume fish as a regular part of the diet.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.268-274
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• 2010

Emission of heavy metals as hazardous air pollutants has been focused with tightening regulatory limits due to their hazardousness. Measurements and characteristic investigations of heavy metals emitted from a commercial power plant burning anthracite coal have been carried out. The plant consists of a circulating fluidized bed combustor, a cyclone, a boiler and an electrostatic precipitator(ESP) in series. Dust and gaseous samples were collected to measure main heavy metals including gaseous mercury before ESP and at stack. Dust emissions as total particulate matter (TPM), PM-10 and PM-2.5 at inlet of ESP were very high with 23,274, 9,555 and $7,790mg/Sm^3$, respectively, as expected, which is much higher than those from pulverized coal power plants. However TPM at stack was less than $0.16mg/Sm^3$, due to high dust removal efficiency by ESP. Similarly heavy metals emission showed high collection efficiency across ESP. From particle size distribution and metal enrichment in sizes, several metal concentrations could be correlated with particle size showing more enrichment in smaller particles. Mercury unlike other solid metals behaved differently by emitting as gaseous state due to high volatility. Removal of mercury was quite less than other metals due to it's volatility, which was 68% only. Across ESP, speciation change of mercury from elemental to oxidized was clearly shown so that elemental mercury was half of total mercury at stack unlike other coal power plants which equipped wet a scrubber.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.276-282
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• 1989

To investigate the contamination level and total dietary intake of Hg in common restaurant meals of Seoul area, 125 samples of 5 typical meals were collected and determined for their total Hg contents by flameless atomic absorption sepctrophotometry. The average concentrations of Hg were 0.186ppm in drained residues and 0.007ppm in fluids, in which two samples yeukkye-jang and bibim-bab from two sites showed such a high level of 20-30 times of mean values. The average amount of Hg per meal excluding the two samples was $79.6{\mu}g$ and it was not significantly different among different meals. The daily dietary intake of total Hg from 3 restaurant meals was estimated to be $239{\mu}g$, which was 5 times higher than the FAO/WHO limit of $42.9{\mu}g$.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.169-178
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• 1974

Concentrations of mercury, cadmium, lead and copper are determined in the surrounding seawater and in seaweeds, Undarta pinnatifida and Sargassun fulvellum, from Suyeong Bay in Busan in the spring tide and neap tide from January to April 1974. The range and mean of the heavy metal concentrations in the surrounding seawater are as follows : mercury 0.00-0.39 ppb, 0. 16ppb; cadmium 0.00-0.46 ppb, 0.18 ppb, lead 0.00-0.94 ppb, 0.26 ppb : copper 0.00-0.86 ppb, 0.25 ppb respectively, and the concentrations varied slightly according to the tide. The mean values of concentration rate of Hg, Cd, Pb and Cu in air dry base were $0.42\times10^3(0.13\times10^3\~1.0\times10^3)$, $2.1\times10^3(0.8\times10^3\~4.9\times10^3)$, $8.9\times10^3(3.1\times10^3\~19\times10^3)$ and $15\times10^3(6.0\times10^3\~28\times10^3)$ in the Undaria pinnatifida, and $0.25\times10^3($0.06\times10^3\~0.56\times10^3)$, $1.0\times10^3(0.61\times10^3\~1.7\times10^3)$, $5.4\times10^3(3.1\times10^3\~8.5\times10^3)$ and $22.8\times10^3(14.4\times10^3\~52.4\times10^3)$ in the Sargassun fulvellum. The concentration rate of Hg, Cd and Pb of the Undaria pinnatifida was almost twice as much as that of the Sargassun fulvellum but the concentration rate of copper of the former was slightly smaller than of the latter.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.301-302
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• 2010

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.176-181
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• 1979

Mercury and cadmium concentrations were analyzed for 112 brown rice samples collected from various production areas of Korea in 1976 and the results obtained were as follows: 1) Mercury concentrations were found in the range of non-detectable to 0.310 ppm, with an average of 0.053 ppm for the whole samples. Two samples from Kimpo area showed $5{\sim}6$ times higher concentrations than the average value. 2) Cadmium concentrations were found in range of trace to 0.029 ppm, with an average of 0.021 ppm for the whole samples. No specific site was found to be seriously contaminated by cadmium as far as the present survey was concerned.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.441-446
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• 2012

In this study, mercury, methylmercury and heavy metals in sediment from the lake Andong were analyzed, along with the estimation of mercury flux between sediments and water in the lake Andong. Average mercury concentrations in sediments sampled in 2009~2011 were $155.0{\pm}71.9$ ng/g, $211{\pm}62$ ng/g and $198{\pm}6.88$ ng/g, respectively. The average methylmercury concentration were $1.85{\pm}1.09$ ng/g (2009) and $3.49{\pm}1.79$ ng/g (2011), and %methylmercury, the fraction of methylmercury in total mercury were $1.17{\pm}0.39%$ and $1.77{\pm}0.94%$, respectively. Heavy metal (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu) concentrations of the sediments exceeded ERL (Effect Range Low) level of US NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)'s sediment quality criteria. Estimated mercury sedimentation flux was found to be 83.7 $ng/cm^2{\cdot}yr$ and mercury diffusion flux was estimated as 1.24 $ng/cm^2{\cdot}yr$.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 2022

Mercury (Hg) is a major concern in marine environment because of their bioaccumulation and biomagnification properties, and adverse effects to aquatic organisms at even a trace amount. However, little information on the effects of Hg, compared to other heavy metals, is available in marine small crustaceans. Here, we investigated the transcriptional modulation of metabolism-related genes in the brackish water flea, Diaphanosoma celebensis after exposure to sublethal concentration (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 ㎍/l) of HgCl₂ for 48 h. Relative mRNA expression levels of five detoxification enzyme-coding genes (cytochrome P450; cyp360A1, cyp361A1, cyp4AP3, cyp4C122, and cyp370C5) and six digestive enzyme-coding genes [alpha amylase (AMY), alpha amylase related protein (AMY-like), trypsin (TRYP), chymotrypsin-like protein (CHY), lipase (LIP), pancreatic lipase-related protein (PLRP)] were analyzed using quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). As results, Hg increased the mRNA level of cyp370C5 (clan2) and cyp4AP3 (clan4) in a concentration dependent manner. A significant increase in TRYP mRNA was also concentration-dependently observed after exposure to Hg. These findings suggest that cyp370C5 and cyp4AP3 play a key role in Hg detoxification in D. celebensis, and Hg can affect energy metabolism by modulating the transcription of digestive enzyme. This study will provide better understanding the molecular effects of Hg in marine small crustacean.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 1999

Objectives: To evaluate the protective effects of glutathione (GSH) on the cytotoxicity of mercurial compounds$(CM_3HgCl,\;HgCl_2)$ or cadmium chloride$(CdCl_2)$ in EMT-6 cells. Methods: The compounds investigated were $CH_3HgCl,\;HgCl_2,\;CdCl_2$, GSH, buthionine Sulfoximine(BSO), L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid(OTC). Cytotoxicity analysis consist of nitric oxide(NO) production, ATP production and cell viability. Results: Mercurial compounds and cadmium chloride significantly decreased cell viability and the synthesis of NO and cellular ATP in EMT-6 cells. GSH was not toxic at concentrations of 0-1.6 mM. In the presence of GSH, mercurial compounds and cadmium did not decrease the production of ATP and nitrite in EMT-6 cells. The protective effects of GSH against the cytotoxicity of mercurial compounds and cadmium depended on the concentration of added GSH to the culture medium for EMT-6 cells. We evaluated the effects of intracellular GSH level on mercury- or cadmium-induced cytotoxicity by the pretreatment experiments. Pretreatment of GSH was not changed ${NO_2}^-$ and ATP production, and pretreatment of BSO was decreased in dose and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment of OTC was increased ${NO_2}^-$ and ATP production in dose- and tine-dependent manner. Because intracellular GSH level was increased by OTC pretreatment, the protective effect on mercury- and cadmium-induced cytotoxicity was increased. Conclusions: These results indicated that sulfhydryl compounds had the protective effects against mercury-induced cytotoxicity by the intracellular GSH levels.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.119-123
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• 1979

The cute toxicity test of mercury, cadmium and copper to yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradia, and to rock-bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, were conducted by static bioassays from 18 July to 27 October, 1978. In the tests, tile least sensitive heavy metals were cadmium to rock bream and copper to yellowtail. The test species were most sensitive to mercury among all the chemicals used. The 24hr-LC 50 value for the yellowtail was 0.11mg/l for mercury, 0.82mg/l for cadmium and 1.03mg/l for copper. While the 48hr-LC 50 value for the rock bream was 1.40mg/l for mercury and 1.73mg/l for copper.