• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.107-121
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• 2010

The number of nanotechnology based consumer products are growing rapidly. Thus, the customer likely to be exposed to such products continues to increase as the applications expand. This article describes the international and Korea's policies on the EHS(Environment, Safety and Health) issues of nanotechnologies. The strategic plan and coordination of OECD and ISO were summarized. This article also examines several new findings of Korean researchers as well as current and future challenges in the aerosol application study of EHS issues on the nanotechnologies.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: To assess and prevent the environmental impacts and risks by veterinary pharmaceuticals, Guidance on Estimating Soil Persistence and Degradation Kinetics from Environmental Fate Studies on Veterinary Pharmaceuticals for Environmental Risk Assessment was proposed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Proposed guidance was coined by VICH, EU guideline, OECD guideline and soil dissipation studies for the purpose of international harmonizing. Guidance was also modified from pesticide soil persistence testing guidelines of US, EU, and Korea, with practical approaches adopting in-use test guideline for Korea. CONCLUSION(S): Proposed guidance are consisted of three parts; Laboratory Soil Experiment, Field Soil Dissipation Study, and Estimation of $DT_{50}/DT_{90}$. Proposed guidance is to be available for the requirement for registration of veterinary pharmaceuticals with fit for purpose in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.348-355
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• 2017

Human activities have resulted in soil pollution problems to us. Human and ecological risk assessment have been suggested as an efficient environmental management strategy for protecting human and ecosystems from soil pollution. However, Korean environmental policy is currently focused on human protection, and fundamental researches for ecology protection are required for institutional frameworks. In this study, we developed a schematic frame of Korean soil ecological risk assessment, and suggested the basic information for its application. This study suggested a soil ecological risk assessment scheme consisting of 4 steps for derivation of Predicted-No-Effect-Concentration (PNEC): 1) ecotoxicity data collection and reliability determination, 2) data standardization, 3) evaluation of data completeness for PNEC calculation, and 4) determination of ecological-risk. The reliability determination of ecotoxicity data was performed using Reliability Index (RI), and the classification of domestic species, acute/chronic, toxicity endpoint, and soil properties was used for data cataloging. The PNEC calculation methodology was determined as low-reliability, middle-reliability, and high-reliability according to their quantitative and qualitative levels of ecotoxicity data. This study would be the introductory plan research for establishment of Korean soil ecological risk assessment, and it can be a fundamental framework to further develop guidelines of Korean environmental regulation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2018

Studies on suspected endocrine disrupting pesticide (EDP) residues in agricultural products were carried out in 2016 in Busan, Korea. Twelve different EDPs, ranging in concentration between 0.003-2.049 mg/kg, were detected in 19.5% of 462 samples. About 0.2% of agricultural product samples exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Risk indices of all of the EDPs were less than 10% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The outcomes indicated that the risk groups at highest risk of exposure to diazinon (found in Korean cabbages) and carbendazim (found in apples) were females aged 40 to 49 and young males less than 10 years old, respectively. Based on the stochastic assessment at $95^{th}$ percentile (P95), risk index in these risk groups accounted for 8.38 and 2.98% of ADIs. The results showed that the occurrence of EDP residues in agricultural products could not be considered a public health problem.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2007

Soil risk assessment models were used to determine the goals of soil remediation and to establish the soil quality standards in developed countries. Recently, Korean Ministry of Environment prepared the guideline for soil risk assessment. Soil risk assessment model applicable to Korean situation will be needed in the near future. In this study, three models for soil risk assessment were extensively compared to suggest the fundamental components that required for the soil risk assessment in Korea. The models considered in this study were CalTOX in the United States, CLEA (Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment) in the United Kingdom, and CSOIL in the Netherlands. The major exposure routes and the intake estimation equations suitable for Korean situation were suggested. The exposure routes suggested were intake of the crops, underground water, indoor outdoor soil ingestion, dust inhalation and a volatile matter inhalation. The equations for intake estimation used in CalTOX and CSOIL seem to be applicable for the calculation of the human intake in Korea.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.218-228
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• 2010

Components of dental resin-based restorative materials are reported to leach from the filling materials even after polymerization. Hydroquinone (HQ) is one of the major monomers used in the dental resin and is known as a carcinogen. Thus, carcinogenic risk of HQ leaching from the dental resin becomes a public health concern. The present study attempted to examine the carcinogenic potentials of HQ on the human epithelial cell, which is the target cell origin of the most of oral cancers. Cytotoxicity of HQ was observed above 50${\mu}M$ as measured by LDH assay, indicating a relatively low toxicity of this substance in human epithelial cells. The parameters of neoplastic cellular transformation such as cell saturation density, soft agar colony formation and cell aggregation were analyzed to examine the carcinogenic potential of HQ. The study showed that 2-week exposure of HQ showed the tendency of increase in the saturation density and the significant enhancement of soft agar colony formation at the highest dose, 50 ${\mu}M$ only. It is suggested that HQ has a weak potential of carcinogenicity. When cells were treated with HQ and TPA, a well-known tumor promoter, the parameters of neoplastic cellular transformation was significantly increased. This result indicates that the potential risk of carcinogenicity from HQ is largely dependent upon the presence of promoter. Exposure of 50 ${\mu}M$ HQ increased the time-dependent apoptosis as measured by the ELISA kit. This concentration coincides with a dose of neoplastic transformation, indicating a possible link between apoptosis and HQ-induced cellular transformation. Hydroquinone generated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which was evidenced by the treatment of antioxidants such as trolox and N-acetyl cysteine and the GSH depleting agent, BSO. Antioxidants blocked the generation of ROS and the GSH depleting agent, BSO dramatically increased the ROS production. Since HQ is known to increase ROS production thru activation of transcriptional factor such as c-Myb and Pim-1, it is speculated that ROS generation by HQ plays a role in the activation of oncogene, which may lead to neoplastic transformation. In addition, ROS is involved in the alteration of signal transduction, which regulates the apoptosis in many cellular systems. Thus, ROS-mediated apoptosis may be involved in the HQ-induced carcinogenic processes. Protein kinase C (PKC) is known to play pivotal roles in neoplastic transformation of cells and its high expression is often found in a variety of types of tumors including oral cancer. PKC translocation of PKC-${\alpha}$ was observed following HQ exposure. Altered signaling system may also play a role in the transformation process. Taken together, HQ leached from the dental resin does not pose a significant threat as a cancer causing agent, but its carcinogenic potential can be significantly elevated in the presence of promoter. The mechanism of HQ-induced carcinogenesis involved ROS generation, apoptosis and altered signaling pathway. The present study will provide a valuable data to estimate the potential risk of HQ as a carcinogen and understand mechanism of HQ-induced carcinogenesis in human epithelial cells.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.1017-1023
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• 2003

Recently, the use an electric apparatus has brought into concerns about health risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields. During the last 2 decades, a number of epidemiological studies have explored the association between childhood leukaemia and residential exposure to power-frequency electromagnetic fields. Several studies have suggested that there is a small excess leukaemia risk with magnetic field exposure above 2 mG. A number of governmental and international organizations have developed exposure gudelines. The most rigid regulation with exposure levels for the elementary school and hospital has been enacted by Switzerland. Although there is no convincing supportive laboratory evidence, and the absence of a plausible biological mechanism of disease causation limits, governments are increasingly called on to adopt precautionary approaches to regulating electromagnetic field exposures. The government would need to establish the policy for electromagnetic fields and continually to be concerned about possible health risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.276-283
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• 2008

To provide the research strategy for protection of children's health from hazardous chemical, we reviewed the hazardous chemicals can be exposed through maternity, children's life style and living environment. Recently, diseases related with children's living condition were focused as asthma, atopy, childhood developmental disability, congenital malformations and obesity. Children can be exposed to hazardous chemicals through an ambient air, water, soil, food, toys and other factors such as floor dust. Also children's health was deeply related with a wrong life style and neglectful caring by a lack of knowledge and information of harmful ones at parents and child care center's nursers. According to the previous study, the chemical risk factor of children's health were identified as inorganic arsenic, bisphenol A, 2,4-D, dichlorvos, methylmercury, PCBs, pesticide, phthalates, PFOA/PFOS, vinyl chloride, et al. Domestic studies for identification of causality between children exposure to chemicals and resulted hazardous effects were not implemented. The confirmation of chemical risk factors through simultaneously performing toxicological analysis, human effect study, environmental/human monitoring, and risk assessment is needed for good risk management. And also, inter-agency collaboration and sharing information can support confirming scientific evidence and good decision making.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to survey the levels of heavy metals in perennial root vegetables and to assess dietary exposure and risk to the Korean population health.METHODS AND RESULTS: Perennial root vegetables (n=214) including Panax ginseng C.A mayer, Woodcultivated ginseng, Codonopsis lanceolata, and Platycodon granditloum were collected from markets or harvested from farmhouse in Korea. Lead(Pb), cadmium(Cd) and arsenic (As) analysis were performed with microwave device and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Limit of detection for heavy metals were 0.010~0.050 μg/kg, while limit of quantitation were 0.035~0.175 μg/kg. The recovery results were in the range of 76~102%. The average contents of heavy metals in perennial root vegetables were in the range of Pb 0.013(Panax ginseng C.A Mayer)~0.070 (Wood-cultivated ginseng) mg/kg, Cd 0.009(Panax ginseng C.A Mayer)~0.034(Codonopsis lanceolata) mg/kg, and As 0.002(Panax ginseng C.A Mayer)~0.004(Plafycodon grandiflorum) mg/kg, respectively. For risk assessment, daily intakes of heave metals were estimated and risk indices were calculated in comparison with reference dose. The dietary exposures of heavy metals through usual intake were Pb 0.070 μg/day, Cd 0.041 μg/day and As 0.008 μg/day, taking 0.03%, 0.08% and 0.0003% as risk indices, respectively.CONCLUSION: The risk level for Korean population exposed to heavy metals through intake of perennial root vegetables was far low, indicating of little possibility of concern.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.771-772
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• 2010

X-ray equipment used to diagnose a patient has a big defect of a patient's exposure to radiation caused in irradiating X-ray to the human body, ICRP restricts the permissible exposure dose of the human body. A number of studies has been proceeded to reduce these exposures. In this study the high voltage generator with inverter system, which is possible to increase the generation efficiency of X-ray and to control the precise output power was produced. Also, to minimize the ripple which is possible to occur in the direct voltage that is applied to X-ray tube the propagation rectification method was applied and the radiation reproducibility and properties were evaluated to use this for the diagnosis of patient.