• Toxicological Research
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.291-297
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• 2017

This study was performed to investigate the dose-response relationship between average daily cadmium dose (ADCD) from rice and the occurrence of urinary cadmium (U-Cd) in individuals eating that rice. This was a retrospective cohort designed to compare populations from two areas with different levels of cadmium contamination. Five-hundred and sixty-seven participants aged 18 years or older were interviewed to estimate their rice intake, and were assessed for U-Cd. The sources of consumed rice were sampled for cadmium measurement, from which the ADCD was estimated. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between ADCD and U-Cd (cut-off point at $2{\mu}g/g$ creatinine), and a correlation between them was established. The lowest estimate was $ADCD=0.5{\mu}g/kg\;bw/day$ [odds ratio (OR) = 1.71; with a 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-2.87]. For comparison, the relationship in the contaminated area is expressed by $ADCD=0.7{\mu}g/kg\;bw/day$, OR = 1.84; [95 % CI, 1.06-3.19], while no relationship was found in the non-contaminated area, meaning that the highest level at which this relationship does not exist is $ADCD=0.6{\mu}g/kg\;bw/day$ [95% CI, 0.99-2.95]. Rice, as a main staple food, is the most likely source of dietary cadmium. Abstaining from or limiting rice consumption, therefore, will increase the likelihood of maintaining U-Cd within the normal range. As the recommended maximum ADCD is not to exceed $0.6{\mu}g/kg\;bw/day$, the consumption of rice grown in cadmium-contaminated areas should not be more than 246.8 g/day. However, the exclusion of many edible plants grown in the contaminated area from the analysis might result in an estimated ADCD that does not reflect the true level of cadmium exposure among local people.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.245-251
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study are to investigate the contamination levels of heavy metals in soil, ground water, and agricultural product near the abandoned Boeun and Sanggok mine areas in Korea and to assess the health risk for these local residents exposed to the toxic heavy metals based on analytical data. METHODS AND RESULTS: By the results of human health risk assessment for local residents around Boeun and Sanggok, human exposure to cadmium, copper, arsenic from soil and to lead, cadmium, and arsenic from rice grain were higher in Sanggok, but human exposure to zinc and arsenic from ground water was higher in Boeun. By the results of hazard index (HI) evaluation for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc, HI values in both areas were higher than 1.0. This result indicated that the toxicity hazard through the continuous exposure to lead, cadmium, arsenic from rice, ground water, and soil would be likely to occur to the residents in the areas. Cancer risk assessment for arsenic, risks from the rice were exposed to one to two out of 10,000 people in Boeun and one of 1,000 people in Sanggok. These results showed that the cancer risks of arsenic in both areas were 10~100 times greater than the acceptable cancer risk range of US EPA ($1{\times}10^{-6}{\sim}1{\times}10^{-5}$). CONCLUSION(S): Therefore, if these two local residents consume continuously with arsenic contaminated soil, ground water, and rice, the adverse health effects (carcinogenic potential) would be more increased.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.456-464
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• 2010

Recently, heavy metals contamination of the agricultural soil and crops surrounding mining areas has been identified as one of the most serious environmental problems in South Korea. The Ministry of the Environment in Korea conducted a Preliminary National Environmental Health Survey (PNEHS) in abandoned metal mines in 2007. The priority for a subsequent detailed examination was ranked from the results of PNEHS. The studied mine which was ranked as being of the highest priority is located in the midwestern part of Korea and was operated from 1911 to 1985. In this study, the contamination levels of the heavy metals in the abandoned metal mine were investigated. From the results, the average daily dose (ADD), target hazard quotient (THQ) and target cancer risk of the heavy metals were evaluated. The concentration of arsenic (As) in all of the tailings from the mine was higher than its countermeasure standard of Korea. In particular, the highest concentration of As, 330 mg/kg, was up to 15 times higher than its countermeasure standard. The average concentration of As in agricultural soils was higher than the warning standard of Korea, and higher than its countermeasure standard at six sites. The average concentrations of the analyzed heavy metals in agricultural soil were below the warning standard, but concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) at 4 sites were higher than its warning standard. The average concentration of As in surface water exceeded the warning standard of Korea. The value of the THQ of As for the tailings was higher than the health protection standard 1. The value of THQ of As for the farmlands was lower than the standard, while the hazard index (HI) of As was higher than the standard. The value of target cancer risk (TCR) of As, $6.44{\times}10^{-4}$, were higher than the health protection standard of a lifetime risk for TCR at $1{\times}10^{-6}$. This suggests that the residents around the metal mines are exposed to As pollution with a carcinogenic risk.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.55-61
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• 2016

다년생 근채류인 인삼, 산양삼, 더덕, 도라지의 중금속 함량 실태조사를 통해 우리나라 국민의 식품 섭취로 인한 중금속 노출수준에 따른 위해성을 평가하였으며, 이를 위해 총 214건을 수거하였다. 근채류 중 납, 카드뮴 및 비소 함량분석을 위해 microwave장치를 이용해 전처리한 후 ICP/MS로 측정하는 시험법을 확립하였다. 중금속의 검출한계는 0.010~0.050 μg/kg이었으며 정량한계는 0.035~0.175 μg/kg이었다. 표준용액 첨가법과 CRM을 이용하여 회수율을 실험한 결과, 76~102%의 양호한 결과를 얻었다. 다년생 근채류 중 납 함량은 평균 0.013(인삼)~0.070(산양삼) mg/kg이었고, 카드뮴 함량은 평균 0.009(인삼)~0.034(더덕) mg/kg이었으며 비소 함량은 평균 0.002(인삼)~0.004(도라지) mg/kg이었다. 다년생 근채류 섭취에 따른 중금속 위해성 평가를 수행한 결과, 중금속 노출량은 각각 Pb 0.070 μg/day, Cd 0.041 μg/day, As 0.008 μg/day으로 인체섭취한계량의 0.03%, 0.08%, 0.0003% 수준이었다. 따라서, 국내 유통되는 인삼, 산양삼, 더덕 및 도라지 섭취로 인한 중금속 노출수준은 JECFA 등의 인체노출안전기준보다 매우 낮았으며 우리나라 국민은 다년생 근채류에 존재하는 중금속의 위해성으로부터 안전하였다.