• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.22-26
• /
• 1984

The effect of changes in body weight, some blood components and some inorganic ions in liver and kidney, were studied on male rats receiving ad libitum on 5, 40, and 200 ppm of mercuric chloride solution during so days. The results obtained were summarized as follows ; 1. The total body weights were decreased in proportion to increment of mercury concentration. The internal organs weights i. e. , liver, kidney, spleen, and heart, were generally increased. Especially, the weight increment of kidney was the highest by intaking of mercuric chloride solution. 2. There were no significant changes in hematocrit values, activities of GOT and GPT in blood of rats receiving mercuric chloride. On the other hand, the plasma levels of cholesterol were significantly increased. The receiving of 200 ppm mercuric chloride solution to rats was resulted in the remarkable reduction of total protein levels and A/G ratio in plasma. 3. The markable rise occured in the accumulation of Hg, in both liver and kidney in proportion to supplying in rats while there was a tendency decreasing of Cu, Zn contents in liver, whereas there was a tendency increasing of Cu, Zn in kidney of rats.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.236-243
• /
• 2022

Background: In the case of multiple exposures to different types of heavy metals, such as the conditions faced by residents living near a smelter, it would be preferable to group hazardous substances with similar characteristics rather than individually related substances and evaluate the effects of each group on the human body. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of factor analysis in the assessment of health effects caused by exposure to two or more hazardous substances with similar characteristics, such as in the case of residents living near a smelter. Methods: Heavy metal concentration data for 572 people living in the vicinity of the Janghang smelter area were grouped based on several subfactors according to their characteristics using factor analysis. Using these factor scores as an independent variable, multiple regression analysis was performed on health effect markers. Results: Through factor analysis, three subfactors were extracted. Factor 1 contained copper and zinc in serum and revealed a common characteristic of the enzyme co-factor in the human body. Factor 2 involved urinary cadmium and arsenic, which are harmful metals related to kidney damage. Factor 3 encompassed blood mercury and lead, which are classified as related to cardiovascular disease. As a result of multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that using the factor index derived through factor analysis as an independent variable is more advantageous in assessing the relevance to health effects than when analyzing the two heavy metals by including them in a single regression model. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that regression analysis linked with factor analysis is a good alternative in that it can simultaneously identify the effects of heavy metals with similar properties while overcoming multicollinearity that may occur in environmental epidemiologic studies on exposure to various types of heavy metals.