• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.126-134
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• 2001

Several angular sandstone fragments (about 7 cm in longest diameter) occur in two piston cores, obtained from the submarine trough in the northeastern part of Korea Strait. The origin of the sandstone fragments and the paleoenvironment of trough sediment could be suggested from sedimentary facies analysis of cores and identification of ostracod within sandstone fragments. Echo characteristics around two core sites in submarine trough represent the prolonged bottom echoes with diffuse or no subbottom reflectors. The cores consist of a lower bioturbated mud and an upper gravelly sand sediments with sandstone/shell fragments. The bioturbated mud sediments show low water contents (27-44%) and high shear strength (19.2->37 kPa) compared with those of Holocene sediments (60-219% and 1.0-2.7 kPa, respectively) in the inner shelf and continental slope. However, clay contents (48-56%) of the bioturbated mud sediments are similar to those of fluviatile Holocene sediments in the inner shelf. The mean grain size of gravelly sand sediments ranges from 2.3 to 3.0 ${\phi}$ and shows coarsening upward with sandstone/shell fragments. The Holocene palimpsest in the continental shelf are composed of muddy sand sediments or sandy mud sediments (mean grain size: 4.6-7.6 ${\phi}$). Those suggest that two core sediments might be formed from Paleofluvial and paleocoastal deposits during sea-level lowstand. However, sandstone fragments mainly consist of quartz grains and bioclasts, with carbonate matrix, hollow pore, and glauconite. Two extinct ostracod species, Normanicythere sp. and Kotoracythere sp., are recovered in the sand-stone fragments of core EP-7, and they continued to exist from late Pliocene to early Pleistocene in cold water environment of this area. Thus, the sandstone fragments are interpreted to be formed at the paleocoastal environment derived from the Plio-Pleistocene outcrops exposed around the submarine trough during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) period.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2017

BACKGROUND: Miscellaneous cereal have been largely consumed in Korea as due to their physiological functions beneficial to human health. The cereals are currently a social concern because they have been found to contain heavy metals. Thus, monitoring heavy metals in the cereals is an important requirement for food safety analysis. In this study, we determined arsenic concentration in the cereals randomly harvested from different markets. METHODS AND RESULTS: Inorganic arsenic was determined by ICP-MS coupled with HPLC system. The HPLC-ICP-MS analysis was optimized based on the limit of detection and recover test to reach $0.13-1.24{\mu}g/kg$ and 94.3-102.1%, respectively. The concentrations of inorganic arsenic equivalent to daily exposure were levels of $19.91{\mu}g/day$ in mixed grain, $1.07{\mu}g/day$ in glutinous rice, $0.77{\mu}g/day$ in black brown rice, $0.13{\mu}g/day$ in barley and $0.11{\mu}g/day$ in soybeans. CONCLUSION: The levels of arsenic in miscellaneous cereals were found lower than the recommended The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) levels, suggesting that the cereals marketed in Korea are not potential concern in risk assessment.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.158-169
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• 2019

Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxin produced by fungi of the Claviceps genus, mainly by Claviceps purpurea in EU. Recently obtained informations indicates necessity for control the ergot in imported grains. Recent occurrence data of ergot alkaloids from EU countries indicate the necessities of management and control these toxins from the imported grains like rye, wheat, oat etc. The aim of this study is to optimize the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for determination of ergot alkaloids (ergometrine, ergosine, ergotamine, ergocornine, ergocryptine, ergocristine and their epimers (-inines) from grain and grain-based food. The test method was optimized by extracting the sample with acetonitrile containing 2 mM ammonium carbonate, purification with Mycosep cartridge, and instrumental analysis by LC-MS/MS using Syncronis C18 column. The standard calibration curves showed linearity with correlation coefficents; $R^2$ >0.99. Mean recoveries ranged from 72.0 to 111.3% at three different fortified levels (20, 50, and $100{\mu}g/kg$). The correlation coefficient expressed as precision was within the range of 1.9-12.9%. The limit or quantifications (LOQ) ranged from 0.012 to $0.058{\mu}g/kg$. The developed analytical method met the criteria of AOAC Int. and CAC validation parameters like accuracy and sensitivity. As a result, it was confirmed that the test method developed in this study is suitable for the simultaneous analysis of six species of ergot alkaloid from grains and grain products.