• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1158-1163
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• 2006

More than 95% of lead, a environmental heavy metal, entering into blood accumulates in erythrocytes suggesting erythrocytes as an important target of lead toxicity. Recent studies reported that erythrocytes could contribute to blood coagulation via phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure in erythrocytes. However, in vivo effects of chronic lead exposure especially by drink-ing water on procoagulant activity of erythrocytes have not been studied yet. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure of lead by drinking water on erythrocytes in rats. Groups of 40 male rats were provided with drinking water containing various concentrations of lead for 4 weeks and complete blood cell count, procoagulant activities of erythrocytes and platelets were evaluated with basic inspections on body weight and food/water consumption. The administration of lead containing drinking water increased the blood lead level (BLL) in a dose-dependent manner up to $22.39{\pm}2.26\;{\mu}g/dL$. Water consumption was significantly decreased while food consumption or body weight gain was not affected. In contrast to the previous findings with acute lead exposure, chronic lead exposure failed to increase PS exposure in erythrocytes with statistical significance although some trends of enhancement were observed. It implies that a certain adaptation might have happened in body during repeated exposure to lead, resulting in attenuation of PS exposure. With this study, we believe that a valuable information was provided for the study on the toxicological significance and the risk assessment of lead contaminated drinking water.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 1997

This study was aimed to observe the effects of municipal sewage sludge as nutrients on the growth of Lettuce. The effects of heavy metal components of the sludge were also observed. Municipal sewage sludge from Taejon City were treated to the soil of PaiChai University Farm in order to make gradient of nitrogen concentration in soil among 6 experimental groups. Results are as follows ;The longest leaves and roots were produced in control pot, in which urea was supplied as nitrogen source to the soil. Any other sludge-treated groups produced shorter leaves and roots than control group, but the more sewage sludge treated the longer leaves and heavier vegetables were observed. No differences were observed among from 6 experimental groups in the view of N, K, Ca and Mg contents. But P contents in leaves from 6 groups varied. Zn content of Lettuce when was 65.8 mg/kg when it grew with sludge 200%. The groups treated with sludge 200% produced the vegetables of highest Zn contents. Accumulation of Zn, Mn and Cd was more heavier in Lettuce than in Altari radish. Accumulation of Zn, Mn, Cu and Cd in lettuce was not heavier than natural contents of those in market vegetables.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.2_spc
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• pp.86-100
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• 2020

Analyzing and monitoring environmental contaminants based on geophysical exploration techniques have become important and it is now widely applied to delineate spatial distribution geophysical characteristics in wide area. Among the techniques, induced polarization (IP) method, which measures polarization effects on electrical potential distribution, has drawn much attention as an effective tool for environmental monitoring since IP is sensitive to changes in biochemical reactions. However, various reactions stemming from the presence of multiple contaminants have greatly enhanced heterogeneity of polluted sites to result in highly variable electrical characteristics of the site. Those contaminants influence chemical and physical state of soil and groundwater to alter electrical double layer, which in turn influences polarization of the media. Since biochemical reactions between microbes and contaminants result in various IP effects, IP laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate IP responses of the contaminated soil samples under various conditions. Field IP surveys can delineate the spatial distribution of contamination, while providing additional information about electrical properties of a target medium, together with DC resistivity. Reviewing IP effects of contaminants as well as IP surveys can serve as a good starting point for the application of IP survey in site assessment for environmental remediation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.spc
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• pp.31-38
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• 2023

In this study, in order to develop a method to efficiently inject essential nutrients necessary for plant growth into wood chips, which are simply used as soil covering materials in the agriculture, landscaping and horticultural industries, the atmospheric pressure dipping method and the vacuum pressure impregnating method are used to improve the plant nutrients injectability and impregnation amount were comparatively analyzed. Nutrient ingredients and 8 major heavy metal contents of wood chips injected with nutrients were analyzed, and soil covering effects were examined by covering wood chips injected with nutrients on soil. Comparing the dipping method and the vacuum pressure impregnation method, it took about 48 hours or more to inject 1,500 g or more of the nutrient aqueous solution into 1 kg of wood chips in the dipping method, but the vacuum pressure impregnation method could be impregnated in about 5 minutes. Components of the impregnated nutrients were detected in proportion to the diluted concentration. As a result of covering the wood chips developed in this study on soil, they showed weakly acidic pH, and the heat insulation and moisturizing effects during the winter season were evaluated to be superior to those of uncovered soil. In the future, wood chips impregnated with nutrients are expected to contribute to the more efficient use of waste wood resources and the long-term supply of nutrients essential for plant growth, reducing excessive use of chemical fertilizers and reducing costs.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.298-303
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• 1999

In order to characterize the effects of heavy metal ions on the microsomal ATPase activities, microsomes were prepared from the roots of tomato plant and the activity of microsomal ATPase was measured by an enzyme-coupled assay. $Hg^{2+}$ inhibited the activity of microsomal ATPase in a dose-dependent manner, while $Gd^{3+}$, $Fe^{3+}$, $La^{3+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, and $Pb^{2+}$ inhibited not only the ATPase activity but also the activities of enzymes used in the assay. However, $Cs^+$ and $Ba^{2+}$ showed no significant effect. $Hg^{2+}$ inhibited the activities of both plasma membrane and vacuolar membrane $H^+-ATPases$. In the dose-response to $Hg^{2+}$, the activities of both microsomal $H^+-ATPases$ were severely inhibited at the concentration of $Hg^{2+}$ above $10\;{\mu}M$ and were completely inhibited at 1 mM $Hg^{2+}$. Apparent Ki values of $Hg^{2+}$ on the inhibitions of plasma membrane and vacuolar membrane $H^+-ATPases$ were $80\;{\mu}M$ and $58\;{\mu}M$, respectively. The $Hg^{2+}$-induced inhibitions were reversible since the addition of dithiothreitol completely reversed the inhibitory effects of $Hg^{2+}$. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of $Hg^{2+}$ on both plasma, membrane and vacuolar membrane $H^+-ATPases$ are nonselective and reversible.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1204-1212
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• 2005

Lung cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in the world. It occurs more increasingly due to the serious air pollution, heavy smoking, expoure to ionized radiation, pollution with heavy metal, and owing to well advanced diagnostic skill, etc. Also lung cancer has the limitation of medical care because metastasis is already shown up in more than half cases when it is first detected through medical examination. Although it is treated with chemoradiation, the rate of deaths from lung cancer is high as well, because blood has a lot of toxicity which give side effects. So it has a low rate of cure. So, the ways of various treatment is being researched to raise the rate of care and decrease the side effects recently, and one of the results is inducing apoptosis which makes use of molecularbiologic diagnosis of lung cancer's cell and using oriental medicine drugs. The purpose of this study is whether apoptosis would happen on the human lung carcinoma cell by treated with Junglyeokdaejosape-tang, Junglyeok-tang Junglyeokdaejosape-tang and Junglyeok-tang has been prescribed for cough, chest pain, and many other similar cases. Cough and chest pain is shown in early lung cancer. That is why we used these prescriptions. Apoptosis happend on the human lung carcinoma A549 cells treated with Jeongiyeokdaejosapye-tang, Jeonglyeok-tang. The concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability was observed and apoptosis was confirmed by DNA fragmentation. Bcl-2 and COX-2 mRNA expression decreased, but Bax mRNA expression increased, so it was identified with the case of indomethacin known to enhance apoptotic DNA fragmentation. Also expression of the p21, p53, cyclin E, cyclin D1, cytochrome c, caspase-3, and caspase-9 protein increased and the activity of caspase-3 increased, as well. Last, fragmentation of the PARP was shown. The previous and present results indicated that apoptosis of A549 cells by above-mentioned drugs is associated with the blockage of G1/S progression.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.390-395
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• 2004

In order to characterize ion channels present in tomato roots, microsomes were incorporated into an artificial lipid bilayer arranged for electrophysiological analysis. Of the five different ion channels that could be found, a channel of 450 pS conductance was found most frequently. This channel displayed subconductance states of 450, 257 and 105 pS. All subconductance states showed linear current-voltage relationships. At positive holding potentials, high frequency of transient channel openings was observed; however, at negative potentials, the open times were long and open probability high. Po was 0.83 at -40 mV. When an additional 50 mM $K^+\;or\;Na^+$ was added to the cis side of bilayer, the reversal potentials shifted in the negative direction to near -10 mV. Thus, the 450 pS cation channel selects poorly between $K^+\;and\;Na^+$. In the presence of $100\;{\mu}M$ metal ions, the channel activity was severely inhibited by $La^{3+},\;Ba^{2+},\;and\;Zn^{2+}$, and Po was decreased to 0.2 or even less. However, $Al^{3+}\;and\;Cd^{2+}$ decreased the activity by only 20%. Interestingly, each metal ion showed different kinetics of channel inhibition. While $500\;{\mu}M\;La^{3+}$ inhibited the activities of all subconductance state, 1 mM $Zn^{2+}$ inhibited all except the 105 pS state. $Cd^{2+}$ changed the gating of the channel from a long-opening state to brief transient openings even at negative holding potentials. These data represent that the metal ions may have different binding sites on the channel protein and could be useful modulators and probes to investigate structural characteristics as well as the functional roles of the 450 pS channel on the root physiology.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.283-292
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was conducted to identify hazardous factors that reflect the characteristics of the academy and to provide basic data of environmental safety standard. Methods: Heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, pesticides and phthalates were measured in 20 academies, which were supplementary, music, art and physical education institutes. Results: In case of heavy metals, the 12 locations were detected for lead (Pb) over the standard value, and 15 locations were exceeded for the total heavy metal. In six locations, the concentrations of volatile organic compounds were exceeded the standard value of $400{\mu}g/m^3$, and two locations for formaldehyde were exceeded the standard value of $100{\mu}g/m^3$. The most commonly detected agents in the air dust were chlorpyrifos and diazinon. The concentrations of DEHP, DINP, and DBP were detected and exceeded in several academies, The risk assessment results showed that HCHO as carcinogen had a safety level of 10-7 to 10-6, and DEHP and DINP as non-carcinogens had a safety level as assessed to be under than 0.1. Conclusions: Through the investigation of long-term environmental and health effects related laws on academies, indoor air quality management might be needed because there were cases of exceeding standard.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 1991

A study was conducted to determine the influence of soil chemical properties on the distribution and forms of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper(Cu) and Zinc(Zn) in paddy soils near zinc mines. A sequential extraction procedure was used to fractionate the heavy metals in soils into the designated from of water soluble, exchangeable, organically bound, oxide/carbonate, and sulfide/residual. The predominant form of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in the soils was found to be sulfide/residual form. Oxide/carbonate Cd and Pb and organically bound Cu were high, while exchangeable Pb and Cu were very low. Water soluble Cd, Pb and Cu were not detected in the soils. The percentages of the heavy metals content in exchangeable fractions were inversely correlated with those in sulfide/residual fractions in the soils. Exchangeable Cd and Zn and the oxide/carbonate Pb were shifting to the sulfide/residual form with soil depth and the chemical forms of Cu were not changed. Organically bound Cu was positively correlated with soil organic matter content but Cd, Pb and Zn were not. The percentages of Cd, Pb and Zn content in exchangeable forms decreased with soil pH, while those in oxide/carbonate and sulfide/residual forms increased with soil pH. The amounts of oxide/carbonate and sulfide/residual forms of pb were higher than those of Cd and Zn at same soil pH.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.563-574
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• 2007

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a recently developed analytical technique that is based upon the measurement of emission lines generated by atomic species close to the surface of the sample, thus allowing their chemical detection, identification and quantification. With powerful advantages of LIBS compared to the conventional analytical methodology, this technique can be applied in the detection of heavy metals in the field. LIBS allows the rapid analysis by avoiding laborious chemical steps. LES have already been applied for the determination of element concentration in a wide range of materials in the solid, liquid and gaseous phase with simplicity of the instrument and diversity of the analytical application. These feasibility of rapid multi elemental analysis are appealing proprieties for the in-situ analytical technique in geochemical investigation, exploration and environmental analysis. There remain still some limitations to be solved for LIBS to be applied in soil environment as an in-situ analytical technology. We would like to provide the basic principle related to the plasma formation and laser-induced breakdown of sample materials. In addition, the matrix effect, laser properties and the various factors affecting on the analytical signal of LIBS was dealt with to enhance understanding of LIBS through literature review. Ultimately, it was investigated the feasibility of LIBS application in soil environment monitoring by considering the basic idea to enhance the data quality of LIBS including the calibration method for the various effects on the analytical signal of LIBS.