• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 1996

HgS and HgS: Co crystals and films grown by the slow cooling and the chemical bath deposition method were used to measure their crystal structure and their optical absorption spectra. HgS and HgS: Co crystals are hexagonal structure with the lattice constant $a_0=4.155{\AA}$, $c_0=9.505{\AA}$ for HgS and $a_0=4.148{\AA}$, $c_0=9.462{\AA}$ for HgS and $a_0=4.135{\AA}$, $c_0=9.442{\AA}$ for HgS: Co, respectively. The optical energy gap of these crystals are given as 2.040 eV for HgS and 1.900 eV for HgS: Co, and the optical energy gap of these films were 2.440 eV for HgS and 1.940 eV for HgS: Co at room temperature, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.122-122
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• 2011

HgCdTe는 고성능 적외선 센서 재료로 널리 사용되고 있다. 현재 상용화된 HgCdTe 소재는 통상적으로 액상 에피 성장법으로 제조 되고 있다. 액상 에피 성장법에 의해 제조된 HgCdTe는 갓 성장 상태에서 많은 양의 Hg-공공(vacancy)을 함유하게 되며 적외선 소자의 응용을 위해서는 이러한 Hg-공공을 채우기 위한 Hg-분위기 열처리 공정을 거치게 된다. 열처리 혹은 성장 공정 시 HgCdTe 소재 내에 발생하는 마이크로 혹은 나노스케일의 조성의 변화는 응력의 집중을 가져오며 이는 전자, 혹은 정공의 응집을 가져와 소자 동작의 불균일성을 야기한다. 본 연구에서는 액상 에피 성장법으로 성장 된 HgCdTe 박막내에 존재하는 응력의 분포와 Hg-공공을 채우기 위한 열처리 과정에서 생성 또는 소멸되는 응력의 변화를 Geometric phase strain 분석법으로 관찰하였다. 분석결과, 응력의 집중된 부분은 주로 성장 시 석출된 Te 및 Hg-공공으로 부터 기인함을 확인하였다. Hg-분위기 열처리를 통하여 석출된 Te 제거 및 Hg-공공의 감소를 확인하였고 이에 따른 응력의 집중 부분도 해소됨을 알 수 있었다.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.15-35
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• 2012

Mercury (Hg) is a global environmental pollutant that has been the cause of many public concerns. One particular concern about Hg in aquatic systems is its trophic transfer and biomagnification in food chains. For example, the Hg concentration increases with the increase of food chain level. Fish at the top of food chain can accumulate high concentrations of Hg (especially the toxic form, methylmercury, MeHg), which is then transferred to humans through seafood consumption. Various biological and physiochemical conditions can significantly affect the bioaccumulation of Hg-including both its inorganic (Hg(II)) and organic (MeHg) forms-in fish. There have been numerous measurements of Hg concentrations in marine and freshwater fish worldwide. Many of these studies have attempted to identify the processes leading to variations of Hg concentrations in fish species from different habitats. The development of a biokinetic model over the past decade has helped improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the bioaccumulation processes of Hg in aquatic animals. In this review, I will discuss how the biokinetic modeling approach can be used to reveal the interesting biodynamics of Hg in fish, such as the trophic transfer and exposure route of Hg(II) and MeHg, as well as growth enrichment (the increases in Hg concentration with fish size) and biomass dilution (the decreases in Hg concentration with increasing phytoplankton biomass). I will also discuss the relevance of studying the subcellular fates of Hg to predict the Hg bioaccessibility and detoxification in fish. Future challenges will be to understand the inter- and intra-species differences in Hg accumulation and the management/mitigation of Hg pollution in both marine and freshwater fish based on our knowledge of Hg biodynamics.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.180-183
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• 2007

Over the last century the mercury (Hg) concentration in the environment has been increased by human activities with inputs from sources such as atmospheric deposition, urban runoff, and industrial effluents. Mercury can be transformed to methylmercury (MeHg) in anaerobic conditions by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and sediments are the principal location for MeHg production in aquatic environments. Interest in bioaccumulation of Hg and MeHg into lower trophic levels of benthic and pelagic organisms stems from public health concerns as these organisms provide essential links for higher trophic levels of food chains such as fish and larger invertebrates. Fish consumption is the major exposure route of MeHg to humans. Recently, it was reported that blood samples in Korea showed much higher Hg levels (5-8 times) than those in USA and Germany. Although this brings much attention to Hg research in Korea, there are very few studies on Hg biogeochemical cycling and bioaccumulation in aquatic environments. Given the importance of Hg methylation and MeHg transfer through food chains in aquatic environments, it is imperative that studies should be done in much detail looking at the fate, transport, and bioaccumulation of Hg and MeHg in the environment. Moreover, there should be long-term monitoring plans in Korea to evaluate the environmental and health effects of Hg and MeHg.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.E1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

Mercury (Hg), which is mainly emitted from coal-fired power plants, remains one of the most toxic compounds to both humans and ecosystems. Hg pollution is not a local or regional issue, but a global issue. Hg compounds emitted from anthropogenic sources such as coal-fired power plants, incinerators, and boilers, can be transported over long distances. Since the last decade, many European countries, Canada, and especially the United States, have focused on technology to control Hg emissions. Korea has also recently showed an interest in managing Hg pollution from various combustion sources. Previous studies indicate that coal-fired power plants are one of the major sources of Hg in Korea. However, lack of Hg emission data and feasible emission controls have been major obstacles in Hg study. In order to achieve effective Hg control, understanding the characteristics of current Hg sampling methods and control technologies is essential. There is no one proven technology that fits all Hg emission sources, because Hg emission and control efficiency depend on fuel type, configuration of air pollution control devices, flue gas composition, among others. Therefore, a broad knowledge of Hg sampling and control technologies is necessary to select the most suitable method for each Hg-emitting source. In this paper, various Hg sampling methods, including wet chemistry, dry sorbents trap, field, and laboratory demonstrated control technologies, and international regulations, are introduced, with a focus on coal-fired power plants.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.439-442
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• 2007

A solid state Hg(Au)/HgO reference electrode was prepared utilizing gold amalgam solid particles. Solid fine powder of the gold amalgam was prepared by chemical reduction of Au(III) with NaBH4 followed by reduction of Hg(II) in the presence of gold fine particles. The solid content in the suspension of the gold amalgam particles and fine mercury oxide particles in DMF containing PVC was precipitated by the addition of a large amount of water to give solid Hg(Au)/HgO/PVC mixture. After drying, the mixture was pressure-molded to a physically stable Hg(Au)/HgO composite reference electrode material. The electrochemical characteristics of the electrode as a reference electrode were very similar to an ordinary Hg/HgO reference electrode. The electrode material can be molded and fabricated in any desired shape and size. The surface can be renewed by a simple polishing process whenever contaminated or deactivated. The applicability of the electrode in the electrochemical detection of carbohydrates after anion exchange separation was evaluated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.73-83
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• 2005

Higher methylmercury (MeHg) accumulation and susceptibility to toxicity in the fetus than in the mother at parturition is well known. However, the difference in MeHg exposure to fetus and offspring throughout gestation and suckling is not well established. In the human, the effects of MeHg exposure on pregnant and breast-feeding women remain an important issue for elucidation, especially those of continuous uptake in high-fish-consumption populations. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the difference in MeHg exposure to fetus and offspring throughout gestation and lactation using our recent animal and human studies data. In the animal study, adult female rats were given a diet containing 5 ${\mu}$g/g Hg (as MeHg) for 8 weeks. Then they were mated and subsequently given the same diet throughout gestation and suckling. On embryonic days 18, 20, 22 and at parturition, the concentrations of Hg in the brains of fetus were approximately 1.5-2.0 times higher than those in the mothers. However, during the suckling period Hg concentrations in the brain rapidly declined to about 1/10 of that during late pregnancy. Hg concentrations in blood also decreased rapidly after birth. In human study, Hg concentrations in red blood cells (RBCs-Hg) in 16 pairs of maternal and umbilical cord blood samples were compared at birth and 3 months of age after parturition. RBCs-Hg concentration in the umbilical cords was about 1.6 times higher than those in the mothers at parturition. However, all the infants showed declines in Hg concentrations throughout the breast-feeding period. The Hg concentration in RBCs-Hg at 3 months of age was about half that at birth. Both the animal and human studies indicated that MeHg exposure to the fetus might be especially high but it dramatically decreases during the suckling period. Therefore, close attention should be paid to the gestation rather than the breast-feeding period to avoid the risk of MeHg to human infants.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.398-402
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• 2010

The liquid phase epitaxy(LPE) method was widely used to growth of mercury cadmium telluride(MCT) thin films. However, this method lead to Hg-vacancies in MCT thin film, because Hg has high vapor pressure at this temperature range. This is a well known defect in HgCdTe grown by LPE method. In this study, we report the development of techniques for improving the crystalline quality and controlling the composite uniformity of HgCdTe thin films using high- pressure Hg-ambient annealing method. As a result, we achieved the improvement of the composite uniformity of HgCdTe thin films. It was observed by the high angle annular dark field scanning TEM(HAADF-STEM) analysis. Moreover, new HgTe phase and a shrinking of lattice fringe were observed.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2006

The intraocular pressure for Korean youth were measured by using tonometer (AT555-Reichert). The relative frequency distributions of intraocular pressures have been studied for samples of 1,027 persons(475 males, 552 females). The most commonly recorded IOP for both men and women was around 14.5mmHg and 17.5mmHg, respectively. They were in the range of 7 to 23mmHg(males) and 7 to 22mmHg(females). The median pressure(cumulative frequency=0.5%) is 13.0~16.5mmHg for males and 16.5~18.5mmHg for females, so the values for females are slightly higher than males. The mean pressure is 15.2mmHg for males and 15.8mmHg for females, respectively. The 98% of population was in the range of the normal IOP. There are long-term diurnal variation in mean intraocular pressure and the IOP was decreased as a function of time from morning to night. The measured IOP was affected by several factors: exercise made to decrease the IOP and tight collars, dark places and posture of decubitus position got to elevate the IOP.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 1999

Thirty-day-old seedlings of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were treated with different concentrations of HgCl$_2$(0. 10 and 50 $\mu$M) for up to 20 days. and the detailed distribution of Hg absorbed and its toxicity in different plant parts (roots, stems and leaves) were investigated. The accumulation of Hg in plants increased with external Hg concentrations. and Hg is strongly retained by roots. Further. Hg content in leaves was various. showing more accumulation in older leaves. Seedlings exposed to toxic levels of Hg showed not only the reduction of dry weight and length of both shoot and root. and chlorophyll levels in leaves but also the enhancement of malondialdehyde (a lipid peroxidation product) formation in all plant parts investigated. These results suggest that physiological impairment of a plant exposed to Hg may be achieved by internal distribution of Hg absorbed and Hg-induced oxidative stress in different plant parts.