• Title/Summary/Keyword: Human exposure

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Pregnant and Childbearing-age Women's Knowledge and Awareness of Human Mercury Exposure Risks in Korea (우리나라 임신부와 가임기 여성의 인체 수은 노출 위험 인식과 지식)

  • Kim, Yu-Mi;Seo, Jeong-Wook;Choi, Sung-Yong;Woo, Kuck-Hyeun;Oh, Inbo;Kim, Yangho;Kim, Byoung-Gwon;Hong, Young-Seoub
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.43 no.6
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    • pp.447-456
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    • 2017
  • Objectives: Pregnant women and those of childbearing age are a well-known sensitive population for human mercury exposure. Therefore, this study was conducted to reveal and enrich basic information for effective risk communication to reduce the adverse health effects of mercury exposure. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 432 women aged 19-44 years, recruited conveniently from three different regions (Busan, Ulsan, and Gumi City). Questionnaires were developed by referring to the existing literature and through expert meetings. They consisted of questions on knowledge and awareness of mercury exposure risks, health information literacy, and relevant information. Results: The rank of perceived mercury health risk score was 5 out of 16 environmental risk factors, and 41.7% of participants thought that even a very little mercury could lead to an adverse health effect. Although 90.3% of participants had knowledge that childbearing age women must pay attention to fish intake, only 38.9% of participants knew the national fish intake guidelines for pregnant women. Conclusions: Although risk perception and knowledge of pregnancy-specific features of mercury were relatively high, the national fish intake guidelines were still not well recognized. It could be an effective strategy to provide evidence-based and targeted information articulated by professionals using internet based communication channels.

Risk Assessment of Human Exposure to Methidathion during Harvest of Cucumber in Green House

  • Byoun Ji-Youn;Choi Hoon;Moon Joon-Kwan;Park Hee-Won;Liu Kwang-Hyeon;Ihm Yang-Bin;Park Byeoung-Soo;Kim Jeong-Han
    • Toxicological Research
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.297-301
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    • 2005
  • Farmers are generally expressed to pesticides through mixing loding, application activity and harvesting of crop after application of pesticides. The present work investigated the exposure and risk of furathiocarb to workers when harvesting of cucumber was carried out in green house after application of furathiocarb EC. Glove was used for the hand exposure assessment, socks for foot and dermal patches for the other parts of body. Personal air monitor equipped with a XAD-2 resin was used for the respiratory exposure assessment. During the harvest of cucumber in green house, the initial rate of potential dermal exposure (Day 1) for methidathion was 1.3 mg/hr. The major exposure parts were hand $(78\~83\%),\;thigh\;(5\~7\%)$ and arms $(6\~9\%)$ during 3 days' harvest. No exposure was detected from the respiratory monitoring. For risk assessment, the potential dermal exposure (PDE), the absorbable quantity of exposure (AQE) and the margin of safety (MOS) and margin of exposure (MOE) were calculated. In risk assessment of harvester exposure for 7days, all MOS was > 1 and MOE was > 100 indicating that possibility of risk was little.

Acute Radiation Syndrome in an Irradiated Minipig Model for Patients with Radiation Exposure

  • Jang, Hyosun;Kim, Joong-sun;Shim, Sehwan;Jang, Won-seok;Lee, Sun-Joo;Myung, Jae Kyung;Lee, Seung-Sook;Park, Sunhoo
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.42 no.3
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    • pp.146-153
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    • 2017
  • Background: Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) primarily refers to damage to the hematopoietic system, myeloid system, and gastrointestinal (GI) system caused by radiation exposure. Such damage progresses to become life-threatening. In particular, as the syndrome develops very rapidly-within several hours from radiation exposure-prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment are needed, as is further research into appropriate diagnostic and treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: Minipigs, which display human-like properties, underwent whole-body irradiation at 2 or 4 Gy (doses causing hematopoietic ARS) or at higher doses of 7 or 12 Gy. Changes in the blood cells and clinical symptoms were analyzed and we performed a necropsy when the animals succumbed to ARS. Results and Discussion: The minipig irradiated with 2 Gy showed a decrease in white blood cells, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets in the early stages. However, the blood cell counts gradually increased and returned to normal values. The minipig irradiated with 4 Gy succumbed due to hematopoietic ARS. In contrast, the minipigs irradiated with 7 or 12 Gy exhibited clinical symptoms of combined GI damage and hematopoietic syndrome. Moreover, a characteristic pattern of platelet changes was observed in the 7 and 12 Gy irradiated minipigs. Conclusion: The changes in the platelet count caused by radiation exposure observed in minipigs, which are hematologically and pathohistologically similar to humans, suggest that they can be used as a novel diagnostic criterion.

Odor Thresholds and Breathing Changes of Human Volunteers as Consequences of Sulphur Dioxide Exposure Considering Individual Factors

  • Kleinbeck, Stefan;Schaper, Michael;Juran, Stephanie A.;Kiesswetter, Ernst;Blaszkewicz, Meinolf;Golka, Klaus;Zimmermann, Anna;Bruning, Thomas;Van Thriel, Christoph
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.2 no.4
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    • pp.355-364
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    • 2011
  • Objectives: Though sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used widely at workplaces, itseffects on humans are not known. Thresholds are reportedwithout reference to gender or age and occupational exposure limits are basedon effects on lung functioning, although localized effects in the upper airways can be expected. This study's aim is to determine thresholds with respect to age and gender and suggests a new approach to risk assessment using breathing reflexes presumably triggered by trigeminal receptors in the upper airways. Methods: Odor thresholds were determined by the ascending method of limits in groups stratified by age and gender. Subjects rated intensities of different olfactory and trigeminal perceptions at different concentrations of $SO_2$. During the presentation of the concentrations, breathing movements were measured by respiratory inductive plethysmography. Results: Neither age nor gender effects were observed for odor threshold. Only ratings of nasal irritation were influenced bygender. A benchmark dose analysis on relative respiratory depth revealed a 10%-deviation from baseline at about 25.27 mg/$m^3$. Conclusion: The proposed new approach to risk assessment appearsto be sustainable. We discuss whether a 10%-deviation of breathingdepth is relevant.

Preferential Killing of Human Lung Cancer Cell Lines with Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Non-Thermal Dbd Plasma

  • Panngom, Kamonporn;Baik, Ku Youn;Nam, Min-Kyung;Rhim, Hyang-Shuk;Choi, Eun Ha
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2013.02a
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    • pp.199-199
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    • 2013
  • The distinctive cellular and mitochondrial dysfunctions of a human epithelial lung cancer cell line (H460) from a human lung fibroblastic normal cell line (MRC5) have been studied by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment. The DBD plasma device have generated large amount of H2O2 and NOx in culture media which is dependent on plasma exposure time. It is found that the cell number of lung cancer cell H460 has been reduced more than the lung normal cell MRC5 as being increased exposure and incubation time. Also these both cell lines have showed mitochondria fragmentation under 5 minutes' plasma exposure, which is a clue of apoptosis. It is noted in this study that AnnexinV staining has showed not only early apoptosis, but also late apoptosis in lung cancer cell H460. Mitochondria enzyme activity and ATP generation have been also much reduced in lung cancer cell H460. Their mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\psi}m$) has been found to be reduced in magnitude and shifted to the induced-potential level of cccp, while MRC5 mitochondrial membrane potential has been shifted slightly to that. These distinctively selective responses of lung cancer cell H460 from lung normal cell MRC5 gives us possibility of applying plasma to cancer therapy.

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