• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.186-190
• /
• 1995

A simple procedure, readily available at low cost with a sensitivity sufficient to determine trace levels of iron in seawater is proposed, which utilizes adsorptive accumulation of the iron/catechol complex on the mercury drop electrode in a borate medium of pH 8.0. Optimal conditions include a solution concentration of 2 mM catechol, 2.5 mM borate and a pH of 8.0, an accumulation potential of - 0.25 V is applied for 1∼3 min, and the potential scan is in the differential pulse mode. The limit of detection is 1.5 nM Fe using a preconcentration time of 3 min. The interference from copper can be eliminated and baseline slope is greatly improved, because its peak is well separated from that of iron in the proposed medium.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.524-530
• /
• 2016

Agricultural soils near or around industrial complexes can contain a certain amount of heavy metals that readily enter the food chain and negatively affect human health. Therefore, we conducted the study to investigate the distribution of selected heavy metals, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn), in farm-land soils around fifteen industrial complexes in the southwestern provinces, Korea. The concentrations of heavy metals in the soil samples were determined by the pseudo-total aqua regia (3 HCl : $1HNO_3$) digestion procedure. The heavy metal concentrations in most soils examined did not exceed the levels of Soil Contamination Warning Standard (SCWS) for agricultural lands (Region 1) presented in Soil Environment Conservation Law (SECL) established by Ministry of Environment (MOE), Korea. However, only one sampling site showed higher As amount ($27.1mg\;kg^{-1}$) than the SCWS level of As ($25mg\;kg^{-1}$). Pollution index (PI) for heavy metals did not exceed 1.0. The PI values were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01) with the heavy metal concentrations. In particular, the values of correlation coefficient between the Cd and Pb concentrations and the PI values were higher than those estimated from other combinations, and thus the amounts of Cd and Pb in the agricultural soils highly affected the PI values for the heavy metals.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.44.2-45
• /
• 2021

As implied by the zodiacal light and spacecraft impact measurements, the space between large bodies in our Solar System is filled with interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). IDPs give us deeper insight into the composition and evolution of the Solar System, as well as being a crucial reference for extrasolar research. IDPs can be interpreted as bearers of carbon and organic materials, and thus, their interaction with Earth can be considered as important factors for the birth of terrestrial life. One of the key routes of IDPs entering Earth is via meteoroid streams (Love and Brownlee 1993). The Geminid meteoroid stream is a notable example. Together with its source asteroid (3200) Phaethon, the Phaethon-Geminid stream complex (PGC) (Whipple 1983; Gustafson 1989) can potentially provide information on the properties and evolution of IDPs in near-Earth space. DESTINY+* is a JAXA/ISAS spacecraft planned to launch in 2024 to explore the physical and chemical features of near-Earth IDPs and uncover the dust ejection mechanism of active near-Earth asteroids, especially Phaethon (Arai et al. 2018). Previous studies on the dust ejection mechanism of Phaethon have various degrees of success in explaining the ejection of submillimeter particles and try to recreate the dust replenishment rate of the Geminid stream. However, none of them are satisfactory for explaining the observed Geminid stream, especially for larger particles of a millimeter and centimeter scales. Inspired by the discovery of rotational mass shedding in the Main Belt region (Jewitt et al., 2014), we investigate a dust ejection scenario by rotational instability on Phaethon. Using the N-body integrator MERCURY6 (Chambers 1999; modified by Jeong 2014), we performed a long-term integration of dust particles of various sizes ejected at ~1 m/s. Through this process, we discuss the implications Phaethon's rotation may have on its ejection, the formation and evolution of IDP by this mechanism, and contribute to the DESTINY+ mission.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.26
• /
• pp.143-160
• /
• 2021

The Seoul Baekje Museum has been conducting excavations at the Ancient Tomb Complex in Seokchon-dong, Seoul (Historic Site No. 243), known to be tombs of the royal family and the ruling class during the Hanseong period of the Baekje Kingdom. In this study, gold earrings that were revealed during the excavation underwent scientific analysis and conservation treatment. Stereo microscopy, SEM, X-ray imaging, CT, and XRF were applied in the analysis, and the characteristics, internal structure, and composition of the earrings as well as their production method were investigated. The results confirmed that the main hoops of the gilt-bronze earrings were made of copper cores gilt using mercury amalgamation. The findings also revealed that the hexahedron in the middle pendant was made by connecting small rings using molten gold powder, and the pendant sphere at the end was formed by soldering two hemispheres. As for the two thin-hoop earrings, they showed similar surface compositions but were made using different methods, with one made from a copper core wrapped with a gold plate and the other made by bending a gold rod. The gold content varied depending on the item and the place of measurement, but overall the earrings showed a relatively high gold content of approximately 19 to 21K. The purity of the golden earrings and the sophisticated manufacturing techniques applied indicate the high status of the buried person and of the tomb complex in Seokchong-dong.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.6-21
• /
• 2022

This paper examines the material culture of the Goryeo-Joseon Period through changes in the design and crafting of the earpick. In Chapter 2, terminology regarding earpicks is presented, and the culture of using earpicks is examined through fragmentary literature of the late Joseon Dynasty. Earpicks were first a personal hygiene tool, and, secondly, they played a symbolic role as a style accessory used by men, analogous to the fan carried by women of the time. In Chapter 3, earpick form are classified by period, and characteristic decorative techniques for each form are examined. During the Goryeo Dynasty, earpicks were sanitary tools, and, according to their form, they were classified into single and complex types. From Unified Silla to Goryeo, there is an angled type of connecting rod, and in the Goryeo period, there appeared earpicks with colorful decorations on the handle, completely forged earpicks with a thin and long shape, and earpicks which were part of multitools. Common decorative techniques include line expression, gold plating, cheophomun on the background, and inlay. Earpicks of the Joseon Dynasty are classified into sanitary tools or ornaments, according to their purpose of use. Sanitary tools are divided into single type and complex type, and earpicks used as ornaments include headdress, norigae, and sunchu. For earpick accessories, headdresses and norigae were used for women, and sunchu was used for men. The decorative techniques of earpicks during the Joseon Dynasty were mainly seen in the headdress earpicks. They were decorated with various colors in the Cloisonné method or bejeweled. Research on everyday tools among crafts is lacking; greater attempts to read the flow of time and approaches to material culture through everyday tools should be made.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• /
• v.35
• /
• pp.27.1-27.12
• /
• 2023

Background: Environmental exposure is characterized by low concentration, chronic, and complex exposure. Traditional epidemiological studies show limitations in reflecting these characteristics since they usually focus on a single or very limited number of exposure factors at a time. In this study, we adopted the methodology of environment-wide association study (EWAS) to figure out the association of human liver function with various environmentally hazardous substances. Methods: We analyzed 2,961 participants from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey Cycle 4 (2018-2020). Using generalized linear model (GLM) analysis, we analyzed the association of 72 variables with 3 liver function indices (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], and gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT]). Finally, we visualized our results with Manhattan plot. Results: In GLM analysis, perfluorooctanesulfonate were positively associated with ALT (odds ratio [OR]: 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-3.46; p_adjusted = 0.0147) and perfluorodecanoic acid showed positive association with GGT (OR: 2.73; 95% CI: 1.36-5.5; p_adjusted = 0.0256). Plasma mercury showed positive association with GGT (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.14-1.84; p_adjusted = 0.0315). Using a plastic container while keeping food in the refrigerator was associated with elevated GGT compared to using a glass container (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.16-1.95; p_adjusted = 0.0153). 2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate, showed a negative trend with all 3 indices, with AST (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.39-0.73; p_adjusted = 0.00357), ALT (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.34-0.75; p_adjusted = 0.036), GGT (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.4-0.76; p_adjusted = 0.00697). Bisphenol S and frequent use of sunblock cream showed negative association with ALT (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.66-0.89), and GGT (OR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.11-0.55), respectively. Conclusions: We conducted an exploratory study on environmental exposure and human liver function. By using EWAS methodology, we identified 7 factors that could have potential association with liver function.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 2009

Heavy metal residues in soil, rice straw, unhulled rice, rice hull, polished rice, and rice barn on the rice paddy in the "Top rice production complex which is non-contaminated area were evaluated. It was observed that the average concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Hg in the paddy soils were 1.235, 0.094, 4.412, 4.728 and 0.0279 mg/kg, respectively. There were no cultivation areas exceeded of the threshold for soil contamination designated by "The Soil Environment Conservation Law" in Korea. For the polished rice, there were no samples exceeded of a permissible level of heavy metal residues such as 0.051 mg/kg of As, 0.040 mg/kg of Cd, 0.345 mg/kg of Cu, 0.065 mg/kg of Pb and 0.0015 mg/kg of Hg. For the uptake and translocation of heavy metals to rice plant, a main part of heavy metal accumulation was rice straw, and then rice bran. Furthermore, it shown that accumulation of heavy metals in unhulled rice, rice hulls, brown rice, and polished rice was approximately similar as low. The slopes of translocation of heavy metals from soil to polished rice were following order as Cd, 0.4321 > Cu, 0.054 ${\fallingdotseq}$ Hg, 0.052 > As, 0.021 > Pb, 0.008. It was observed that potential ability of Cd uptake in rice plant and then its translocation into polished rice was very high. Concentrations of copper and mercury absorbed in the rice plant were moderate for translocating into the polished rice, while the arsenic and lead in the plant were scarcely translocated into the polished rice. The distribution of heavy metals absorbed and translocated into aboveground parts of rice plant was appeared that there were remained at 63.3-93.4% in rice straw, 6.6-36.9% in unhulled rice, 0.6-5.7% in rice hulls, 3.2-31.3% in brown rice, 0.8-4.6% in rice bran and 1.1-26.7% in polished rice. The accumulation ratio of Cd in the aboveground parts of rice plant was remained at 26.7-31.3% in brown and polished rice.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.181-188
• /
• 2022

Objectives: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was approximately 16% in populations of over age 30 years, and deaths from diabetes mellitus became the sixth most prevalent cause of death by disease. To assess the relationship between HbA1c and heavy metal level in blood and urine, targeted residents were evaluated in a vast steel industrial complex. Methods: We selected 414 subjects for analysis after applying the following exclusion criterion: 18 persons with diabetes mellitus. They took part in a questionnaire survey and underwent blood and urinary assessments. HbA1c and lead (Pb) level were measured in blood and, cadmium (Cd), inorganic arsenic (iAs) and mercury (Hg) were evaluated in urine. Two subgroups were divided by HbA1c 6.5%. Each subgroup was divided by 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th and 90th percentile levels of biological exposure index of the heavy metals for logistic regression. Results: Odd ratios have a tendency to increase as they go from the 90th to the 10th percentile of cadmium. However, lead, arsenic and mercury did not have significant relationships with HbA1c. In correction of age, region, gender and smoking history, a higher distribution in the subgroup with cadmium above 0.8318 ㎍/g creatinine (30th percentile) was demonstrated in the subgroup with HbA1c levels above the 6.5%, with an odds ratio of 5.26 (95% C.I. ; 1.44~19.17). Conclusion: This study found a significant correlation between urinary levels of cadmium and HbA1c in correction of several factors. It is meaningful that this outcome may be used as a basis for a study to establish the acceptable limit of urinary cadmium in Korea.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.249-261
• /
• 1992

Electrochemical behavior of the heavy lanthanide complexes of alizarin red S(ARS) has been investigated by d. c. polarography, differential pulse polarography and cyclic voltammetry. The reduction mechanism at a mercury electrode of alizarin red S as a complexing ligand showed a one step of two-electron transfer and the electron process is found to be reversible. Alizarin red S forms a 3:1 adsorptive complexes with lanthanides and the complexes are reduced via one step of two-elctron. The reduction potential of complex wave($P_2$) shifted more negatively than the ligand wave($P_1$). The linear calibration curves of the decreacing $P_1$ and increasing $P_2$ is obtained when the lanthanide concentration varies from $2.0{\times}10^{-6}M$ to $6.4{\times}10^{-5}M$ under the condition of pH 9.5, 0.1M LiCl and $1{\times}10^{-3}M$ ARS.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the public cognition and information acquisition route for heavy metals and organic solvents in the general population in order to provide information for the development of public relations materials. Methods: The study was carried out by questionnaire from January to March 2011 by an interview with trained surveyors. There were 700 participants, divided by gender and age. A questionnaire was issued consisting of subjective and objective cognition evaluation items and questions about information acquisition route and preferred information acquisition route for six heavy metals and five organic solvents. Data were expressed as a percentage using the SPSS 23.0 software package. Result: For heavy metals, subjective and objective cognition degrees were higher in the order of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. They were higher among males than females, and in adults compared to school-age subjects. For organic solvents, both cognition degrees were high in the order of acetone, benzene, and formaldehyde. However, cognition degree by gender and age showed a complex pattern. As a response to information acquisition route, broadcast media had the highest in all ages and genders, followed by word of mouth from neighbors in elementary school children, school education or expert lectures in middle and high school students up to people in their 30s, and print media among those in their 40s to over 60s. There was no difference in the order by gender. As a response to preference for information acquisition route, broadcast media also proved the highest in all ages and genders, followed by school education or professional lectures among those in elementary school and over their 60s, and the internet in other age groups. Females preferred school education or expert lectures and word of mouth from neighbors, while males preferred the internet. In the case of the internet, the ranking was higher for preferred information acquisition route compared with the ranking for information acquisition route. Conclusions: This data on cognition degree, information acquisition route, and preferred information acquisition route according to gender and age can provide basic data for the development of educational and promotional materials for heavy metals and organic solvents exposure management.