• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.228-235
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• 2016

Aquatic ecosystems are receiving various harmful effects due to anthropogenic chemical pollutions. To protect wildlife, risk assessments of the chemicals are conducted using reference indexes of toxicity estimated by species-level laboratory tests and/or micro-/mesocosm community-level studies. However, the existing micro-/mesocosm communities are structurally too complicated, and it is also difficult to compare the experimental results directly with those from species-level tests. Here, we developed a procedure of a simple bi-trophic microcosm experiment which contains the common species (a green algae, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and a cladoceran, Daphnia magna) for testing chemical toxicities. For the proper operation of bitrophic microcosm experiment, the minimum required concentration of primary producer (P. subcapitata) is $5{\times}10^5cells\;mL^{-1}$. The microcosm system showed higher stability when the initially introduced D. magna population was composed of neonates (<24-h old) than adults and those mixture. This simple microcosm system would be an applicable tool to estimate the disturbing impacts of pollutants on plant-herbivore interactions, and linking the species- and population-/community level risk assessments in the future studies.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.547-556
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• 2007

The release, sampling and analytical methods have been developed and tested for perfluorocarbons (PFCs) atmospheric tracers in order to gain insight into the atmospheric transport and dispersion over the urban conditions of Seoul, Korea. Although PFCs tracer experiments provide unique opportunities to test local and urban scale of transport and dispersion, no previous experiment with PFCs has been conducted in Korea. PMCH and PDCH were chosen as targeted tracers in our study due to their extreme low ambient concentrations and great sensitivities among various PFCs. For PFCs release system, a set of micro-metering pump, electronic balance, vaporizing furnace and high speed blower was constructed for precise and accurate release of tracers. The precision of released rate by this system was estimated to be 1%. Samplings of PFCs were carried out by fabricated portable air samplers with micro pumps and rotameters into glass tubes packed with 150 mg of Carboxen-569. The uncertainty of these sampling system was maintained below 14%. PMCH and PDCH were quantified in GC/ECD with preconditioned injection system to eliminate the interference compounds using traps and subsequent catalytic conversion system prior to column separation. Three intensive field test were undertaken during the springtime of 2002 to 2004 in eastern part of Seoul. Daily background samples were collected to characterize the background levels of PMCH and PDCH prior to their release. The observed background concentrations of PMCH ranged from 3.5 to 10.1 fL/L and varied randomly in location and time in this study. Its mean and standard variation of background concentration ($6.8{\pm}1.9\;fL/L$) are higher than those ($3.2{\sim}5.8\;fL/L$) of other historic tracer studies. Identified uncertainty for background PMCH was $1.7{\sim}2.0\;fL/L$ using this analytical system. Combined relative uncertainty in determining the tracer's concentrations was estimated as 17%. However, its background concentrations and uncertainty in concentration determination were found to be low and stable enough for tracer study.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.777-784
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• 2005

The first flush phenomenon is defined as the initial period of road runoff during which the concentration of pollutants was significantly high. Road runoff contains significant loads of micro-particles, heavy metals and organic constituents. There were two major objectives of this study. The first objective was to characterize the road runoff. The second objective was to measure and evaluate particle sire distribution of the road runoff, Stormwater runoff was monitored on two sites of four lane road areas along with traffic volume. A total six storm events were monitored to characterize the road runoff. The quantity of road runoff and quality constituents, including chemical oxygen demand ($COD_{Cr}$), suspended solids(SS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ortho-phosphorus ($PO_4-P$), total phosphorus(TP), heavy metals and particle size distribution were analyzed. The results indicate that the concentration of SS, $COD_{Cr}$, TKN and TP ranges were $45{\sim}2,396\;mg/L$, $40{\sim}931\;mg/L$, $0.1{\sim}19.6\;mg/L$, and $0.2{\sim}25.1\;mg/L$, respectively. The results of the regression analysis between SS and the others constituents shows that $COD_{Cr}$, TP, Cu, Pb were highly correlated. And the results showed that the mean range of particle size and uniformity coefficient for road runoff were $6.7{\sim}23.4{\mu}$ and $6.4{\sim}10.2$, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.511-516
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• 2008

Since 1989, Advanced drinking water treatment processes began to build in Korea, especially the water treatment plants around the Nak-dong river stream due to sequential pollutant accidents. Moreover, Advanced drinking water treatment processes, ozone and GAC, are again to be built in water treatment plants around Han-river stream to control taste and odor, micro pollutants. However, there are still a lot of discussion to decide the processes to apply for advanced treatment. Thus there are still need to understand clearly on the cost evaluation of each advanced treatment processes. The cost evaluation was accomplished based on the data of six water treatment plants which are currently being either operating or constructing. Exceptionally, PAC(Powdered Activated Carbon) process was evaluated with cost estimation from construction company. The capital cost per unit volume of ozone process was significantly decreased as the treatment capacity increased. The capital cost was in the order of GAC, ozone and GAC. The operation cost decreased in the order of PAC, GAC and ozone. The total cost considering present value shows that ozone process covers 84% of ozone and GAC process for $30,000m^3/d$ capacity while it covers less than 35% for over 140 thousands $m^3/d$ capacity. Comparing GAC only, and ozone/GAC process, ozone/GAC process is more cost effective for high capacity water treatment plant.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

For the past three decades, more than a thousand of genetic studies have been performed to find out the genetic variants responsible for the risk of asthma. Until now, all of the discovered single nucleotide polymorphisms have explained genetic effects less than initially expected. Thus, clarification of environmental factors has been brought up to overcome the 'missing' heritability. The most exciting solution is epigenesis because it intervenes at the junction between the genome and the environment. Epigenesis is an alteration of genetic expression without changes of DNA sequence caused by environmental factors such as nutrients, allergens, cigarette smoke, air pollutants, use of drugs and infectious agents during pre- and post-natal periods and even in adulthood. Three major forms of epigenesis are composed of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and specific microRNA. Recently, several studies have been published on epigenesis in asthma and allergy as a powerful tool for research of genetic heritability in asthma albeit epigenetic changes are at the starting point to obtain the data on specific phenotypes of asthma. In this presentation, we mainly review the potential role of DNA CpG methylation in the risk of asthma and its sub-phenotypes including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory exacerbated respiratory diseases.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.241-250
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• 2007

A study was carried out on the level of heavy metals, total coliform and benzo(a)pyrene that may be introduced through by-product fertilizers or air pollution to turfgrass in natural turfgrass playground in elementary schools around the western coast and eastern mountain areas in Jeollabuk-do, Korea. The level of heavy metals found in turfgrass was in the order of Cu > Zn > Pb > Cd. The majority of heavy metals was found in the roots. It is presumed that the absorption of some air pollutants and by-product fertilizers or chemical fertilizers. The level of benzo(a)pyrene showed an average of 0.05ng/g with a range between 0.02 to 0.08ng/g in the leaves. In the meantime, none was detected in the stems, while the average for roots was 0.02ng/g with a range between 0.01 and 0.03ng/g. The level detected is that found background level, however, benzo(a)pyrene can be introduced partly from the unstable combustion of fossil fuel or through vehicle emissions. Total coliform distributed in grass showed an average of 12MPN/100ml with a range between 2 and 36MPN/100ml. The density of total coliform displayed no regional predominance. However, in some urban areas, the density was slightly higher. The feces of pets or by-product fertilizers may have contributed to the input of pathogenic micro-organism. Yet the level was found to be negligible.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 2012

Pollutants in aquaculture system effluent mostly originated from solid wastes including uneaten feed and excreta of cultured species. In this research, DAF(Dissolved Air Flotation) unit is suggested as an integrated solid control unit especially as a form of IIBG(Inline Injection Bubble Generation) process in aquaculture system. Solid removal performance of DAF unit was examined under various operation and salinity conditions with turbidity and suspended solid. Solid waste removal efficiencies were found to be affected by operation conditions including saturator pressure, recycle ratio, coagulant concentration. Solid removal efficiency was higher under higher saturator pressure and recycle ratio under which condition larger number of bubbles is generated. Coagulant is thought to have important role in creating bubble-particle aggregate by showing better removal efficiency with higher concentration. However higher saline water showed less effectiveness in removing solids by DAF(IIBG). Application of DAF(IIBG) process also showed additional effect in phosphate removal and DO(Dissolved Oxygen) supply. Phosphate existed in polluted water was removed up to 46% after treatment, which is thought to attribute to aluminium phosphate precipitation. And DO concentration was found to increase over 50% of initial saturation concentration after the injection of micro-bubbles. Through experiments on solid removal from aquaculture effluent, DAF(IIBG) process is estimated to be effective solid control method. This property can help aquaculture system being installed and operated simply and effectively.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2009

Exposures to environmental chemicals that mimic endogenous hormones are proposed for a number of adverse health effects, including infertility, abnormal prenatal and childhood development and above all cancers. In addition, recently miRNA (micro RNA) has been recognized to play an important role in various diseases and in cellular and molecular responses to toxicants. In this study, endocrine disrupting environmental toxicant, nonylphenol (NP) was treated to MCF-7 (Human breast cancer cell) and HepG2 (Human hepatocellular liver carcinoma) cell line at 3 hrs and 48 hrs time point and miRNA analysis using $mirVana^{TM}$ miRNA bioarray was performed and compared with total mRNA microarray data for the same cell line and treatment. Robust data quality was achieved through the use of dye-swap. Analysis of microarray data identifies a total of 20 and 11 miRNA expressions at 3 hrs and 48 hrs exposure to NP in MCF-7 cell line and a total of 14 and 47 miRNA expression at 3 hrs and 48 hrs exposure respectively to NP in HepG2 cell line. Expression profiling of the selected miRNA (let-7c, miR-16, miR-195, miR-200b, miR200c, miR-205, and miR-589) reveals changes in the expression of target genes related to metabolism, immune response, apoptosis, and cell differentiation. The present study can be informative and helpful to understand the role of miRNA in molecular mechanism of chemical toxicity and their influence on hormone dependent disease. Also this study may prove to be a valuable tool for screening potential estrogen mimicking pollutants in the environment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.2 s.24
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• pp.284-294
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• 1988

To measure the mutagenic activity of micro-organic pollutants in drinking water, mutagenicity test was conducted using Salmnella typhimurium TA 98 strain on the water sample taken from three water supply stations and six tap water in Seoul in July and November 1987. The results were as follows : 1. The average amounts of organic matters in raw, treated, and tap water sampled in July were 0.38mg/l, 0.28mg/l, and 0.45mg/l. respectively, and sampled in November were 0.34mg/l, 0.24mg/l, and 0.22mg/l, respectively. The amount of organic matters of tap water sampled in November did not increase while that of tap water sampled in July increased compare to those of raw or treated water. 2. The amount of organic matters is the highest in neutral fraction compare to acidic and basic fractions. 3. In the five out of six tap water and raw water of Paldang and Kuui station sampled in July, the mutagenicity ratios were greater then two (both direct and indirect mutagenicity). 4. In the three out of six tap water and raw and treated water of Kuui station sampled in November, the mutagenicity ratios were greater than two. 5. While mutagenic activities were low in acidic and basic fraction, they were high in neutral fraction. The samples which had high mutagenic acitivity in the total amount also showed high mutagenic activity in neutral fraction. 6. While mutagenic acitivity was decreased after the treatement of water, it was increased in tap water as the distance from the water supply station increases.