• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2016

As of many organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls are ubiquitous organic contaminants, which can be found in the most environmental matrices. Their toxic effects include endocrinedisrupting activity. Most researches with these toxicants performed with mixtures of congeners, namely Aroclor and related study has been done in complex environmental matrix, rather than single biosystems or pure congeners. 5 congeners were synthesized and their fates in pure microbial culture (Aspergillus niger) were determined in this study. Among biphenyl and synthetic congeners, biphenyl, PCB-1 (2-chlorobiphenyl), and PCB-3 (4-chlorobiphenyl) were rapidly transformed to hydrophilic metabolites, followed by PCB-38 (3,4,5-trichlorobiphenyl), while the degradation of PCB-126 (3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl) was not observed. The amounts of transformation for biphenyl, PCB-1, PCB-3, and PCB-38 were 65, 38, 52, and 2% respectively. The major metabolites of the above congeners were identified as mono- and di-hydroxy biphenyls, which are known to give adverse endocrinological effects.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2004

A large number of chemical pollutants including phthalates, alkylphenolic compounds and organochlorine pesticides have the ability to disrupt endocrine function in animals, and alter cog-nitive function. Because hormone mediated events play an important role in central nervous system development and function, the changes in cognitive function seem to be mediated by the endocrine-like action of these chemicals. The present study therefore was designed to investigate effect of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical on neuro-behavial patterns, and expression of estrogen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase, a limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis pathway. BPA was treated orally for 3 weeks into 3 week old mice, and then the neuro-behavial patterns (stereo-type behaviors such as jumping rearing and forepaw tremor, climbing behavior, tail flick, rotarod and locomotor activity), and the expression of estrogen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase were deter-mined every 3 week for 9 weeks. During the treatment of BPA, the food uptake and body weight increase were not significantly changed. BPA resulted in the increased stereotype behaviors (jump-ing, rearing and forepaw tremor) 6 or 9 weeks after treatment. The time response to tail flick and locomotor activity were decreased by the treatment of BPA, whereas the time for rotarod was increased by the treatment of BPA. The expression of estrogen receptor alpha and beta was increased in the brain and pituitary gland. Maximum expression was found in the brain after 9 week of 100 mg/kg BPA treatment and in the pituitary gland after 6 week of 100 mg/kg BPA treatment. Tyrosine hydroxylase was increased in dose and time dependent manners in the brain but no change was found in the pituitary gland. The present data show that exposure of BPA in the young mice could alter expression of estrogen receptors and dopamine synthesis pathway, thereby modulate neuro-behavial patterns (increase of stereotype behaviors but decrease locomotor activity).

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.270-286
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• 2002

The human adipose and milk samples analyzed in this study were collected at hospitals in Seoul, Masan and Jinju. The mean values of International Dioxin Toxic Equivalents (I-TEQ) of PCDDs and PCDFs in human adipose samples from the three regions were calculated as 9 pg I-TEQ/g(0.2 ~ 30 pg TEQ/g, lipid weight basis) and 8 pg I-TEQ/g (0.8 ~ 25 pg TEQ/g), respectively. The residue levels of PCDDs-TEQ and PCDFs-TEQ in human milk collected from Masan were 13 pg I-TEQ/g (lipid wt.) and 4.8 pg I-TEQ/g, respectively. On the whole, the contamination levels of these compounds in the Korean population were lower than those in the other countries. Based on the analytical data and assuming a daily intake consumption of 800 mL milk with 3% fat, the average daily intake of PCDDs/DFs via human milk for a baby weighing 5 Kg could be calculated. The daily intake of PCDDs/DFs via breast-feeding was estimated to be 39 pg/kg body weight/day for 2,3,7,8-TeCDD and 86 pg/kg/day for TEQ. These levels are far above all virtually safe dose(VSD) or tolerable daily intake(TDI) values proposed by health authorities in various countries, ranging from 0.001(US EPA) to 4 pg/kag/day (WHO).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.771-777
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• 2022

Dopaminergic (DA) cell death in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been attributed to multiple, distinct genetic and environmental factors. In rare familial PD loss of parkin function mutations play a key role in nigral DA neuron-specific pathogenesis primarily via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In more prevalent sporadic PD, environmental exposure to pesticides has a significant epidemiological role. However, it is largely unknown how environmental exposure to xenobiotics is etiologically linked with the known etiology in familial PD. In the present study biochemical evidence for a common pathogenic mechanism between sporadic and familial PD has been identified employing the recently characterized mesencephalic DA cell line, N27-A. Dieldrin, an organochlorine pesticide epidemiologically implicated in sporadic PD, induced the markers of ER stress response such as a chaperone BiP/Grp78, heme oxygenase-1 and especially, parkin. Accordingly, dieldrin activated the ER resident Caspase-12, a mediator of ER stress-specific apoptosis, during cell death of N27-A cells. Of great interest the dieldrin-induced DA neuronal cell death was synergistically rescued by the overexpression of ER resident neuroprotective proteins, parkin and Bcl-2. The present findings implicate that accumulation of ER stress could be one of common pathogenic mechanisms in idiopathic and familial PD, and some ER proteins, such as parkin and Bcl-2 may effectively attenuate ER stress-mediated N27-A DA cell death.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.656-664
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• 2010

We investigated the levels and distribution patterns of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 12 Coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the surface sediments from the Nakdong river basin, Korea. The levels of 16 PAHs and 12 Co-PCBs in the river sediment samples ranged from not detected (N.D.)~969.3 ng/g-dry, 4.2~7716.5 pg/g-dry (0.0~10.1 pg-TEQ/g-dry), respectively. Also, the levels of 16 PAHs were from 5.8~2987.2 ng/g-dry and 4.3~461.1 pg/g-dry (0.0~0.6 pg-TEQ/g-dry) for 12 Co-PCBs in the lake sediment samples. Only dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) were detected among target OCPs and the concentration ranged from N.D.~1.5 ng/g-dry in the river sediment samples. These contamination levels were far below the guideline values suggested for environmental quality assessment. Low molecular weight PAHs were dominant in the river sediment samples, while middle and high molecular weight PAHs were dominant among 16 PAHs in the lake sediment samples. PCB-118 and PCB-105 were predominant congeners in the sediment, which were similar to the results obtained from previous studies. With these results, the assessment of potential sources of PAHs and Co-PCBs contamination in the sediments of the Nakdong river basin was performed. The pyrogenic-PAHs originated from combustion of fossil fuel and biomass were related with the PAHs contribution in most of the sediment samples, and Co-PCBs in the sediment samples were related with commercial PCB products.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.109-122
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• 1979

Present study was carried out to reduce residual toxicity of BHC insecticides inherent in the organochlorine pesticides. For This end, r-isomer, the most potent insecticidal component among the BHC stereoisomers, was isolated and thus fortified by means of solvent precipitation. In parallel, 3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-1-methyl urea was prepared in good yield from technical BHC via 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4,-trichloronitrobenzene, and 2,4,5-trichloroaniline. In addition, certain merit of the compound which make it possible to use as a herbicide is discussed. The results are summarized as follows; 1. Recrystallizing technical BHC from methanol-water binary solvent system, r-isomer was enriched to 49.7% at 95% recovery of r-isomer. 2. By partitioning technical BHC in 85% of methanolic solution into chloroform, r-isomer was fortified to 89.6% at 90.5% recovery of r-isomer. 3. Yield of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene from technical BHC was greatly dependent upon concentration of alkalies and to less degree on the alkalies. 4. Surfactants, in particular cationic a quartenary ammonium salt, increased yield of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene from technical BHC by alkaline hydrolysis. 5. Conversion of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene to 2,4,5-trichloronitrobenzene was effected almost quantitatively utilizing $HNO_3-H_2SO_4$ nitrating agent at low temperature. 6. Yield of 91.4% was observed for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trichloroaniline by reducing 2,4,5-trichloronitrobenzene in the presence of iron turning and hydrochloric acid. 7. Overall yield based on BHC of 3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-1- methyl urea was 60.8%. 8. Inhibition effects, both germination and growth, 3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-1-methyl urea on several crops were found comparable to or more potent than those of $linuron{\circledR}\;and\;diuron{\circledR}$. In addition, it was also noted that susceptibility to the prepared compound depended upon the crops as well as specific part (shoots, roots) of the plant exposed to the chemicals.