• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.158-160
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• 2006

Acute methemoglobinemia is induced by various causes, especially ingestion of oxidizing agents such as phenazopyridine, dapsone, and nitrite. Indoxacarb is an oxadiazine insecticide with high insecticidal activity and low mammalian toxicity. It is known to block voltage-gated Na+ channels in insects and mammals, but the mechanism is not yet well understood. We describe a case of a 41-year-old woman with methemoglobinemia that developed following Indoxacarb ingestion, which improved after intravenous injection of methylene blue. This is the first known such case. If signs and symptoms of methemoglobinemia occur after Indoxacarb ingestion, antidotal therapy with methylene blue should be considered as a necessary treatment.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.7-14
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• 2001

Cases of green tobacco sickness were described. During the cutting of tobacco plants throughout harvest, four cases of green tobacco sickness occurred in August 2001, Korea. The range of age was 42-55 years. The most frequent symptoms included dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, headache, and difficulty breathing. All affected individuals worked in fields of wet tobacco, where their clothes became wet from moisture on the plants or sweating. They were all healthy, except one with hypertension. They are all non-smokers. They recovered after fluid and antiemetic administrations within two days. Most of doctors misdiagnosed their symptoms as a pesticide poisoning or heat injury. Green tobacco sickness is a condition that has long been known as an occupational health risk among tobacco harvesters. Nicotine poisoning by dermal absorption is reported to be the cause of green tobacco sickness. In Korea, there are many tobacco harvesters, and most of them may be sticken with green tobacco sickness. But, no case of green tobacco sickness has been reported. We report cases of green tobacco sickness occurred to the tobacco harvesters with a review of articles.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2008

Objective:　We compared the prevalence of injury and poisoning in the agricultural and fishery population with that of the general population.Methods: The national health insurance data and agricultufor this study. The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio was used to compare the prevalence of all injuries and poisonings of the agricultural and fishery population with that of the general population for the year 2002, as well as the prevalence of certain injuries and poisonings common to the agricultural and fishery population. The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio and 95% confidence intervals were attained by using the general population as the standard population group.Results: The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio of total injuries and poisonings was significantly high in the agriculture and fishery population. The standardized morbidity ratio was 137.6 in the male agriculture and fishery population and 123.3 in the female agriculture and fishery population. In terms of injuries and poisonings common to the agriculture and fishery population, the age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio was significantly high regarding the dislocations and strains of lumbar spine/pelvis, shoulder and neck, the fracture of rib/thoracic spine/sternum and pesticide poisoning.Conclusions: The overall prevalence of injury/poisoning was significantly higher in the agriculture and fishery population than in the general population. Various forms of research should be conducted on the injuries of the agriculture and fishery population in the future. In order to compare the differences in the prevalence rates of injuries according to time and region, standard definitions of injuries and occupation related injuries are required.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2022

This study aims to confirm the possibility of using the invasive alien plants in Jeju as a functional biomaterial. To achieve this purpose, 70% ethanol extract and solvent fractions were prepared for five invasive alien plants (Hypochaeris radicata, Rumex acetosella, Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc., Solanum viarum, Lactuca scariolar) and their antioxidant, antibacterial anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects were investigated. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of ethanol extract from invasive alien plants was shown in the order of Rumex acetosella > Hypochaeris radicata > Humulus japonicus. Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extract against food poisoning bacteria (4 species) and oral cavity-induced microorganisms (6 species) was measured. As a result, the extract of Humulus japonicus showed high antibacterial effects against food poisoning bacteria (E. coli, V. parahaemolyticus) and oral microbes (L. casei, S. epidermidis, E. faecalis). In LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, the anti-inflammatory effect of ethanol extract from invasive alien plants was investigated. As a result, the NO production inhibition activity was highest in the Rumex acetosella and the Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc. ethanol extract, and the NO production inhibition activity was concentration-dependent. In addition, the Rumex acetosella and the Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc. ethanol extract showed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on cytokine (IL-6) production. These extracts also showed inhibitory activity of COX-2, an inflammatory protein. This suggests that NO production inhibition activity by the extract of invasive alien plants is the result of inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression. Currently, organic solvent fractions of crude extract are manufactured and the investigation of active ingredients is continuing along with evaluation of biological activity such as anti-inflammatory. These results are expected to be a major data for the study on the separation and utilization of active ingredients with antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects using foreign plant crude extract and solvent fractions, and are highly likely to be applied to the development of functional food and cosmetics materials.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 2016

In order to investigate actual pesticide usage, this survey was carried out with farmers growing four crop groups, leaf vegetables, fruit vegetables, fruits, and rice from 2012 to 2015. Five hundred sixty farmers were selected in main crop production areas and were asked about their pesticide uses during the growing season. Investigations on pesticide damages to crop in recent 5 years showed that fruit vegetables had the highest proportion of damage at 14%, followed by rice at 11%, orchards at 11%, and leaf vegetables at 8%. Compared to the results of a pilot study which took place from 2009 to 2011, fruit vegetable damage increased by 4% while damage to rice and orchards decreased by 7-9%. This means continuous education on mixed spraying, usage methods, and precaution is required. In the survey on the safety guidelines for pesticide use, 6 items were well observed (89.0-95.0%), but one item for use of protective gear had the lowest observance (81.7%). A measure for protective gear for poisoning prevention is required. The survey of pesticide usage per area ($kg\;a.i.\;ha^{-1}$) showed that 1.65, 4.93, 10.98, and $3.16kg\;a.i.\;ha^{-1}$ of pesticides were applied to leaf vegetables (6 species), fruit vegetables (6 species), fruits (6 species), and rice, respectively, which decreased from the usage reported in the pilot study. This change was likely caused by more effective pesticides and fewer pest outbreaks; therefore, shipments of pesticides have been decreasing. In the case of paddy rice herbicides, 43 products, including butachlor, were used for $1.3kg\;ha^{-1}$. Herbicides represent 44% of pesticides used in paddy rice.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of toxic exposure cases in Korean emergency centers using a toxic exposure surveillance system-based report form and to provide guidelines for the prevention and treatment of toxic exposures. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of toxic exposure patients who had visited emergency centers from January 2009 to December 2009. Epidemiology data points for the toxic exposure cases included age, gender, type of exposure, number and kind of substances involved, reason and route of poison exposure, management of the patients in the emergency departments, and the clinical outcome. Results: A total of 3,501 patients from 12 emergency departments were enrolled in the study. 50.0% of the total exposure patients were male and 63.0% of the total cases were fatal. Acute intoxication occurred in 91.3% of the total patients and suicidal intent was the most common (43.3%) reason for exposure. The most common route of exposure was ingestion (75.9%). Of the total cases, pesticides were involved in 26.3%, sedatives/hypnotics/antipsychotics were involved in 22.0%, and bites and envenomations were involved in 15.7%. Conclusion: We provided a database of patients who were admitted to emergency departments after poisoning incidents. We recommend that toxicology professionals develop a classification scheme for toxicants which is adequate for Korean domestic circumstances and initiate a toxic surveillance system for all types of exposures. With support of a psychiatric surveillance system for suicidal patients and establishment of social mediation for pesticide poisoning, major reductions in poison exposures can be achieved.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.119-144
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• 2006

The Korea rural health study, a large prospective cohort study, the objectives of this study are exploration for potential causes of agricultural injuries and diseases among farmers. Current medical research suggests that they may have higher rates of some traumatic injuries, pesticide poisoning, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, asthma and other respiratory diseases. This study is designed to identify occupational, lifestyle, and environmental factors of workplace that may affect the rate of diseases in farming population. Round 1, initial cohort recruitment, will begin in 2006 and conclude in 2009. Round 2, follow-up will begin in 2010 and conclude in 2014. Approximately 54,000 persons will be selected to study population. Nested case-control studies and case-crossover studies will be conducted for getting to the bottom of agriculture-related diseases. Recruitment and follow-up are conducted in collaboration with multi-centers. As data on the exposures and health outcomes of this study population are collected and analyzed in 2014. This study will be evaluated by public health experts for effort, achievement, adequacy of performance, efficacy, process of study and so on. The author expects that this cohort study may reduce agricultural injuries and diseases and will provide information that agricultural workers can use in making decisions about their health. Also, this study will be significant basis for strengthening the competitiveness of agriculture in Korea.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2019

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) forage in agricultural areas, and are exposed to diverse pesticide poisoning. Toxic effects on Apis mellifera of different groups of pesticides were tested in the laboratory; fungicide (Metconazole), herbicide (Glyphosate), acaricide (Amitraz), organophosphate insecticide(Fenitrothion) and neonicotinoid insecticides(Thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran and Clothianidin). Commercial formulations were serially diluted from the recommended concentration (RC) to 10-6 times to carry out feeding and contact tests. Toxicity was transformed into lethal dose (LD50) and hazard question (HQ). The acute toxicity of pesticides showed similar patterns between feeding and contact tests. But feeding tests showed greater toxic to honey bee than contact test. The organophosphate and nitro-neonicotinoid insecticides were highly toxic with HQ values ranging greater than 1. However, cyano-neonicotinoids of Thiacloprid and Acetamiprid showed low toxicity. Even at the RC, 24 hr mortalities were 18 and 30%. The acaricide (Amitraz) showed intermediate level of toxicity at RC but negligible at the concentration lower than 10-1 times. A fungicide(Metconazole) and herbicide(Glyphosate) showed minimal impacts. The results imply that the selective use of pesticides could help conservation of pollinators in agricultural production systems.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.348-356
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the number of suicide deaths in women, trends in suicide mortality, characteristics of suicide by age, and outcomes of suicide means over the past decade (2011-2021) in South Korea. Methods: Using cause of death data from Statistics Korea, an in-depth analysis of Korean women's suicide trends was conducted for the period of 2011-2021. Results: In 2021, women's suicide death in Korea was 4,159, a rate of 16.2 per 100,000 population. The rate increased by 1.4% from the previous year. Since 2011, women's suicide rate has been on a steady downward trend, but since 2018, it has been on the rise again. Suicide rates among women in their 20s and 30s have increased, especially since the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and suicide rates among women over 70 years remain high. As compared to 2011, pesticide poisoning and hanging among the means of suicide have decreased significantly, while drug and carbon monoxide continue to increase. Conclusion: Suicide rates for Korean women in their 20s and 30s have increased significantly in recent years, and those for women over 70 years remain high. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the causes and establish national policies for targeted management of these age groups, which contributes significantly to the rising suicide rate among Korean women.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.222-229
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• 2007

It is well known the functional foods are very useful to prevent serious diseases and promote health. Therefore, they are often called as nutraceuticals, designer foods, and pharmafoods, etc. Most of foods have diverse functions because they provide nutrients, energies and fibrinoid materials. When foods are taken in the body, they promote the biological defense system against diseases through the supply of the essential or healthy materials to human being's organs. The mode of action and functional foods in human body have not been clarified yet. Antioxidant is known as one of the therapeutic aids which can be reduced pesticide poisoning. Onion has a strong antioxidant effect. This study was carried out to elucidate an antioxidant function of onion by determination of superoxide dismutase in liver, lung, serum of male rat administered by intraperitonial injection of 0, 2, $4\;mg\;kg^{-1}$ cblorpyrifos after administrated orally with onion for 6 weeks. Damage of liver and kidney was also investigated by biochemical analysis of serum(AST, ALT, BUN/Creatine ratio). SOD(superoxide dismutase) activity of onion-administrated group is higher than control group. In liver and lung, SOD activity of onion+cblorpyrifos administrated group is higher than only chlorpyrifos administrated group. BUN/Creatinine ratio of onion+chlorpyrifos administrated group was decreased compared with only chlorpyrifos-administrated group.