• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.766-775
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• 2007

The use of toxic chemicals was extended as the industry in Korea has grown dramatically during the last three decades. However, list of toxic substances and limit concentrations in the water environment are not consistent within management of ambient water, drinking water and industrial effluent. This article suggests the systematic framework to classify toxic substances in the water environment and deriving their effluent limits. The most important factor for decision-making to classify toxic substances is whether their concentrations in the water environment are higher than the reference concentrations, estimated by considering human health risk and ecological risk. Using a risk-based reference concentration, the ambient water quality criterion, it is possible to derive the regulatory limit concentrations of toxic substances in drinking water and in industrial effluent. The goal concentrations in the effluent, which guarantee the human and ecological safety, should be determined with scientific investigation, balancing environmental benefit and economical effect, considering availability of treatment technology and identifying characteristics of wastewater from different industries.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.78-89
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• 2004

Background : A report published by the National Institute of Toxicological Research (NITR) in January 2004 about toxic hepatitis in Korea contained the result of analysis on 55 cases of severe toxic hepatitis from 7 university hospitals for 8 months. NITR claimed that the extrapolated annual frequency of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea was 1904 cases per year. They also claimed that the most frequent etiology of severe toxic hepatitis were herbal medications and similar plant preparations (61.7%), contrasted with traditional therapeutic preparations and healthy foods (29.1%). I have investigated that report to be certain of the result because it is a very important subject for public health and society in Korea. Results : The NITR report has too many problems to have faith in its results. They include the following: 1. The report uses only 55 cases to estimate annual prevalence rate of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea. 2. There was a large regional preponderancy in the NITR report (2 cases in Seoul from a population of 10.17 million, 19 cases in Gwangju from a population of 1.4 million) 3. There was another preponderancy that selected much fewer cases caused by western medication (9.1%) than other reasons. 4. The NITR report used a modified scale than that officially recognized to diagnose toxic hepatitis. 5. There was a mistake using the scale to adapt the right indications. 6. They collected cases before beginning the study, although it was a prospective study. There was also not any questionnaire or other materials concerned with alcohol, drugs, or history of past liver disease. Conclusions : NITR is one of the important official arms of the government of Korea. Nevertheless, there is a severe problem in validity because of selection bias, uncertain accuracy, and insufficiency of raw materials in the report. Therefore it seems incorrect to generalize the results of the report and there is a lack of confidence in it as a national study publishing by the NITR.

• 공업화학
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.193-197
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• 2014

피치계 활성탄소섬유의 유해가스 감응특성을 알아보고자 피치계 활성탄소섬유와 폴리비닐알코올(PVA)을 이용하여 가스센서용 전극을 제조하였다. 제조된 가스센서용 활성탄소섬유 전극의 물리화학적 특성은 주사전자현미경(SEM) 및 비표면적 측정기(BET)를 이용하여 분석하였다. 또한, 전극의 유해가스 감응특성은 $NH_3$, NO 및 $CO_2$와 같은 여러 유독가스를 이용하여 확인하였다. 가스센서용 활성탄소섬유 전극의 비표면적은 바인더인 PVA에 의하여 활성탄소섬유보다 33% 감소하였지만, 전극의 기공크기분포는 PVA에 의하여 크게 영향을 받지 않았다. 가스센서용 활성탄소섬유 전극은 반도체 기반 가스센서와는 다르게 전자도약에 의해서 유해가스를 감응하였다. 본 연구에서, 활성탄소섬유 전극의 저항은 100 ppm의 $NH_3$ 유해가스에 대하여 7.5% 감소하였으며, 그 $NH_3$ 가스 감응특성이 다른 유해가스보다 뛰어남을 확인하였다.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.83-96
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• 2005

Brominated flame retardants have the market share of 40%, comparing others because of their low cost and highly effective retardation against the flame. However, their toxic effects in human and properties of the accumulation in the environments have been issued among the international organization such as EU, OECD and etc. It, therefore, was surveyed the classification, toxic effects, and the usage of Brominated flame retardants, the trends for their managements in the world and Korea, and their contaminated levels in Korean Peninsula. In addition, the management directions for them were proposed. Penta, octa, and deca-BDE among brominated retardants will seem to be prohibited by the regulation as a flame retardants for plastics in Europe because of their toxic effects. Although Penta and Octa BDEs was used marginally in Korea, deca-BDE was 27% of brominated flame retardants (49,050 ton) which had been used in 2002. However, risk assessment for brominated retardants might not launched in Korea, yet. These reports demonstrate that toxic brominated retardants such as PBDEs will be assessed for their usage and the level of contamination in the environment in the area of the point sources like the industrial areas, incinerators and etc. However, the law to regulate the hazardous chemicals seems not to be dictated the monitoring of their contamination in the environment. We, therefore, suggest how to evaluate and to monitor the toxic contaminants with EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) system. Further, to establish the management system of BFRs (such as the monitering of contamination levels in environments, life cycle assessment, and risk assessment for the toxic chemicals), It can be recommended the law to deal with the method analyzing chemicals will be established, which contains QA/QC (Quality Assurance and Quality Control) to evaluate the analytic capability of the companies to prepare EIS (Environment Impact Statement) or other institutes for analyzing chemicals.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.37-44
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• 2006

Ecotoxicity assessments of 90 selected effluents of 22 industry types from 2002 to 2004 in Korea were evaluated by a toxic battery of bioassay test using fish Oryzias latipes, invertebrate Daphnia magna, algae Selenastrum capricornutum and bacteria Vibrio fischeri with the physicochemical measurement items and permit concentrations on the present Water Quality Conservation Act in Korea. Total toxic unit (${\Sigma}TU$) of 8 industry types of 22 industry types by the toxic battery appeared in order of the value site as follows; Pigment Dye Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 217.1) > Textile and Dye (${\Sigma}TU$ 39.3) > Semiconductor Electronic Manufacturing (Small) (${\Sigma}TU$ 25.6) > Wastewater and Sewage Treatment Plants (${\Sigma}TU$ 25.4) > Coating (${\Sigma}TU$ 23.8) > Leather Skin Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 18.0) > Synthetic Resin Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 15.6) > Assemble Metal Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 10.7). Our results demonstrate that ecotoxicity assessment, by bioassay test, is effective and practical for industrial wastewater management for 90 selected effluents with the limitation of the physicochemical permit. Among 90 effluents, 9 samples failed physicochemical permit limitation and 81 passed it. In result of ecotoxicity assessment of 90 effluents by the toxic battery, 76 effluents exhibited ecotoxicity and the others did not. The physicochemical measurement items and permit concentrations on the present Water Quality Conservation Act in Korea were low related to the ecotoxicity value by the toxic battery and appeared limited for water quality management to water-ecosystem and environment-friendly management of water.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.110-116
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• 2008

Purpose: Acute toxic hepatitis is a common cause of acute liver failure (ALF). We investigated the causes, clinical manifestation, and outcomes of ALF patients who underwent liver transplantation due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. Methods: Between January 1992 and May 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 24 patients who were transplanted due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. We applied the RUCAM score to patients with acute toxic hepatitis and assessed the relationship between herbal preparations and liver injury. We studied the patients' medication history, liver function tests, and clinical outcomes. Results: The type of liver injury was divided into three groups: hepatocellular type, 14 patients (58.3%); cholestatic type, 4 patients (16.7%); and mixed type, 6 patients (25%). Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg (3 cases) was the most common cause of acute toxic hepatitis, followed by Acanthopanax senticosus (2 cases), pumpkin juice (2 cases), Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz (2 cases), Hovenia dulcis (1 case), Phellinus linteus (1 case), and Artemisia capillaries (1 case). One year survival after liver transplantation was 76%. Conclusion: We identified the herbal preparations leading to acute liver failure. Many patients consider herbal remedies to be completely free of unwanted side effects. However, we found that many herbal products have biological activities that can lead to severe hepatotoxicity.

• 한국인터넷방송통신학회논문지
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.143-149
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• 2016

최근 독극물로 인한 사고가 빈번하게 발생하여 사회적인 문제가 발생하고 있어 독극물관리를 철저히 해야 할 필요성이 대두되고 있다. 2010년 기준으로 국내에는 약 10만 여종의 독극물이 유통되어 사고 시 중증 중독환자 혹은 대량으로 환자를 발생시킬 수 있고 국제적으로도 NBC에 의한 대량 재해의 심각성이 대두되고 있다. 그래서 생산지에서 부터 관리 할 수 있도록 독극물이 들어 있는 유리병에 13.56MHz 대역의 RFID 시스템을 사용하였고, 인식된 태그 데이터는 IEEE 802.15.4 기반의 통신으로 메인 시스템에 데이터를 전송한다. 전송 된 데이터는 스마트 디바이스를 통하여 독극물의 상태를 실시간으로 모니터링 할 수 있는 시스템을 구현하였다. 그러나 독극물을 관리하는 시스템의 고장은 예측 할 수 없는 결과를 발생시킨다. 그래서 고장의 원인이 되는 오류를 하드웨어 여분을 이용한 방법으로 검출하였고 검출된 오류가 전체 시스템에 영향을 주지 않도록 이중화 시스템을 제시하였다.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.111-116
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• 2012

Toxic hepatitis is a rare but devastating disease in children. Herbs are widely used in oriental medicine to treat various symptoms in Korea, however, several herbs have been reported to induce liver injury. We report a case of toxic hepatitis induced by Hovenia dulcis in a 3-year-old boy. He complained of nausea, abdominal discomfort, and jaundice. The patient had consumed water boiled with hovenia dulcis for about 1 year prior to presentation. A diagnosis of toxic hepatitis was made based on his history, laboratory data, viral markers, ultrasonography, and biopsied liver tissue. We administered supportive management for acute fulminant hepatitis but his symptoms and liver function progressed. He was transferred to another hospital for further evaluation and consideration for liver transplantation. Because acute liver failure due to herbs or dietary supplement taken for a long time is often fetal, it is important to make early diagnosis and stop taking the drug as soon as drug induced liver injury is suspected.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.706-709
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• 2002

Bacterial bioluminescence has been known to be a highly valuable reporter system for its potential application as an effective and simple environmental monitoring method for toxic compounds. In this short report, we constructed a streptomycetes-Escherichia coli shuttle vector-containing bioluminescence system and evaluated its potential application for toxic compounds monitoring. The luxAB biolurninescence genes from Vibrio harveyi were cloned into a streptornycetes-E. coli shuttle vector (named pESK004) and functionally expressed in Streptomyces lividans. The recombinant S. lividans containing pESK004 exhibited an optimal biolurninescence at the optical density ($OD_{600\;nm}$) of 0.4-0.5 and aldehyde concentration of 0.005%. When the recombinant bioluminescence streptomycetes was exposed to a toxic compound such as heavy metals, chlorinated phenols, or pesticides, the bioluminescence was decreased proportionally to the concentration of toxic compound in the assay mixture. The $EC_{50}$ (effective concentration to decrease 50% of the bioluminescence prior to exposure) values in the recombinant biolurninescence streptomycetes for mercury, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and malathion were measured at 2.2 ppm, 144.0 ppm, and 82.4 ppm, respectively. The degree of sensitivity and specificity pattern toward these toxic compounds characterized in this recombinant bioluminescence streptomycetes were unique when compared with previously reported bacterial bioluminescence systems, and this revealed that a recombinant bioluminescence streptomycetes might provide an alternative or complementary system for potential environmental monitoring.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.201-214
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• 1995

Design approach of upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket(UASB) process based on the biological kinetic parameters are known to be very difficult since the characteristics of the granular slut비e depends on the type of wastewater and size distribution of the granular sludge also depends on the upflow velocity in the UASB reactors. Furthermore, industrial wastewater containing toxic substances has been treated by UASB process without the clear knowledge of toxic effects on the granular slut형e. Hence, the present research was aimed on the intensive evaluation of biological kinetic parameters of the granular sludge in UASB reactor with and without toxic substance of 2, 4-dichlorophenol in order to present the basic design measures for UASB process design. The results could be summarized as follows. The biological kinetic parameters(k and Ks) considerably varied with the granular size of the sludge. Generally, 연e k and ks values of the granular sludge increased with the particle size of the granule. The biological kinetic parameters(k and Ks) of the granular sludge obtained from batch test were not applicable to design purpose of UASB process due to substrate diffusional limitation into the granular sludge in the completely mixed UASB reactors. The toxic effects on k and Ks greatly varied with the granular sixte. And as the toxicant concentration increased, the k value decreased while the Ks value increased. Inhibition constant(hi) for k with the toxicant of 2, 4-dichlorophenol varied from 0.5 to 2.3 depending on the granular sizes while the inhibition constant(Ki) for Ks varied from 20.7 to 80.1, showing the mixed inhibition.