• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2006

One of the main attractions of treatment with herbal medicine is its apparent lack of side effects compared with the drug therapies used in allopathic medicine. However, evidence from various countries suggest that Asian herbal medicine carry a significant risk of contamination with toxic heavy metals at levels that may seriously threaten health. The aims of this study were to analyze and compare concentrations of heavy metals in urine and hair from 184 patients taking herbal medicines in the form of decoctions and/or pills in comparison to 101 control subjects taking either Western or no medications. Levels of metal concentrations exceeding WHO reference values were observed in a number of hair and urine samples for all subjects. After adjusting for potential confounders, taking decoctions or pills was associated with higher levels of some metals (such as Cu, Pb in urine), as well a higher odds ratio of exceeding the upper limit of reference ranges for Pb, Hg in hair. In contrast, taking decoctions or pills was associated with lower levels of some metals (such as Cu in urine and Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb in hair), suggesting that some herbal medicines may have a chelating effect on heavy metals in the body. Overall, the results obtained in the study show a mixed picture and suggest that heavy metals contamination in herbs is sometimes present, but may also be counteracted by the potential for some herbal medicines to act as chelating agents. Further study must be followed to obtain more concrete evidence.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2017

Aflatoxin $M_1$ ($AFM_1$) after its bioconversion from aflatoxin $B_1$ in animal liver becomes the part of milk while heavy metals get entry into milk and milk products during handling in the supply chain. Aflatoxin $M_1$ and heavy metals being toxic compounds are needed to be monitored continuously to avoid any ailments among consumers of foods contaminated with such toxicants. Thirteen commercially available infant formula milk (IFM) brands available in Pakistani markets were analyzed for the quantitative determination of $AFM_1$ and heavy metals through ELISA and atomic absorption spectrophotometer, respectively. $AFM_1$ was found positive in 53.84% samples while 30.76% samples were found exceeding the maximum EU limit i.e. $0.025 {\mu}g/kg$ for $AFM_1$ in IFM. Heavy metals lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were found below the detection limits in any of the sample, whereas the concentrations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) ranged between 45.40-97.10, 29.72-113.50 and <$0.001-50.90 {\mu}g/kg$, respectively. The concentration of Fe in all the tested brands was found in normal ranges while the concentrations of Zn and Ni were found exceeding the standard norms. Elevated levels of $AFM_1$, Zn and Ni in some of the tested IFM brands indicated that a diet completely based on these IFM brands might pose sever health implications in the most vulnerable community i.e., infants.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2023

Numerous articles under the study and the examination of heavy metals in human teeth have been published in recent years. The heavy metal poisoning is a widespread issue emerged in toxicology area these days. It has been discovered that long-term exposure to heavy metals typically present in traces, in our everyday meals, drinking water, and in the environment as pollution causes heavy metal poisoning in human beings. Industrial effluents, Coal and Oil, as well as a variety of consumer items, such as cosmetics, can all cause this type of exposure. Teeth, which are often thought of as exoskeleton parts, store heavy metals with a high affinity and represent long-term exposure information. In this study, we have chosen and examined the sections of dentine instead, then examined the entire tooth. We have combined the work done on the examination of heavy metals in human teeth using several instrumental approaches e.g. "Optical Spectroscopic Techniques" to detect elemental profile of human teeth in the current study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.187-191
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• 2005

Several heavy metals are known to give some kinds of mental retardation although abnormal X-chromosome is closely connected with genetic disease such as mental retardation. This study dealt with the influence of minerals in the hair of mental retardation people. Minerals were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (Sciex Elan 6100, Perkin-Elmer corporation, Foster, CA, USA). The nutritional elements such as Ca, Na, K were higher level (p<0.01) in normal group than in the mental retardation group. The toxic elements such as Cd (p<0.01) and As were higher level in the mental retardation group than in normal group. But Pb is not significant difference among the all groups including normal group.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.811-818
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• 2011

Daphnia Magna Stratus has been widely accepted as useful species for estimating the toxicity of chemicals to aquatic invertebrate and recommended as species for the testing chemicals from the international guideline as well as Korean guideline. The study was performed for the acute toxicity test by using water flea(D. Magna) for effluents from several wastewater treatment plants and drainage canals in GyeongBuk area. Five heavy metals, 1,4-Dioxane and Perchlorate were tested. Most Toxicity Units(TU) of Industrial wastewater effluents were less than 1 which means effluent was not toxic to D. Magna. However, effluents containing 1,4-Dioxane and Perchlorate were significantly toxic to D. Magna. Therefore, facilities should reduce the 1,4-dioxane since new regulations will force them after the year of 2011.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.150-157
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• 1999

According to the fact that Macbansuk and clay are very porous, we produced combined adsorbent and we investigated the removing capacity of adsorbent to toxic heavy metal (Pb, Cu) in the single and mixed solution.Then the experimental parametars were pH, reaction time and amount of adsorbent. And we studied possibility of adsorbent by applying to the Freundlich isotherm. As raising the pH of single and mixed solution in range 2~5, the maximum adsorption capability was investigated in range 3~4. When Cu and Pb were applied to Freundlich isotherm, l/n were 0.291 and 0.513 respectively. In the case of mixed solution with both, l/n value was 0.614. In this study, we concluded that the combined adsorbent treated toxic heavy metal is possible under 100 ppm of its concentration.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2013

The trace toxic metal copper was assayed using mercury immobilized on a carbon nanotube electrode (MCW), with a graphite counter and a reference electrode. In this study, a macro-scale convection motor was interfaced with a MCW three-electrode system, in which a handmade MCW was optimized using cyclic- and square-wave stripping voltammetry. An analytical electrolyte for tap water was used instead of an expensive acid or base ionic solution. Under these conditions, optimum parameters were 0.09 V amplitude, 40 Hz frequency, 0.01 V incremental potential, and a 60-s accumulation time. A diagnostic working curve was obtained from 50.0 to 350 ${\mu}g/L$. At a constant Cu(II) concentration of 10.0 ${\mu}g/L$, the statistical relative standard deviation was 1.78% (RSD, n = 15), the analytical accumulation time was only 60 s, and the analytical detection limit approached 4.6 ${\mu}g/L$ (signal/noise = 3). The results were applied to non-treated drinking water. The content of the analyzed copper using 9.0 and 4.0 ${\mu}g/L$ standards were 8.68 ${\mu}g/L$ and 3.96 ${\mu}g/L$; statistical values $R^2$ = 0.9987 and $R^2$ = 0.9534, respectively. This method is applicable to biological diagnostics or food surveys.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2002

Bacteria have evolved various types of resistance mechanism to toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic and antimony. An arsenical and antimonial resistant bacterium was isolated from a shallow creek draining a coal-mining area near Taebaek City, in Kangwon-Do, Korea. The isolated bacterium was identified and named as Pseudomonas sp. KM20 after biochemical and physiological studies were conducted. A plasmid was identified and its function was studied. Original cells harboring the plasmid were able to grow in the presence of 15 mM sodium arsenite, while the plasmid-cured (plasmidless) strain was sensitive to as little as 0.5 mM sodium arsenate. These results indicated that the plasmid of Pseudomonas sp. KM20 does indeed encode the arsenic resistance determinant. In growth experiments, prior exposure to 0.1 mM arsenate allowed immediate growth when they were challenged with 5 mM arsenate, 5 mM arsenite, or 0.1 mM antimonite. These results suggested that the arsenate, arsenite, and antimonite resistance determinants of Pseudomonas sp. KM20 plasmid were indeed inducible. When induced, plasmid-bearing resistance cells showed a decreased accumulation $of\;73^As$ and showed an enhanced efflux $of\;^73As$. These results suggested that plasmid encoded a transport system that extruded the toxic metalloids, resulting in the lowering of the intracellular concentration of toxic oxyanion. In a Southern blot study, hybridization with an E. coli R773 arsA-specific probe strongly suggested the absence of an arsA cistron in the plasmid-associated arsenical and antimonial resistance determinant of Pseudomonas sp. KM20.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.1269-1275
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• 2014

Ecotoxicity assessments with the physiochemical water quality items and the bioassay test using Daphnia magna were conducted for 18 selected effluents of 6 industrial types (metal processing, petroleum refining, synthetic textile manufacturing, plating, alcohol beverage manufacturing, inorganic compound manufacturing) being detected toxicity from industrial effluent in Ulsan city, and the interrelationship between total toxic unit (${\Sigma}TU$) and concentrations of Water Quality Conservation Act in Korea were investigated. The average toxic unit(TU) of effluents for 6 industrial types displayed the following ascending order: petroleum refining (0.2) < synthetic textile manufacturing (0.6) < alcohol beverage manufacturing (0.9) < metal processing (1.3) ${\leq}$ inorganic compound manufacturing (1.3) < plating (3.0). These values were less than effluent permission standard. Based on the result of substances causing ecotoxicity, the correlation analysis was not easy because most of heavy metals were not detected or were less than effluent permission standard. Toxicological assessment of industrial effluent was suitable for the evaluation of the mixture toxicity for pollutant. The whole effluent toxicity test using a variety of species was needed for the evaluation of industrial wastewater.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 1978

Short-term acute toxicity of mercury, cadmium and copper to arkshell, Anadara broughtonii, and to oyster, Crassostrea gigas, was determinedby static bioassays from 20 May to 27 June in 1977. During the observations of the opening rate of the shell mercury was the most sensitive toxicant of the three toxic substances to the test animals and caused them to close their shellvalves together after being exposed to a mercury solution for an hour during the test. Opening rate to cadmium and copper increased gradually at the higher concentration. the 96hr-LC50 values for the test animals are 4.84mg/l for mercury and 1.86mg/l for cadmium, while the 72hr-LC50 value for copper is 0.31mg/l. the death rate of oysters for cadmium showed lower than that of the mercury and copper test solutions. The 96hr-LC50 values of mercury, copper and cadmium were 1.1mg/l, 2.54mg/l and 19.5mg/l, respectively. For oysters mercury was the most toxic substance, and cadmium was the least toxic one. the medium lethal time (LT 50) value decreased gradually at higher concentration of heavy metals. The LT 50 of 2mg/l was found within 96 hours ofr copper, 104 hours for mercury and 121 hours for cadmium. The lethal threshold concentrations for 7 days were found to be about 1mg/l for mercury and copper, and 2mg/l for cadmium.