• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.425-452
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• 1990

A tentative hydrogeologic and hydrodispersive study was carried out to evaluate the groundwater pollution potential at a selected site by utilizing empirical assessment methodologies in an advanced stage of quantitative computer aided assessment. The upper most aquifer is defind as saturated overburden and weathered zone including the upper part of highly fractured rock. Representative hydraulic conductivity and storativity of the uppermost aquifer are estimated at 2.88 E-6 m/s and 0.09, respectively. Also calculated Darcian and average linear velocity of groundwater along the major pathway are 0.011 m/d and 0.12 m/d with average hydraulic gradient of 4.6% in the site. The results of empirical assessment methodologies indicate that 1) DRASTIC depicts that the site is situated on non-sensitive and non-vulnerable area. 2) Legrand numerical rating system shows that the probability of contamination and degree of acceptability are classed to "Maybe-Improbable, and Probable Acceptable and Marginally Unacceptable" with situation grade of "B". 3)Waste soil-site interaction matrix assessment categorizes that the study site is located on "Class-8 Site".

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2009

Reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and its toxicity change were predicted by the linear free energy relationship (LFER) model to assess the zero-valent iron (ZVI) and anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria (ADB) as electron donors in PCDDs dechlorination. Reductive dechlorination of PCDDs involves 256 reactions linking 76 congeners with highly variable toxicities, so is challenging to assess the overall effect of this process on the environmental impact of PCDD contamination. The Gibbs free energies of PCDDs in aqueous solution were updated to density functional theory (DFT) calculation level from thermodynamic results of literatures. All of dechlorination kinetics of PCDDs was evaluated from the linear correlation between the experimental dechlorination kinetics of PCDDs and the calculated thermodynamics of PCDDs. As a result, it was predicted that over 100 years would be taken for the complete dechlorination of octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) to non-chlorinated compound (dibenzo-p-dioxin, DD), and the toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) of PCDDs could increase to 10 times larger from initial TEQ with the dechlorination process. The results imply that the single reductive dechlorination using ZVI or ADB is not suitable for the treatment strategy of PCDDs contaminated soil, sediment and fly ash. This LFER approach is applicable for the prediction of dechlorination process for organohalogen compounds and for the assessment of electron donating system for treatment strategies.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.127-146
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• 2002

A method of more realistically, predicting radionuclide concentrations in crop plants varying with time after a nuclear accident was established to estimate 50 years' concentrations of $^{90}Sr$ and $^{137}Cs$ in polished rice seeds and Chinese cabbage for unit dry deposition. After non-growing season accidents, concentrations of both nuclides decreased gradually with time and $^{90}Sr$ concentrations were higher than those of $^{137}Cs$ throughout the whole period. Radionuclide concentrations in the 1 st year after growing season accidents were on the whole higher than those after non-growing season accidents by factors of up to 30 for $^{90}Sr$ and up to 1,000 for $^{137}Cs$. In polished rice seeds, the 50 years-integrated concentration was higher for $^{90}Sr$ than for $^{137}Cs$ after non-growing season accidents, whereas the opposite was true after growing season accidents. In Chinese cabbage. however, it was higher for $^{90}Sr$ than for $^{137}Cs$ after both types of the accident. Generally speaking, the dominant pathway for the integrated concentration after the growing season accident was root uptake for $^{90}Sr$ and direct plant contamination for $^{137}Cs$. The effect of resuspension was negligible. Based on the predicted results. the direct]on of planning countermeasures was suggested for various accident conditions.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.414-431
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• 2016

There are numerous closed and abandoned mines in Korea, from which diverse heavy metals (e.g., As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) are released into the surrounding soil, groundwater, surface water, and crops, potentially resulting in detrimental effects on the health of nearby residents. Therefore, we performed human risk assessments of two abandoned metal mines, Yanggok (YG) and Samsanjeil (SJ). The exposure parameters used in this assessment were specific to residents near mines and the included exposure pathways were relevant to areas around metal mines. The computed total excess carcinogenic risks for both areas exceeded the acceptable carcinogenic risk ($1{\times}10^{-6}$), indicating that these areas are likely unsafe due to a carcinogenic hazard. In contrast, the non-carcinogenic risks of the two areas differed among the studied receptors. The hazard indices were higher than the unit risk (=1.0) for male and female adults in YG and male adults in SJ, suggesting that there are non-carcinogenic risks for these groups in the study areas. However, the hazard indices for children in YG and female adults and children in SJ were lower than the unit risk. Consumption of groundwater and crops grown in the area were identified as major exposure pathways for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic hazards in both areas. Finally, the dominant metals contributing to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were As and As, Cu, and Pb, respectively. In addition, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of YG were evaluated to be 10 and 4 times higher than those of SJ, respectively, resulted from the relatively higher exposure concentration of As in groundwater within SJ area. Because of lacking of several exposure parameters, some of average daily dose (ADD) could not be computed in this study. Furthermore, it is likely that the ADDs of crop-intake pathway included some errors because they were calculated using soil exposure concentrations and bioconcentration factor (BCF) rather than using crop exposure concentrations.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.366-374
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• 2012

Recently pathogenic E. coli is one of the main foodborne pathogens resulting in many patients in Korea. To understand the characteristics of pathogenic E. coli outbreaks in Korea, the epidemiological investigation reports of pathogenic E. coli outbreak in 2009 (41 reports) and in 2010 (27 reports) were collected in the web site of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reviewed and analysed in this study. The main places of the pathogenic E. coli outbreaks were food catering service area (64.8%) and restaurants (25.0%). The main type of the pathogens were EPEC (44.7%) and ETEC (34.2%). EAEC and EHEC was responsible for 10.5 and 9.2%, respectively. Eight of 68 outbreak cases were caused by more than 2 types of pathogenic E. coli which implicates the complicated contamination pathways of pathogenic E. coli. The incidence rate of pathogenic E. coli was $33.6{\pm}30.5%$ and the main symptoms were diarrhea, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, and fever etc. The two identified food sources were identified as frozen hamburger pattie and squid-vegetable mixture. To improve the food source identification by epidemiological investigation, food poisoning notification to the agency should not be delayed, whole food items attributed the outbreak should be collected and detection method of the various pathogenic E. coli in food has to be improved. In conclusion, the characteristics between the EHEC outbreaks in the western countries and the EPEC or ETEC outbreaks in Korea needs to be distinguished to prepare food safety management plan. In addition, the development of the trace back system to find the contamination pathway with the improved detection method in food and systemic and cooperative support by the related agencies are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.179-191
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• 2019

Heavy metals in stream water and sediments around industrial complex were studied in order to assess the contamination and to identify the potential source of metals. High variability has been observed for both dissolved and particulate phases in stream water with coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 1.3 to 2.8. The highest metal concentrations in both phases were observed in Gunja for Ni and Cu, in Jungwang for Zn and Pb and in Shiheung for Cd, respectively. These results indicate that the different metal sources could be existing. The concentrations of the heavy metals in sediments decreased in the order of Cu>Zn>Pb>Cr>Ni>As>Cd>Hg, with mean of 2,549, 1,742, 808, 539, 163, 17.1, 5.8, $0.07mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Mean of metal concentrations(except for As) in sediments showed the highest values at Shiheung stream comparing with other streams. In sediments, the percent exceedance of class II grade that metal may potentially harmful impact on benthic organism for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb was about 57%, 62%, 84%, 60%, 68%, 81% for all stream sediments, respectively. Sediments were classified as heavily to extremely polluted for Cu and Cd, heavily polluted for Zn and Pb, based on the calculation of Igeo value. About 59% and 35% of sediments were in the categories of "poor" and "very poor" pollution status for heavy metals. Given the high metal concentrations, industrial wastes and effluents, having high concentrations of most metals originated from the manufacture and use of metal products in this region, might be discharged into the stream through sewer outlet. The streams receive significant amounts of industrial waste from the industrial facilities which is characterized by light industrial complexes of approximately 17,000 facilities. Thus, the transport of metal loads through streams is an important pathway for metal pollution in Shihwa Lake.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.484-491
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• 2005

Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) analyzes potential hazard of microorganisms on public health and offers structured approach to assess risks associated with microorganisms in foods. This paper addresses specific risk management questions associated with Staphylococcus aureus in kimbab and improvement and dissemination of QMRA methodology, QMRA model was developed by constructing four nodes from retail to table pathway. Predictive microbial growth model and survey data were combined with probabilistic modeling to simulate levels of S. aureus in kimbab at time of consumption, Due to lack of dose-response models, final level of S. aureus in kimbeb was used as proxy for potential hazard level, based on which possibility of contamination over this level and consumption level of S. aureus through kimbab were estimated as 30.7% and 3.67 log cfu/g, respectively. Regression sensitivity results showed time-temperature during storage at selling was the most significant factor. These results suggested temperature control under $10^{\circ}C$ was critical control point for kimbab production to prevent growth of S. aureus and showed QMRA was useful for evaluation of factors influencing potential risk and could be applied directly to risk management.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 1998

Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus ochraceus as well as other molds. It is a natural contaminant of mouldy food and feed. OA has a number of toxic effects, the most prominant being nephrotoxicity. Futhermore, OA is immunosuppressive, genotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. OA inhibits protein synthesis by competition with phenylalanine in the phenylalanine-tRNA aminoacylation reaction. Recently, lipid peroxidation induced by OA has been reported, indicating that the lesion induced by this mycotoxin could be also related to oxidative pathway. Since it seems impossible to avoid contamination of foodstuffs by toxigenic fungi, detoxification and detoxication of OA are needed. In this study we investigated the protective effects of aspartame (Asp), phenylalanine (Phe), polyphenol 70S (PP) and aloe extract (AE) on the nephrotoxicity induced by subacute exposure to the OA. Asp and Phe are structural analogues of OA. PP, an ingredient of Green Tea and AE have been known as antioxidant and radical scavenger. Phe (40 mg/kg, i.p.) and Asp (25 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats simultaneously with OA (2.0 mg/kg, p.o.) for 2 weeks. PP (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and AE (50 mg/kg, i.v.) were pretreated before administration of OA, for 2 weeks and 3 days, respectively. Using enzymuria, BUN level, creatinemia and histophathologic examination as indices of renal damage, we observed that all of four compounds prevented the nephrotoxic effects induced by OA. It seems that structural analogues of OA such as Asp and Phe have better protective effect on the nephrotoxicity of OA than antioxidants. These results indicate that 1) formation of free radical and lipid peroxidation are likely to be involved in the nephrotoxicity of OA in vivo, 2) Asp, PP and AE might be used for prevention of renal lesions in cases of ochratoxicosis.