• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.87-96
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• 2005

This survey was conducted to assess the perception of hazards and washing behavior of vegetables of 500 housewives in Korea. The subjects were selected by the stratified random sampling method. The survey was performed using a structured questionnaire through telephone interviews by skilled interviewers. Most people have bought vegetables and fruits in the supermarket or (traditional) markets rather than stores, department stores, or direct transactions. Eighteen percent of the subjects felt vegetables were secure and were not concerned about safety. But $42.8{\%}$ were concerned about vegetable safety. The perceptions of vegetable-related hazards differed significantly by the respondent's socioeconomic characteristics. Higher concern about vegetable safety was reported by subjects with higher income, children, and who usually buy vegetables in supermarkets or department stores. Most subjects ($88.6{\%}$) perceived that residues of chemical substances such as pesticides were the most significant potential vegetable risk factor, followed by heavy metal, and pathogens. Housewives mainly rinsed vegetables in flowing-water ($85.2{\%}$ of subjects), 3${\~}$4 times ($63.8{\%}$ of subjects), and without detergent ($90.6{\%}$). Subjects believed that hazards decreased by blanching or boiling vegetables rather than washing. Subjects realized more or less correctly the removal rate of pesticide and pathogen through the washing and cooking processes. However, the removal rate of heavy metals was less than subjects thought it would be. Therefore, the scientifically assessed results on safety in the washing and cooking process should be opened to the public to provide the right-to-know and assure confidence in consumers.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.126-140
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• 2011

Genetic determinants of two metallothionein isoforms (MT-A and MT-B) were isolated and characterized from the perciform species, rockbream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). Rockbream MT-A and MT-B shared a high degree of homology at amino acid levels with representative orthologs from other perciform species, especially with respect to the conserved cysteine residues. At the genomic level, both MT-A and MT-B genes represent a tripartite structure typical of vertebrate MT genes. However, rockbream MT-B showed unusually large introns (1.2 kb and 0.8 kb for intron I and II, respectively), a phenomenon that has rarely been seen in other vertebrate MT genes. MT-A and MT-B transcripts were ubiquitously detected in a wide array of tissues, wherein brain and eye showed the highest basal expression levels, and the fin exhibited the lowest expression of both isoforms. The basal expression of MT-A in most tissues was significantly higher (ranging from 4- to 10-fold) than that of MT-B. Upon heavy metal exposures to Cd, Cu or Zn at 25 ppb for 48 h, MT-A and MT-B transcripts in the liver were significantly activated by Cd and moderately by Zn. On the other hand, exposure to Cu did not result in alterations of MT-A, nor in the significant suppression of MT-B. Following bacterial challenges with Escherichia coli, Edwardsiella tarda or Streptococcus iniae, MT isoforms in the liver, kidney and spleen were highly modulated and exhibited a pattern that was dependent on the bacterial species, tissues and isoforms. These results suggest that the two MT isoforms could be taken into account as potential indicators of metal toxicity and immune perturbations of this aquaculture-relevant species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.268-277
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• 2013

This study investigates the effects of accumulated levels of heavy metals and nutrients of cultivated soybean plant tissues, after the continuous application of sewage sludge (SS) and industrial sludge (IS). SS and IS were applied to soybean plants at loading of 0, 11.25, 22.50, and 45.00 Mg/ha, and the contents of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn), proteins, and amino acids in the cultivated soybean plants were measured. The Cd content in the soybean was 0.02~0.05 mg/kg, which is within the safety level set in the standard, and that of Pb was 0.02~0.15 mg/kg, which is also within the safety level except for IS 45 Mg/ha. The soybean harvest quantity was higher in the treatment groups than the control group in the first year. However, in the second year, SS had lower harvest and IS had the same level or a decreasing tendency, compared with the control group. In the first year, the content of amino acid which followed handling of SS was increased in the sludge groups more than in the control group in the case of glutamate. However, the influence of continuous application was increased in the sludge groups in the case of amino acids of 12 types. In conclusions, the accumulation in soybean of heavy metals by sludge treatment is not a problem, but the decreased yields needs to be considered. In addition, the most appropriate level of sludge treatment was 11.25 Mg/ha.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.434-440
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• 2011

In order to establish the guidance of management and safe use hazard substance, trend analysis of hazard substance in/on agricultural products reported by press for 5 years (2005-2009) was performed. Data for the analysis collected from the articles about hazard substances from web portals, newspapers and so on. The mostly detected harmful factors in/on agricultural products were pesticides residue and heavy metals by the reports by press for last 5 years. The number of detected pesticides was slightly increased from 14 to 34 through the passage of time but the number of cases reported by press was not increased. On the other hand, the number of accidents and reports related to heavy metals were highly increased from 3 to 13 and 42 to 112, respectively. 65 pesticides including chlorpyrifos were detected in domestic agricultural products for the 5 years. Frequently detected pesticides were chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, carbendazim, azoxystrobin, and procymidone. Pesticide residues were repeatedly detected on green vegetables such as a green perilla leaf, a lettuce, a leek, and spinach among crops.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.400-407
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• 2009

A pathogenesis-related protein (PgPR5) gene that isolated from the leaf of Panax ginseng was characterized. The ORF is 756 bp with a deduced amino acid sequence of 251 residues. The calculated molecular mass of the matured protein is approximately 27.5 kDa with a predicated isoelectric point of 7.80. A GenBank BlastX search revealed that the deduced amino acid of PgPR5 shares highest sequence similarity to PR5 of Actinidia deliciosa (80% identity, 87% similarity). PgPR5 has a C-terminal and N-terminal signal peptide, suggesting that it is a vacuolar secreted protein. The expression of PgPR5 under various environmental stresses was analyzed at different time points using real-time PCR. Our results reveal that PgPR5 is induced by salt stress, chilling stress, heavy metal, UV, and pathogen infection. These results suggest that the PgPR5 could play a role in the molecular defence response of ginseng to abiotic and pathogen attack. This is the first report of the isolation of PR5 gene from the P. ginseng.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to development of hazardous materials management standards for the decoction type of personalized herbal medicines (PHMs). Methods: This study was conducted in two stages. We searched documents about criteria to use words such as 'Herb', 'Herbal medicine', and 'Botanical Drug' and summarized the results. We organized the committee consisted of seven experts, and held two meetings to reach an agreement on hazardous management standards of the decoction type of PHMs. Results: The seven documents were presented in the literature review and six items related to hazardous management standards of decoction were identified. The second expert meeting brought that a total of six items, including heavy metal, pesticide residues, sulfur dioxide, benzopyrene, mycotoxin, and micro-organism limits, were selected for safety management of decoction type of PHMs. Also, the criteria and test methods for each standard were suggested for monitoring the decoction type of PHMs. Conclusion: The study suggested hazardous material management standards and criteria for the decoction types of PHMs. In the future, it would be necessary to conduct a pilot test to ensure the validity and credibility of the safety management standard and criteria. Furthermore, the government level safety management system should be introduced to verify the safety of decoction medicines.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.660-670
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• 2005

Standard procedure for development of food list was established based on food intake data of 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey and 2002 Seasonal Nutrition Survey for Total Diet Study. Foods were sorted in descending order of mean intake, and 54 items within cumulative percentage of 80 were selected, followed by selection of 16 additional items with consumption frequency of 10% or higher. Based on higher consumption in certain seasons, regions, sexes, and age classes, 14 additional items were added. Additional 17 items with probable high contents of heavy metals or 23 items with probable high pesticide residues were added. Altogether, 101 and 107 individual food items were included for heavy metal and pesticide residue lists, accounting for 84.9 and 83.3% mean energy intakes of Korean population, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.24 no.1 s.61
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• pp.46-52
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• 2006

The mercury is among the most highly bioconcentrated toxic trace metals. Many national and international agencies and organisations have targeted mercury for the possible emission control. The mercury toxicity depends on its chemical form, among which alkylmercury compounds are the most toxic. A human cervix uterus cancer cell line HeLa cells was employed to investigate the effect of the toxic heavy metal mercury (Hg) and ionizing radiation. In the in vitro comet assays for the genotoxicity in the HeLa cells, the group of Hg treatment after irradiation showed higher DNA breakage than the other groups. The tail extent moment and olive tail moment of the control group were $4.88{\pm}1.00\;and\;3.50{\pm}0.52$ while the values of the only Hg treatment group were $26.90{\pm}2.67\;and\;13.16{\pm}1.82$, respectively. The tail extent moment and olive tail moment of the only 0.001, 0.005, 0.01 Hg group were $12.24{\pm}1.82,\;8.20{\pm}2.15,\;20.30{\pm}1.30,\;12.26{\pm}0.52,\;40.65{\pm}2.94\;and \;20.38{\pm}1.49$, respectively. In the case of Hg treatment after irradiation, the tail extent moment and olive tail moment of the 0.001, 0.005, 0.01 Hg group were $56.50{\pm}3.93,\;32.69{\pm}2.48,\;62.03{\pm}5.14,\;31.56{\pm}1.97,\;72.73{\pm}3.70\;and \;39.44{\pm}3.23$, respectively. The results showed that Hg induced DNA single-strand breaks or alkali labile sites as assessed by the Comet assay. It is in good agreement with the reported results. The mercury inhibits the repair of DNA. The bacterial formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Epg protein) recognizes and removes some oxidative DNA base modifications. Enzyme inactivation by Hg (II) may therefore be due either to interactions with rysteine residues outside the metal binding domain or to very high-affinity binding of Hg (II) which readily removes Zn (II) from the zinc finger.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2011

This study established hazards which may cause risk to human at farm during cultivation stage of paprika. Samples of plants (paprika, leaf, stem), cultivation environments (water, soil), personal hygiene (hand, glove, clothes), work utensils (carpet, basket, box) and airborne bacteria were collected from three paprika farms (A, B, C) located in Western Gyeongnam, Korea. The collected samples were assessed for biological (sanitary indications and major foodborne pathogens), chemical (heavy metals, pesticide residues) and physical hazards. In biological hazards, total bacteria and coliform were detected at the levels of 1.9~6.6 and 0.0~4.610g CFU/g, leaf, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$, while Escherichia coli was not detected in all samples. In major pathogens, only Bacillus cereus were detected at levels of ${\leq}$ 1.5 log CFU/g, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$, while Staphylococuus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157 and Salmonella spp. were not detected in all samples. Heavy metal and pesticide residue as chemical hazards were detected at levels below the regulation limit, physical hazard factors, such as insects, pieces of metal and glasses, were also found in paprika farms. Proper management is needed to prevent biological hazards due to cross-contamination while physical and chemical hazards were appropriate GAP criteria.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.97-108
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• 2012

Physical, chemical and biological hazards of strawberry farms at the cultivation stage were analyzed to establish the GAP(Good Agricultural Practice) system. Samples were collected from the plants, cultivation environments(water, soil and air), and personal hygiene (hand, glove, and clothes) of three strawberry farms(A, B, and C) and were tested to analyze physical, chemical (heavy metals and pesticide residues), and biological(sanitary indications and foodborne pathogens) hazards. Physical hazards such as insects and pieces of metal and glass were found in the strawberry farms and can be potential bow for strawberry products. Heavy metal and pesticide residue as chemical hazards were detected at levels lower than the regulation limit. In case of biological hazards, total bacteria and coliform were detected at the levels of 1.6~7.3 and 1.3~5.6 log CFU/g, leaf, mL, hand or $100cm^2$. However, Escherichia coli was not detected in all samples. Bacillus cereus and Staphylococuus aureus were detected at levels of ${\leq}$ 1.1~6.1 log CFU and 4.7~5.4 log CFU/g, mL, hand or $100cm^2$, whereas Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157 and Salmonella spp. were not detected in all samples. This study demonstrates that various harzards were in strawberry farms at the growing stage. Therefore proper management such as GAP is needed to prevent the occurrence of food poisoning associated with the hazards revealed in this study.