• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.17-30
• /
• 2023

The human reproductive system can be affected by occupational exposure to many physical and chemical risk factors. This study was carried out to review the studies conducted on the issue of the pathophysiological effects of occupational physical and chemical risk factors on the reproductive system of females and males. In this systematic review, the databases such as "Google Scholar," "Pub-Med," "Scopus," and "Web of Science" were used. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020), the studies included in our study were published between 2000 and 2021. In order to extract the required data, all sections of the articles were reviewed. Out of 57 articles we reviewed, 34 articles were related to field studies and 23 articles to clinical studies. Among them, 43 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of chemical agents, six studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physical factors, and 8 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physicochemical factors on the human reproductive system. Physical (noise, heat, and radiofrequency radiation) and chemical (such as carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, NO2, CS2, manganese, lead, nickel, and n-hexane) risk factors had pathophysiological effects on the human reproductive system. The presence of these risk factors in the workplace caused damage to the human reproductive system. The rate of these negative pathophysiological effects can be reduced by performing appropriate managerial, technical, and engineering measures in work environments.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.44 no.10
• /
• pp.133-144
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of human capital and social capital, including employment status, education, income, social supports, and social participations, on the health status of the elderly aged over 50, after controlling for various demographic variables. Data were from the 6th wave of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study(n=3,459). The major findings of this study were as follows: First, human capital and social capital were both resources that can contribute to improving the health status of the elderly aged over 50. Second, the effects of human capital and social capital on the health status of the elderly differed in the three subsamples defined by employment status. Based on the empirical results, policy implications were provided.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.842-846
• /
• 2013

In 2012, the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE) added 3 new water quality standards for the protection of human health; specifically, regarding 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, and hexachlorobenzene. In this study, we assimilated the water quality standards of these 3 substances from other countries, with respect to surface water quality standards for human health protection and drinking water standards. We subsequently investigated how these standard values were derived. 1,4-Dioxane is managed as an environmental standard for human health in Japan, and as a drinking water quality standard in WHO, New Zealand, and Japan with respect to both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. In New York, the oncogenic effects of formaldehyde in drinking water intake is considered, whereas WHO, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan also assess the non-carcinogenic effects of formaldehyde when setting their standards. USEPA and New York have a water quality standard for human health protection with respect to hexachlorobenzene based on carcinogenic effects. This study focuses on deriving water quality standards for the 3 new substances, or obtaining baseline information to revise the values of existing substances in the future.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.77-83
• /
• 2015

Soy proteins have been extensively studied because of its multiple health benefits. However, the effects of soy proteins on human cervical cancer cells are still unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of soy proteins on HeLa cells and human fibroblasts by using soybean peptides (SPs). SPs selectively increased the generation of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis in HeLa cells but not in fibroblasts. In addition, SPs suppressed the migration of HeLa cells. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of SPs on human cervical cancer cells need to be investigated further, our findings provide insights on the therapeutic effects of soy protein on cervical cancer.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.353-363
• /
• 2012

Methylmercury is a hazardous substance that is of interest with regard to environmental health, as inorganic mercury circulating in the general environment is dissolved into freshwater and seawater, condensed through the food chain, ingested by humans, and consequently affects human health. Recently, there has been much interest and discussion regarding the toxicity of methylmercury, the correlation with fish and shellfish intake, and methods of long-term management of the human health effects of methylmercury. What effects chronic exposure to a low concentration of methylmercury has on human health remains controversial. Although the possibility of methylmercury poisoning the heart and blood vessel system, the reproductive system, and the immune system is continuously raised and discussed, and the carcinogenicity of methylmercury is also under discussion, a clear conclusion regarding the human health effects according to exposure level has not yet been drawn. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives proposed to prepare additional fish and shellfish intake recommendations for consumers based on the quantified evaluation of the hazardousness of methylmercury contained in fish and shellfish, methylmercury management in the Korea has not yet caught up with this international trend. Currently, the methylmercury exposure level of Koreans is known to be very high. The starting point of methylmercury exposure management is inorganic mercury in the general environment, but food intake through methylation is the main exposure source. Along with efforts to reduce mercury in the general environment, food intake management should be undertaken to reduce the human exposure to methylmercury in Korea.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2017

The intestinal microbiota has increasingly been shown to have a vital role in various aspects of human health. Among the vast gut bacterial community, Bifidobacterium is a genus which dominates the intestine of healthy breast-fed infants whereas in adulthood the levels are lower but relatively stable. Evidence is increasingly accumulating which shows beneficial effects of supplementation with Bifidobacteria for the improvement of human health conditions ranging from protection against infection to various positive effects. However, Bifidobacterium has not been actively studied while consumption of probiotics has greatly been increased as functional foods in Korea. The aim of this article is to introduce various studies and excellent reviews on the role of Bifidobacteria for human health.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.60 no.3
• /
• pp.207-211
• /
• 2017

It is introduced an outstanding book about an important topic in occupational and environmental sciences i.e., the opportunities and challenges that may be connected with increasing the use and distribution of rare earth elements. These chemically similar elements, comprising the lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, are involved in a number of essential technological applications, and their effects raise a number of human health issues of relevance to the occupational and environmental sciences. The book that I introduced here, "Rare Earth Elements in Human and Environmental Health; At the Crossroads between Toxicity and Safety" edited by Giovanni Pagano (Pan Stanford Publishing Pte. Ltd., Temasek Boulevard, Singapore) represents a break from that situation. It is essential to increase our knowledge about the environmental fate and biological effects of these technologically important metals in order to prevent unforeseen long-term man-made consequences to human health. This book is likely to become an important resource for scientists, engineers, and decision makers who understand the need for sensible exploitation of this resource.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.121-123
• /
• 2003

The registration of a pesticide for use in the gardens or a farmer's field requires assessment of the potential negative effects of that pesticide on human health. To anticipate how a pesticide might impact human health, laboratory animals such as mice and rats are exposed to varying dosages in their foods -from very minimal to extremely high levels. Toxicologists then evaluate the observable effect(s) of consuming known quantities of that specific pesticide on acute, subchronic, chronic, mutational, reproduction and neurological effects. Information gained from such test is evaluated by toxicologists and medical experts to determine potential human effects

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2012

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) stand at the frontier of nanotechnology and are destined to stimulate the next industrial revolution. Rapid increase in their production and use in the technology industry have led to concerns over the effects of CNT on human health and the environment. The prominent use of CNTs in biomedical applications also increases the possibility of human exposure, while properties such as their high aspect ratio (fiber-like shape) and large surface area raise safety concerns for human health if exposure does occur. It is crucial to develop viable alternatives to in vivo tests in order to evaluate the toxicity of engineered CNTs and develop validated experimental models capable of identifying CNTs' toxic effects and predicting their level of toxicity in the human respiratory system. Human lung epithelial cells serve as a barrier at the interface between the surrounding air and lung tissues in response to exogenous particles such as air-pollutants, including CNTs. Monolayer culture of the key individual cell types has provided abundant fundamental information on the response of these cells to external perturbations. However, such systems are limited by the absence of cell-cell interactions and their dynamic nature, which are both present in vivo. In this review, we suggested two viable alternatives to in vivo tests to evaluate the health risk of human exposure to CNTs.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2021

[Purpose] Sodium bicarbonate shows ergogenic potential in physical exercise and sports activities, although there is no strong evidence which performance markers show the greatest benefit from this supplement. This study evaluated the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on time trial performance and time to exhaustion in athletes and sports practitioners. [Methods] A systematic review was conducted using three databases, including 17 clinical trials. Among these clinical trials, 11 were considered eligible for the meta-analysis according to the criteria for the assessment of methodological quality using the PEDro Scale. Time to exhaustion was assessed in six studies, while time trial performance was evaluated in five studies. [Results] A significant beneficial effect of supplementation on time to exhaustion was found in a random effects model (1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49 to 2.48). There was no significant effect of supplementation on time trial performance in a fixed effects model (slope = -0.75; 95% CI, -2.04 to 0.55) relative to a placebo group. [Conclusion] Sodium bicarbonate has the potential to improve sports performance in general, especially in terms of time to exhaustion.