• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.319-322
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• 2005

Porous building materials are not only sources of indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but they are also strong sinks of these pollutants. Volatile organic compounds have been implicated in impaired spermatogenesis, increase in the incidence of malformed sperm and decrease in the percentage of moving sperm. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the direct effects of various volatile organic compounds (phenol, formaldehyde; HCHO, ethanol, toluene, styrene) on motility and survival rate of human sperm in vitro. Semen samples from 3 health subjects were prepared using swim-up method and 1-10mM volatile organic compounds were added to the test medium. HCHO and phenol produced significant decreases in the motility and survival rate with a different potency. The most potent inhibition of motility and survival rate was observed after exposure to HCHO. Less than 1mM HCHO significantly inhibited sperm motility. When ethanol is added directly to sperm, at concentrations equivalent to that in serum after heavy drinking, these damaging effects were lowest compared with other volatile organic compounds. Present study shows that each compound has differential toxic potency to human sperm and we need special caution for the use of HCHO and phenol.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2010

The aims of this study were to develop the suitable "system software" in chemical ranking and scoring (CRS) for the food hazardous chemicals associated with environmental emission and to suggest the priority lists of food contamination by environmental-origined pollutants. Study materials were selected with reference to the priority pollutants list for environment and food management from domestic and foreign research and the number of study materials is 103 pollutants (18 heavy metals, 10 PBTs, 10 EDs, and 65 organic compounds). The Food-CRS-Korea system consisted of the environmental fate model via multimedia, transfer environment to food model, and health risk assessment by contaminated food intake. We have established that health risks of excess cancer risks, hazard quotients (HQs) by chronic toxicity and HQs by reproductive toxicity convert to score, respectively. The creditable scoring system was designed to consider uncertainty of quantitative risk assessment based on VOI (Value-Of-Information). The predictability of the Food-CRS-Korea model was evaluated by comparing the presumable values and the measured ones of the environmental media and foodstuffs. The priority lists based on emissions with background-level-correction are 15 pollutants such as arsenic, cadmium, and etc. The priority lists based on environmental monitoring date are 17 pollutants including DEHP, TCDD, and so on. Consequently, we suggested the priority lists of 13 pollutants by considering the several emission and exposure scenarios. According to the Food-CRS-Korea system, arsenics, cadmium, chromes, DEHP, leads, and nickels have high health risk rates and reliable grades.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.579-587
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• 2014

Various kinds of micro organic pollutants have frequently been detected from a water system. Therefore, it is considered to be very important part in the drinking water treatment system. And the research about removal process and processing efficiency have been being conducted briskly. In this study, the removal efficiency was evaluated using advanced water treatment process and nanofiltration process. The removal efficiency of nanofiltration process was very different according to physical and chemical characteristics of materials. The molecular weight of cutoff was the most influential factor in the removal efficiency. And when pKa value was higher than pH of raw water or Log Kow value was below 2, the removal efficiency of material was decreased. In case of oxidation reaction, the bigger the molecular weight of material was and the more hydrophobic a material was, the less oxidation reaction occurred. And the removal efficiency was decreased. Most unoxidized materials were removed by absorption. And the more actively oxidation reaction occurred by $H_2O_2$, the more absorption reaction increased.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.62-69
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• 2012

Objectives: Chronic inflammation is now thought to play a key pathogenetic role in the associations of obesity with insulin resistance and diabetes. Based on our recent findings on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including the lack of an association between obesity and either insulin resistance or diabetes prevalence among subjects with very low concentrations of POPs, we hypothesized that POP concentrations may be associated with inflammation and modify the associations between inflammation and insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects. Methods: Cross-sectional associations among serum POPs, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were investigated in 748 non-diabetic participants aged ${\geq}20$ years. Nineteen types of POPs in 5 subclasses were selected because the POPs were detectable in ${\geq}60%$ of the participants. Results: Among the five subclasses of POPs, only organochlorine (OC) pesticides showed positive associations with CRP concentrations, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) showed inverse associations with CRP concentrations. There were statistically significant interactions between CRP and OC pesticides and between CRP and PCBs, in estimating HOMA-IR (P for interaction <0.01 and <0.01, respectively). CRP was not associated with HOMA-IR among subjects with low concentrations of OC pesticides or PCBs, while CRP was strongly associated with HOMA-IR among subjects with high concentrations of these POPs. Conclusions: In the current study, OC pesticides were associated with increased levels of CRP, a marker of inflammation, and both OC pesticides and PCBs may also modify the associations between CRP and insulin resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to investigate the distributive property of organic pollutants in effluents of argo/industrial wastewater treatment plants in Jeonnam using simultaneous analysis method of 310 chemicals. The numerous organic pollutants were detected in four sampling sites and the major chemicals were pesticides, CH type chemicals such as polycyclic compounds, CHO type chemicals such as phthalates, and CHO(N) type chemical such as aromatic amines. Moreover, 17 kinds of endocrine disrupters which include diethylptbalate were detected in each sampling sites. TU (Toxic unit) indicated cytotoxicity of samples using XTT assay, it appeared highly at A point(27.2) and D point(24.4). Also, the results from the correlation between total concentration of pollutants and TU did not correspond to the results of chemical and biological analysis.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 1992

The examination of the pollutants originated from domestic sewage, industrial and agricutural activities the existences of some toxic heavy metals, organic matters and pathogenic microorganisms. A recent report of WHO brought out that such pollutants are in existence with above roughly 2,000 kinds of chemical substances and amongst them about 750 chemicals have been indentified by drinking water. And above 600 kinds of them are organic pollutants and in addition these include carcinogenic mutagenic and poisonous substances. This is not intended to embody a study of broad confined to various approaches on organic materials, and therefore will be THM produced on injection of chlorine at water filtration plant. To specify the relations between THM and factors having an effect upon THM such as TOC, Cl$_{2}$, Temperature, pH and reaction time, first of all the recovery ratio for analytical methods of THM (Head sapce, purge and trap, Liquid/ Liquid Extraction methods) was investigated. Provided that by using it,the correction coefficients are obtained, the accuracy of data might be able to be enhanced through analysis.The result of the experiments are given in the followings. 1) Among three kinds of analytical methods, recovery rate was higher in order of purge and trap Liquid/Liquid Extraction, Head space. There is no great difference in recovery rate among three methods. 2) The higher the concentration of TOC, the more the amount of THM. 3) The higher the reaction temperature, the more the amount of THM. 4) The longer the reaction time, the more the amount of THM. 5) The higher the pH, the more the amount of THM. 6) The higher the concectration of chlorine, the more the amount of THM.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.442-453
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• 2014

Objectives: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are known to be the detrimental chemicals in the body, even at low levels, and are stored in adipose tissue. Recently, POPs have been reported to be associated with chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, and aging and obesity are reported as common factors in chronic disease. However, there have been only a few studies on the associations of POPs with age and body mass index (BMI) in Korea. Therefore, we analyzed the associations of serum POPs levels with age and BMI in Korea. Methods: This cross-sectional study includes 444 subjects (253 men and 191 women) from the Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (2004-2011). Serum levels of 33 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 19 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured by a gas chromatographer (Agilent 6890) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometer (JEOL JMS-800D). Results: Concentrations of PCB 153 (men: 12.26 ng/g lipid, women: 10.50 ng/g lipid) and p,p'-DDE (men: 94.66 ng/g lipid, women: 96.66 ng/g lipid) were the highest among serum PCBs and OCPs, respectively. PCBs and OCPs were significantly positively correlated with age in both sexes. After adjustment for age, non-dioxin like PCBs were significantly negatively correlated with body mass in women. However, cis-heptachlor epoxide was significantly positively correlated with body mass index in both sexes. When analyzed by sex, stronger associations were shown between POPs and age in men and POPs and BMI in women. Conclusion: These results may provide baseline data for the study of POPs and for the health management field in Korea.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.119-128
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• 1988

The purpose of this research is to quantify the effects of water content(0.3~1.255%) and temperature ($4{\sim}40^{\circ}C$) on the equilibrium distribution of toxic organic pollutant in unsaturated soil. The priority pollutants, Dichloromethane and 1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane were selected as toxic organic pollutants and the Korean decomposed granite soil as the experimental soil media. Two models were developed on the basis of shapes of soil water distribution in unsaturated soil and compared; complete surface coating(model I) vs. spot clustering (model II). From the experiment, a large decrease in the values of effective partition coefficient ($K_{eff}$) was observed as the water content increased. As the temperature increased, the $K_{eff}$ values decreased, and this effect was magnified at lower water contents. The values of $K_{eff}$ were correlated better with the estimated values using model II. Thus it was experimentally proved that the soil water tends to enclose the soil grain partly at lower water contents.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.153-159
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• 2000

Large-scale simulated lysimeter experiments were conducted for 4 years as a fundamental study to develop enhanced landfill stabilization method, which accelerate stabilization time and make efficient practical use of self-purification capacity of pollutants in semi-aerobic solid waste landfill. The amount of TOC(total organic carbon) decomposition increased as the landfill depth increased. In case of T-N(total nitrogen), the self-purification capacity increased linearly with the landfill thickness until it reached a maximum level of 6 m. Beyond this level, the self-purification capacity was not increased. The results from lysimeter experiments indicate that 6m of landfill thickness is optimum for self-purification capacity of pollutants considering the mass balance of TOC and T-N.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.33-40
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• 2017

In Korea, it is required to install the final cover layer immediately after the end of use of the waste landfill, and to conduct aftercare for 30 years. However, the installation of the final cover layer minimizing the penetration of the rainfall will delay the decomposition of the buried organic wastes and reduce the amount of pollutants released into the leachate. Therefore, at the end of the aftercare period, pollutants might be discharged and cause the pollution of the surrounding environment. In this study, using lab-scale lysimeters, the amount of pollutants discharged into the leachate was observed. At the initial stage, same artificial rainfall was injected, and after 7 months later, different reduced artificial rainfall was injected for 8.4 months assuming as the final soil layer was installed. From the results, it was advantageous in terms of environmental management after the end of the aftercare period to install a temporary cover layer that permits the infiltration of rainfall to some extent rather than to install the final cover layer immediately after the end of use of the waste landfill.