• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.81-93
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• 2011

Although pesticides have increased crop production and controlled disease, they have produced a number of adverse health effects. Pesticides have potential human toxicity and a variety of groups, such as farmers or industrial workers, as well as the general population, are exposed to pesticides. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to provide an overview of pesticide exposure and health through a literature review, focusing on exposure assessment, acute poisoning, chronic health effects, and future research needs. The exposure types and levels of pesticides vary by study subjects and need to be assessed by integrating several methods focused on the epidemiological purpose. Acute pesticide poisoning is a major public health problem in the world. Paraquat is the main causative pesticide for acute poisoning in Korea and should be banned in order to save several thousands of lives every year. Occupational pesticide exposure also causes numerous chronic diseases among farmers and industrial workers, including cancers, respiratory diseases, depression, retinal degeneration, diabetes, and abnormal menstrual cycle. However, controversy exists regarding the long-term effects of low-dose environmental pesticide exposure. The area of pesticide study is relatively new with broad study populations and it has received little academic and policy attention, particularly in Korea. More detailed studies investigating the risk of pesticide-related health effects and intervention efforts to reduce the problems are needed in Korea.

• 생약학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 1998

Aqueous extract of Morus alba L. blocked the toxic effect of paraquat on E. coli growth. The active components in the extract may be capable of crossing the cell membranes and protect against superoxide toxicity in E. coli, The extract inhibited $FeSO_4/H_2O_2$ induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate and protected against t-butyl hydroperoxide caused Ac2F cell damage. Moreover, the extract showed inhibitory effect on phospholipase $A_2$ activity in a dose dependent manner. Antiinflammatory effect of the extract was further investigated using the carrageenin-induced oedema model. A single adminstration of the extract (3g/kg body, p.o.) was more effective than indomethacin. These results suggest that the isolation and identification of the active components would have significant therapeutic application to inflammation associated with oxygen radicals.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.61-68
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• 1999

Rapid accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their toxic reaction products with lipids and proteins significantly contributes to the damage of crop plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. We have identified several stress activated alfalfa genes, including the gene of the alfalfa ferritin and a novel NADPH-dependent aldose/aldehyde reductase enzyme. Transgenic tobacco plants that synthesize alfalfa ferritin in vegetative tissues-either in its processed form in chloroplast or in the cytoplasmic non-processed form-retained photosynthetic function upon free radical toxicity generated by paraquat treatment and exhibited tolerance to necrotic damage caused by viral and fungal infections. We propose that by sequestering intracellular iron involved in generation of the very reactive hydroxyl radicals through a Fenton reaction, ferritin protects plant cells from oxidative damage. Our preliminary results with the other stress-inducable alfalfa gene (a NADPH-dependent aldo-keto reductase) indicate, that the encoded enzyme may play role in the stress response of the plant cells. These studies reveal new pathways in plants that can contribute to the increased stress resistance with a potential use in crop improvement.

• 한국잡초학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.141-147
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• 1995

Glyphosate (N-[phosphonomethyl)glycine)에 의한 식물체(植物體)의 피해양상(被害樣相)을 알아보기 위하여 토마토(Lycopersicon esculentum Mil)를 대상으로 하여 동화부위(同化部位)에 부분처리(部分處理)하거나 전(全) 식물체(植物體)에 분무처리(噴霧處理)하였다. Glyphosate는 처리 24시간(時間)이내에 shikimic acid의 급속한 체내(體內) 축적(蓄積)을 유도(誘導)하였다. Shikimic acid의 축적(蓄積)은 정단엽(頂端葉)의 분열조직(分裂組織)에서 엽록소(葉綠素)의 감소(減少)를 동반(同伴)하였다. 이때 나타나는 황화(黃化)현상은 생장하는 어린잎의 정단조직(頂端組織)에서 향정성(向頂性)인 현상(現象)이었다 엽록소(葉綠素)의 감소(減少)는 glyphosate의 이차효과(二次效果) 내지 삼차효과(三次效果)인 것으로 보인다. 그렇지만 축적(蓄積)된 shikimic acid의 감소(減少)는 처리 5일째부터 정단엽과 뿌리를 제외하고는 감소(減少)하였다. Shikimic acid의 축적(蓄積) 정도는 처리(處理)된 부위(部位)에 따라 매우 다르게 나타났으며, paraquat를 처리(處理)한 하위(下位) 3엽(葉)에서는 3일 후(後)에 토마토의 정단분열조직(頂端分裂組織)에서 shikimic acid의 수준(水準)이 가장 높게 나타났다.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.133-138
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• 2021

Glufosinate-containing herbicides is a non-selective herbicide commonly used worldwide. As the use of them increased gradually since paraquat was banned in 2012, the number of suicides by their ingestion is also increasing continuously. Complications of glufosinate-containing herbicide poisoning include various central nervous system (CNS) toxicities such as convulsions, loss of consciousness, memory impairment, and respiratory depression, which may be accompanied by hemodynamic changes such as bradycardia and hypotension. However, it is very rare that arrhythmias other than bradycardia occurred and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was combined due to cardiotoxicity. A 71-year-old female patient was transferred to our hospital after ingesting 500 mL of glufosinate-containing herbicide and receiving 5 L of gastric lavage at a local hospital. A few hours later, she presented stuporous mentality, respiratory depression, and convulsions, and was accompanied by hypotension and bradycardia. On the second day of admission, electrocardiogram (ECG) showed bradycardia and QTc prolongation with hemodynamic Instability. Accordingly, we conducted the early treatment with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and the application of temporary cardiac pacemaker. An echocardiogram demonstrated decreased ejection fraction (EF) and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy on the third day of admission. Then, she was discharged safely with conservative treatment. At the follow-up after 1 year, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, EF and QTc prolongation were recovered on echocardiogram and ECG. Because cardiac toxicity after glufosinate-containing herbicide poisoning may cause life-threatening consequences, caution is required while treating the patient. Therefore, if electrocardiogram changes are seen in the elderly with a large amount of glufosinate herbicide ingestion, additional cardiac function test through echocardiography should be concerned, and early treatment through CRRT or artificial cardiac pacing should be considered.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.541-549
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aims to examine patients who developed acute pesticide poisoning while spraying or using pesticide and presented to the emergency department in hospitals in Chungcheongnam-do Province. Based on the findings, this study will provide implications for safety and health management pertaining to the use of pesticides. Methods: Pesticide poisoning data collected by the Chungnam Center for Farmers' Safety and Health from 2014 to 2018 was cross-sectionally analyzed. A total of 331 patients with pesticide poisoning presented to one of hospitals and four of medical centers in the region(Dankuk University Hospital, Gongju and Hongsung, Cheongyang, Cheonan Medical Center). Seventeen of these patients (15 men and two women) developed poisoning while spraying pesticide. The patients' charts were reviewed to collect data on pesticide poisoning, namely currently working in farming-related occupation, means of transportation to the hospital, place of poisoning, symptoms of acute pesticide poisoning, treatment, pesticide used when poisoning occurred, and classification by technical ingredients. Results: Fifteen out of 17 patients who developed poisoning while spraying pesticide were men. Insecticide was used in 35.3% of the cases, and herbicide was used in 29.4% of the cases, which was different from cases of poisoning from ingestion poisoning. The major symptoms were vomiting (35.3%), nausea (29.4%), dizziness (29.4%), and headache (23.5%). A total 11 ingredients were identified in 12 patients, and the most common ingredient was glyphosate, which is an herbicide. Most patients showed a state of mild toxicity, but two patients showed a state of severe toxicity. These patients respectively used glyphosate and paraquat. Conclusions: Our findings can be useful for suggesting the need for a national healthcare system to manage occupational pesticide poisoning among farmers. Further, these findings can be used to increase the awareness of the risk of acute poisoning during pesticide spraying and suggest the need for a safety health education to increase farmers' awareness of pesticide poisoning.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.83-89
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• 2004

Acute poisoning is one of the diseases which need the most fastest emergency measures at the very beginning. However, at present, The Korea doesn't manage the toxication all over the country, and in particular, there is no guide to medical cure paying due regard to the traits of each area. This paper focused on the issue that the necessary data in preparing the facilities for the treatment of the poisoned patients and materials for medical treatment including antidote would have to be collected, after finding the special features of the symptoms by searching the present conditions of the poisoning in small towns next to farm villages in the North area of Youngseo, Kangwon province. This study was based on the questionnaires from 111 patients who were carried into the emergency room by the poisoning in two university hospitals of the North area of Youngseo, Kangwon, for one year, 2002. Upon investigation, the patients(111) visiting emergency room by the acute poisoning during the research period was found to be 0.37 percent of all patients(30,085) visiting emergency room. Among them, the most high percentage was given in their twenties and thirties at the rate of $39.6\%$, and the ratio($40.5\%$) of the poisoned patients after their fifties was much higher than a research($10\%$) of other areas. Many poisoned patients came to their rescue in an emergency room generally in spring and in winter, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Agricultural chemical of the toxic materials had a majority at a ratio of $57.7\%$, and paraquat of the agricultural chemicals was found to have a lot of toxicity by $31.7\%$. As the trace of the toxication, the oral poisoning was common by $89.2\%$, and $55.9\%$ in the case of operating gastric lavage and nasogastric irrigation, but only $14.4\%$ for prescribing antidote. The mortality of the acute poisoned patients was $17.2\%$, and the toxication by paraquat held a majority. As a result, the acute poisoning of the North area in Youngseo, Kangwon had both of the characteristics of the rural and the city, and the patients over their fifties by the population aging had more attack of the disease than other regions. Also, with the high ratio of the toxication by the agricultural chemicals, especially, the lethal agricultural chemical was used frequently. Therefore, these dangerous situations need to find the ways to cope with.