• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 2007

The present study attempted to analyze the mechanism of PCB-induced neurotoxicity with respect to the PKC signaling. Since the developing neuron is particularly sensitive to PCB-induced neurotoxicity, we isolated cerebellar granule cells derived from 7-day old SD rats and grew cells in culture for additional 7 days to mimic PND-14 conditions. Only non-coplanar PCBs at a high dose showed a significant increase of total PKC activity at $[^3H]PDBu$ binding assay, indicating that non-coplanar PCBs are more neuroactive than coplanar PCBs in neuronal cells. PKC isoforms were immunoblotted with respective monoclonal antibodies. PKC-alpha and-epsilon were activated with non-coplanar PCB exposure. The result suggests that coplanar PCBs have a PKC pathway different from non-coplanar PCBs. Activation of PKC with exposure was dampened with treatment of high molecular weight of chitosan. Chilean (M.W. > 1,000 kDa) inhibited the total activity of PKC induced by the non-coplanar PCBs. Translocation of PKC isoforms was also inhibited by the high molecular weight of chitosan. The study demonstrated that non-coplanar PCBs are more potent neurotoxic congeners than coplanar PCBs and the alteration of PKC activities by PCB exposure can be blocked with the treatment of chitosan. The results suggest a potential use of chitosan as a means of nutritional intervention to prevent the harmful effects of pollutant-derived diseases.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2005

This is a subsequent study to our previous finding that Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, gained a so-called upper plateau concentration, around 30,000 ng/g dry weight digestive gland for benzo(a)pyrene, showed reproductive behavior but produced their ensuing reproductive outputs damaged. A serial dilution of sediment elutriates from Jinhae Bay, Korea, where pollution was progressive, were exposed to gametes of the Pacific oyster for 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min to detail the pollutant effects on very young specimens. There was an apparent critical dilution over which adverse effects are evident. This was $10\%$ of the present sediment elutriate, corresponding to 0.3 ng/g on the basis of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for the oyster. Within the dilution the embryonic development was not influenced by the duration of exposure to its gamete stage. At higher dilutions over the critical dilution, occurrence of abnormality increased dependent on the pollutant dilution and the duration of exposure. Similar trends were also found in larval mortality. However, overall, the chemical toxicity was more significant to morphogenesis than to survival, suggesting a potential recruitment of the pollutants-induced abnormal larvae in the wild population to threaten the population integrity.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.21-30
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• 2001

Vehicles, especially diesel-using, are a major source of airborne particulate matter(PM), nitrogen dioxide($NO_2$) and so on in metropolitan cities such as Seoul. Therefore workers, who are mainly merchants, near roadside may be highly exposed to air pollutants from exhausted emissions of vehicles. This means that occupational type and location can affect the workers＇health by exposure to outdoor pollutions of ambient as well as indoor pollutions of working condition, respectively. In this study, we simultaneously measured the PM3.5 and $NO_2$concentrations in indoor and outdoor of shoes repair shops in Seoul, which were generally located at roadside in Korea. Shoes repairmen were highly exposed to PM3.5 and $NO_2$ both indoor and outdoor of repair shops comparing with other sub-population groups. High exposure to air pollutants for shoes repairmen was considered to be outdoor source from exhausted emission of vehicles and indoor source from working condition. The $PM3.5/NO_2$ concentration ratio was $1.17{\pm}$0.59 in roadside, of which ratio was higher 7han ratios of other studies. This result suggested that major air pollutant in Seoul was fine particle. Also, this PM3.5 to $NO_2$ ratio will be used in environmental exposure and risk assessment by estimation of PM3.5 concentration as measuring the only $NO_2$ concentration with small and accurate $NO_2$ passive sampler.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1123-1134
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• 2009

This study was designed to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the pollutant compositions, which were emitted from three types of mosquito repellents(MRs)(mat-, liquid-vaporized, and coil-type) by utilizing a 50-L environmental chamber. A qualitative analysis revealed that 42 compounds were detected on the gas chromatography/mass spectrometer system, and that the detection frequency depended upon chemical types. Nine of the 42 compounds exhibited a detection frequency of 100%. Four aromatic compounds(benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene) were detected in all test MRs. The concentration equilibriums in the environmental chamber were achieved within 180 min after sample introduction. The coil-type MR represented higher chamber concentrations as compared with the mat- or liquid-vaporized-type MR, with respect to the target compounds except for naphthalene. In particular, the chamber concentrations of ethyl benzene, associated with the use of coil-type MR, were between 0.9 and $65\;mg\;m^{-3}$ whereas those of mat- and liquid-vaporized-type MRs we~e between 0.5 and $2.0\;mg\;m^{-3}$and 0.3 and $1.4\;mg\;m^{-3}$, respectively. However, naphthalene concentrations in the chamber, where a liquid-vaporized-type MR was placed, were measured as between 17.8 and $56.3\;mg\;m^{-3}$, but not detected in the chamber, where a mat- or coil-type MR was placed. The empirical model fitted well with the time-series concentrations in the environmental chamber(in most cases, determination coefficient, $R^2$ ≿ 0.9), thereby suggesting that the model was suitable for testing emissions. In regards to the target compounds except for benzene, although they were emitted from the MRs, health risk from individual exposure to them were estimated not to be significant when comparing exposure levels with no observed adverse exposure levels or lowest observed adverse exposure levels of corresponding compounds. However, it was concluded that the use of MRs could be an important indoor source as regards benzene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.422-428
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• 1999

Aromatic hydrocarbons can be utilized as carbon and energy sources by some microorganisms at lower concentrations. However, they can also act as stresses to these organisms at higher concentrations. Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 is capable of degrading 0.5 mM concentration of benzoate and 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA). In this study, the exposure of Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 to the pollutant stresses of benzoate and 4CBA at various concentrations was comparatively studied for its cellular responses, including survival tolerance, degradability of the aromatics, and morphological changes. Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 utilized 0.5 to 1.0mM benzoate and 4CBA as carbon and energy sources for growth. However, the organism could not degrade the aromatics at concentrations of 3 mM or higher, resulting in reduced cell viability due to the destruction of the cell envelopes. Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 cells produced stress-shock proteins such as DnaK and GroEL when treated with benzoate and 4CBA at concentrations of 0.5mM, or higher as sublethal dosage; Yet, there were differing responses between the cells treated with either benzoate or 4CBA. 4CBA affected the degradability of the cells more critically than benzoate. The DnaK and GroEL stress-shock proteins were produced either by 1mM benzoate with 5 min treatment or by higher concentrations after 10min. The proteins were also induced by 0.5mM 4CBA, however, it needed at least 20min treatment or longer. These results indicate that the chlorination of benzoate increased the recalcitrance of the pollutant aromatics and changed the conditions to lower concentrations and longer treatment times for the production of stress-shock proteins. of stress-shock proteins produced by the aromatics at sublethal concentrations functioned interactively between the aromatics for survival tolerance to lethal concentrations.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 2010

The objective of our study was to investigate the major reasons for the different growth and visible injury on the needles of black pine growing in Ulsan and Yeocheon industrial complex areas, South Korea. After 12 years of growth, we collected climatic and air pollutant data, and analyzed soil properties and the physiological characteristics of black pine needles. Annual and minimum temperatures in Ulsan were higher than those in Yeocheon from 1996 to 2008. Ozone ($O_3$) was the pollutant in greatest concentration in Yeocheon, and whereas the $SO_2$ concentration in most areas decreased gradually during the whole period of growth, $SO_2$ concentration in Yeocheon has increased continuously since 1999, where it was the highest out of four areas since 2005. Total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity in Yeocheon soil were significantly lower than those of Ulsan. The average growth of black pine in Yeocheon was significantly smaller than that in Ulsan, and the growth of damaged trees represented a significant difference between the two sites. Photosynthetic pigment and malondialdehyde content and antioxidative enzyme activity in the current needles of black pine in Yeocheon were not significantly different between damaged and healthy trees, but in 1-year-old needles, there were significant differences between damaged and healthy trees. In conclusion, needle damage in Yeocheon black pine can be considered the result of long-term exposure to oxidative stress by such as $O_3$ or $SO_2$, rather than a difference in climatic condition or soil properties, and the additional expense of photosynthate needed to overcome damage or alleviate oxidative stress may cause growth retardation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.108-119
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• 2024

Objectives: Abrupt changes in air pollution levels associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak present a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of air pollution on influenza risk, at a time when emission sources were less active and personal hygiene practices were more rigorous. Methods: This time-series study examined the relationship between influenza cases (n=22 874) and air pollutant concentrations from 2018 to 2021, comparing the timeframes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in and around Thailand's Khon Kaen province. Poisson generalized additive modeling was employed to estimate the relative risk of hospitalization for influenza associated with air pollutant levels. Results: Before the COVID-19 outbreak, both the average daily number of influenza hospitalizations and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 ㎛ or less (PM_2.5) concentration exceeded those later observed during the pandemic (p<0.001). In single-pollutant models, a 10 ㎍/m³ increase in PM_2.5 before COVID-19 was significantly associated with increased influenza risk upon exposure to cumulative-day lags, specifically lags 0-5 and 0-6 (p<0.01). After adjustment for co-pollutants, PM_2.5 demonstrated the strongest effects at lags 0 and 4, with elevated risk found across all cumulative-day lags (0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, 0-5, and 0-6) and significantly greater risk in the winter and summer at lag 0-5 (p<0.01). However, the PM_2.5 level was not significantly associated with influenza risk during the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions: Lockdown measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic could mitigate the risk of PM_2.5-induced influenza. Effective regulatory actions in the context of COVID-19 may decrease PM_2.5 emissions and improve hygiene practices, thereby reducing influenza hospitalizations.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.205-215
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• 2011

Ozone ($O_3$) is a main component of photochemical oxidants and a phytotoxic air pollutant. Although the current levels of tropospheric $O_3$ in East Asia could adversely affect productivity of forest tree species, risk assessments of $O_3$ impact were limited. In this paper, we summarize the methodology of risk assessment of $O_3$ on forest tree species based on our two previous studies, risk assessments of $O_3$ impact on the growth of Fagus crenata by Watanabe et al. (2012) and on the annual carbon absorption of three representative conifers, Cryptomeria japonica, Pinus densiflora and Larix kaempferi by Watanabe et al. (2010). $O_3$ sensitivity of each tree species obtained from an experimental study, $O_3$ exposure and atmospheric N deposition based on field monitoring and vegetation survey were integrated by geographic information system method. Based on the results, we conclude that the area with high risk of $O_3$ impact does not necessarily correspond to the area with high $O_3$ exposure. The varieties of tree habitat, tree sensitivity to $O_3$ and annual carbon absorption among the tree species, and N deposition-induced change in the $O_3$ sensitivity of F. crenata are raised as the factors of discordance between areas with high risk and those with high $O_3$ exposure. In the last part of this paper, we discuss the present uncertainty and perspectives of risk assessment for the future studies on the impact of $O_3$ on forest tree species in East Asia.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.27-35
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• 1995

In order to investigate acute toxicity and bioconcentration of heavy metals for a freshwater fish, the fish used in this experiment was goldfish, Carassius auratus. Each ten goldfish was accommonidated in a water and was treated with different concentration of Pb and Cu compound. The 24 $hr-LC_{50}$ was obtained by plotting on the log-normal distribution graph. Furthermore, the combined effect of Pb and Cu was also investigated the fish was treated with Pb or Cu compound only, and Pb and Cu compound together, respectively. These results were summarized as follows: 1. The 24 $hr-LC_{50}'s$ of Pb and Cu were 7.48 mg/l and 0.666 mg/l, respectively. 2. When single or/and combined treatment with Pb(7.0 mg/l) or/and Cu(0.6 mg/l) to Carassius auratus for 24 hours were performed, there was significant difference between the single or/and the combined treatment in their bioaccumulated Cu concentrations. Cu concentrations in goldfish were higher in the combined treatment than in the single treatment. 3. When Carassius auratus was exposed to 0.748 mg/l (1/10 of 24 $hr-LC_{50}$) and 1.496 mg/l of Pb (1/5 of 24 $hr-LC_{50}$) for 7 days, the bioconcentration factors (BCF) were 79.14 and 100.11 for Pb, respectively. The BCF of Pb was obtained as a linearity according to the concentration and exposure time as follows log BCF=1.014 log $P\cdot T$+1.011 ($r^2$=0.9041) where, P: pollutant concentration(mg/l) T: exposure time(day) 4. When Carassius auratus was pxposed to 0.0666 mg/l (1/10 of 24 $hr-LC_{50}$) and 0.1332 mg/l of Cu (1/5 of 24 $hr-LC_{50}$) for 7 days, the bioconcentration factors (BCF) were 55.42 and 63.24 for Cu respectively. The BCF of Cu was obtained as a linearity according to the concentration and exposure time as follows log BCF=0.571 log $P\cdot T$+1.823 ($r^2$=0.8974) where, P: polutant concentration(mg/l) T: exposure time(day)

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2002

Workers who work at indoor and outdoor environment near busy road are suspected to be exposed to high-elevated air pollutant levels during working hours. This study evaluated the working-time nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) exposure for workers (repairmen and polishers) of shoe-stalls. Since shoe-stalls have particularly been located near busy road in Korea, workers might be high exposure to $NO_2$ from traffic exhaust as well as indoor sources of shoe-stall such as portable gas range (butane gas) during working hours. In this study, we measured the indoor and outdoor $NO_2$ concentrations of shoe-stalls. Simultaneously, outdoor $NO_2$ concentrations of building through sidewalk from shoe-stall were measured. High $NO_2$ exposure for workers of shoe-stalls was considered to be inflow of outdoor source of exhausted emission from vehicles and indoor source from usage of gas range to polish the shoe. Indoor/outdoor $NO_2$ concentration ratio ($0.94{\pm}0.22$) in Seoul was higher than that ($1.06{\pm}0.34$) in Asan, because ambient $NO_2$ level was high in Seoul and usage of gas range was prevalent in Asan. According to $NO_2$ concentrations by distance from roadside to building through sidewalk, $NO_2$ concentrations showed the decreased trend with distance. The results of this study can be utilized by municipal authorities in urban planning for evaluating effects of future traffic planning and land use.