• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find differences in the demographics of toxic exposed patients and substance between call based poison information data and hospital based poison information data. Methods: Seoul 1339 call-response data were used as call based poison data and toxic related injury surveillance data of the Korean center for disease control and prevention (KCDC) were used as hospital based poison data. Age, sex, the kind of exposed substance, reasons for exposure, and exposure routes were compared between two data sets. We analyzed the presence or not of documentation on the name and amount of exposed substance, symptoms after exposure in call based poison data. Results: Seoul1339 poison data included a total of 2260 information related to toxic exposure and KCDC poison data included 5650 poison cases. There was no difference in sexual distribution. Pediatric exposure and accidental exposure were more common in call based poison data. The most common exposed substances were household products in call based poison data and medicines in hospital based poison data, respectively. Documents regarding amount and time of toxic exposure and symptoms after toxic exposure were not recorded exactly in call based poison data. Conclusion: There were significant differences in age, reasons for toxic exposure, and the kinds of exposed substances. Poison information data from both pre-hospital and hospital must be considered.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2004

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most general childhood problems occurs locally and internationally, but the causes of ADHD are not cleared yet. Therefore, this study tried to examine some parts of the causes of ADHD closely, and finally contribute to the medical treatment of ADHD and its precautionary measures, by measuring and comparing concentration of minerals in hairs of the patients of ADHD and their control group's children. which can analyze the relevance to ADHD and the mineral content in human bodies, and mutual relations between toxic minerals and essential minerals in human bodies. After collection of hairs from 200 children(5 to 7-year-old, boys: 159 girls:41) diagnosed as ADHD by medical specialists based on the standard of DSM-IV diagnosis and their control group's 177 children(boys: 138 girls:39), the mineral concentration of samples was measured through ICP-MS and compared. And correlations between toxic minerals and essential minerals in human bodies among patients group was analyzed. All the toxic minerals(Pb, Hg, Al, Cd, As) of hairs analyzed in the study showed more higher range of concentration in patients group in comparison with their control group. Among them, the concentration of Pb(3.27 $\pm$ 3.82 ppm) and As(0.16 $\pm$ 0.15 ppm) in patients group were significantly high compared to their control group. And in this study Pb among toxic minerals showed negative correlation with Zn(r = -0.43), Mg(r = -0.15) among essential minerals. Cd among toxic minerals showed negative correlation with Zn(r = -0.20) among essential minerals. As among toxic minerals showed negative correlation with Ca(r = -0.14) among essential minerals.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.766-775
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• 2007

The use of toxic chemicals was extended as the industry in Korea has grown dramatically during the last three decades. However, list of toxic substances and limit concentrations in the water environment are not consistent within management of ambient water, drinking water and industrial effluent. This article suggests the systematic framework to classify toxic substances in the water environment and deriving their effluent limits. The most important factor for decision-making to classify toxic substances is whether their concentrations in the water environment are higher than the reference concentrations, estimated by considering human health risk and ecological risk. Using a risk-based reference concentration, the ambient water quality criterion, it is possible to derive the regulatory limit concentrations of toxic substances in drinking water and in industrial effluent. The goal concentrations in the effluent, which guarantee the human and ecological safety, should be determined with scientific investigation, balancing environmental benefit and economical effect, considering availability of treatment technology and identifying characteristics of wastewater from different industries.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.78-89
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• 2004

Background : A report published by the National Institute of Toxicological Research (NITR) in January 2004 about toxic hepatitis in Korea contained the result of analysis on 55 cases of severe toxic hepatitis from 7 university hospitals for 8 months. NITR claimed that the extrapolated annual frequency of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea was 1904 cases per year. They also claimed that the most frequent etiology of severe toxic hepatitis were herbal medications and similar plant preparations (61.7%), contrasted with traditional therapeutic preparations and healthy foods (29.1%). I have investigated that report to be certain of the result because it is a very important subject for public health and society in Korea. Results : The NITR report has too many problems to have faith in its results. They include the following: 1. The report uses only 55 cases to estimate annual prevalence rate of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea. 2. There was a large regional preponderancy in the NITR report (2 cases in Seoul from a population of 10.17 million, 19 cases in Gwangju from a population of 1.4 million) 3. There was another preponderancy that selected much fewer cases caused by western medication (9.1%) than other reasons. 4. The NITR report used a modified scale than that officially recognized to diagnose toxic hepatitis. 5. There was a mistake using the scale to adapt the right indications. 6. They collected cases before beginning the study, although it was a prospective study. There was also not any questionnaire or other materials concerned with alcohol, drugs, or history of past liver disease. Conclusions : NITR is one of the important official arms of the government of Korea. Nevertheless, there is a severe problem in validity because of selection bias, uncertain accuracy, and insufficiency of raw materials in the report. Therefore it seems incorrect to generalize the results of the report and there is a lack of confidence in it as a national study publishing by the NITR.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.193-197
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• 2014

The electrode for gas sensor was prepared by using pitch-based activated carbon fibers and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to investigate the toxic gas sensing characteristics. The physicochemical properties of activated carbon fibers electrode for gas sensor were analyzed with SEM and BET. Toxic gases sensing property of the electrode was also identified by different toxic gases such as $NH_3$, NO and $CO_2$. The specific surface area of activated carbon fibers electrode for gas sensor was decreased by 33% owing to PVA used as a binder compared with the activated carbon fibers. However, its pore size distribution of the ACF electrode was not greatly influenced by PVA. The activated carbon fibers electrode for gas sensor responded to toxic gases by electron hopping unlike semiconductor based gas sensors. In this study, activated carbon fibers electrode was decreased to 7.5% in resistance for the NH3 gas of the 100 ppm concentration and its $NH_3$ gas sensing property was confirmed the most excellent compared with other toxic gases.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.83-96
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• 2005

Brominated flame retardants have the market share of 40%, comparing others because of their low cost and highly effective retardation against the flame. However, their toxic effects in human and properties of the accumulation in the environments have been issued among the international organization such as EU, OECD and etc. It, therefore, was surveyed the classification, toxic effects, and the usage of Brominated flame retardants, the trends for their managements in the world and Korea, and their contaminated levels in Korean Peninsula. In addition, the management directions for them were proposed. Penta, octa, and deca-BDE among brominated retardants will seem to be prohibited by the regulation as a flame retardants for plastics in Europe because of their toxic effects. Although Penta and Octa BDEs was used marginally in Korea, deca-BDE was 27% of brominated flame retardants (49,050 ton) which had been used in 2002. However, risk assessment for brominated retardants might not launched in Korea, yet. These reports demonstrate that toxic brominated retardants such as PBDEs will be assessed for their usage and the level of contamination in the environment in the area of the point sources like the industrial areas, incinerators and etc. However, the law to regulate the hazardous chemicals seems not to be dictated the monitoring of their contamination in the environment. We, therefore, suggest how to evaluate and to monitor the toxic contaminants with EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) system. Further, to establish the management system of BFRs (such as the monitering of contamination levels in environments, life cycle assessment, and risk assessment for the toxic chemicals), It can be recommended the law to deal with the method analyzing chemicals will be established, which contains QA/QC (Quality Assurance and Quality Control) to evaluate the analytic capability of the companies to prepare EIS (Environment Impact Statement) or other institutes for analyzing chemicals.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2006

Ecotoxicity assessments of 90 selected effluents of 22 industry types from 2002 to 2004 in Korea were evaluated by a toxic battery of bioassay test using fish Oryzias latipes, invertebrate Daphnia magna, algae Selenastrum capricornutum and bacteria Vibrio fischeri with the physicochemical measurement items and permit concentrations on the present Water Quality Conservation Act in Korea. Total toxic unit (${\Sigma}TU$) of 8 industry types of 22 industry types by the toxic battery appeared in order of the value site as follows; Pigment Dye Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 217.1) > Textile and Dye (${\Sigma}TU$ 39.3) > Semiconductor Electronic Manufacturing (Small) (${\Sigma}TU$ 25.6) > Wastewater and Sewage Treatment Plants (${\Sigma}TU$ 25.4) > Coating (${\Sigma}TU$ 23.8) > Leather Skin Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 18.0) > Synthetic Resin Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 15.6) > Assemble Metal Manufacturing (${\Sigma}TU$ 10.7). Our results demonstrate that ecotoxicity assessment, by bioassay test, is effective and practical for industrial wastewater management for 90 selected effluents with the limitation of the physicochemical permit. Among 90 effluents, 9 samples failed physicochemical permit limitation and 81 passed it. In result of ecotoxicity assessment of 90 effluents by the toxic battery, 76 effluents exhibited ecotoxicity and the others did not. The physicochemical measurement items and permit concentrations on the present Water Quality Conservation Act in Korea were low related to the ecotoxicity value by the toxic battery and appeared limited for water quality management to water-ecosystem and environment-friendly management of water.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2008

Purpose: Acute toxic hepatitis is a common cause of acute liver failure (ALF). We investigated the causes, clinical manifestation, and outcomes of ALF patients who underwent liver transplantation due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. Methods: Between January 1992 and May 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 24 patients who were transplanted due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. We applied the RUCAM score to patients with acute toxic hepatitis and assessed the relationship between herbal preparations and liver injury. We studied the patients' medication history, liver function tests, and clinical outcomes. Results: The type of liver injury was divided into three groups: hepatocellular type, 14 patients (58.3%); cholestatic type, 4 patients (16.7%); and mixed type, 6 patients (25%). Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg (3 cases) was the most common cause of acute toxic hepatitis, followed by Acanthopanax senticosus (2 cases), pumpkin juice (2 cases), Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz (2 cases), Hovenia dulcis (1 case), Phellinus linteus (1 case), and Artemisia capillaries (1 case). One year survival after liver transplantation was 76%. Conclusion: We identified the herbal preparations leading to acute liver failure. Many patients consider herbal remedies to be completely free of unwanted side effects. However, we found that many herbal products have biological activities that can lead to severe hepatotoxicity.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.143-149
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• 2016

Recent accidents caused by toxic chemicals and the social problems caused by frequent. As of 2010, there are more than 100,000 types of deadly toxic chemicals being distributed throughout Korea, and severely intoxicated patients along with an enormous number of patients can be induced at the time of an accident involving deadly toxic chemicals. Internationally, the seriousness of large-scale disasters due to a NBC disaster (nuclear, biologic and chemical disaster) is being highlighted as well. So, we obtain the information of the RFID tag attached to a glass bottle with containing the toxic chemical to transfer the data to the smart device has been studied a system that can monitor the status of the toxic chemical in real time. The proposed system is the information was sent to the main system using a zigbee communication by recognizing the tag vial containing the toxic chemical with the 13.56MHz bandwidths good permeability. User may check the information in real time by utilizing the smart device. However, the error of the system for managing the toxic chemical generates a result that can not be predicted. Failure of the system was detecting the error by using a comparator as this can cause an error. And the detected error proposed a duplex system so that they do not affect the overall system.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2012

Toxic hepatitis is a rare but devastating disease in children. Herbs are widely used in oriental medicine to treat various symptoms in Korea, however, several herbs have been reported to induce liver injury. We report a case of toxic hepatitis induced by Hovenia dulcis in a 3-year-old boy. He complained of nausea, abdominal discomfort, and jaundice. The patient had consumed water boiled with hovenia dulcis for about 1 year prior to presentation. A diagnosis of toxic hepatitis was made based on his history, laboratory data, viral markers, ultrasonography, and biopsied liver tissue. We administered supportive management for acute fulminant hepatitis but his symptoms and liver function progressed. He was transferred to another hospital for further evaluation and consideration for liver transplantation. Because acute liver failure due to herbs or dietary supplement taken for a long time is often fetal, it is important to make early diagnosis and stop taking the drug as soon as drug induced liver injury is suspected.