• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.2 s.82
• /
• pp.266-271
• /
• 2007

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been widely used as a monomer for production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. The annual production of BPA exceeds 640,000 metric tons in worldwide. BPA, a suspected phenolic endocrine disrupter, is moderately soluble and frequently detected in industrial wastewater. To date, HPLC and GC has been used for BPA analysis. However, HPLC and GC-analysis need high operation lost, experts, and an elaborate pre-treatment of samples, and is difficult to apply on-time and mass analysis. Therefore, simple, mass and rapid detection of BPA in environments is necessary. In the present study, spectrophotometric method of BPA quantification was developed. Based on blue-color product formation with BPA and ferric chloride/ferricyanide under the optimized conditions, the standard curve was acquired $({\lambda}_{750}=0.061\;BPA\;[{\mu}M]+0.07155,\;R^2=0.992)$. Using an established method, the BPA contents in the soil extract, and different water samples and living products, including disposable syringe, cup and plastic tube, were analyzed. The results suggested that the method is useful for BPA determination from different massive samples. Since the BPA metabolites, nontoxic 4-hydroxyacetophenone or 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, did not form blue-color product, this method is also useful to screen a microorganism for BPA bioremediation.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.5-11
• /
• 2014

Both ultraviolet (UV) and ultrasound (US) systems are used in degrading of organic contaminants and they can thus be applicable simultaneously as an UV/US hybrid system in attempts further to increase the degradation efficiency. The pseudo-first order degradation rate constants with the UV, US and UV/US hybrid irradiation were 2.60, 10.34, and $14.81{\times}10^{-3}min^{-1}$, respectively. It was observed that the synergistic effect of UV/US hybrid system for degrading the bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The highest rate of DEHP degradation was found during UV/US hybrid irradiation and the synergistic effect factor (SEF) was calculated to be 1.15 based on the pseudo-first order degradation rate constants. Results indicate that synergistic effect of UV/US hybrid system is closely correlated to the enhancement of sonochemical reactivity with the UV-US interaction of increasing the formation rate of OHby providing additional $H_2O_2$ production through the pyrolysis of water molecules during UV/US hybrid irradiation.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.39 no.9
• /
• pp.698-704
• /
• 1995

The ion-selective membrane fabricated with 33 wt% PVC, 66 wt% o-NPOE and 1 wt% 4'-benzothiazolylbenzo-15-crown-5 (TB15C5) as a neutral carrier exhibited an enhanced selectivity to potassium ion over sodium ion compared to those prepared with other 15-crown-5 or 18-crown-6 derivatives. The potentiometric properties (response slope, selectivity, detection limits and lifetime) of TB15C5-based ISE membranes along with those based on valinomycin, benzo-15-crown-5 (B15C5), 4'-aminobenzo-15-crouwn-5 (AB15C5), benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6), dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) and bis[(benzo-15-crown-5)-4'-ylmethyl]pimelate (PI-Ⅱ) ionophores were carefully examined under the same experimental conditions. The enhanced selectivity of TB15C5-based membrane to potassium is explained in terms of the effect of the benzothiazol functional group and the distribution coefficients of metal ions.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.266-272
• /
• 2004

We developed a miniaturized solid-state carbonate ion-selective electrode (carbonate ISE) based on one-component room temperature vulcanizing type silicone rubber 730 (730 RTV) without adding plasticizer to the matrix. The optimized carbonate ion selective membrane is prepared with 85.8 wt% of 730 RTV, 11.1 wt% of trifluoroacetyl-p-decylbenzene (TFADB), and 3.1 wt% of tridodecyl-methylammonium chloride (TDMACl). This carbonate ISE exhibited excellent potentiometric properties (i.e., slope: 26.3 mV/dec; selectivity: $logKT^{pot}_{CO_{2},Cl^-}$= -4.00 and $logKT^{pot}_{TCO_{2},Sal^-}$=1.69); and detection limit for $TCO_2:\;4.0{\times}10^{-4}M$). In addition, the early potentiometric properties of the solid-state sensor with optimized membrane composition were not deteriorated for more than 60 days.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.121-125
• /
• 2006

To study the effects of plasticizer concentration and its ratio on the physical properties of silk fibroin films, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used at 4 different concentrations; 1, 2, 3, $4.5\%$ (w/v). Tensile strength (TS) and water vapor permeability (WVP) increased with the increase of PEG concentration, while opposite trend was observed for percent elongation of silk fibroin films. WVP of silk fibroin films increased from $2.54\;ng{\cdot}m/m^2spa$ for $1\%$ of PEG to $5.41\;ng{\cdot}m/m^2sPa$ for $4.5\%$. In addition, a mixture of PEG and glycerol (Gly) as a plasticizer was used at the ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 (w/w). Percent elongation of the films was improved to $130.95\%$ when the ratio of 75:25 was used. On the contrary, WVP of silk fibroin films increased with the decrease of the ratio of PEG:Gly. Effect of the plasticizer concentration and its ratio on the color of silk fibroin films was negligible. These results suggest that mixture of PEG and Gly as a plasticizer provide more flexible than PEG alone in silk fibroin films, and the best ratio of PEG to Gly was 75:25.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.1 s.129
• /
• pp.48-57
• /
• 2005

Phthalate esters are known as plasticizers and some of them suspected as endocrine disrupting chemicals. In this study, in order to identify the mechanism of phthalate esters degradation by white rot fungus, phthalic acid, which is major metabolite in the biodegradation of phthalate esters, was used. Phthalic acid 50 ppm was treated in culture medium with Polyporus brumalis. The availability of ABTS oxidation was different from control and phthalic acid treated group after 4 days of incubation. The activity was gradually increased in control group, but not in phthalic acid treated group. Especially, esterase activity of control group was maximized at 10 days of incubation, and then decreased while the activity of phthalic acid treated group was increased. Glucose was used as a carbon source, and the difference of glucose consumption by control and phthalic acid treated group was not significant. However, after 6 days of incubation the residual glucose in culture medium was rapidly decreased. The consumption rate of phthalic acid treated group was lower than control. These results might indicate that the absorption of phthalic acid in culture medium was occurred by mycelium and metabolized through some pathways as that of glucose was. To clearify the chemical modification of phthalic acid in culture medium, phthalic acid was reacted under in vitro condition which mycelium was excluded. The metabolites were analyzed by GC/MS. The results showed that phthalic acid was converted to phthalic acid anhydride by the extracellular enzymes of P. brumalis.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.57 no.6
• /
• pp.790-803
• /
• 2019

The dioctyl terephthalic acid (DOTP) process produces plastic plasticizers by esterification of terephthalic acid with powder in the form of octanol. In this study, the dust explosion characteristics of terephthalic acid directly injected into the manhole in the form of powder in the presence of flammable solvent or vapor in the reactor of this process were investigated. Dust particle size and particle size distribution dust characteristics were investigated, and pyrolysis characteristics of dust were investigated to estimate fire and explosion characteristics and ignition temperature. Also, the minimum ignition energy experiment was performed to evaluate the explosion sensitivity. As a result, the average particle size of terephthalic acid powder was $143.433{\mu}m$. From the thermal analysis carried out under these particle size and particle size distribution conditions, the ignition temperature of the dust was about $253^{\circ}C$. The lower explosive limit (LEL) of the terephthalic acid was determined to be $50g/m^3$. The minimum ignition energy (MIE) for explosion sensitivity is (10 < MIE < 300) mJ, and the estimated minimum ignition energy (Es) based on the ignition probability is 210 mJ. The maximum explosion pressure ($P_{max}$) and the maximum explosion pressure rise rate $({\frac{dP}{dt}})_{max}$ of terephthalic acid dust were 7.1 bar and 511 bar/s, respectively. The dust explosion index (Kst) was 139 mbar/s, corresponding to the dust explosion grade St 1.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.86-92
• /
• 2019

Di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is an environmental contaminant that is used as a plasticizer. Endometriosis is a complex disease with an unknown etiology that is believed to be associated with exposure to DEHP. The present study examined the potential toxicity of DEHP by exposing endometrial adenocarcinoma cells (Ishikawa cells) to DEHP. In the experiments, the cells were treated with stepwise DEHP concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and $5{\mu}M$) for different exposure times (24, 48, and 72 h). When the relationship between the resulting survival rate of the cells and initial inflammation was examined, the cell viability, expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, an inflammatory mediator, and the expression of MMP-9, an ECM degradation protein, were increased remarkably when the cells were exposed to $5{\mu}M$ DEHP for 48 and 72 hours. These results suggest that the exposure of Ishikawa cells to certain concentrations of DEHP, estrogen mimics, may cause time-dependent toxicity that affects the cell viability and inflammation, implying a potential role in the etiology of endometriosis. Further research on the effects of endocrine disruptors on the pathogenesis of endometriosis may reveal strategies to prevent this disease.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2024

As awareness of environmental issues continues to grow, there is an escalating demand for recycling and repurposing byproducts of agricultural and food production processes and their conversion to high-value products. Coffee is the most widely consumed beverage globally; during coffee beverage processing and consumption, byproducts such as coffee silverskin (CS), spent coffee grounds (SCGs), and oil are generated. Despite containing beneficial materials such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, lipids, and bioactive substances, these byproducts are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated. The utilization of CS, SCGs, and oil in the development of packaging materials holds significant potentials toward the realization of a sustainable society. To this end, considerable research efforts have been dedicated to the development of high-value materials derived from coffee byproducts, including functional fillers, polymer composites, and biodegradable polymers. Notably, CS and SCGs have been employed as functional fillers in polymer composites. Additionally, lipids extracted from SCGs have been used as plasticizers for polymers and cultured with microorganisms to produce biodegradable polymers. This review focuses on the research and development of polymer/CS and polymer/SCG composites as well as cellulose extraction and utilization from CS and SCGs and its applications, oil extraction from SCGs, and cultivation with microorganisms using extracted oil for polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHA) production.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.34 no.7
• /
• pp.520-530
• /
• 2024

Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) play a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. When the function of these genes is lost, it can lead to cellular plasticity that drives the development of various cancers, including small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is known for its aggressive nature. SCLC is primarily driven by numerous loss-of-function mutations in TSGs, often involving genes that encode epigenetic regulators. These mutations pose a significant therapeutic challenge as they are not directly targetable. However, understanding the molecular changes resulting from these mutations might provide insights for developing tumor intervention strategies. We propose that despite the heterogeneous genomic landscape of SCLC, the effects of mutations in patient tumors converge on a few critical pathways that drive malignancy. Specifically, alterations in epigenetic regulators lead to transcriptional dysregulation, pushing mutant cells toward a highly plastic state that makes them immune evasive and highly metastatic. This review will highlight studies showing how an imbalance of epigenetic regulators with opposing functions leads to the loss of immune recognition markers, effectively hiding tumor cells from the immune system. Additionally, we will discuss the role of epigenetic regulators in maintaining neuroendocrine features and how aberrant transcriptional control promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition during tumor development. Although these pathways seem distinct, we emphasize that they often share common molecular drivers and mediators. Understanding the connection among frequently altered epigenetic regulators will provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying SCLC development, potentially revealing preventive and therapeutic vulnerabilities for SCLC and other cancers with similar mutations.