• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.414-431
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• 2016

There are numerous closed and abandoned mines in Korea, from which diverse heavy metals (e.g., As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) are released into the surrounding soil, groundwater, surface water, and crops, potentially resulting in detrimental effects on the health of nearby residents. Therefore, we performed human risk assessments of two abandoned metal mines, Yanggok (YG) and Samsanjeil (SJ). The exposure parameters used in this assessment were specific to residents near mines and the included exposure pathways were relevant to areas around metal mines. The computed total excess carcinogenic risks for both areas exceeded the acceptable carcinogenic risk ($1{\times}10^{-6}$), indicating that these areas are likely unsafe due to a carcinogenic hazard. In contrast, the non-carcinogenic risks of the two areas differed among the studied receptors. The hazard indices were higher than the unit risk (=1.0) for male and female adults in YG and male adults in SJ, suggesting that there are non-carcinogenic risks for these groups in the study areas. However, the hazard indices for children in YG and female adults and children in SJ were lower than the unit risk. Consumption of groundwater and crops grown in the area were identified as major exposure pathways for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic hazards in both areas. Finally, the dominant metals contributing to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were As and As, Cu, and Pb, respectively. In addition, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of YG were evaluated to be 10 and 4 times higher than those of SJ, respectively, resulted from the relatively higher exposure concentration of As in groundwater within SJ area. Because of lacking of several exposure parameters, some of average daily dose (ADD) could not be computed in this study. Furthermore, it is likely that the ADDs of crop-intake pathway included some errors because they were calculated using soil exposure concentrations and bioconcentration factor (BCF) rather than using crop exposure concentrations.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.1381-1387
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• 2018

This study was conducted to find ways to improve people's perceptions to prevent and detect breast cancer. Health belief model(HBM) was used to examine the relationship between. risk perception of breast cancer, and benefit perception, and information seeking. In addition, the role of autonomous motives was included in the model. The results shows that the more people perceived cancer as dangerous, or perceived cancer screeing as beneficial, the more likely they seek relavant health information. Also, high autonomous motives showed positive effects on info seeking. Information seeking behaviors also had a positive impact on health screening intentions.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.437-448
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• 2022

This work aims to assess the threat to human health of hazardous materials in groundwater that is used domestically and for drinking. Two distinct sub-assessments are considered: cancer and non-cancer risk. The studied groundwater is in an agricultural area of Gyeongnam Province, Korea, and is contaminated by arsenic at a mean level of 16.27 ㎍/L, far greater than the WHO guideline (10 ㎍/L for drinking water). We collected groundwater data from the National Groundwater Information Center (gims.go.kr) and assessed the risk to human health following the methodology of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. We considered three exposure scenarios: domestic use (scenario 1) and drinking use with different doses (scenarios 2 and 3). Scenario 1 had a median hazard quotient (HQ) of 0.77 and a cancer risk (CR) of 0.013. Scenario 2 had a median HQ of 0.08 and a CR of 3.69 × 10^-5, and the values for scenario 3 were 0.11 and 4.82 × 10^-5, respectively. Scenario 1 is likely the most hazardous to human health. Further study of the origin of arsenic in groundwater in the study area is required, as are remedial measures to mitigate its health effects.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.22-35
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• 2005

내분비계 장애물질 (Endocrine Disruptors: EDs)이란 ‘내분비 기능에 변화를 일으켜, 생체 또는 그 자손의 건강에 위해한 영향을 미치는 외인성 물질’로서 세계야생생물보호기금 (World Wildife Fund: WWF)의 목록에는 67 여종, 일본 후생성에서는 142 여종의 물질을 내분비계 장애물질로 분류하고 있다. 이렇게 분류된 내분비계장애물질 가운데에는 많은 종류의 농약이 포함되어 있으며, 이들이 자연상태계에 미치는 영향에 대한 많은 보고가 있다. 양서류는 먹이연쇄의 중위포식자로 내분비계 장애물질의 순환 및 생채축적 회로에서 중요한 위치를 갖는다. 또한 농경지나 계류 등에 서식하며 산란하는 습성이 있다. 이러한 서식지는 농약 등에 노출받기 쉬우므로 환경오염평가 대상동물로 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 국내에서 사용되고 있는 제초제, 살충제 등이 양서류 발생에 미치는 영향을 평가하고, 이들 물질에 의한 노출을 평가할 수 있는 biomarker 유전자를 발굴하고자 하였다. 우리나라 전역에 많이 분포하는 무당개구리(Bombina orientalis)의 초기 배아발생 과정에서 이들 농약을 처리하였을 때, 물질의 종류에 따라 정도의 차이는 있으나 농도 의존적으로 배아 및 올챙이의 치사율이 높게 나타났다. 또한 농약은 배아 및 올챙이의 기형을 유발하였다. 기형의 종류는 농약에 따라 서로 상이한 형태로도 나타났으나, 특히 몸통휨 또는 꼬리휨등의 척추골 기형이 많이 나타났다. 환경 위해성 평가 biomarker 유전자로서 골격계 형성에 관여하는 Sox9 유전자를 선택하였다. 무당개구리에서 처음으로 Sox9 유전자를 동정하였으며, 농약을 처리한 실험군에서의 Sox9 유전자의 발현 양상은 대조군에 비하여 높게 나타났다. 본 연구결과 생태계에서 내분비계 장애물질의 위해성 평가를 위해 양서류 초기배아의 치사 및 기형의 정도를 관찰하는 방법이 유효할 것으로 사료된다. 또한 야생동물의 biomarker 유전자를 발굴과 이를 이용한 위해성 평가는 더욱 정밀한 평가법으로 유용할 것이다.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 2004

In order to estimate the post-ingestion bioavailability of heavy metals and to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to toxic heavy metals, environmental geochemical surveys were undertaken around the Dogok Au-Ag-Cu and the Hwacheon Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mine sites. Human risk assessment of toxic heavy metals was performed with the results of the SBET(simple bioavailability extraction test) analysis for soil and chemical analytical data for crop plant and water. Arsenic and other heavy metals were highly elevated in tailings from the Dogok(218 As mg/kg, 90.2 Cd mg/kg, 3,053 Cu mg/kg, 9,473 Pb mg/kg, 14,500 Zn mg/kg) and the Hwacheon(72 As mg/kg, 12.4 Cd mg/kg. 578 Pb mg/kg, 1,304 Zn mg/kg) mines. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and waters around the tailing dumps. The quantities of As, Cd and Zn extracted from paddy soils in the Hwacheon mine using the SBET analysis were 55.4%, 20.8% and 26.4% bioavailability, respectively, and for farmland soils in the Dogok mine, 40.8%, 37.6% and 33.0% bioavailability, respectively. From the results of human risk assessment, HI(Hazard Index) value exceeded 1.0 for As in the Hwacheon mine and for Cd in the Dogok mine. Thus, toxic risks for As and Cd exist via exposure(ingestion) of contaminated soil, water and rice grain in these mine sites. The cancer risk for As by the consumption of rice and groundwater in the Hwacheon mine area was 8E-4 and 1E-4, respectively. This risk level exceeds the acceptable risk(1 in 100,000) for regulatory purpose. Therefore, regular ingestion of locally grown rice and ground-water by the local population can pose a potential health threat due to long-term arsenic exposure.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.574-577
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to evaluate gastric motility of conscious minipigs with ultrasonography from contraction number of the pyloric antrum and gastric emptying time (GET). Five-month-old, clinically healthy minipigs weighing 13.5-15 kg were used for this experiment. Assessment of gastric motility was performed using saline (10 ml/kg) in all five minipigs. Contraction number of the pyloric antrum for 3 minutes and gastric emptying time were calculated. Gastric emptying time was considered to be the time at which the antral area returned to the basal value. The mean value of contraction number of the pyloric antrum before feeding was 1.60${\pm}$2.30 (mean${\pm}$SD) for 3 min and the overall mean value after saline administration was 5.40${\pm}$3.62 for 3 min. The mean value of GET by area was 58.06${\pm}$5.23 min. This data can be used as basic database for evaluation of gastric motility in minipigs as normal and various experimental models.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.2917-2925
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• 2010

Although it is Gun area, 'N'-Gun in Gyeongsangnam-Do has continually been implementing the 'health city' project after it entered the program in 2005 to promote healthy lives of its residents. It is evaluated that there has been a considerable achievement; on the other hand, however, as the circumstances surrounding 'N'-Gun are rapidly changing, needs for new advanced 'health city' projects with improved qualities are growing. This study was conducted to suggest a advanced model of 'health city' plan through the case analysis of 'N'-Gun in Gyeongsangnam-Do. For this purpose, international as well as national health-city-related literature and data were broadly gathered and reviewed, and, based on this, we established 'N'-Gun Health City development plan, utilizing BSC(Balanced Scorecard) technique. Main contribution and implication of this study would be the suggestion of the model whereby the problems that many existing health city plans are facing can be systematically evaluated, and more effective methods of developing the plan can be applied based on the evaluation. Also, it is especially expected that the BSC technique would be a very useful framework for developing health city plans in the future.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.535-545
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• 2005

Environmental survey from some abandoned metal mine areas was undertaken on to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to arsenic influenced by past Au-Ag mining activities. Elevated levels of As were found in tailings from the studied mine areas. This high concentration may have a impact on soils and waters around the tailing piles. In order to perform the human risk assessment, chemical analysis data of soils, rice grains and waters fur As have been used. The HQ values fer As via the rice grain and groundwater consumption were significantly higher compared with other exposure pathways in all metal mine areas. However, there were minimal soil and water dermal contact risks. The resulting Hl values of As from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas were higher than 5.0, and their toxic risk due to drinking water and rice grain was strong in these mine areas. The cancer risk of being exposed to As by the rice grain route from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas was $5.2\times10^{-4},\;6.0\times10^{-4}\;and\;8.1\times10^{-4}$, respectively. The As cancer risk via the exposure pathway of drinking water from these mine areas exceeded the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 fer regulatory purposes. Thus, the daily intakes of groundwater and rice grain by the local residents from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas can pose a potential health threat if exposed by long-term arsenic exposure.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.112-119
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• 2021

In 2012, the National Park Service conducted an ecological health assessment to efficiently preserve and manage the ecosystem. The need for improving pre-existing management indicators was recognized from the revised Natural Park Act because, while the indicators of the existing evaluation system focused on endangered species, ecosystem disturbance, diversity, water quality (BOD, DO), and habitat fragmentation, they did not reflect the lack of indicators for marine ecological assessment, policy changes, and the time demands. The evaluation results comprised a five-point grading system, which made the analysis of immediate changes, difficult. Therefore, the benthic pollution index (BPI) and habitat restoration indicators were added to improve the evaluation system. The National Park was assessed using 10 classifications, however, only four classifications were evaluated. The ratings were divided into five states, and ten classes were presented as pictograms. The assessment results showed a similar trend as the indicators were improved, increasing from level 3 to level 5. However, the results of the Wolaksan National Park after improvement in the indicators were lower than that before the improvement, whereas, for the Juwangsan National Park, it was higher. This study aims at contributing to the scientific and systematic management of the national park ecosystem by improving the ecological health assessment system.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-43
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• 2017

The objectives of the study were to evaluate fish compositions, endangered species, community structure, physical habitat, and general water quality for a preliminary environmental impact assessment of Jeokbyeok River on the road construction between two regions. Total number of species and total number of individuals, based on CPUE, were 23 and 1186, respectively. The endangered species (I, II) as the legal protection species were Pseudopungtungia nigra (79 samples) Gobiobotia brevibarba) (5) Gobiobotia macrocephala (2), indicating a requiring of endangered species conservation. In the meantime, exotic species and ecological disturbing species such as Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, were not present, indicating a well conserved area. According to fish community analysis, values of species diversity index were high (range: 0.788 - 1.030), and the dominance index were low (range: 0.097 - 0.183), indicating that the fish community in this area was maintained well without high dominacne by specific species. Also, fish analysis on tolerance guilds and trophic guilds showed that the proportions of sensitive species were largely exceeded the proportions of the tolerant species, while the proportions of insectivore species were largely exceeded the proportions of the omnivore species. This outcome suggests that the ecosystem was well maintained in terms of tolerance and trophic compositions (food chain). Ecological health, based on the multi-metric fish model of Fish Assessment Integrity (FAI), reflected those fish conditions. In other words, values of FAI model averaged 82.4, which means a "good condition" in the criteria of ecological health by the Minstry of Environment, Korea. In addition, general water quality and physical habitat analyses showed that the system was in good condition. Under these conditions, if the road constructions between the two regions happen in the future, inorganic suspended solids may increase in the waterbody, and this may result in indirect or direct influences on the physical habitats and food chain as well as fish compositions, so the ecological protections and prevention strategy from the soil erosion are required in the system.