• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2023

In this study, the components of microwave-assisted extracts obtained from Thuja orientalis leaves were analyzed, and the cytotoxicity, antibacterial and antiviral activities were evaluated. The predominant components from microwave-assisted extraction were catechin, leucopelargonidin, arecatannin, quinolone, and kaempferol derivatives, which are classified in the flavonoid and tannin groups. We observed that the 0.11 mg/mL of extract concentration did not show cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. The antibacterial activities were tested according to the guidelines of methods for determining the bactericidal activity of antimicrobial agents. The extracts showed 99.9% antibacterial efficiency against gram-positive S. aureus, while the antibacterial effect on gram-negative E. coli was insignificant. When the extract concentration and contact time with bacteria were increased, 99.9% antibacterial efficiency was observed for E. coli as well as S. aureus. Following the standard to assess the activity of microbicides against viruses in suspension (ASTM-E1052-20), the antiviral efficiency was more than 99.99% for influenza A (H1N1) and SARS-CoV-2. These results suggest its potential use in antiviral disinfectants, surface coatings, personal protective equipment, and textiles.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1993

Background: The development of the flexible fiberoptic broncoscope by Ikeda was an important technologic advance in the diagnosis and management of patients with pulmonary disease. But, cross contamination related to fiberoptic bronchoscope was reported in cases involving tubercle bacilli, MOTT and other agents. Therefore, cleaning and disinfecting of fiberoptic bronchoscope requires careful attention. Methods: From September 1991 to May 1992, medical records of all patients with positive culture for MOTT in bronchial washing specimens were reviewed. Also to evaluate bactericidal effect of 2% glutaraldehyde, culture was performed after inoculum of MOTT, Serratia marsescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the disinfectant solution. Results: In 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde, MOTT was not survived only after 30 minute exposure, but P. aeruginosa and S. marsescens were rapidly inactivated with no survivors after exposure to 2% glutaraldehyde. Since vigorous mechanical cleansing and more than 30 minute of contact time within washing machine, no more outbreak was observed. Conclusions: It is also very important that bronchoscopes must be meticulously cleaned after each procedure and more than 30 minute exposure would be required for eradication of MOTT with 2% glutaraldehyde. However even the most strictly applied infection control measures cannot exclude contamination completly and clinicians have to stay alert to this possibility. Prompt detection of pseudoepidemics is possible if abrupt increase in isolation rates, especially if they involve unusual or generally nonpathogenic organisms, are readily recognized.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.508-516
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• 2023

The consumption of enoki mushrooms has been associated with cases of listeriosis produced by Listeria monocytogenes, highlighting the significance of sanitizing food-contact surface, such as the velcro used in welding processing of enoki mushrooms, to ensure microbial safety. We investigated the inhibitory activity of nine chemical disinfectants at regular concentrations against L. monocytogenes isolated from a mushroom farm environment. The bacterial suspension was prepared in phosphate buffered saline and mushroom extract broth and inoculated onto the velcro surface. After inoculation, most disinfectants reduced the initial 8 log CFU/coupon concentration by less than 2 log CFU/coupon during a 5-min treatment. Slightly acidic hypochlorous water showed a reduction of approximately 4 log CFU/coupon when tested for more than 30 min at the maximum allowable concentration of 200 mg/L. Sodium hypochlorite solution showed a reduction of approximately 5 log CFU/coupon when used at 100 mg/L for 60 min. Peracetic acid, at the maximum allowable concentration of 300 mg/L, showed the most effective reduction of 5 log CFU/coupon or more when the surface was treated with 37.5 mg/L for 30 min. These results indicate that peracetic acid can be used as the disinfectant strategy to control cross-contamination of L. monocytogenes on the velcro surface of plastic wrappers used in the welding processing of enoki mushrooms.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.556-562
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• 2000

The determination of chlorite ion by flow injection analysis(FIA) with iodometric UV detection were investigated. Under rather acidic condition, chlorite ion react with iodide ion to form iodine and itself is reduced to chloride ion. The chlorite ion was determined indirectly by measuring absorbance of yellow colored iodine at 370 nm. The lengths of the mixing coil and the reaction coil, the pH of the acid stream, the concentration of the iodide ion, the injection loop volume, temperature, and flowrate were optimized as parameters for selectively determining a sort of inorganic disinfection by-product, chlorite ion by using FIA-UV detection setup. Masking agents for removing oxidants or interferences from the prepared water were tested. Independent calibration curve presented linear range of 0.002-0.2 mg/L for chlorite ion with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 or better. The limit of detection(LOD) was 0.18 ${\mu}g/L$ for chlorite ion.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2013

Chemical burn on the oral mucosa is caused by contact with various chemical products and manifests with localized mucositis, keratotic white lesions, bleeding, and painful tissue surface due to the coagulation of the tissue. Policresulen ($Albothyl^{(R)}$) is a topical antiseptic, commonly used over-the-counter drug for vaginitis, thrush and stomatitis. This drug is highly acidic with pH 0.6, and can act as a strong corrosive agent to oral mucosa. When inadvertently used in oral cavity, it may cause chemical burns of oral mucosa, resulting necrosis and bleeding surface resembling to erythema multifome. A 56 years old female patient presented with the chief complaints of painful ulcerations on the tongue, the upper and lower lips. On intraoral examination, an erythromatous, erosive or ulcerative surface covered with inflammatory exudates or bleeding crust is observed on the anterior half of the tongue and the upper and lower lips. She has occasionally applied the policresulen solution topically on the tongue to relieve pain from recurrent focal glossitis for about 10 years. In this time she applied it broadly and repeatedly to the tongue, the upper and lower lips for the purpose of pain relief by herself without instruction by physician or dentist. After cessation of policresulen application, the oral mucosa was rapidly recovered with use of topical steroids. In 2 weeks the lesions subsided completely. In summary, inadvertent use of $Albothyl^{(R)}$ on oral mucosa may result in chemical burn, causing mucosal erosion, ulceration and inflammation. It can be recovered by topical use of corticosteroid for 2 weeks after cessation of using $Albothyl^{(R)}$.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.211-217
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• 2022

Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is a disinfectant widely used in hospitals and food industries because of its antimicrobial activity against not only bacteria but also fungi and virus. The antibacterial activity of NaClO lies in the maintenance of a stable hypochlorous acid (HClO) concentration, which is regulated by pH of the solution. HClO can easily penetrate bacterial cell membrane due to its chemical neutrality and the antibacterial activity of NaClO is thought to depend on the concentration of HClO in solution rather than hypochlorite ions (ClO^-). In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of NaClO according to pH adjustment by means of time kill test and assays of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration changes before and after NaClO treatment. We also investigated that the degree of cell wall destruction through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) exposed to 5 ppm NaClO at pH 5 exhibited 99.9% mortality. ROS production at pH 5 was 48% higher than that produced at pH 7. In addition, the ATP concentration in E. coli and S. aureus exposed to pH 5 decreased by 94% and 91%, respectively. As a result of FE-SEM, it was confirmed that the cell wall was destroyed in the bacteria by exposing to pH 5 NaClO. Taken together, our results indicate that the antibacterial activity of 5 ppm NaClO can be improved simply by adjusting the pH.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.185-200
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• 2022

The risk of various hazardous substances in aquatic environment comprises not only the concentration of substances in the environmental medium but also their accumulation in fish through complex food web and the health risks to humans through the fish. In Korea, the monitoring of residual toxicant in aquatic ecosystems began in 2016 following the enforcement of the Acts on registration and evaluation for the management of chemicals used in daily life (consumer chemical products), and attention has been paid to potentially hazardous substances attributed to them. Recently, studies have been carried out to investigate the distribution of these hazardous substances in the ecosystem and calculate their emission factors. These include the accumulation and transport of substances, such as detergents, dyes, fragrances, cosmetics, and disinfectants, within trophic levels. This study summarizes the results of recently published research on the inflow and distribution of hazardous substances from consumer chemical products to the aquatic environment and presents the scientific implication. Based on studies on aquatic environment monitoring techniques, this study suggests research directions for monitoring the residual concentration and distribution of harmful chemical substances in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, this study introduces the directions for research on trophic position analysis using compound specific isotope analysis and trophic magnification factors, which are needed to fulfill the contemporary requirements of selecting target fish based on the survey of major fish that inhabit domestic waters and assessment of associated health risk. In addition, this study provides suggestions for future biota monitoring and chemical research in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2015

Various diseases occur in fruits, leave and roots during strawberry cultivation and cause severe economical damage and huge amount of chemical fungicide use. Recently, as consumers' interest in safety of foods and organic agriculture produces have increased, control measures using alternatives for chemical fungicides have been newly developed in various ways. This study was conducted to test antifungal activity and control effect of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), using as disinfectants, against major disease pathogens of strawberry, Fusarium oxysporum (Fusarium wilt), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Anthracnose) and Phytophthora sp. (Phytophthora blight), and Xanthomonas fragariae (bacterial angular leaf spot) and evaluate availability as environment-friendly materials. When NaDCC was treated at the concentration range of 150 to 300 ppm, it suppressed significantly hyphal growth and reduced spore germination by more than 28%. In field condition, NaDCC showed excellent control effect (control value: 50%) against the bacterial angular leaf spot disease. Based on above-described results, we suggested that NaDCC can be used as alternative candidates to chemical pesticide alternatives of for controlling strawberry diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.242-248
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• 2012

The measurement of residual chlorine as a disinfectant is very important to ensure the safety against the pathogenic microbes and to suppress injection. The portable free chlorine sensor was fabricated with a disposable strip format by a screen printing method. The strip sensors prepared with a carbon-Ag/AgCl(cathode-anode) combination exhibited less interfering responses towards combined chlorine species(especially $NHCl_2$) and oxygen than the sensors prepared with other metals(i.e., gold and platinum). Free chlorine was determined chronoamperometrically with carbon-based electrodes at an applied potential of -0.3 V(vs. Ag/AgCl). A channel was built on the strip-type electrode for easy sampling, and the resulting strip sensors were employed to determine the concentrations of residual free chlorine.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.540-549
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• 2018

This study was conducted on 238 dental hygienists working in Daegu and Gyeongbuk area. In order to understand the status of harmful transmission of dental materials by type of work, we compared the differences in exposure time and work environment characteristics of hospital types and investigated the difference in the degree of recognition of material safety data. The results of the study were as follows: In case of hospitals, the exposure time of dust generated from chemicals was the longest. Resin filling, contact with disinfectant. 37 workers (29.4%) and 14 workers (12.5%) answered that they perceive the question about whether they are aware of the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for dental materials. There were 18 hospital workers and 6 clinic workers who had experience reading MSDS before using dental materials. The respondents who answered that they provided the material safety data of the dental materials used had a 2.39 times MSDS in hospital workers. Therefore, by recognizing the health hazards of chemical substances in accordance with the characteristics of each type of hospital and continuing to conduct health and safety education, the work environment should be improved by establishing proper recognition of MSDS information. It suggests the necessity of a system that can strengthen the management of chemical information provision and guarantee the strategic approach and workers' right to know.