• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.14 no.1_2
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• pp.55-63
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• 1999

Endocrine disrupting chemicals probably cause the cytological or/and morphological changes of germinal cells in gonad. Accordingly, this study was aimed to make sure that the effect of hormone-mimicking chemicals on gonad morphology such as decrease of germinal cells, inhibition of cellular maturation and change in the ratio of germinal cells in the different developmental phase can be observed by histopathological procedures and can be a useful bio-indicator for the evaluation of endocrine disruption by environmental chemicals. In this experiment, female Japanese medaka were exposured to quercetin, a phytoestrogen, at the concentration of 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L. quercetin showed the significant decrease in the number and rate of vitellogenic follicular oocytes in the treated group for 4 and 6 weeks. The weak development of yolk could be also observed. We could conclude that quercetin has anti-estrogenic or androgen-like potency by exerting the inhibition effect on oogenesis in fish female- gonad. From the result of this study, the applied methods and techniques can be evaluated to be a useful biomonitoring means for water pollution, expecting a good result of the subsequent study on apoptosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.297-300
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• 2004

The various microbial tests were performed to determine bioremediation agent capacity for eight strains isolated from the oil contaminated regions. Two tests for isolated strains were conducted such as cell hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity. The biodegradation of SHM (saturated hydrocarbon mixture) and AHM (aromatic hydrocarbon mixture) with the strains also was carried out. The strains having higher cell hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity degraded petroleum oil effectively. The degradation capacity for SHM was represented more than 90% in YS-7 and WLH-1 of isolated strains, and KH3-2 were capable of degrading AHM. Especially, WLH-1 as yeast was shown more than two or three times in the degradation capacity of automobile engine lubricants and the biomonitoring results of contaminated soil for residual oil degrading test showed that the hydrocarbon biodegradation was increased in the second treatment by this strain.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.234-236
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• 2002

A blue pigment-producing bacterium, Vogesella indigofera, was isolated and quantified for the relationship between its synthesis of a blue pigment and exposure concentrations of $Cr^{6+}$. The concentration of $Cr^{6+}$ and the percentage of blue colonies on agar plates was negatively correlated ($r^{2}$ =-0.8683). Critical concentrations inhibiting bacterial pigment production were found to be between 100-150 $\mu\textrm{g}$ $Cr^{6+}$/ml on agar plates and 200-300 $\mu\textrm{g}$ $Cr^{6+}$/ml in liquid culture. As the blue color is characteristic and easily observable, the bacterium Vogesella indigofera may have potential applications in the detection and monitoring of environmental pollution.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2004

Aim of the present study was the development of a bioassay which enables the detection of toxic effects of heavy metal ions to a bacterium, Escherichia coli. Inhibition effects of the metals on growth rates of the bacterium were studied in the absence or presence of fulvic acid. This method does not clearly differentiate among metals, but does detect overall AGB inhibition rate (toxicity) for 5 different heavy metals. The toxicity of the metals in the absence of fulvic acid in the same testing conditions was significantly increased in following order: Hg < Pb, Zn < Cd < Cu, whereas the inhibition rate (toxicity) in the presence of FA was shown to be increased In following order: Cd < Pb, Hg < Cu < Zn. The results of the present study indicate that this simple and fast biomonitoring assay with direct exposure of E coli. might be a valuable supplement to analytical methods of contaminated media.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.516-521
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• 2006

The use of gltA gene, as a new biomarker for environmental stress biomonitoring, was investigated because of its key position as the first enzyme of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. A recombinant bioluminescent Escherichia coli strain, EBJM2, was constructed using a plasmid carrying the citrate synthase (gltA) promoter transcribing the Photorhabdus luminescens IuxCDABE genes (gltA::luxCDABE). The responses from this strain were studied with five different classes of toxicants: DNA damage chemicals, phenolics, oxidative-stress chemicals, PAHs, and organic solvents. EBJM2 responded strongly to DNA damage chemicals, such as mitomycin C (MMC) and methyl-nitro-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and nalidixic acid with the strongest responses. In contrast, tests with several compounds from the other four classes of toxicants gave no significant response. Therefore, EBJM2 was found to be sensitive to DNA damage chemicals.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2005

In order to identify potential biomarkers of environmental monitoring, we evaluated heat shock genes expressions as effects of various environmental pollutants (nonylphenol, bisphenol-A, 17a­ethynyl estradiol, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, endosulfan, paraquat dichloride, chloropyriphos, fenitrothion, cadmium chloride, lead nitrate, potassium dichromate, benzo[a]pyrene and carbon tetrachloride) on larvae of aquatic midge Chironomus tentans (Diptera, Chironomidae). Heat shock protein 70 gene expression increased in most of chemicals treated larvae compared to control. The response was rapid and sensitive to low chemical concentrations but not stressor specific. In conjunction with stressor specific biomarkers, heat shock protein 70 gene expression in Chironomus might be developed for assessing exposure to environmental stressors in the fresh water ecosystem. Considering the potential of Chironomus larvae as biomonitoring species, heat shock gene expression has a considerable potential as a sensitive biomarker for environmental monitoring in Chironomus.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.790-798
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• 2013

Benthic macroinvertebrates are widely used as biological indicators for assessing the integrity of aquatic ecosystem. However, sampling has usually been done with fixed sample size due to time consuming and costly process. This study was conducted to find out the influence of sample size on the biological indices (H' DI, R1, J, EPT, ESB and BMI) of benthic macroinvertebrates. The 15 replicate samples were quantitatively collected from each 3 different site of two mountain streams in May, 2011. With the replicate data, we combined the abundance of each species with all the possible combinations of the sample size. Along with the increase of sample size, the number of species increased continuously and did not converge. BMI showed little difference whereas other biological indices increased or decreased.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.30
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• pp.4.1-4.11
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• 2015

Objectives: This survey was designed to conduct the first nationwide dietary exposure assessment on hazardous substances including the intakes of functional food and herbal medicine. In this paper, we introduced the survey design and the results of the dietary exposure status and internal exposure levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg). Methods: We selected 4867 subjects of all ages throughout Korea. We conducted a food survey, dietary survey, biomonitoring, and health survey. Results: Pb and Cd were the highest (median value) in the seaweed ($94.2{\mu}g/kg$ for Pb; $594{\mu}g/kg$ for Cd), and Hg was the highest in the fish ($46.4{\mu}g/kg$). The dietary exposure level (median value) of Pb was $0.14{\mu}g/kg$ body weight (bw)/d, $0.18{\mu}g/kg$ bw/d for Cd, and $0.07{\mu}g/kg$ bw/d for Hg. Those with a blood Pb level of less than $5.00{\mu}g/dL$ (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reference value for those 1 to 5 years of age) were 99.0% of all the subjects. Those with a blood Cd level with less than $0.30{\mu}g/L$ (German Federal Environmental Agency, reference value for non-smoking children) were 24.5%. For those with a blood Hg level with less than $5.00{\mu}g/L$ (human biomonitoring I, references value for children and adults, German Federal Environmental Agency) was 81.0 % of all the subjects. Conclusions: The main dietary exposure of heavy metals occurs through food consumed in a large quantity and high frequency. The blood Hg level and dietary exposure level of Hg were both higher than those in the European Union.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.187-191
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• 2003

In this study, biomonitoring methods were developed to measure BTEXs exposure level in the air, metabolites of benzene and toluene in human urine, individual susceptibility markers in human blood for evaluation of the health effects about environmental pollution. We have also performed a small-scaled molecular epidemiology study on residents in Chuncheon and workers in workplace for these method applications. The workers in workplace were surveyed as study areas, and the residents in Chuncheon which is in the suburban area were surveyed as comparative areas in this study. Actually, 31 workers in as target group and 33 residences in as control group this epidemiological study. The results obtained from this study were as follows: 1. Benzene is a well-known carcinogen, it's median concentrations were 0.00024∼0.02057ppm at suburban area and 0.002∼00.654ppm at work place, These benzene concentrations were not exceed the OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) threshold benzene level of 1ppm in the states. 2. Metabolites product of benzene(t,t-Muconic Acid) and toluene(Hippuric Acid) were not significant both in suburban and workplace area. The median concentration of t,t-MA and HA were 0.0122, 1.44277g/g creatinine, respectively. 3. In the case of individual susceptibility markers as CYPlAl, 41.8% of them has homozygous wild type(W) and who has heterozygous variant type(H) was 35.4% and 22.8% of homozygous variant type(M) genetic type. In the case of CYP2E1, 62.82% of them has homozygous wild type(D) type, 34.62% of each has heterozygous variant type (DC) and 2.56% of them has homozygous variant type (CC). Who doesn't have GSTM1 gene was 46.25% and who has GSTM1 gene was 53.75％. Who doesn't have GSTT1 gene was 40.0％ in study groups and who has GSTT1 gene was 60.0%. Who has W genetic type, which is homozygous wild type of GSTP1, was 69.18% and H genetic type, which is heterozygous variant type was 28.4%. M genetic type which is homozygous variant type was 2.4%. 4. Concentration differences of metabolites such as t,t-MA and HA in urine, which is generated by individual susceptibility marker of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 gene of Phase I and CYP1A1, CYP2E1 gene of Phase II, was examined. As a result, GSTP1 and GSTM1 indicate slight differences depend on the amount of metabolites in urine, it was not statistically significant.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.6-11
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• 2002

3.3'-Dichlorobenzidine(DCB) has be shown carcinogenic in several animals, and the development of non-invasive biomonitoring method in workers exposed with it is a very important subject. DNA adduct is a good biomarker for biomonitoring about carcinogens exposure, and lymphocytes is a good non-invasive samples. So we studied to analyze metabolites in blood lymphocytes of female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed orally with DCB(20, 30, and 40 mg/kg wt.) for 3 weeks. For analysis of them, we isolated DNA adducts from blood lymphocytes by using the enzymes method in /sup 32/P-postlabeling, and measured them by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring(GC/MS-SIM). 4-aminobiphenyl and phenanthrene-d/sub 10/ were added as internal standard for blank sample. Standard metabolites of DCB were synthesized with using pyridine and acetic acid which were promoter and controller in acetylation of DCB. And they were used for calibration curve. Our results showed two kinds of metabolites in DNA adducts of blood lymphocytes. They were N-acetyl 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine(acDCB) and N,N'-diacetyl 3,3'-dichiorobenzidine(di-acDCB ). They were combined with DNA at the same time as an acetyl of it was removed. So we measured DCB and acDCB for two kinds of metabolites in DNA adducts of blood lymphocytes. Our results showed the levels of DCB were 1.46∼2.26 times more than that of acDCB. And also the levels of metabolites in 20, 30 and 40 mg/kg wt. were gradually increased with going days from 1st to 3rd week. They are 1.66, 1.38 and 0.90 times in total metabolites, 1.76, 1.49 and 1.02 times in DCB, and 1.51, 1.22 and 1.28 times in acDCB. In conclusion, the results of this study showed DCB exposed to rats formed DNA adduct in blood lymphocytes after acetylated to N-acetyl 3.3'-dichloro benzidine(acDCB) and N,N'-diacetyl 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine(di-acDCB), and they could be analyzed by us ing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring(GC/MS-SIM).