• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.11-21
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences of digestion temperature on the extraction of heavy metals from soil using the standard method established by Korean Ministry of Environment (KMES). A total of 7 heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soil samples were extracted at varying digestion temperatures [(66 ± 2.0)℃, (73 ± 1.9)℃, (80 ± 1.3)℃, (85 ± 1.7)℃, (92 ± 2.0)℃, (98 ± 1.7)℃]. As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations remained relatively constant over the temperature range, but Ni and Cr concentrations greatly varied with the digestion temperature. The extent of variation in extraction efficiencies as compared to the concentration obtained at 66℃ was in following order; Ni (7.09% ~ 35.42%) > Cr (4.79% ~ 25.40%) > Zn (3.99% ~ 17.52%) > Cu (2.22% ~ 19.34%) > As (3.54% ~ 8.26%) > Cd (-5.08% ~ 1.08%) > Pb (-4.71% ~ -1.70%). The accuracy for certified reference materials at the digestion temperature of 80 and 85℃ was 98.7% ~ 105.8%. Therefore, digestion temperature of 80℃ ~ 85℃ is suggested to obtain reliable and reproducible data when the standard method by Korean Ministry of Environment is employed to analyze multiple heavy metal components in soil samples.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2024

Background: There are concerns about the health effects of various environmental pollution exposures among residents living near coal-fired power plants (CFPP). Objectives: This study attempted to compare the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine and those of urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites according to the residential separation distance. Methods: Participants in the study totaled 334 people who have lived for more than 10 years in areas within 10 km of a CFPP. The separation distance was analyzed in quartiles by dividing it into Q1 (88 people), Q2 (89 people), Q3 (89 people), and Q4 (68 people). We explained the purpose of this study to the participants and collected blood and urine after obtaining signatures on a participation agreement. Results: The study participants were 102 males (30.5%) and 232 females (69.5%), with an average age of 71. The average length of residence and distance were 43.8 years and 4,800 meters. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg in blood and As and Cd in urine were respective 1.35 ㎍/dL, 1.43 ㎍/L, 3.16 ㎍/L. They were 167.88 ㎍/g for creatinine and 1.58 ㎍/g creatinine. The metabolite concentrations of VOCs were 50.67 ㎍/g creatinine in t, t-muconic acid (t, t-MA), 10.73 ㎍/g creatinine in benzyl mercapturic acid, 317.05 ㎍/g creatinine in phenylglyoxylic acid, 123.55 ㎍/g creatinine in methylhippuric acid, and 190.82 ㎍/g creatinine in mandelic acid. The concentration of Pb in the blood and Cd and t, t-MA in the urine of residents within affected area of the CFPP showed statistically significant differences among distance groups. Conclusions: The concentration of urinary VOCs metabolites, especially t, t-MA, differed according to the distance groups of residents within the affected area of CFPP (p<0.05).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2002

Background: Diffuse panbronchiolitis(DPB) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that presents as coughing, copious sputum, exertional dyspnea, which progresses to bronchiectasis. The pathogenesis of bronchiectasis is controlled by inflammatory mediators, which are closely related to mucus hypersecretion, goblet cell dysplasia. In recent studies, the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) system was reported to be associated with this process. It was hypothesized that a relationship exists between goblet cell dysplasia, EGFR expression, and inflammatory mediators produced by neutrophil. Method: Alcian blue/periodic acid -Schiff(AB/PAS) stain, MUC5AC, EGFR, CD16 immunohistochemical stain were examined to investigate a role for the EGFR system in a mucus hypersecretion in DPB using the lung biopsy specimens from 13 DPB patients and 6 controls. Results : In the DPB group, the AB/PAS and MUC5AC -stained areas were $8.31{\pm}3.36%$, $11.46{\pm}4.68%$, respectively. In the control group, the AB/PAS- and MUC5AC-stained areas were $50.5{\pm}5.77%$, $53.3%{\pm}6.67%$, which was significantly larger than in the DPB group (each comparison, p<0.05). The percentage of EGFR expression was $9.54{\pm}4.95%$ in the DPB group, but zero in of the control group. The extent of neutrophilic infiltration was $71.92{\pm}3.71$/5HPF in the DPB group and $45.0{\pm}5.73$/5HPF in the control group, which was statistically significant(p=0.002). Conclusion: The EGFR system is highly related to goblet cell dysplasia, mucus hypersecretion and neutrophilic inflammation in DPB.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.502-505
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• 2007

To estimate the soil quality of Miryang area, soil analysis were conducted according to the city and out of city of soil expenses at according to analysis components and heavy metal pollution of irradiation sampling sites. The through soil components the principal element about the 71% $SiO_2\;and\;Al_2O_3$, the pH of field area near the city center was lower than that of the other field area, which indicated that this acidification was probably attributed to the acid rain caused by the traffic exhaust gas such as $SO_x\;and\;NO_x$. Acidification was more severe in the field area than in the farming land. The concentration of five heavy metals such as Cu, Cd, Pb, As and Cr were found to be lower than the standard of soil pollution. An assessment using the SPI(Soil Pollution Index), which was developed to estimate an overall soil quality, was performed. Each SPS(Soil Pollution Score) were evaluated with the results of the data from this study. The soil quality of most area of Miryang land was determined to Class 1, which indicated that the soil was healthy.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.10
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• pp.45-50
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• 2000

We have investigated the influence of columnar defects (CD) on the vortex dynamics in pristine and iodine-intercalated Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+{\delta}} single crystals from do SQUID magnetization measurements. Especially, the temperature dependence of the irreversibility fields, H$_{irr}$(T), were studied. Anisotropy ratio ${\gamma}$, estimated from the fitting to the 2-dimensional melting model (A. Schilling et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 71 1899 (1993)) in higher fields than the matching field B$_{\phi}$ at low temperature region, turns out to be decreased by the iodine-intercalation and additionally by the heavy-ion irradiation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Metal mines were actively developed in the early twentieth century in Korea; however, most of these mines were closed and abandoned without proper management. Therefore, toxic metal contamination in the vicinity of Korean abandoned metal mines has been reported. A risk assessment for these metals was performed for residents near by abandoned Sanyang metal mine. METHODS AND RESULTS: Soil and groundwater samples were collected from May to October 2007 around the mine. After pretreatment of these samples, metal concentrations were measured and then a risk assessment was performed using the Korean soil-contamination risk assessment guidelines. Cancer risk was the highest from inhalation of Pb-contaminated soil, followed in descending order by As-contaminated soil inhalation and water ingestion. The sum of carcinogenic risks was $3.35{\times}10^{-3}$. The noncarcinogenic risk was observed for inhalation of Hg-contaminated soil (5.71). CONCLUSION: Inhalation of soil in dust was the principal pathway to cause the health risk and most of the risk was attributed to As, Pb,Cd, and Hg contamination.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2001

Barley or corn tea, which is usually prepared with municipal chlorinated tap water, is commonly consumed by the public as a substitute for the supplied water itself. This is because most people believe that harmful organic and inorganic compounds can be removed from the tap water by the adsorption mechanism during the tea preparation. In this study, three kinds of commercial grain tea materials-roasted barley grains, a tea bag containing barley grain pieces, and roasted corn grains-were tested for metal removal by preparing 1 liter of tea with deionized/distilled water according the manufacturer's recommended preparation procedures, assuming that the water is contaminated with eight selected metals at levels of 50$\mu\textrm{g}$/l. Of the tested teas, barley tea prepared with roasted grains showed the highest removal efficiency for Cu, As, Ni, Co, Pb, and Cd, ranging from 48 to 71%, followed by corn tea with roasted grains and barley tea with a tea bag. Cr was nearly maintained at the initial concentration in all kinds of tea. The Mn levels. however, were elevated during the tea preparation, particularly in both barley teas, probably because the metal was extracted into the water from the tea materials without significant adsorption. Therefore, it should be considered in the ingestion exposure analysis for metals that their concentrations are altered during the tea preparation with roasted barley or corn grain materials.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2010

In the present study, we investigated whether a gross deletion in the nef gene ($g{\Delta}nef$) is induced by Korean red ginseng (KRG) intake. Ten patients were treated with KRG powder for 3 years in the absence of antiretroviral drug therapy. On average, $3,555{\pm}1,042\;g$ KRG was administered per person over $36.1{\pm}2.4$ months. There was a mild decrease in CD4 T cell count ($75{\pm}110/{\mu}L$) over the $36.1{\pm}2.4$ months (p = 0.059). We obtained 355 nef amplicons using 71 peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples over a 3-year period. All ten patients exhibited g${\Delta}$nef (range, 3.2 to 45.9%). At baseline, 3 of 78 amplicons (3.8%) exhibited $g{\Delta}nef$, whereas 18.8% (52/277) revealed $g{\Delta}nef$ during KRG-intake (p<0.001). The proportion of $g{\Delta}nef$ was significantly correlated with monthly dose of KRG (r=0.89, p<0.001). The median time for first detection of $g{\Delta}nef$ was 13 months. In conclusion, our data show that $g{\Delta}nef$ is inducible by KRG intake and its proportion is dependent on the duration of KRG intake and dose of KRG.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.760-765
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• 2011

Znic sulfide (ZnS) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The substrate temperature varied from room temperature (RT) to $500^{\circ}C$. The structural and optical properties of ZnS films were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) and UV-visible transmission spectra. The XRD analyses reveal that ZnS films have cubic structures with (111) preferential orientation, whereas the diffraction patterns sharpen with the increase in substrate temperatures. The FESEM images indicate that ZnS films deposited at $400^{\circ}C$ have nano-sized grains with a grain size of ~ 67 nm. Then films exhibit relatively high transmittance of 80% in the visible region, with an energy band gap of 3.71 eV. One obvious result is that the energy band gap of the film increases with increasing the substrate temperatures.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2005

Recycling of reclaimed concrete (RC) is very important in the management of construction and demolition wastes. Most of RC is utilized for land-filling after crushing in this country. In this study, a series of elution experiments were conducted to investigate the type and amount of pollutants released from the crushed RC. Most water quality parameters including heavy metals and some organic compounds were below standards for drinking water. Some of heavy metals such as As, Cd, Pb, Hg were detected in 0.5 N H2S04 solution after 24-hour immersing RC, which was conducted for evaluating a long term release effect. The concentration of the heavy metals were higher than the drinking water standards. The results also showed significant adsorption of heavy metals by crushed Re. Potential risks, based on the result of this study were not high in using crushed RC for land-filling. Appropriate management of RC would reduce the risk, for example the separation of hazardous materials from construction wastes. Long term evaluations for the sites of land filled with RC would be required to assess the environmental impacts.