• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.55-63
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• 2007

PCDD/Fs monitoring was carried out to estimate the contamination level in soil samples taken in the vicinity of the various incinerators throughout South Korea from July 2003 to December 2004. The levels ranged from N.D. to 130.39 pg I-TEQ/g (d.w.) with an average concentration of 11.38 pg I-TEQ/g (d.w.). The level of PCDD/Fs in this study is similar to that of other countries. Overall, the highest mean concentration in the soil was found at 250 m from the stack. In addition, the flue gases were analyzed in order to obtain the congener profiles of the PCDD/Fs emitted from the incinerators. The concentration of I-TEQ in the flue gas ranged from 0.33 to 21.5 ng TEQ/$Sm^3$. These levels were much lower than the concentration stipulated in the Korean emission criterion(40 ng TEQ/$Sm^3$ until 2005). The comparison of the congener patterns using cluster analysis showed that the incinerators and PCP are sources of PCDD/Fs in the soil samples according to the sampling point, but the possibility of unidentified combustion sources and vehicles exists in the case of complex industrial regions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.356-364
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the exposure pathway of PBDEs in human breast milk collected from new mothers residing in Chuncheon, a comparatively clean area in Korea. The congeners of PBDE in 22 human breast milk samples were analyzed using a high resolution gas chromatography with a high resolution mass detector. The residue level of ${\sum}PBDEs$ was higher in primipara subjects than in multipara subjects (p<0.05). The levels in this study were similar to those of people in some Asian and European countries, but were lower than those of people in north America. In the congener profiles, BDE-47 (mean contribution=36.1%) was predominant, followed by BDE-153 (27%), BDE-99 (11.7%), BDE-100 (11.1%), BDE-28 (7.9%) and BDE-183 (3.5%). The sum of BDE-47 and BDE-153 accounted for more than 50% of ${\sum}PBDEs$ in most samples. BDE-47 was highly correlated with ${\sum}PBDEs$ (r=0.94, p<0.001). No strong trend was observed between PBDE levels and a number of key biological factors (women's age, weight, height and body mass index) examined in this study, however, weak correlations were observed in PBDE levels measured against dietary habits, particularly in fish consumption frequency. It seems that Korean people might be exposed to multiple sources including products of PBDEs, and particularly food resources.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.662-666
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• 2011

In this study, distribution characteristics of dioxins in soils in Busan, Korea were investigated regarding different land use types. Soil sampling sites that distributed through the Busan city showed dioxin concentration ranging from 0.489 to $322.736pg-TEQ\;g^{-1}$ dry weight with a mean value of $26.257pg-TEQ\;g^{-1}$ dry weight. The mean dioxin concentrations of investigated soils ranged from 1.554 to $50.357pg-TEQ\;g^{-1}$ dry weight in consideration of each land use type. That in metal refinery sites with $50.357pg-TEQ\;g^{-1}$ dry weight was higher than any other sites, followed by waste incinerator sites with $44.285pg-TEQ\;g^{-1}$ dry weight. The majority of soil samples had the same dioxin congener profiling despite the different range of dioxin concentration. Octa-CDD was the major contributor among seventeen dioxin congeners with the range from 29.5 to 70.1% in real values. In contrast to real values, dioxin congener profiles in TEQ values were dominated by 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF which contributed about 35.3~43.8% to the total dioxin concentrations. It was judged by these results that penta-CDF was the major contributor of soil samples in Busan city. The mean ratio of PCDFs/PCDDs in real values was about 0.71, but that in TEQ values was, in contrast to it, approximately 3.03.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2001

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in sediment samples from 19 stations in the coastal areas of Korea from February to July 2000. PCDDs and PCDFs were detected in all sediment samples. The concentrations of these con­taminants ranged from 18.2 to 804.0 pg/g dry weight and I-TEQ concentrations varied from 0.1 to 5.5 pg/g dry weight. Examination of homologue groups showed that octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) was predominant congener in Korean coast. This pattern was similar to homologue profiles of marine sediments in which the main source of PCDDs/DFs was derived from the atmospheric deposition of particulate matters generated from various industrial activities. Grain size and total organic carbon (TOC) distribution are one of the important factors governing PCDDs/DFs concentration in this study.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.21 no.1 s.59
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

This study was to investigate concentration characteristics of atmospheric PCBs in soil sample and pine needle at rural area. Profiles of PCB congener detected in pine needle and soil sample have a difference that low molecular PCBs mainly existed in pine needle, whereas high molecular PCBs were mainly existed in soil sample because of their different vapor pressure and octanol-air partitioning coefficient($K_{OA}$) of each congeners. Correlation coefficients(r) of PCB congeners simultaneously detected in soil and pine needle were significant (r>0.71, p<0.01), which showed that PCB congeners patterns of atmosphere could be estimated in using pine needle and soil sample indirectly. The contributions(%) of higher molecular PCBs(>penta-CB) to total PCBs in soil sample were higher than those of pine needle and the contribution of lower molecular PCBs(

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.1 s.88
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• pp.46-52
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• 2006

Results for the concentrations of total polychlorinated biphenyls (total PCBs) and the PCB profile with different types of leaves from four coniferous trees (pine needles) at the same sampling site are presented. Concentrations of total PCBs detected in pine needles were very similar among them regardless of their different types of leaves, which means a possibility for bio-monitoring regional contamination of PCBs. Correlation coefficients(r) of PCB congeners between pine needles were very significant (r>0.97, p<0.001), which showed that PCB congener's patterns of each pine needle were similar. Profiles of PCBs detected in pine needles showed correlation with gaseous phase PCBs in air, otherwise not with particle phase PCBs in air. Therefore, it was estimated that dry gaseous deposition was a principal pathway of PCBs accumulation in pine needles. In addition, although we analyse a different types of leaves in pine needles at the same region, they can be used to identify regional contamination patterns of PCBs for larger regions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.734-743
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• 2007

Polyurethane foam-disk passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed in a southern area of Korea for three months. The target compounds were 12 coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The congener profiles measured in this study were the same as those in ambient air and emission gas from the incinerator. A gradient of the total PCBs in different regions (industrial>residential>rural) was observed, suggesting the industrial complex may be an important source of coplanar PCBs. In general, only gas-phase compounds are mainly sequestrated by PAS. In order to estimate the concentration of particle-phase PCBs, a gas/particle partition model was used. A combined result (gas+particle-phase PCBs) was compared with previous results, indicating that the level of coplanar PCBs in our study area is comparable to those in other urban sites in the world. The validation of this method for estimating the total concentration is required through additional backup studies.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 2006

The levels of total PCBs, Co-PCBs and PCDD/Fs in the transformer insulation oil samples obtained using GC/ECD and HRGC/HRMS were ranged from N.D. to 77.3 ppm, from 0.0863 to 2.49 ppm and from N.D. to 0.00241 ppm, respectively. In terms of WHO-TEQ values, Co-PCBs and PCDD/Fs were ranged from 23.3 to 600 pgTEQ/g and from N.D. to 128 pgTEQ/g, respectively (${\Sigma}Co$-PCBs+PCDD/Fs concentration was calculated 24.4~728 pgTEQ/g). Although, the contribution of PCDD/Fs was below 12% in total TEQ concentration, it is suggested contamination of PCDD/Fs in transformer insulation oils. Among 10 samples, 4 samples showed higher concentration than 2 ppm (specific waste criterion of Korea) and Aroclor 1242, 1248, 1254 and 1260 was detected in samples as a single or mixture of Aroclor. It was shown reliable relationship between concentration of Co-PCBs and those of PCDD/Fs (p<0.003), however, was not shown between production year of transformer and concentration of PCBs. The distribution pattern of Co-PCB congeners showed that the ratios of mono-ortho substituted congeners were higher than non-ortho substituted congeners. Among that, PCB-118 congener was predominant. In addition, the OCDD congener was predominated in PCDD/Fs congeners as above 53%. Moreover, the congener pattern of Co-PCBs was similar to that of Aroclor as well as ambient air, which suggested that PCBs volatilization from transformer insulation oil affected the pattern of Co-PCBs in ambient air.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.118-127
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• 2010

Bivalve samples from 30 locations Korean coastal waters were analyzed to characterize the contamination with and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The congeners of PBDE in 30 bivalve samples were analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography with a high resolution mass detector. The levels of PBDEs in bivalve samples ranged from 0.092 to 13.5 ng/g wet weight. These values for PBDEs concentrations in bivalves from Korea were higher than or comparable to available values for bivalves from other countries. In the congener profiles, BDE-47 (mean contribution=42.2%) was predominant, followed by BDE-99 (23.1%), BDE-100 (11.9%) and BDE-154 (3.5%). Among the OCs analyzed, $\Sigma$PCBs and $\Sigma$DDTs levels were highest, followed by $\Sigma$HCHs, $\Sigma$CHLs and HCB. The wet weight based $\Sigma$PCBs and $\Sigma$DDTs ranged from 0.28 ng/g to 19.4 ng/g, and from 0.19 ng/g to 4.86 ng/g, respectively. The $\Sigma$PCBs and $\Sigma$DDT slevels in bivalves along the entire Korean coast were lower than those of the USA, and below the Food and Drug Administration (USA. FDA) limits for fish and shell fish. However, the human health criteria and wild life criteria of the USA. Environmental Protection Agency (USA. EPA) were exceeded for DDE and $\Sigma$HCHs at most of the sampling points.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to understand the content characteristic of polybrominated biphenyl ethers in indoor household dust. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used as additive brominated flame retardants (BFR) in electrical and electronic equipment, and insulation in the indoor environment, and may be released indoors via volatilization or as dusts. The indoor household dust samples were collected from January to December in 2011 and measured for the concentrations, congener profiles and possible sources of PBDEs. The concentrations of 22 congeners of PBDEs (the sum of PBDEs 47, 49, 66, 71, 77, 85, 99, 100, 119, 126, 138, 153, 154, 156, 183, 184, 191, 196, 197, 206, 207 and 209) were 35.22~575.88 ng/g for apartment dust samples and 524.44 ng/g for laboratory dust sample. The eight congeners of BDE-47, 153, 183, 196, 197, 206, 207, and 209 are detected in the more than 1 ng/g. The three congeners of BDE-206, 207 and 209 in all dust samples were detected.