• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.220-225
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• 2017

Background: Benzene is a known occupational and environmental pollutant. Its urinary metabolite trans, trans-muconic acid (tt-MA) has been introduced by some environmental and occupational health regulatory associations as a biological index for the assessment of benzene exposure; however, recently, doubts have been raised about the specificity of tt-MA for low-level benzene exposures. In the present study, we investigated the association between urinary levels of tt-MA and inhalational exposure to benzene in different exposure groups. Methods: Benzene exposure was assessed by personal air sampling. Collected benzene on charcoal tube was extracted by carbon disulfide and determined by a gas chromatograph (gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector). Urinary tt-MA was extracted by a strong anion-exchange column and determined with high-performance liquid chromatography-UV. Results: Urinary levels of tt-MA in intensive benzene exposure groups (chemical workers and police officers) were significantly higher than other groups (urban and rural residents), but its levels in the last two groups with significant different exposure levels (mean = 0.081 ppm and 0.019 ppm, respectively) showed no significant difference (mean = $388{\mu}g/g$ creatinine and $282{\mu}g/g$, respectively; p < 0.05). Before work shift, urine samples of workers and police officers showed a high amount of tt-MA and its levels in rural residents' samples were not zero. Conclusion: Our results suggest that tt-MA may not be a reliable biomarker for monitoring low-level (below 0.5 ppm) benzene exposures.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회 2001년도 Korean Environmental Mutagen Society
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• pp.46-47
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• 2001

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.107-117
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• 2009

Metal pollution of aquatic ecosystems is a problem of economic and health importance. Information regarding molecular responses to metal exposure is sorely needed in order to identify potential biomarkers. To determine the effects of heavy metals on chironomids, the full-length cDNA of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH3) from Chironomus riparius was determined through molecular cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The expression of ADH3 was analyzed under various cadmium and copper concentrations. A comparative and phylogenetic study among different orders of insects and vertebrates was carried out through analysis of sequence databases. The complete cDNA sequence of the ADH3 gene was 1134 bp in length. The sequence of C. riparius ADH3 shows a low degree of amino acid identity (around 70%) with homologous sequences in other insects. After exposure of C. riparius to various concentrations of copper, ADH3 gene expression significantly decreased within 1 hour. The ADH3 gene expression was also suppressed in C. riparius after cadmium exposure for 24 hour. However, the effect of cadmium on ADH3 gene expression was transient in C. riparius. The results show that the suppression of ADH3 gene by copper exposure could be used as a possible biomarker in aquatic environmental monitoring and imply differential toxicity to copper and cadmium in C. riparius larvae.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.505-512
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• 2020

Background: In monitoring exposure to environmental smoke (ETS), biomarkers can overcome the subjectivity and inaccuracy of self-reporting measurements, and have the advantage of reflecting ETS exposure in all places. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ETS exposure measurement using biomarkers such as urine cotinine. Methods: This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey data from 2009 to 2018. A total of 28,574 non-smokers with urine cotinine data were selected for the study. The cotinine concentration and ETS exposure rate using urine cotinine was estimated and then compared with the self-reporting measurements. The degree of agreement among measurements of ETS exposure was confirmed. Results: As a result of measuring ETS exposure with urine cotinine, 23,594 (83.8%) out of 28,574 subjects were classified as to exposure groups. This estimate differs significantly from measurements made by self-reporting. In addition, the average concentration of cotinine in non-smokers has decreased to a 10th level over the past 10 years. Based on the biomarker, the sensitivity of the self-reporting was 8.5%-29.0%, the specificity was 16.4%-19.5%, and the kappa value was 2.0%-5.8%. Conclusion: The findings of our study show that self-reporting measurement does not well reflect the extent to which non-smoker's exposure to smoking materials. Whereas cotinine concentration has decreased significantly over the past 10 years, the ETS exposure rate has not reduced. It strongly suggests the need for intervention in the group of non-smokers exposed to low concentrations of smoke. Therefore, an assessment using biomarkers such as cotinine-based measurement should be made in the Health Plan 2030.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.21-28
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• 2010

As the frequency and the intensity of so called Asian dust (AD) events have increased, public concerns about the adverse health effects has spiked sharply over the last two decades. Despite the recent reports on the correlation between AD events and the risk for cardiovascular and respiratory disease, the nature of the toxicity and the degree of the risk are yet largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the dichloromethane extract of AD (AD-X) and that of urban dust (NAD-X) collected during a non-AD period on gene expression in HL-60 cells using Illumina Sentrix HumanRef-8 Expression BeadChips. Global changes in gene expression were analyzed after 24 h of incubation with 50 or 100 ${\mu}g$/ml AD-X and NAD-X. By one-way analysis of variance (p < 0.05) and Benjamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction for false discovery rate of the results, 573 and 297 genes were identified as AD-X- and NAD-X-responsive, respectively. The genes were classified into three groups by Venn diagram analysis of their expression profile, i.e., 290 AD-X-specific, 14 NAD-X-specific, and 283 overlapping genes. Quantitative realtime PCR confirmed the changes in the expression levels of the selected genes. The expression patterns of five genes, namely SORL1, RABEPK, DDIT4, AZU1, and NUDT1 differed significantly between the two groups. Following rigorous validation process, these genes may provide information in developing biomarker for AD exposure.

• 한국환경보건학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경보건학회 2004년도 International Conference Global Environmental Problems and their Health Consequences
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• pp.213-216
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• 2004

This work was based on the hypotheses that fingernail clippings can be used as a biomarker for the subchronic exposure to fluoride. This study was conducted to prove the hypotheses and fingernail clippings were collected form 120 preschool children aged $3{\sim}6$ residing in Jumunjin(community water fluoridation area) and Kangnung(non-fluoridation area). The acid-diffusible fluoride in the fingernail clipping was isolated by the acid-diffusion technique and measured with a fluoride electrode. The mean fingernail fluoride as the children's living area were 4.49ug/g(SD 2.43) to Jumunjin and 2.68ug/g(SD 1.13) to Kangnung. As would be expected, the fluoride concentration in fingernail clippings were significantly different between the two geographical groups(p<0.001) determined by t-test.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.321-326
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• 2004

The study of p53 tumor suppressor protein is one of most important subjects in an environmental toxicology as well as in cancer biology. Generally, p53 has been known to involve the cell cycle regulation and apoptosis by the activation of its target genes such as p21 and bax in a number of cellular stress responses. In addition, associations of p53 with cellular proteins presumably reflect the involvement of p53 in critical cellular processes such as DNA repair. The complex formation of p53 and exogenous proteins such as viral or cellular proteins has been shown in many cases to play important roles in carcinogenic processes against environmental mutagen. Recently, the disruption of p53 protein by oxidative stress has been also reported to have relevance to carcinogenesis. These findings suggested that the maintaining of stability and functional activity of p53 protein was also important aspect to play as a tumor suppressor protein. Therefore, the detection of functional status of p53 proteins might be an effective biomarker for the cancer and human diseases under the environmental toxicologic carcinogen.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.408-414
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• 1999

자연계에 오염되어 있는 수많은 화학 물질들은 정상적인 내분비 기능을 교란한다. 내분비 교란 물질은 수계에 오염되면 야생동물과 사람에게 건강에 미치는 영향이 크다. 본 연구는 오염물질이 생체의 내분비계를 교란시키므로서 생성되는 난황 전구체 단백질로서 환경오염의 생물체의 지표로서 비트로게닌의 생성을 유도하는 내분비 교란 물질에 대하여 고찰하였다. 수계의 환경에서 서식하고 있는 물고기는 내분비계 교란 물질에 의하여 암컷에서는 번식률과 난백의 생산이 감소되고 수컷에서는 정소의 왜소화 및 암컷화로 유도되기도 한다. 여성호르몬 작용을 하는 화학물질에 노출된 수컷은 비트로게닌의 생성을 촉진하고, 암컷에 있어서 비트로게닌의 생성은 난백을 형성하는 동안 에스트로겐의 함량을 증가시켜 정상적인 활동을 제한하기도 한다. 따라서 수컷에서의 비트로게닌은 환경에 오염된 내분비교란 물질의 오염에 의하여 생성되게 된다. 결과적으로 수컷의 물고기에서 생성된 비트로게닌은 환경에 오염된 내분비 교란물질이 어느 정도 노출되어 있는가를 결정하는 생물학적 지표로 사용할 수 있다. 특히 치어의 경우 극미량의 내분비 교란물질에 노출되어도 믿을 만한 생물지표로서 이용될 수 있다.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.305-312
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• 2007

환경오염을 신속하게 모니터링하기 위한 생물지표의 개발은 증가하고 있는 오염의 심각성에 비추어 매우 중요한 과제로 여겨지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 독성물질처리에 의하여 선택적으로 발현이 조절되는 단백질의 동정을 통하여 독성물질에 대한 단백질 생물지표를 발굴하고자 시도하였다. 즉, 송사리(Oryzias latipes)를 유기인계 살충제인 다이아지논(diazinon)에 0, 0.1, 1, 5 mg/L 농도로 24시간 노출시킨 후, 머리와 몸통부분으로 나누어 단백질 발현패턴을 분석하였다. 본 시스템에서 다이아지논 처리에 의하여 유의적으로 발현이 증가된 단백질로서 alpha-tubulin, ribonuclease pancreatic precursor, protein hfq 등을 동정하였으며, 이 가운데 alpha-tubulin과 $hsp90{\beta}$의 발현이 다이아지논 농도에 의존적으로 증가하는 것을 semi-quantitative RT-PCR방법으로 확인하였다. 이와 같이 다이아지논 처리에 특이적으로 발현이 증가된 송사리 단백질들은 노출평가를 위한 생물지표로서 개발에 응용될 수 있을 것으로 평가된다.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.87-91
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• 2008

In this study, three different sizes of cerium oxide ($CeO_2$) nanoparticles were synthesized and exposed to Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the potential harmful effect of $CeO_2$ nanoparticles on the environment. The effects of the $CeO_2$ nanoparticles on C. elegans were assessed at multiple levels, such as with respect to stress response gene expression, growth, reproduction and mortality. Moreover, to test the ecotoxicological relevance of $CeO_2$-induced gene expression. The overall results suggest that $CeO_2$ nanoparticles may provoke ecotoxicity in C. elegans especially with respect to gene expression, reproduction and survival, which can comprise an important contribution to knowledge on the ecotoxicity of $CeO_2$ nanoparticles, about which little data are available. This is particularly valuable in the biomarker research on ecotoxicology, as ecological relevance is a crucial criterion for the applicability of the biomarker in field biomonitoring and ecological risk assessment.