• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.109-123
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• 2012

Our study investigated the effects of Solanum macrocarpon (African eggplant) on haematological and biochemical parameters of male albino rats exposed to urban air pollution ($O_3$, $PM_{10}$, CO, $SO_2$, $NO_2$ and VOC). Male albino Wistar rats were exposed for 63 days either to urban air pollution without treatment (A); oral supplementation with Solanum macrocarpon given at 36 and 75 mg/kg body weight (BW), representing C and D respectively and exposed to air pollution; oral supplementation with Solanum macrocarpon given at 75 mg/kg BW after exposure to air pollution (B); or kept in animal house without exposure to air pollution (E). Animals exposed to air pollution showed significant alterations in haematological and biochemical parameters signaling that the blood and organs were badly injured. There were significant elevations in white blood cells (WBC) and its indices, reduction in red blood cells (RBC) and significant depletions of non-enzymic antioxidants, total protein and increase in lipid peroxidation values. Solanum macrocarpon supplementation in the feed of animals halted significantly the deleterious effects of air pollution, with co-administration during exposure given better results.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.157-170
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• 2014

Objectives: Agent Orange TCDD has been related to serious diseases among Korean veterans who were exposed to it. Decades after the end of the war, however, its effects are still being debated. The object of this study was to examine various unmet needs raised among Agent Orange exposed veterans and their families and to find grounds of a new welfare policy for providing alternative legislation. Methods: Literatures concerning Agent Orange, TCDD, the associated diseases, compensation for veterans and Supreme Court sentencing were searched using PubMed, ProQuest, press news and relevant homepages. Results: Agent Orange exposed veterans are eligible for various benefits from the government, including disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has classified certain diseases into two categories, Agent Orange sequela diseases and sequela suspect diseases and has provided differential benefits based on separated laws. Big differences exist in benefits to veterans and their families between the two laws. The absence of definite standards to classify the Agent Orange associated diseases was confirmed by recent Supreme Court sentencing which ruled in favor of US manufacturers. Conclusion: It appears that the evidence for cause and effect of Agent Orange related diseases would never be perfect. The results suggest a need to change welfare principles from presumptive or indefinite disease basis to exposure experiences combined with integrated disability evaluation. We propose to extend eligibility by enacting a new law for Agent Orange exposed Korean veterans.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.833-837
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• 2006

To determine whether alcohol-treated rat liver cells can be protected by a static magnetic field (SMF), we analyzed the blood chemistry and histology of hepatic tissue removed from alcohol-exposed rats that had been exposed to a static magnetic field. The rats were exposed to a 0.3 tesla (3,000 gauss) magnetic field (MF) for 24 hr daily for 5 weeks with appropriate controls. Glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity and the triglyceride levels in animals exposed to the north (N) or south (S) pole of the MF decreased significantly (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) compared with negative control animals with alcohol exposure. A histological examination of hepatic tissue revealed a moderate to severe accumulation of fat vacuoles of various sizes in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes of animals in the negative control group throughout the study; whereas in groups exposed to the MF poles, fewer fat vacuoles were seen compared with the negative control group. Electron microscopic observations showed that exposure to the N or S pole protected organelles, including the nucleus, from damage during exposure to this toxic agent, as indicated by the fact that the nucleus and the mithochondria virtually retained their shape throughout this study. These results suggest that exposure to a SMF could be an excellent way of protecting against alcohol-induced damage to the rat liver cell.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2009

Concentrations of industrial, agricultural and natural chemicals have been increasing in secondary effluents without their combined sub-lethal effects having been elucidated. In this study, two assays (the comet and acetylcholinesterase assays) were combined to evaluate the genotoxic and neurotoxic effects of effluent from the Noksan wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on two local marine fish species (flounder and sea eel). The fish were exposed to WWTP secondary effluent that had been diluted with filtered seawater to final concentrations of 1%, 10% and 50%. Analysis of fish samples collected 3 and 5 days after exposure showed that DNA damage occurred in flounder exposed to 50% effluent and in sea eels exposed to 10% or 50% effluent. Furthermore, it was found that acetylcholinesterase (EC:3.1.1.7, AChE) activity decreased in both species when exposed to 10% effluent, indicating the presence of large amounts of genotoxic and neurotoxic chemicals in the effluent. Our results indicate that the comet and AChE assays are promising tools for biomonitoring of secondary effluents.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 1998

To evaluate the effects on health by exposure to low dose organic solvents, the author analyzed the air concentration of mixed organic solvents (toluene, xylene, butylacetate) at worker's breathing zone during painting, some laboratory findings of blood (WBC, RBC, Hb, Hct, SGOT, SGPT, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, IgG, IgM, IgA and IgE) and urine (hippuric acid, urinary protein, urobilinogen), surveyed the subjective symptoms those were obtained from 35 male workers exposed to mixed organic solvents, and 25 male workers not exposed to organic solvents who worked in car repair workshops in Taejon area from December 1, 1995, to February 29, 1996. The results were as follows: 1. The mean concentration of urinary hippuric acid of car painting worker group (organic solvent exposure group) was 0.76$\pm$ 0.21 g/l, which is significantly higher than that of non-exposed group. 2. In hematologic findings, the values of RBC, TC, LDL-C, IgG and IgE in the exposure group were significantly lower than those of the nonexposed group, but SGOT and SGPT in the exposure group were significantly higher than those of the non-exposed group. 3. Urinary hippuric acid levels showed positively correlated with toluene, urobilinogen and HDL-C levels, but those were negatively correlated with RBC, LDL-C, IgM levels. 4. Rates of the subjective symptoms such as "dizziness", "appetite loss", "weight loss", "palpitation", "chest tightness", "sore throat and eye discomfort", "tingling sense and acrodynia", "illusion or hallucination" and "decreaased motor power" were significantly higher in the exposure group than those of the non-exposed group.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.360-378
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• 1992

This study was performed to investigate effect of dietary protein and calcium levels on cad-mium intoxication in rats. Adult Sprague-Dawley male rate(245$\pm$21g) were blocked into 18 groups of 7 animals according to body weight Nine experimental diets different with protein(40%, 15%, 7%) and calcium (1.3%, 0.6%, 0.1%) levels were prepared. Nine groups of animals were fed each diet with 50ppm cadmium in drinking water and the other 9 groups without cadmium for 30days. Results were summarized as follows: 1) Body weight gain F. E. R(Food Efficiency Ratio) and weights of liver kidney and femur were higher in high protein groups among cadmium exposed groups. 2) Cadmium contents in liver and intestine were higher in rats fed high protein diet or low calcium diet among cadmium exposed groups. Fecal cadmium excretion was highest in high protein-high calcium diet group among cadmium exposed animals. Metallothionein contents in liver kidney and intestine were higher in animals exposed to cadmium and fed high protein diets. 3) Gel filtration chromatography of cytosolic solution showed that the higher dietary protein and calcium levels were the more cadmium was found in metallothionein fractions. 4) No gross histopathological change was seen in liver kidney and intestine of cadmium exposed rats. However a significant increase of smooth endoplasmic reticulum which was alleveated by high protein-high calcium diet was observed. Results obtained indicated that not only high protein diet but also high calcium diet showed preventive effect on cadmium intoxication by increasing the induction of metallothionein syn-thesis and decreasing the cadmium absorption.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.15 no.12 s.105
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• pp.1327-1331
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• 2005

This Paper addresses what amount of whole-body vibration is exposed to Korean pilots of UH60 helicopters during their mission flight. To measure the expose4 whole-body vibration, the 12-axis whole-body vibration measurement system was used. It enables the direct measurement of whole-body vibration exposed from the body contact area consisting of the feet, hip and back. The measured 12-axis vibration signals were used to evaluate the vibration comfort level experienced by the pilots of UH60 helicopters. The evaluated vibration comfort level is found to be closeto 0.74-0.79m/s, which is equivalent to the semantic scale of 'fairly uncomfortable'. To assess the health effects of whole-body vibration exposed to Korean pilots of UH60 helicopters during their mission flight, the rms-based and VDV(vibration dose value)-based evaluation schemes, recommended by ISO 2631-1:1977, were exploited in this work. The evaluated results indicate that Korean pilots cannot avoid the fatigue-decreased proficiency limit after two-hour continuous flight. The whole-body vibration level exposed from the UH60 helicopters during continuous 10-hours mission flight is found to reach to the vibration exposure limit.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.12 no.3_4
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• pp.55-59
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• 1997

Furfural, an organic solvent, is widely used as synthetic component material in producing chemical products. However, furfural has been reported that it shows strong toxicities to human being showing intense stimulus to skin, eyes, mucous membrane and nerve system. It is also known to cause anemia, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure and genetic toxicity in the human being working in the exposed area. LD$_{50}$ of furfural for peritoneal injected mouse has been known around 20mg/kg, but the acute toxicity on aquatic organisms such as fish, daphnid or algae are not well known, compared to those on rodents. In this experiment, we studied on the fish toxicity of furfural using Japanese Medaka (Orvzias latipes) and Common Carp (Cvprinus carpio). We also observed histological changes in the fish organs. The LC$_{50}$ were 12. Smg/L in Japanese Medaka and 21.8 mg/L in Common Carp, respectively. When Common Carps were exposed to 120mg/L of furfural concentration for 30 minutes, blood congestion in gills and lysis of secondary lamella were shown. Though the muscle of caudal fin was not completely eroded, its epidermic cells were shown to be necrotic in various parts. Tissue atrophy and cell necrosis were also shown in the liver of Common Carps exposed to furfural. From these results, furfural seems to cause histological damages on liver, an internal organ as well as on external organs such as gills and fins eventhough the fish were exposed for a short-term.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2004

Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was exposed to waterborne iron (0.1, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/L) for 50 days. The effects of iron on blood iron status and iron binding capacity were studied. The serum iron concentration was significantly higher than in the group exposed to iron (1, 5 and 10 mg/L) in comparison to the control after 30 days of exposure to iron. A significant decrease in unsaturated iron binding capacity was found between the control and the group exposed to iron (5 and 10 mg/L, respectively) at 40 and 50 days, respectively. The total iron binding capacity of serum in the fish exposed to iron concentrations (5 and 10 mg/L) showed a significant decrease compared to that of the control at 40 days after iron exposure. Serum iron saturation values increased in the flounder exposed to iron concentration (5 and 10 mg/L) at 50 days. Our data suggest that sub-lethal exposure of waterborne iron alters the blood iron concentration and iron binding capacity, and these parameters seems to be valuable factors for screening and diagnosis of iron overload syndromes in fish.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.504-511
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• 2003

Environmental noise at high intensities directly affects human health by causing hearing loss. Although scientific evidence currently is not conclusive, noise is suspected of causing or aggravating other diseases. Environmental noise indirectly affects human welfare by interfering with sleep, thought, and conversation. Noise emission from motorized vehicle includes power unit noise, tire/pavement noise and aerodynamic noise. Among them, tire/pavement noise is noise emission from interaction of the tire and road surface when the vehicle cruises over the surface of pavement. In general, portland cement concrete(PCC) pavement is known to create more noise than asphaltic surfaces though it has the advantage of durability and superior surface friction. However, the results of preliminary laboratory test showed exposed aggregate concrete(EAC) has and effect on reducing tire/pavement noise. Based on the laboratory test. pilot construction of exposed aggregate concrete pavement was completed and series of in-situ measurements were conducted for noise analysis including the pass-by noise measurement and the close-proximity method. Conclusively, it is expected that tire/pavement noise represent significant portion of noise levels at higher frequencies and it would be reduced on special textures of pavement such as exposed aggregate concrete.