• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.495-500
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• 1998

The effect of acute toluene exposure on behaviour and monoamine concentrations in the various brain regions were investigated in the rat. Toluene was adminstered via inhalation to rats at concentrations of 0, 1000, 10000, 40000 ppm for 20 min. During exposure to toluene, spontaneous locomotor activity was counted. After exposure, animals were sacrificed instantly and brains were separated. Regional concentratons of brain monoamines (norepinephrine, NE; dopamine, DA; 5- hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and its metabolites (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, DOPAC; homovanillic acid, HVA; 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, 5-HIAA) were determined. The changes in locomotor activity during toluene exposure depended on the toluene concentration. At 1000 ppm concentration, spontaneous locomotor activity increased initially and thereafter decreased. At higher concentrations (10000 ppm and 40000 ppm), spontaneous locomotor activity decreased and eventually ceased. A regional analysis of VA, NE, 5-HT, VOPAC, HVA, and 5-HIAA indicated a significant decrease in VA concentrations in cerebellum and striatum while NE and 5-HT concentrations were significantly increased in the cerebellum and cortex. 5-HIAA concentrations were significantly increased in all brain regions. DOPAC concentrations were significantly increased in cerebellum and cortex while decreased in striatum. These results especially indicated that metabolic conversion of DA to HVA in striatum was highly increased by toluene inhalation. However, It remains to elucidate between behavioural responses and monoamine changes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.570-576
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• 2014

Studies have demonstrated that electromagnetic waves, as the one of the most important physical factors, may alter cognitive and non-cognitive behaviors, depending on the frequency and energy. Moreover, non-ionizing radiation of low energy waves e.g. very low frequency waves could alter this phenomenon via alterations in neurotransmitters and neurohormones. In this study, short, medium, and long-term exposure to the extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) (1 and 5 Hz radiation) on behavioral, hormonal, and metabolic changes in male Wistar rats (250 g) were studied. In addition, changes in plasma concentrations for two main stress hormones, noradrenaline and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were evaluated. ELF-EMF exposure did not alter body weight, and food and water intake. Plasma glucose level was increased and decreased in the groups which exposed to the 5 and 1Hz wave, respectively. Plasma ACTH concentration increased in both using frequencies, whereas noradrenaline concentration showed overall reduction. At last, numbers of rearing, sniffing, locomotor activity was increased in group receiving 5 Hz wave over the time. In conclusions, these data showed that the effects of 1 and 5 Hz on the hormonal, metabolic and stress-like behaviors may be different. Moreover, the influence of waves on stress system is depending on time of exposure.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.150-155
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• 2016

Background: Shipbuilding involves intensive welding activities, and welders are exposed to a variety of metal fumes, including manganese, that may be associated with neurological impairments. This study aimed to characterize total and size-fractionated manganese exposure resulting from welding operations in shipbuilding work areas. Methods: In this study, we characterized manganese-containing particulates with an emphasis on total mass (n = 86, closed-face 37-mm cassette samplers) and particle size-selective mass concentrations (n = 86, 8-stage cascade impactor samplers), particle size distributions, and a comparison of exposure levels determined using personal cassette and impactor samplers. Results: Our results suggest that 67.4% of all samples were above the current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists manganese threshold limit value of $100{\mu}g/m^3$ as inhalable mass. Furthermore, most of the particles containing manganese in the welding process were of the size of respirable particulates, and 90.7% of all samples exceeded the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists threshold limit value of $20{\mu}g/m^3$ for respirable manganese. Conclusion: The concentrations measured with the two sampler types (cassette: total mass; impactor: inhalable mass) were significantly correlated (r = 0.964, p < 0.001), but the total concentration obtained using cassette samplers was lower than the inhalable concentration of impactor samplers.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.273-283
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• 2022

Al6061 aluminum alloy specimens were exposed to atmospheric conditions for maximum 24 months. 24-month exposure specimen showed some more frequent and larger size of corrosion products and pitting on the surface compared with the 12-month exposure specimens. The XRD examination revealed the dominant surface oxide phases of Al₂O₃ and Al(OH)₃. The oxide thickness at uniform oxidation (or non-pitting) region was not much changed over exposure time. The 1.2 ㎛ deep oxygen penetration area was found in the 12-months exposed specimen near the thin uniform aluminum oxide film. The line-EDS was conducted through the penetration regions and non-penetrated grain boundary. There were signs of O and Si concentration through the penetration region, whereas non-penetration region showed no concentration of O or Si. It was confirmed that pitting is a more severe degradation mode in Al6061 (max. >4 ㎛ deep) compared with the uniform oxidation (max. ~200 nm deep) up to 24-months exposure.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.14-22
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• 2024

This study established risk-based fluoride soil contamination standards according to the Korean Soil Contaminant Risk Assessment Guidelines (SRAG). Ten exposure scenarios were evaluated, broadly categorized into Scenario 1, which used the default parameters from the current SRAG, and Scenario 2, which used the latest exposure factors and bio-concentration factors. Fluoride soil standards corresponding to a total hazard index (HI) of 1.0 were determined for each scenario. For children in agricultural areas, the derived risk-based soil fluoride standard was 70 mg/kg for Scenario 1 and 27 mg/kg for Scenario 2. In industrial areas, the risk-based fluoride soil standard was 2200 mg/kg in Scenario 1 and 2300 mg/kg in Scenario 2. This study clearly demonstrated that the crop ingestion exposure pathway exerted predominent influence on the estimated human health risk standards. Additionally, using the Added Risk Approach and considering soil background concentrations, the total fluoride soil standards for residential areas ranged from 232 mg/kg to 444 mg/kg, while the standards for industrial areas ranged from 2405 mg/kg to 2674 mg/kg.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.85-97
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• 2024

Objectives: This study was intended to investigate the revision status of the occupational exposure standards for aluminum at home and abroad; to investigate worker exposure at domestic aluminum manufacturing and handling workplaces; to conduct social and economic evaluation for the revision of domestic aluminum exposure limits. Methods: We investigated the current status of occupational exposure limits for aluminum at home and abroad, and analyzed supporting data. An exposure survey was conducted targeting domestic aluminum manufacturing and handling workplaces. Based on these, revised aluminum occupational exposure limits were proposed. Results: The major aluminum exposure limits at home and abroad show a notable difference. The toxicity of aluminum, which was revealed through animal experiments and epidemiological investigations. The average concentration of aluminum in the air at 12 workplaces was 0.016 mg/m³, and the maximum was 0.0776 mg/m³. When total dust and respiratory dust were measured side by side and simultaneously for the same process, 12.1% of the total mass concentration of aluminum dust was respiratory dust. As a result of measuring and comparing the size distribution of dust with an optical particle counter in real time, 48.1% of the total dust in the form of welding fume and pyro-powder was respiratory dust. Based on the literature review and workplace survey, three proposals for changing the aluminum exposure limit were proposed. Proposal (1): For all types, 10 mg/m³ is unified as the exposure limit except for soluble salts and alkyls. Proposal (2): 1(R) mg/m³ as the exposure limit for all forms except soluble salts and alkyl. Proposal (3): 1(R) mg/m³ for pyro-powder and welding fume, and 10 mg/m³ for metal dust, aluminum oxide, and insoluble compounds as exposure standards. A pyro-powder was defined as dry aluminum powder of 200 mesh size (74 ㎛) or smaller (larger size classified as metal dust). Reason for setting: In the workplace survey, the ratio of respiratory dust to total dust was analyzed to be about 1:10, so it was judged that the domestic standard and the ACGIH standard were compatible. Conclusions: In all scenarios according to the revision of the exposure standard, the B/C ratio was greater than 1 or only benefits existed, so it was evaluated as sufficiently reasonable as a result of the socio-economic evaluation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.7-11
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• 2003

Interactions of both feminizing and masculinizing chemicals inducing imposex in gastropod were investigated with a long-term exposure experiment. Imposex-free rock shell(Thais-clavigera)was exposed to TBT and other antagonistic chemicals (nonylphenol and DDT), P450 inducer (phenobarbital) and natural sex hormone (estrogen) mixtures for 60 days. None of imposexed-females were found in control, sham (ethanol) and testosterone exposure group, on the other hand imposex was induced in the TBT and all the TBT+antagonist mixture groups. After 60-day exposure, frequency of imposexed-female ranged from 31-68%. Female mean penis length (FMPL) of imposexed-female ranged from 0.87-2.58 mm, and relative penis length indices were from 7.2 to 21.2%. However, the degrees of imposex were different among the exposure groups. The FMPLS of three exposure groups (TBT+estrogen, + DDT and +nonylphe- not) were less than that of the TBT exposure group. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities in gastropod decreased in the TBT and all the TBT+antagonist ekposure groups compared to the control group. A negative correlation was abtained between TBT body residue and EROD activity, while a positive relationship was obtained between 737 body residue and the degree of imposex except for the TBT +DDT exposure group. Although 737 concentration was relatively high in the TBT+DDT exposure group, the TBT +DDT exposure group demonstrated low EROD activity and low degree of imposex. These results indicate that a certain antagonistic effect of DDT occurred in induction of imposex by TBT.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.213-219
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• 2004

Soybean plants were exposed to HTO vapor in an exposure box for 1 hour at different growth stages. Relative concentrations of TFWT at the end of exposure (percent ratios of TFWT concentrations to mean HTO concentrations in air moisture in the box during exposure) decreased on the whole in the order of leaf > shell > seed > stem with the highest values of 40.2% and 6.4% for leaf and stem, respectively. TFWT concentrations reduced by factors of several thousands to several hundred-thousands from the end of exposure till the harvest. The reduction factor decreased in the order of leaf > shell > seed > stem. Relative OBT concentrations at harvest (ratios of the OBT concentration in the dry plant part at harvest to the initial leaf TFWT concentration, ml $g^{-1}$) were in the range of $2.2{\times}10^{-5}{\sim}9.5{\times}10^{-3}$ for seeds being the highest when the exposure was performed at the actively seed-developing stage. The exposure time-dependent variation in the OBT concentration was much greater in seeds and shells than in leaves and stems. It was indicated that OBT would contribute to almost all the radiation dose due to the consumption of soybean seeds in most cases after an acute exposure of growing plants to HTO vapor. Present results are applicable to establishing and validating soybean $^3H$ models for an acute accidental release of HTO.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 1996

Vehicle occupant exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) continues to be the subject of active research because of higher levels of VOCs in vehicles than in the surrounding ambient atmosphere and because of potential health risk. This study identified in-auto and in-bus exposures to 6 selected aromatic VOCs during rush-hour driving. A bus service route was selected to include an urban route (Taegu) and a suburban route (Hayang-Up) to satisfy the specified criteria of this study. The most abundant VOC concentration measured in this study was toluene. In-vehicle target Voc concentrations of the urban route were significantly different from those of the suburban segment. On the sum of average of the target VOCs, in-auto VOC concentration was about 1.5 times higher than in-bus VOC concentration. Based on the sum of average, in-automobile target VOC concentrations of this study were within the range of previous studies conducted in several cities of the United States, while in-bus VOC concentrations of this study were much lower than those of Taipei in Taiwan. In-vehicle VOC concentrations of present study significantly varied with sampling days, while they did not varied with driving period.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2004

Environmental risk assessment of cadmium compounds was conducted using national monitoring data of aquatic and terrestrial compartments of local area. Aquatic and terrestrial toxicities of cadmium compounds on algae, daphnid, fish, earthworm, springtails and other species were evaluated. The toxicity data evaluated in this study were mainly from ECOTOX database provided by US EPA. Assessment factors were determined according to the EU technical guidance document and/or OECD proposal. Predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) values of aquatic and terrestrial toxicity were 25$\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively and they were compared with cadmium exposure data of several local areas, which were used as Predicted exposure concentration(PEC) values. Most of the local area were found to be not risky. However, the risk values (PEC/NEC) of some metropolitan areas were greater than 1 when the most conservative PNEC value was applied.