• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.65-98
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• 2014

Plastics of the marine environment are broken gradually down into smaller particles by chemical weathering, called "microplastic". Microplastics absorb organic pollutants that are persistent bioaccumulative substances. If marine animals ingested microplastic added to contaminant, it will lead to a bioaccumation through the food web. It eventually destroy health of marine environment and is harmful to marine top predators including humans. Also, Microplastics can impact marine animals by leaching the endocrine disruptor in microplastic itself as well as playing an adsorbent role of organic pollutants. Persistent and bioaccumulative substances in Korea have been regulated in terms of chemical risk but existing regulations largely have been limited in land-based source management of microplastic. Thus, the harmful impact will be increased whether the microplastics absorbed contaminants. To prevent risk of persistent bioaccumulative substances, this study suggests the following: (1) the strict management of microplastic by designating the hazardous substances, (2) expand the use of biodegradable plastic, (3) the effort for reuse and recycle, (4) the expand of microplastic clean-up programs.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.385-391
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• 1994

The occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins was surveyed in 68 corn samples imported from China. Four 8-ketotrichothecenes including deoxynivalenol (DON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), and nivalenol (NIV) were detected in corn. In addition, the corn samples were contaminated with zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisin $B_1$, $(FB_1)$, fumonisin $B_2$, and fumonisin $B_3$. DON, 15-ADON, 3-ADON, ZEA, and $FB_1$ were major contaminants in corn, with mean levels of 277, 34, 37, 39, and 123 ng/g, respectively.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.280-286
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• 1999

Lichen-forming (LFF) or lichenicolous fungi (LCF) were isolated from the lichens collected at‘Backwoon’mountain area,‘Chiri’mountain area and‘Sorok’island in the southern regions of Korea and were screened for antagonistic efficacy against several phyto-pathogenic fungi. Symbiotic algae-free LFF and LCF were isolated by the following methods: I) discharged spores (ascospores), II) macerated thallus suspension and III) direct use of thallus fragments. Among 58 isolates obtained from 34 lichens, 8 isolates showed antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani. Antifungal activities of the strongest antagonistic isolate (LB9810) originated from the thallus of Parmelia quercina lichen were evaluated against 15 phyto-pathogenic fungi. When crude methanol extract of mycelia of the LB8910 isolate was employed at the rate of 0.5% (v/w), fungal growth of Magnaporthe grisea and Rhizoctonia solani was severly and Rhizoctonia solani was severly inhibited as much as approximately 60% compared to control. Growth of various food-borne same extract. The extract was successively partitioned with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. n-Hexane fraction displayed the strongest antifungal activities against R. solani. The LB9810 isolate was finally identified as Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc., which has not been reported as LFF or LCF yet. Therefore, it is very likely that F. equiseti isolated it the study was originated from the contaminants associated with thallus fragments rather than from LFF or LCF.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.351-365
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• 2002

Earlier studies have demonstrated that chromium (Cr) VI compounds have been shown to be more toxic and carcinogenic than other chromium compounds. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the antioxidant effects of red ginseng against chromium VI -induced toxicity and free radical generation. Sixty adult male rats were divided into six equal groups include: control group, group received Cr VI alone (50 mg/kg b.w.), group treated with Korean ginseng (K. ginseng) alone (20 mg/kg b.w), group treated with Cr VI for 15 days then received K. ginseng for other 15 days, group treated with Cr VI and K. ginseng at the same time for 15 days, and group treated with K. ginseng for 15 days then Cr VI for other 15 days. The results revealed that Cr VI caused significant increase in ALT, AST, ALP, G-GT, urea, creatinine, and acid phosphatase. Whereas, it caused significant decrease in TP, albumin, testosterone, GPX, and SOD indicating a stress for liver, kidney and testes. K. ginseng alone caused significant increase in GPX and SOD activities in healthy animals and this result suggests a prophylactic role for this herb in protection against the damaging impact induced by free radical species. Furthermore, the other biochemical parameters measured after K. ginseng administration were comparable to the control values. Treatment with Cr VI followed by K. ginseng, Cr VI and K. ginseng or K. ginseng followed by Cr VI resulted in significant improvement in all tested parameters towards the normal values of the controls. However, this improvement was pronounced in the group pre-treated with K. ginseng for 15 days before Cr VI administration. It could be concluded that K. ginseng exhibited a protective action against the toxic effects of Cr VI and it had the ability to scavenge free radicals resulted from Cr VI intoxication.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2022

Heavy metals can be intentionally or unintentionally introduced into plastic food utensils, containers, and packaging (PFUCP) as additives or contaminants, which can be ingested with food by humans. Here, seven-heavy metals (lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium, antimony, copper, and manganese) with toxicity concerns were selected, and risk assessment was done by establishing their migration from 137 PFUCP products made of 16 materials distributed in Korea. Migration of heavy metals was examined by applying 4% acetic acid as a food simulant (70℃, 30 minutes) to the PFUCP products. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed for the analysis of migrated heavy metals, and the reliability of quantitative results was confirmed by checking linearity, LOD, LOQ, recovery, precision, and expanded uncertainty. As a result of monitoring, heavy metals were detected at a level of non-detection to 8.76 ± 11.87 ㎍/L and most of the heavy metals investigated were only detected at trace amounts of less than 1 ㎍/L on average. However, antimony migrated from PET products was significantly higher than other groups. Risk assessment revealed that all the heavy metals investigated were safe with a margin of exposure above 311. Collectively, we demonstrated that heavy metals migrated from PFUCP products distributed in Korea appear to be within the safe range.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 1989

Three mushroom cannerries were selected by size which are representative vegetable processing firms in korea for monitoring microbial contamination of processing water, washing water, mushroom before and after washing through first and second washing tanks and, blanched and prolonged mushroom for certain time at room temperature. Total contamination degree was expressed as colony forming unit (CFU) of mesophilic aerobes. The contamination degree of processing water was $10^{2}\;CFU/100\;ml$ and washing water in first and second washing tank were 10 to 100 times higher than processing water. When 2.3 tons of washing water was used for washing 1 ton of mushroom, washing effect was showed by reduction of microbial load but cutting it to 1.8 tonsIl ton of mushroom, microbial load was higher than that of raw mushroom level. Blanching reduced microbial load to 50-500 CFU/g of blanched mushroom and it was not seen much increase of CFU in blanched mushroom left at room temperature for 3 hours in $16^{\circ}C$ processing water. Just after injection of $80^{\circ}C$ brine in container, CFU/ml of brine in container was $84{\times}10^{4}$ but it was increased rapidly to $20{\times}10^{7}$ after 2 hours at ambient temperature.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.422-427
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• 2015

This study was carried out to investigate the microbiological contamination levels of Dutch coffee products marketed in Korea. The temperature conditions during distribution and storage were also considered in this experiment. Retailed Dutch coffee were purchased from regional cafes, that is, these were self-blended by the cafes, and the marketed products were purchased from department stores and from Internet sites. The 21 samples were blended in a coffee house and 9 were obtained from department stores or were delivered from internet sites. House blended Dutch coffee contained $35.2{\pm}15.8CFU/mL$ of general bacteria, and this increased to $78.4{\pm}29.7CFU/mL$ at room temperature or $51.2{\pm}32.1CFU/mL$ after refrigeration for 5 days. These almost reached the highest criteria level for the Korea Food Sanitation Law. After 10 days, the count increased to $98.5{\pm}58.4CFU/mL$ at room temperature and $86.7{\pm}44.2CFU/mL$ at refrigeration temperature. In the Dutch coffee for distribution, $39.6{\pm}20.1CFU/mL$ of general bacteria were detected, but these did not increase after 5 days or 10 days both for room temperature and under refrigeration. The Coliform group was not found in any kind of Dutch coffee, and Fungi was founded in 60% of the Dutch samples purchased in coffee houses, department stores, and shopping sites mall. On day 0 day, $2.6{\pm}1.7CFU/mL$ of fungi were detected in the coffee house Dutch, and it did not increase significantly during the storage period at room and in a cold temperature. $3.5{\pm}3.4CFU/mL$ of fungi were detected in the Dutch coffee for distribution, and it didn't increase during further storage under any temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.1873-1879
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• 2010

This study was conducted to estimate the heavy metal contents of vegetables available on the markets in Seoul area. Concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chrome (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were measured in 300 samples using a mercury analyzer and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) after wet digestion. The average values of heavy metals in vegetables were as follows [mean (minimum~maximum), mg/kg]; Hg: 0.0005 (N.D~0.007), Pb: 0.011 (N.D~0.259), Cd: 0.012 (N.D~0.188), As: 0.002 (N.D~0.142), Cr: 0.100 (0.019~0.954), Ni: 0.093 (0.003~1.231), Cu: 1.098 (0.072~36.29), and Zn: 3.48 (0.485~21.31). The heavy metal contents of vegetables available on the markets in Seoul were almost the same as or lower than those reported in other studies. The weekly average intakes of mercury, lead and cadmium from vegetables take 0.44~7.71% of PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes) that the FAO/WHO Joint Food Additive and Contaminants Committee sets for evaluation of food safety.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.38-47
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• 1995

The Bioconcentration factor (BCF) is used as an important criterion in the risk assessment of environmental contaminants. Also it can be used as indicator of biomagnification of environmentally hazardous chemicals through food-chain as well as a tool for ranking the bioconcentration potential of the chemicals in the environment. This paper reports the measured BCF value on Chlorothalonil in Carassius auratus(goldfish), under steady state, and examined correlation between the BCF value and the partition coefficient or acute toxicity or physicochemical properties. Carassius auratus(goldfish) was chosen as test organism and test period were 3-day, 5-day. Experimental concentrations were 0.005, 0.01 and 0.05 ppm. Chlorothalonil in fish tissue and in test water were extracted with n-hexane and acetonitrile. GC-ECD was used to detecting and quantitating of Chlorothalonil. Partition coefficient was determined by stir-flask method. $LC_{50}$ was determined on Chlorothalonil. Carbaryl and BPMC. The obtained results were as follows. 1. It was possible to determine short term BCFs of Chlorothalonil through relatively simple procedure in environmental concentrations. 2. $BF_3$ of Chlorothalonil in concentration of 0.005, 0.01 and 0.05 ppm were 2.1866$\pm$0.23446, 3.5269$\pm$0.23517, 10.2045$\pm$0.18053 and BCFs were 6.6543$\pm$0.55257, 6.9774$\pm$0.02500, 23.4576$\pm$2.06884, respectively. 3. Chlorothalonil concentration in fish extract and BCFs of Chlorothalonil were increased as increasing test concentration and prolonging test period. 4. Fate of test-water concentration on Chlorothalonil was greater than that of control-water con-centration. It is considered that greater fate of test-water concentration on Chlorothalonil is due to hydrolyzing nitrile group under the mild condition and substituting chloro group by some aromatic compounds in test water. 5. Determined logP of Chlorothalonil was 2.80. And determined $LC_{50}$ of Chlorothalonil in time of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr were 0.1684, 0.1402, 0.1400, 0.1352(mg/l) respectively. And $LC_{50}$ of Carbaryl in above times were 19.918, 18.635, 18.466, 18.12(mg/l) respectively. $LC_{50}$ of BPMC were 10.248, 9.166, 9.087, 8.921(mg/l) respectively. 6. It is suggested that the BCF of Carbamates depend on partition coefficients. But BCF of Chlorothalonil, organochlorine pesticide, would be strongly influenced by steric, electronic effect of substituents than partition coefficient.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.329-338
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• 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the contents and seasonal variation of arsenic in soils and crop plant(rice) in paddy fields around the abandoned metal mines in Korea. The soils were extracted by various methods including aqua regia, 1 M $MgCl_2$, 0.01 M $CaCl_2$ and 0.05 M EDTA to evaluate the relationships between soils and crop plants(rice). According to correlation analysis, statistically significant correlation with the four methods(p<0.01) were found in soils extracted by various chemical solutions and arsenic contents in soils were decreased in the order of 1M $MgCl_2$ > 0.01M $CaCl_2$ > 0.05 M EDTA. Biological accumulation coefficients(BACs) of rice stalks were higher than those of rice grain, and the coefficients under reducing(August) environment were higher than those under oxidizing conditions(October). Assuming the rice consumption of 315 g/day by farm households in Korea, the amount of daily intake of arsenic were estimated to be 77.8 ${\mu}g/day$. The daily intake of arsenic from the rice estimates up to 65% of ADI(acceptable daily intake) that the FAO/WHO Joint Food Additive and Contaminants Committee has set to evaluate their safeties.