• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5167-5170
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• 2012

Chilean red chili peppers contaminated with aflatoxins were reported in a previous study. If the development of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in Chile is associated with a high level of consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated red chili peppers, such peppers from other countries having a high GBC incidence rate may also be contaminated with aflatoxins. We aimed to determine whether this might be the case for red chili peppers from Bolivia and Peru. A total of 7 samples (3 from Bolivia, 4 from Peru) and 3 controls (2 from China, 1 from Japan) were evaluated. Aflatoxins were extracted with acetonitrile:water (9:1, v/v) and eluted through an immuno-affinity column. The concentrations of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and then the detected aflatoxins were identified using HPLC-mass spectrometry. In some but not all of the samples from Bolivia and Peru, aflatoxin B1 or aflatoxins B1 and B2 were detected. In particular, aflatoxin B1 or total aflatoxin concentrations in a Bolivian samples were above the maximum levels for aflatoxins in spices proposed by the European Commission. Red chili peppers from Bolivia and Peru consumed by populations having high GBC incidence rates would appear to be contaminated with aflatoxins. These data suggest the possibility that a high level of consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated red chili peppers is related to the development of GBC, and the association between the two should be confirmed by a case-control study.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 1995

Blenderized diets are not recommended because of difficulties in providing a constant content of nutrients, phoblems with viscosity and osmolarity, time needed for preparation, and increased risk of contamination. To determine the possibility of substituting commercial formulas for blenderized diets, 27 unconscious patients were randomized into two different groups : blenderized diet group(n=11) and commercial formula group(n=16). Blenderized diets were composed of food sources such as rice, milk, egg, juices and others, and its energy percentage of protein, fat, and carbohydrate was 15%, 30%, and 55%, respetively. Commercial enteral formulas provided 1 kcal/ml and the energy percentage of protein, fat and carbohydrate was 25%, 20% and 55% in greenbia(G) and 20%, 20%, and 60% in Greenbia-DM(GD), repectively. In commercial formula group, five patients with diarrhea, constipation, and high blood glucose level received GD, and the other eleven patients received G. All patients received their lipuid diet for 4 weeks through 16 French rubber nasogastric tube by bolus feeding 6 times daily. The patients in commercial formula group had a similar mean daily calorie intake to the patient in blenderized diet group, 32-34kcal/kg/d and 30-35kcal/kg/d, respectively. Patients given commercial formula gained an averge of 1.7kg in weight but those given blenderized diet lost an average of 2.6kg. There was a trend toward an increase in percent ideal body weight in commercial formula group(94$\pm$5 vs 99$\pm$6%). However, blenderized diet group showed a trend toward a decrease in percent ideal body weight(106$\pm$5 vs $101\pm$6%). The initial levels of total lymphocyte counts, serum albumin and tranferrin were below the normal rante, The mean daily protein intake was significanlty higher for commercial formula group(2.0-2.1g/kg/d) than for blenderized diet group(1.1-1.3g/kg/d). Patient fed cormmercial formula for 4 weeks showed a trend toward an increase in serum albumin(8.1%) and a significant increase in serum transferrin(32.1%) without increasing the levels of blood glucose. GOT, GPT, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. In the blenderized diet group, however, no significant improvement were obseved in the concentration of serum albumin and transferin, compared to initial value. There was a trend toward a decrese in the level of hemoglobin and hematocrit in blenderized deit group but no significnat change in commercial formulas goups. All patients tolerated both diets well and no significant complications were encountered. The results indicate that the commercial enteral formulas tested in this study can be an effective substitution for blenderized diet in unconscious tube-fed patients.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the heavy metal and microbiological hazards on by-products (liver, omasum, small intestines) of cattle. From April to October in 2011, one hundred and twenty samples were equally collected from slaughterhouse and meat by-product markets in Incheon city. The total bacteria counts and E. coli count were applied to assess the microbiological quality. Food borne bacteria including Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and E. coli O157:H7 were also determined. The results were obtained as follows: The undesirable grade (more than $10^5\;CFU/cm^2$) was detected in the by-product from 18.3% (slaughterhouse) and 23.3% (by-product markets). The frequency of generic E. coli (more than $10^2\;CFU/cm^2$) from the slaughterhouse was 20.0%, whereas that of the meat by-product markets was 26.7%. Of the samples from slaughterhouse, 3 (5.0%), 5 (8.3%), and 12 (20.0%) samples were contaminated with Salmonella spp, S. aureus, and C. perfringens, respectively. S. aureus and C. perfringens were also detected in 6 (10.0%) and 25 (41.7%) samples in the meat by-product markets, respectively. Nine of 11 S. aureus isolates harbored toxin gene. However, the cpe gene of C. perfringens was not detected among the 37 isolates. The detection rate was higher in August than in February, April and June. The levels of Cd and Pb in all the samples tended to be low (<0.2 mg/kg). This preliminary data could be used for legislation on the regulation and control of microorganism and heavy metal in by-products of cattle.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.67-82
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• 2002

Objectives: In recent years, extensive focus has been laid on adulteration of herbal medicine with heavy metals. This may be mainly due to soil contamination by environmental pollution. The objective of this study is to identify the contents of various heavy metals in the blood from Ohjeok-san (Wuji-san) Decoction (OD) treated-rats. Methods: For this study, 13 kinds of metals including essential and heavy metals, i.e. A1, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn were analyzed by a slight modification of EP A methods and the following results are obtained. Results: 1. There was no significant difference between the OD-treated groups and control group in liver, kidney, bone, brain and weight, especially no significant difference at the 5th and 10th days in weight and the amount of food intake. 2. The amount of each metal analyzed in the blood were as follows; A1: 2.3~3.07 mg/l, As: 2.90~3.66 mg/l, Cd: 0~0.001 mg/l, Co: 0~0.01 mg/l, Cr: 0.40~043 mg/l, Cu: 0.93~1.88 mg/l, Fe: 414.35~464.46 mg/l, Hg: 0.01 mg/l, Mn: 0.10~0.17 mg/l, Ni: 0.01 mg/l, Pb: 0.03~012 mg/l, Se: 0.73 mg/l, Zn: 3.41~4.13 mg/l by groups, respectively. In control and experimental group, Experimental I and other experimental II, III, IV, and V groups, there were no significant differences. 3. The amount of non-toxic metals (A1, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, Zn) were $64.1{\pm}7.71{\;}mg/l$ in the control group and 60.70~67.58 mg/l in the experimental groups I, II, III, IV and V. The amount of Toxic metals (As, Cd, Cr, Ag, Pb) were $0.68{\pm}0.21{\;}mg/l$ in the control group and 0.57 ~ 0.66mg/l in the experimental groups. The total amount of metals were 32.35 mg/l in the control group and 30.48~34.12 mg/l in the test groups I, II, III, IV and V, respectively. Conclusions: There was no significant difference of metal concentration in the blood from the OD-treated-rats compared to those of the control group even if higher dosage (1~8 times the dosage for a person) of OD was administered. This may be mainly due to a decoction treatment which contains only supernatants filtered from the herb-mass after boiling. This indicates the legal limitation for metal concentration in herbal medicine must be applied according to different treatment methods of herbal medicine.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.441-452
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• 2011

This study was carried out to survey the residual characteristics of endocrine disruptor (ED)-suspected pesticides in greenhouse soils and assess their leachabilites to groundwater. Greenhouse soils were collected from 40 sites of greenhouse in 2008 in Korea. Sixteen ED-suspected pesticides which had been using in Korea, such as alachlor, benomyl, carbaryl, cypermethrin, 2,4-D, dicofol, endosulfan, fenvalerate, malathion, mancozeb, metribuzin, metiram, methomyl, parathion, trifluralin, and vinclozolin, in the soils, were analyzed by chromatographic methods using GLC-ECD and HPLC-DAD/FLD. Limits of detection (LODs) of the test pesticides ranged from 0.0004 to 0.005 mg/kg. Recoveries of the target pesticides from soil ranged from 72.69 to 115.28%. Four pesticides including cypermethrin were detected in the range of from 0.001 to 2.019 mg/kg, representing that their detection rate from greenhouse soils was 37.5%. The highest detection rate was observed from endosulfan which was detected from 16 site soils of the total samples, indicating that endosulfan is persistent in soil because of its very low mobility and high adsorption characteristics in soil. Based on the groundwater ubiquity scores (GUSs) of the pesticides detected from greenhouse soils, most of them have little possibilities of groundwater contamination except the fungicide vinclozolin with some leaching potential because of high water solubility and very low soil adsorption property.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.453-460
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• 2006

Upo wetland is the largest inland wetland in Korea as Ramsar Convention Area. The purposes of the study were to investigate the levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the sediment and Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata from three sites of the wetland and to assess the potential of the gastropod as a bioindicator for heavy metal levels. The gastropods were dissected into shell and soft tissue without the digestive and excretive organs. The levels of Cd, Cu and Pb were below the guideline of Soil Environment Conservation Act and the heavy metals except Cr were slightly different among the sites. Cd was higher in Upo site ($0.32{\mu}g/g$) than Sajipo site ($0.28{\mu}g/g$). Cu and Zn showed the highest value in Sajipo as $43.5{\mu}g/g\;and\;39.8{\mu}g/g$, respectively while the concentrations of Pb and Zn were the highest in Upstream as $58.8{\mu}g/g\;and\;138{\mu}g/g$, respectively. In the soft tissues and shells of the gastropod, the overall common trend in the concentrations of the heavy metals was revealed with the following order: Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd and Ni > Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Cd, respectively. Although the soft tissues exhibited higher concentrations of the heavy metals except Ni than the shell in the gastropod, the levels of Cd and Pb in the gastropod were generally below the restrictive values set up by Korea Food & Drug Administration. From Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) results, the concentrations of Pb and Zn in the sediments among the sites were reflected on the soft tissue (Pb) and the shell (Pb and Zn) of the gastropod in the same order. The lower value of coefficient of variation (CV) in Pb concentration of the shell than in that of the soft tissue supports the usefulness of the shell as a bioindicator for Pb pollution. Although the CV value in the shell was a little higher than in the soft tissue, DMRT results and the stability of incorporated Zn into the shell support the use of the shell of the gastropod as a potential bioindicator for long-term contamination of Zn.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2018

There is an increasing concern over arsenic (As) contamination in rice since Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) discuss on maximum levels for As in rice in 2010. This study was conducted to reduce As concentration in rice by soil amendment treatments in paddy field soils contaminated by As. The selected four amendments were poultry manure, agri-lime, steel slag, and gypsum with the addition of 3% or 5% (w/w) on a dry basis. The As reduction effect could not be verified, as a result of the pot test by adding poultry manure to the paddy soil around the mine located in Yesan. Among the agri-lime treated rice cultivated pots, the As concentration increased up to 32.1%. On the other hand, the content of As in the sample pots treated with steel slag and gypsum decreased by 65.4% and 63.4%, respectively. On the basis of the results of these pot experiments, the field test was carried out in the As polluted rice field around the mine located in Yesan, and when the four amendments were treated, the As content in the brown rice reduced in all the amendment treatments compared with the control plot. The As reduction in brown rice of the amendment was confirmed to be higher efficiency by the order of gypsum > steel slag > poultry manure > agri-lime. As a result of pot experiments using paddy soil around the mine located in Seosan, As stabilization efficiency in rice and As reduction effect could not be determined by comparison to the control. From the rice cultivated from agri-lime treated pot, As concentration increased by 15.8% in rice. On the other hand, the As content of the pots treated with steel slag and gypsum decreased by 39.1% and 60.2%, respectively. In conclusion, distinguished As reducing effectiveness could be expected by soil amendment treatments for rice cultivation.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.453-465
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• 2017

UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, a set of 17 objectives with 169 targets expected to guide actions over the next 15 years (2016-2030). One goal expressly focuses on the oceans, that is, SDG 14 'Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development'. More than 30% of fish stocks worldwide were classified by FAO(2016) as overfished. Globally, world capture fisheries are near the ocean's productive capacity with catches on the order of 80 million metric tons. Aquaculture production is increasing rapidly and is expected to continue to increase, but aquaculture encounters some environmental challenges, including potential pollution, competition with wild fishery resources, potential contamination of gene pools, disease problems, and loss of habitat. Accordingly, there have been a variety of world organization and conferences stressing the importance of the implementation of the ecosystem-based fisheries management(EBFM) to overcome these problems. Annual catch of Korean fisheries have shown continuously declining patterns since late 1990s. Most fish stocks are currently known to be over-exploited, and some stocks are depleted due to the increase in fishing intensity and over-capitalization of fishing fleets. Other reasons for the depletion are land reclamations and coastal pollution, which destroy spawning and nursery grounds along the coastal regions. Aquaculture production is also increasing rapidly in Korea. However, several important issues such as gene pool and interaction with capture fisheries should be considered. The EBFM approach should use the best available information coupled with a reasonable application of the precautionary approach. The EBFM has global relevance, and so the real challenge will be to develop and use reliable, robust and cost-effective means of assessing and monitoring the status of ecosystems and their resources, and rapid means of detecting any undesirable and excessive impacts that threaten sustainable use. Future fisheries education should take into account UN's SDGs, which were adopted to achieve the global 2030 agenda. However, there are some difficulties in the current fisheries education system in Korea. First, the current education organizations are limited within the old frame of traditional fisheries sciences. Second, the fisheries education is currently lack of the future-oriented education system and of customized schools or departments. Third, the on-going fisheries education has been based upon few educational policies which are sufficiently relevant to holistic SDGs of the global standard. Accordingly, directions to modern fisheries education for achieving SDGs would be, first, the transition of fisheries education structure into the future-oriented and customized education system. Second, fisheries education needs to shift to the new paradigm, which combines traditional fisheries science education with related fields such as oceanography and environmental sciences to adopt the concept of EBFM. Lastly, fisheries education should accompany relevant policies for effectively achieving SDGs.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 1998

Chitosan is a nontoxic natural chealtor which was made by chitin, and reduced a contamination of radiostrontium in animals. In this experiment, A different molecular weight of C-14 chitosan was intravenously administered to mice, and then the distribution of C-14 chitosan in the body was observed. Male mice (8 to 10 weeks, body weight of 30 to 35g) of ICR strain were used. C-14 chitosan was diluted with saline and then given intravenously in mice. After the administration of C-14 chitosan, mice was sacrificed at the 6th hour, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th day. Beta radioactivities in the blood, liver, kidney, liver, muscle, testis, and urine was measured using a liquid scintillation analyzer. Most of the C-14 chitosan was excreted through urine within 6 hours. Biodistribution of C-14 chitosan was similar despite the difference of moleclar weight. Higher distributions of radioactivities were found in the liver, kidney, spleen. The relative concentration in tissue increased for the 6 hours and then decreased. In conclusion, most of C-14 chitosan was excreted through urine despite the difference of molecular weight. and, low molecular weight of C-14 chitosan showed higher distribution than high molecular weight of C-14 chitosan in tissues.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.38-45
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• 1998

Soil and water contamination caused by the abundant use of agricultural chemicals including herbicides and fertilizers draws public concerns since these chemicals may pollute the agricultural lands as well as the food products grown on these lands. As a method to reduce the use of agricultural chemicals mulching with thin plastic film has been commonly practised for many years. Although use of the plastic film for mulching is very effective in preventing the growth of weed, it is almost impossible to remove all of the plastic film from the agricultural land and the remaining film eventually contaminates the soils. Therefore, it is very imperative to develop a mulching material that decomposes completely to prevent soil pollution problems and to enhance the competitive edge of domestic agriculture. Mulch papers are believed to have many positive characteristics in preventing problems caused by the plastic mulch film since it decomposes completely after use. However, the basis weight of mulch papers needs to be reduced to improve its handling properties and to reduce the raw material costs of pulps. In this paper the possibilities of using domestic old corrugated containers in producing mulch papers were examined. Also use of unbleached softwood kraft pulps and dry strength additives were exploited along with two-layered sheet forming technology in decreasing the basis weight of the mulch paper. Results showed that reduction of 20g/$m^2$ of basis weight of mulch paper was possible by the appropriate raw material selection and application of strength resin. To use the mulch papers in paddy fields, however, further research to improve its durability should be pursued.