• Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.375-379
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• 2018

Background and aim: Heavy metals have been recognized as toxins for centuries. Cupping therapy has been shown to aid in the excretion of accumulated fluids and toxins from the interstitial fluid. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of wet cupping therapy on blood levels of heavy metals. Methods: Thirteen healthy male individuals [mean age ${\pm}$ standard deviation, $28.47{\pm}6.18$] participated in this study. Venous blood samples were collected 5 min before and 30 days after the wet cupping therapy. Five points of the posterior neck and bilateral perispinal areas of the neck and thoracic spine were selected for cupping therapy. The levels of aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The levels of heavy metals (Al, Zn, and Cd) after cupping therapy were significantly lower than the levels before therapy. Conclusions: These results suggest that wet cupping therapy has an excretory effect on the kidney. Wet cupping therapy may clear blood from excess heavy metals.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.238-246
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• 2005

We conducted this investigation to observe competitive adsorption phenomena among the heavy metals onto the available sorption sites of soil particle surfaces in sandy clay loam and clay soil collected from Nonsan city, Chungnam and Yoosung, Daejeon in Korea, respectively. Polluted and contaminated soils can often contain more than one heavy metal species, resulting in competition for available sorption sites among heavy metals in soils due to complex competitive ion exchange and specific sorption mechanism. And the adsorption characteristics of the heavy metals were reported that the selectivity for the sorption sites was closely related with electropotential and electro negativity carried by the heavy metals. The heavy metals were treated as single, binary and ternary systems as bulk solution phase. Adsorption in multi-element system was different from single-element system as Cr, Pb and Cd. The adsorption isotherms showed the adsorption was increased with increasing equilibrium concentrations. For binary and ternary systems, the amount of adsorption at the same equilibrium concentration was influenced by the concentration of individual ionic species and valence carried by the respective heavy metal. Also we found that the adsorption isotherms of Cd and Pb selected in this experiment were closely related with electronegativity and ionic potential regardless number of heavy metals in solution, while the adsorption of Cr carried higher valance and lower electro negativity than Cd and Pb was higher than those of Cd and Pb, indicating that adsorption of Cr was influenced by ionic potential than by electronegativity. Therefore adsorption in multi-element system could be influenced by electronegativity and ionic potential and valance for the same valance metals and different valance, respectively. But it still needs further investigation with respect to ionic strength and activity in multi-element system to verify sorption characteristics and reaction processes of Cr, especially for ternary system in soils.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.626-636
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• 2022

Shellfish are exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates that consume various organic and inorganic substances floating in seawater through filter feeding. Heavy metals are known as absorbed and accumulated in seawater. Some of the toxic heavy metals are highly accumulated in seawater, and exposure to them can cause a variety of risks to the human body. Since Koreans like to eat seafood, they are more likely to be exposed to contaminated seafood with heavy metals. In this study, nine types of heavy metals were analyzed on ten different shellfish species in the coastal area of South Korea. The risk assessment was also done on shellfish in which heavy metals were detected. Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were identified at an average of 56.7 mg/kg (6.70 to 466 mg/kg) and 13.2 mg/kg (0.064 to 143 mg/kg), respectively. Lead (Pb) average of 0.208 mg/kg (0.000750 to 1.02 mg/kg), cadmium (Cd) average of 0.454 mg/kg (0.0388 to 1.56 mg/kg) and mercury (Hg) average of 0.0266 mg/kg (0.00548 to 0.174 mg/kg) were identified. Additionally, arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and silver (Ag) were also identified as average concentrations of 4.02 (0.460 to 15.0 mg/kg), 0.167 (< limit of quantification [LOQ] to 0.820 mg/kg), 0.281 (< LOQ to 1.46 mg/kg), and 0.158 mg/kg (< LOQ to 1.15 mg/kg). The result indicates that the monitoring results of heavy metals in most shellfish satisfied the Korean standard. However, Pb and Cd have exceeded some foreign standards, such as the United States and the EU. The permissible human exposure calculated using the heavy metal intake and detection amount was lower than the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives human safety standard, and the risk of heavy metals from shellfish consumption was at an acceptable level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.236-239
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• 1998

This research was performed to check the transport characteristics of heavy metals in contaminated soil, that is, the influence of humic acid and phosphate on transport characteristics of heavy metals was studied. From the results of column mode experiments about heavy metal behavior, the order time to reach breakthrough and equilibrium was soil ＋ humic acid( 20g ) > soil ＋ humic acid ( 5 g ) > soil without Humic acid addition > soil+humic acid( 50g ). It is because the dissolved organic carbon content increased as the soil organic matter content increased. As the phosphate increased, so did the time to reach breakthrough and equilibrium. The order of time was soil + phosphate( 50 mg ) > soil + phosphate( 20 mg ) > soil . phosphate( 10 mg ) > soil without phosphate addition. It is because the phosphate ion worked as alkalinity donor and the calcium ion co-injected worked as the accelerator of coprecipitation of heavy metals.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.214-218
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• 1989

Atmospheric particulate matters (A. P. M. ) were collected on quartz-fiber filters from March 1985 to May 1986, using the Andersen high-volume air sampler and contents of six heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb Ni) in the A. P. M. were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. These heavy metals were divided into the three groups with respect to their particle size distribution. Fe and Mn were mainly associated with coarse particles (diameter > 2.0 $\mu$m), but Pb and Ni were related fine particles (diameter < 2.0 $\mu$m). Cu and Zn had mized size distributions in both of them. In the seasonal variation of heavy metals, the contents of Fe and Mn in spring and Ni and Pb in winter were higher than any other season. There were high mutual correlation between Fe and Mn coarse particles, and between Pb and Ni in fine particles.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.536-539
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• 2003

The Dongjung Au-Ag-Cu mine area was seriously contaminated with As and heavy metals-Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn etc. Those elements were highly accumulated in plants grown at farmland as well as farmland soil. Stream waters and groundwater which has been used as drinking water around the mine site contain high levels of heavy metals, especially As. As a result of human health risk assessment using EHS(Extraction of Heavy metals in Stomach and Small intestine) test for bioaccessible contents of heavy metals, there is a potential of cancer and adverse effects on human health for the residents of the mine area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.41-44
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to evaluate the stabilization of As and heavy metals in tailings from the Samkwang Au-Ag mine with $Ca(OH)_2$. In order to evaluate the stabilization ability of As and heavy metals in the tailings, column test was implemented with various conditions as 1) particle size of $Ca(OH)_2$, 2) mixing method and 3) flow rate of eluents during 60 days. The results showed that addition with 5% of $Ca(OH)_2$ in 1kg of the tailings had the most effective ability of stabilization up to 95%. In addition, stabilization ability of As and heavy metals in tailings was enhanced using a fine powder of $Ca(OH)_2$. Therefore, stabilization technology can be used as a remediation of As and heavy metals in mine wastes including tailings and a nearby soils from abandoned metal mines.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.115-118
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• 1997

When the light metals such as $Ca^{++}$ and $Mg^{++}$ were added to heavy metal solution, the adsorption of heavy metals was increased by 20 to 30% more, but there were no differences between species. $Pb^{++}$ was the most adsorbed metal(99.5%), and the adsorption ratio of $Cd^{++}$ was significantly improved. In addition, when the light metal concentration was increased to 100ppm, the adsoption ratios of all four heavy metals were reached to 92 to 99%, while coniferous barks showed only 85 to 92%. On the mixture of four heavy metals, the adsorbed amount of each metal was significantly reduced, compared with that of one heavy metal, while $Zn^{++}$ showed the adsorption improvement to 95%. On the column experiment, $Pb^{++}$ was almost completely adsorbed in the upper part of column, and the adsorbed amount of $Cu^{++}$ was gradually decreased depending on column depth. However, $Cd^{++}$ and $Zn^{++}$ were not influenced by column height, and constantly adsorbed on various column height. Based on the above results, each heavy metal had different adsorption mechanism.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.25-33
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• 2001

The study was performed to examine the influence of sea tide on a tideland composition by Saemankeum reclamation and to evaluate a correlation between the characteristics of physical and the pollution level of heavy metals. Also, it was investigated the characteristics of heavy metal adsorption through a batch experiment and applied to adsorption isotherm equations. In the results, the flow of sea tide occurred to accumulation action and had an effect on the content of heavy metals. It suggests that influence factors for the content of heavy metals in the tidal flat be grain size, cation exchange capacity and organic matter content. Adsorption capacity of heavy metals occurs to 90% adsorption rate for injection concentration within 30 minutes. The flow patterns in Saemankeum area will undergo a change for soil size distribution. In result, this soil size changed will effect the adsorption capacity of heavy metals.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.74-83
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• 2020

In this study, the effect of hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentrations on removal efficiency and chemical forms of heavy metals in dredged sediment during acid washing was investigated. The removal efficiencies of Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd by acid washing were 18.4-92.4%, 7.2-83.7%, 9.4-75%, 8.1-53.4% and 34.4-70.8%, respectively. Overall, the removal efficiencies of heavy metals were remarkably enhanced with the increase of the acid strength. However, the removal efficiencies for 0.5 and 1.0 M HCl were comparable, and both cases met the Korean soil contamination standard. Based on the sequential extraction results, concentration of the exchangeable fraction (F1), the most labile fraction, increased whereas concentrations of the other fractions decreased with increasing acid strength. Particularly, the carbonate (F2) and Fe/Mn oxides (F3) fractions drastically decreased by using 0.5 M or 1.0 M HCl. The current study results verified that acid washing could effectively reduce heavy metal concentrations and its potential mobility in dredged sediments. However, the study also found that acid washing may cause significant increase in bioavailable fraction of heavy metals, suggesting the need to evaluate the changes in chemical forms of heavy metals by acid washing when determining the acid strength to be applied.