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Monitoring and Risk Assessment of Cadmium and Lead in Agricultural Products (국내 농산물의 카드뮴 및 납 함량 조사 및 위해 평가)

  • Kim, Ji-Young;Choi, Nam-Geun;Yoo, Ji-Hyock;Lee, Ji-Ho;Lee, Young-Gu;Jo, Kyoung-Kyu;Lee, Cheol-Ho;Hong, Su-Myeong;Im, Geon-Jae;Hong, Moo-Ki;Kim, Won-Il
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.330-338
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    • 2011
  • BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate the agricultural product (Pulses, Lettuces, Pumpkins, Apples, Pears and Tangerines) in Korea, monitoring of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) contaminations of agricultural products in cultivated areas and abandoned mine areas were investigated, and risk assessment was performed through dietary intake of agricultural products. METHODS AND RESULTS: The average contents of Cd and Pb ranged from 0.001 to 0.018 mg/kg and from 0.007 to 0.032 mg/kg respectively. The result was showed that contents of Cd and Pb did not exceed maximum residual levels established by CODEX except pumpkins and apples. The average daily intake were in the range of $1.06{\times}10^{-3}$ to $4.76{\times}10^{-2}{\mu}g/kg$ b.w./day at the mean and 95th percentile for Cd, $4.53{\times}10^{-3}$ to $8.35{\times}10^{-2}{\mu}g/kg$ b.w./day at the mean and 95th percentile for Pb for general population, based on the Korean public nutrition report 2008. The Hazard Index (HI) from the ratio analysis between daily exposure and safety level values was smaller than 1.0. CONCLUSION(s): This results demonstrated that human exposure to Cd and Pb through dietary intake of agricultural produces from abandoned mine areas might not cause adverse effect exceeding to those from non-contaminated areas.

Characteristic of Odorous Compounds Emitted from Livestock Waste Treatment Facilities Combined Methane Fermentation and Composting Process (메탄발효와 퇴비화 공정이 연계된 가축분뇨 처리시설에서 발생되는 악취물질 특성 조사)

  • Ko, Han Jong;Kim, Ki Youn;Kim, Hyeon Tae;Ko, Moon Seok;Higuchi, Takasi;Umeda, Mikio
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.50 no.3
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    • pp.391-400
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    • 2008
  • Odor management is significantly concerned with sustainable livestock production because odor nuisance is a primary cause for complaint to neighbors. This study was conducted to measure the concentration of odorous compounds, odor intensity, and odor offensiveness at unit process in animal waste treatment facility combined composting and methane fermentation process by an instrumental analysis and direct olfactory method. Ammonia, sulfur-containing compounds, and volatile fatty acid were analyzed at each process units and boundary area in summer and winter, respectively. Higher concentration of odorants occurred in the summer than in the winter due to high ambient temperature. The maximum concentration of odorants was detected in composting pile when mixed manure was being turned followed by inlet, curing, outlet, and screen & packing process. Highest concentration of detected odorous compounds was ammonia ranging from 3.4 to 224.7 ppm. Among the sulfur-containing compounds measured, hydrogen sulfide was a maximum level of 2.3 ppm and most of them exceeded reported odor detection thresholds. Acetic acid was the largest proportion of VFA generated, reaching a maximum of 51 to 89%, followed by propionic and butyric acid at 1.9 to 35% and 1.8 to 15%, respectively. Malodor assessment by a human panel appeared a similar tendency in instrumental analysis data. Odor quotient for predicting major odor-causing compounds was calculated by dividing concentrations measured in process units by odor detection thresholds. In the composting process, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, dimethyl sulfide, and methyl mercaptan were deeply associated with odor-causing compounds, while the major malodor compounds in the inlet process were methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, and butyric acid.

Radon concentration measurement at general house in Pusan area (부산지역 일반주택에서의 라돈농도측정)

  • Im, In-Cheol
    • Journal of radiological science and technology
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    • v.27 no.2
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    • pp.29-33
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    • 2004
  • Until early 1980s we have lived without thinking that radon ruins our health. But, scientists knew truth that radon radioactive danger is bedeviling on indoor that we live for a long time. Specially, interest about effect that get in danger and injury for Radon and human body is inactive in our country. Recently, with awareness for Radon contamination, We inform about importance and danger of Radon in some station of the Seoul subway, indoor air of school facilities and We had interest with measure and manages. Usually, Radon gas emitted in base of building enters into indoor through building floor split windage back among radon or indoor air of radon daughter nucleus contamination is increased. Therefore, indoor radon concentration rises as there are a lot of windages between number pipe of top and bottom and base that enter crack from estrangement of the done building floor, underground to indoor. Thus, Radon enters into indoor through architecture resources water as well as, kitchen natural gas for choice etc., but more than about 85% from earth's crust emit. Danger and injury of health by Radon and Radon daughter nucleus that is indicated for cause of lung cancer incerases content of uranium of soil rises specially from inside pit of High area and a mine, cave, hermetical space with house. Safe sub-officer of radon concentration can not know and danger always exists large or small during. So, Important thing reduces danger of lung cancer by lowering concentration of Radon within house and building. Therefore, is thought that need general house Radon concentration measurement, measured Radon concentration monthly using Sintillator radon monitor. Study finding appeared high all underground market 1 year than the ground, and the winter appeared high than the summer. Specially, month that pass over 4pCi in house that United States Environmental Protection Agency advises appeared in underground, and appeared and know Radon exposure gravity by 4 months during 12 months. Therefore, Thinking that establishment and regulation of norm and preparation of reduction countermeasure about Radon are pressing feels, and inform result that measure Radon concentration.

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Method Development for Determination of Multi-Mycotoxins in Chicken Liver and Kidney Tissues by LC-MS/MS (LC-MS/MS를 이용한 닭 간과 신장 중 곰팡이 독소 6종 동시분석법 개발)

  • Kim, Soohee;Kim, Kwang-Nam;Kim, Hyobi;Song, Jae-Young;Park, Sung-Won
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.43 no.2
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    • pp.111-118
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    • 2016
  • Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by molds, such as Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium, that have adverse effects on animals and humans. Aflatoxin, ochratoxin, zearalenone, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol are the mycotoxins of greatest agro-economic importance and cause acute disease called mycotoxicoses. Mycotoxicosis in poultry birds results in decreased meat/egg production, immunosuppressant, and hepatotoxicosis. Some of toxins or their metabolites may be retained in animal or human tissues and induce health problems. This study was designed to develop a sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous detection and quantification of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin $B_1$, aflatoxin $M_1$, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, fumonisin B and deoxynivalenol, in chicken liver and kidney tissues. The mycotoxins were extracted and purified using modified QUECHERS methods, separated by LC and detected by an electrospray ionisation interface (ESI) and tandem MS. Good precision and linearity were observed for most of six mycotoxins. The recovery test for each mycotoxin in liver and kidney tissues mostly indicated good average recovery rates between 80.94% and 98.10% and the coefficient of variation mostly under 13.78%, except for aflatoxin $M_1$ and fumonisin $B_1$. The limit of detection (LOD) for six mycotoxins was $7.6{\sim}145.79{\mu}g/kg$ in liver tissues and $6.07{\sim}197.20{\mu}g/kg$ in kidney tissues. The quantification limits (LOQ) for 6 mycotoxins were in the range $23.04{\sim}441.78{\mu}g/kg$ in liver tissues and $18.40{\sim}597.59{\mu}g/kg$ in kidney tissues, respectively. The developed multi-mycotoxin method in this study permits simultaneous, simple, and rapid determination of several co-existing mycotoxins in chicken liver and kidney tissues.

Comparative Evaluation of the VITEK 2 System and Species-specific PCR Methods for the Detection of Vibrio Species Isolated from Shrimp (새우에서 분리된 Vibrio species 동정을 위한 VITEK 2 system방법과 species-specific PCR방법 비교 평가)

  • Lee, Jeong-Min;Lee, Won-Jun;Kim, Min-Ju;Cho, Yong-Sun;Lee, Jin-Sung;Lee, Hyun-Jin;Yoon, Sang-Woo;Kim, Keun-Sung
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.281-288
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    • 2015
  • Vibrio is a genus of Gram-negative, curved, halophilic, and non-spore-forming bacteria. Some of the Vibrio species, such as V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus, often contaminate seafood products and occasionally cause human diseases when the seafood products are ingested. A total of 24 Vibrio strains were isolated from shrimp samples on Thiosulphate citrate bile salt sucrose (TCBS) media in this study. All of the 24 isolates were confirmed to belong to the genus Vibrio by using 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. Vitek 2 system and species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were used to further identify a total of 29 Vibrio strains at the species level, including the 24 shrimp Vibrio isolates and five Vibrio reference strains. The specificities of the two methods to identify Vibrio strains at the species level were compared in this study. The species-specific PCR method was designed to detect five different Vibrio species, such as Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Vibrio mimicus. From the 24 Vibrio shrimp isolates, the Vitek 2 system method could identify 15 (62.5%) strains as Vibrio species and 7 (29.2%) strains as non-Vibrio species, but could not identify the rest 2 (8.3%) strains. But species-specific PCR method could identify 16 (66.7%) strains as Vibrio species and could not identify the rest 8 (33.3%) strains. Among the 24 Vibrio shrimp strains, these two methods could unanimously identify 7 (7/24, 29.2%) strains (2 V. parahaemolyticus, 4 V. alginolyticus, and 1 V. mimicus). Considering that such different identification results were obtained using the two different methods in this study, identification method for Vibrio species must be carefully chosen.

Comparison of the SNR in the MR images on dental implant material (치아 임플란트 재료에 따른 자기공명영상의 SNR 비교)

  • Kim, Dong-Hyun;Ko, Seong-Jin;Ye, Soo-Young
    • Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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    • v.16 no.4
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    • pp.149-155
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    • 2015
  • Tooth implant is located in oral cavity and affects neck, skull base, and facail image. These magnetic inhomogeneities are usually frequency encoding direction which cause artifacts due to change of signal strength and geometric distortion. First, to evaluate signal to noise ratio (SNR) of magnetic resonance image caused by tooth implant this study uses meat phantom which is similar to human body and is consisted with fat, muscle, and water to measure signal to noise ratio. Second, signal to noise ratio by using custom-made fixed phantom is measured, and then signal to noise ratio size of different tooth implant types is compared and analyzed. The measured signal to noise ratio values of Brushite, HSA, Metal, and RBM for meat phantom were 2.76, 2.22, 1.88, and 1.57 on T1 SE, 1.88, 1.78, 1.65, and 1.79 on T2 FLAIR, 2.28, 2.25, 2.88, and 2.05 on T2 FSE, and 2.74, 1.94, 1.67, and 1.48 on T2 GRE. The measured signal to noise ratio values of Brushite, HSA, Metal, and RBM for fixed water phantom were 1.2, 1.06, 1.12, and 1.22 on DWI, 1.93, 1.87, 1.93, and 2.06 T1 SE, 1.83, 1.76, 1.82, and 1.92 on T2 FLAIR, 1.85, 1.79, 7.86, and 1.97 on T2 FSE, and 1.97, 1.93, 1.99, and 2.06 on T2 GRE. By considering through the results, patients and dentists need to consider some impacts from testing many aspects although their main purpose of having tooth implants is a dental restoration. Moreover, depending on the tooth implant characteristics of individual patients this study results can be used as baseline data when choosing test protocol.

Simultaneous Removal of NO and SO2 using Microbubble and Reducing Agent (마이크로버블과 환원제를 이용한 습식 NO 및 SO2의 동시제거)

  • Song, Dong Hun;Kang, Jo Hong;Park, Hyun Sic;Song, Hojun;Chung, Yongchul G.
    • Clean Technology
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    • v.27 no.4
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    • pp.341-349
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    • 2021
  • In combustion facilities, the nitrogen and sulfur in fossil fuels react with oxygen to generate air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur oxides (SOX), which are harmful to the human body and cause environmental pollution. There are regulations worldwide to reduce NOX and SOX, and various technologies are being applied to meet these regulations. There are commercialized methods to reduce NOX and SOX emissions such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) and wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD), but due to the disadvantages of these methods, many studies have been conducted to simultaneously remove NOX and SOX. However, even in the NOX and SOX simultaneous removal methods, there are problems with wastewater generation due to oxidants and absorbents, costs incurred due to the use of catalysts and electrolysis to activate specific oxidants, and the harmfulness of gas oxidants themselves. Therefore, in this research, microbubbles generated in a high-pressure disperser and reducing agents were used to reduce costs and facilitate wastewater treatment in order to compensate for the shortcomings of the NOX, SOX simultaneous treatment method. It was confirmed through image processing and ESR (electron spin resonance) analysis that the disperser generates real microbubbles. NOX and SOX removal tests according to temperature were also conducted using only microbubbles. In addition, the removal efficiencies of NOX and SOX are about 75% and 99% using a reducing agent and microbubbles to reduce wastewater. When a small amount of oxidizing agent was added to this microbubble system, both NOX and SOX removal rates achieved 99% or more. Based on these findings, it is expected that this suggested method will contribute to solving the cost and environmental problems associated with the wet oxidation removal method.

Evaluation of the Usefulness of the Transmittance of Metal Filaments Fabricated by 3D Printers in Radiation Therapy (방사선 치료에서 3D 프린터로 제작된 금속 필라멘트의 투과율에 관한 유용성 평가)

  • Kwon, Kyung-Tae;Jang, Hui-Min;Yoon, Myeong-Seong
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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    • v.15 no.7
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    • pp.965-973
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    • 2021
  • Since radiation therapy is irradiated with high-energy X-rays in a variety of at least 20 Gy to 80 Gy, a high dose is administered to the local area where the tumor is located, and various side effects of some normal tissues are expected. Currently, in clinical practice, lead, a representative material, is used as an effort to shield normal tissues, but lead is classified as a heavy metal harmful to the human body, and a large amount of skin contact can cause poisoning. Therefore, this study intends to manufacture a measurement sheet that can compensate for the limitations of lead using the materials Tungsten, Brass, and Copper of the 3D printer of the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) method and to investigate the penetration performance. Tungsten mixed filament transmission measurement sheet size was 70 × 70 mm and thickness 1, 2, 4 mm using a 3D printer, and a linear accelerator (TrueBeam STx, S/N: 1187) was measured by irradiating 100 MU at SSD 100 cm and 5 cm in water using a water phantom, an ion chamber (FC-65G), and an elcetrometer (PTW UNIDOSE), and the permeability was evaluated. As a result of increasing the measurement sheet of each material by 1 mm, in the case of Tungsten sheet at 3.8 to 3.9 cm in 6 MV, the thickness of the lead shielding body was thinner than 6.5 cm, and in case of Tungsten sheet at 4.5 to 4.6 cm in 15 MV. The sheet was thinner than the existing lead shielding body thickness of 7 cm, and equivalent performance was confirmed. Through this study, the transmittance measurement sheet produced using Tungsten alloy filaments confirmed the possibility of transmission shielding in the high energy region. It has been confirmed that the usability as a substitute is also excellent. It is thought that it can be provided as basic data for the production of shielding agents with 3D printing technology in the future.

Proanthocyanidins Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Inflammatory Responses via Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction in RAW264.7 Macrophages (프로안토시아니딘의 항염증효과)

  • Cheon, Hye-Jin;Park, Sun Young;Jang, Hee-Ji;Cho, Da-Young;Jung, Jiwon;Park, Gimin;Jeong, Kyeong Mi;Kim, Jin-Kyung
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.484-491
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    • 2019
  • Proanthocyanidins are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds abundant in many vegetables, plant skins (rind/bark), seeds, flowers, fruits, and nuts. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated myriad effects potentially beneficial to human health, such as antioxidation, immunomodulation, DNA repair, and antitumor activity. Among immune cells, macrophages are crucial players in a variety of inflammatory responses to environmental conditions. However, it has been widely reported that macrophages cause chronic inflammation and are involved in a variety of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. In this study, we report the suppressive effect of proanthocyanidins via the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)-related system, on the immune response of the LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Increased HO-1 expression at mRNA and protein levels were found in proanthocyanidins-treated RAW264.7 cells. Further, proanthocyanidins enhanced nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 translocation into the nucleus. RAW264.7 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without proanthocyanidins, and inflammatory mediator expression levels were assessed. Proanthocyanidins treatment resulted in the attenuation of nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6, was inhibited by proanthocyanidins treatment in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. These findings support proanthocyanidins as a promising anti-inflammatory agent.

Kant on 'the Highest Good of a Possible World' (칸트에서 '가능한 세계의 최고선')

  • PAEK, CHONG-HYON
    • Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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    • no.96
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    • pp.39-70
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    • 2012
  • In order to locate Kant's concept of the highest good within ethics and the theory of moral religion, it needs to be approached with some qualifications: there are two rough ways to be suggested. The first way is to focus on the concept of the highest good that is explained in terms of the happiness in proportion to a rational being's virtue or to his/her worthiness to be happy. But the happiness determined in the sense outlined above would be (increasingly or decreasingly) changeable according to each one's individual morality-this is what is meant by each one's 'worthiness' here-, and would not be seen as the perfect one. It might even be said that this kind of happiness is possible in a sensible world generally taken, if the existence of God thought of as harmonizing natural phenomena and the moral order is successfully presupposed. The other way is to understand the concept of the highest good literally: in this view, the highest good shows that a rational being's character is completely appropriate to the moral law and for him/her, its corresponding idea, i.e., the perfect happiness, is considered with full justification. But the highest good in the sense sketched above-along with the existence of God and the immortality of the soul-is expected to be realized only in an intelligible world generally taken. This means that it should be appraised as an ideal of the highest good that includes the so-called 'physical happiness' specified in terms of the first way as its element. In this regard, it is seen to be somewhat restricted. Between the two concepts of the highest good already touched upon, the highest good of the possible world would be the one established in terms of the first way. In other words, it is not the highest good in an intelligible world, but the highest good in this world. Of course, it is true that we cannot help but assume the existence of God-a being as higher, as moral, as most holy, and as omnipotent-in order to explain the highest good in this world (namely, in order to establish the possibility of the combination of the happiness and the worthiness). For as long as both morally good acts and the happiness are considered to happen in a natural world, the cause of the nature (i.e., the existence of its creator), that is, God, must be able to be presupposed. In this vein, Kant interprets that most people view that the key of the Bible is to show that the best world which is characterized by an intelligible or heavenly kingdom is also actually feasible in this world. The wish of the people who have the morally good character is that God's kingdom comes and his will is properly achieved in this world. But we cannot know what God really does in order to realize his world in this world. Nonetheless, we are fully aware of what we should do in order to make ourselves a member of his world. It is specified like this: we should do our ethical duties and further proceed to establish an ethical community. Viewed this manner, it is concluded that an ethical community is not a merely ideal thing like the kingdom of the ends, but a human apparatus or institution that exists in this world.