• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.510-515
• /
• 2018

In the present study, we investigated the anti-oxidant activities of selenium-treated Spinacia oleracea L. by utilizing experiments in vitro assays. The selenium content of non-treated spinach in this study was noted at $61.19{\mu}g/kg$, whereby the selenium-treated spinach which was treated by a 2000 mg/kg selenium was 1000-fold diluted, and was reported to be about 4 times higher than that of non-treated spinach. In this case, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity in the concentration of selenium-treated spinach, 0.1~1.0 mg/mL was measured as stronger than that of the identified non-treated spinach. By the same token, the DPPH radical activity of non-treated spinach and selenium-treated spinach was recorded as 46.05~52.75% and 49.52~59.09% respectively. It is emphasized that the 2,2'-azino-di-2-ethyl-benzthiazoline-sulphonate (ABTS) radical scavenging activity as revealed in the concentration of selenium-treated spinach, 0.1~1.0 mg/mL was noted as being stronger than that of non-treated spinach. The ABTS radical activity of non-treated spinach and selenium-treated spinach was 11.85~52.01% and 27.14~53.59% respectively. In this respect, the nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging activity and reducing power activity in the concentration of selenium-treated spinach, 0.1~1.0 mg/mL was identified and noted as stronger than that of non-treated spinach. These results suggest that selenium-treated spinach could possibly be more useful as a potential antioxidant to improve human health outcomes, than the non-treated spinach.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.110-118
• /
• 2019

BACKGROUND: Residual organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are designated as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by Stockholm Convention because they bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effect to human health and the environment. Apple and pear is economic crop in agriculture, and its cultivation area and yield has been increased. Therefore, we tried to investigate the OCPs residue in apple and pear orchard soils and fruits. METHODS AND RESULTS: Extraction and clean-up method were developed using the modified QuEChERS method for residual organochlorine pesticides (ROCPs) in apple and pear orchard soil and fruits. Recovery and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of ROCPs in soil and fruits were 75.4-101.4 and 76.9-93.4%, 0.03-0.21 and $0.6-1.2{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. Detected ROCPs in apple and pear orchard soil was 2,4-DDT, 4,4-DDD, 4,4-DDE, 4,4-DDT, and endosulfan sulfate, the residues were 2.2, 1.9-48.0, 1.3-84.1, 90.6-863.1, and $11.3-239.0{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. But five pesticides in all fruit samples were not detected. CONCLUSION: These results showed that ROCPs residues in apple and pear orchard soil had no effect on safety of agricultural products.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.333-340
• /
• 2019

As the number of students in the multicultural background grows, the interest in their education is also increasing. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of forest healing factors on the improvement of language ability and ego-resilience of students from multicultural families. We conducted an after-school forest healing program of ten male and ten female middle school students of a multicultural preparatory school located in ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$-dong in Cheongju, Chungnam Province. The experiment consisted of a total of 12 weekly one-hour (60 minutes) programs from April 12, 2018 to June 26, 2018. The forest healing program is an activity that uses the various environmental factors that exist in the forest to increase the immunity of the human body and restore physical and mental health. To determine the difference in ego-resilience before and after the program, we conducted a paired t-test and analyzed with the SPSS 18.0 program. The results showed that the ego-resilience significantly improved in all sub-factors including the positive thinking ability, problem-solving ability, intimacy ability, emotional adjustment ability, and autonomic behavior ability (p<.001). The descriptive statistics of the language ability showed the improvement in writing errors, pronunciation errors, sentence errors, tense errors, and errors in research and connection. We expect the results of this study can be used as the basic data to improve ego-resilience and language acquisition ability of middle-entry children and students from multicultural families.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.59-64
• /
• 2019

This study suggests a conceptual strategy and methodology for the risk assessment of the domestic abandoned mine fillers with fly ash. The fillers are composed of coal fly ash and solidification materials, and contain little toxic substances such as carbonates but also some heavy metals; therefore, those requires a risk assessment. The risk assessment should primarily focus on estimation of the effects to human health both on carcinogen and non-carcinogen aspects. The significant data such as toxicity and partition coefficients can be obtained from the national soil or mine environmental risk assessment guidelines. Accurate risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in the fillers may consume lots of time and efforts through site survey and instrumental analyses, etc. Moreover, it is inefficient to explore all of the factors as concentrations and categories in every heavy metal in the fillers, due to a high variety and complexity. Therefore, implementation of a preliminary risk assessment is suggested by using the literature data and the basic characteristics of the filler samples prior to the detailed risk assessment. Certainly, this presumes a thorough understanding of reliable sample analysis methods, exposure pathways, and relevant physicochemical and biological mechanisms.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.263-272
• /
• 2019

Air pollutants have a high impact on everyday life as well as on human health; therefore, new technologies such as low-emission vehicles and add-on systems for air pollutant reduction are needed for our society. However, the environmental benefits and costs of those technologies are not taken into account in existing economic feasibility assessments, which is a barrier that needs to be overcome for green technology to achieve wide dissemination and fast penetration in the market. Thus, this study develops a methodology to assess the economic feasibility of an air pollutant reduction technology by taking into account the social costs from air pollutants and carries out a case study to validate the methodology. Because the social unit costs for air pollutants have not been evaluated yet in South Korea, the methodology uses the social unit costs evaluated for the European Union that are then converted to those for South Korea based on the measuring criteria for vehicle emission gases, parity purchasing price, foreign currency exchange rate, and customer price index. The social unit costs for South Korea are used to assess economic feasibility. A case study was performed to assess the economic feasibility of a dual fuel system using diesel and compressed natural gas by taking into account social costs from air pollutants as well as economic costs. This study could contribute to assessing the true economic feasibility of green technology, projects, and policy related with air pollutant reduction.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.226-233
• /
• 2019

Ochratoxin A (OTA) that is one of mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus spp. is a common contaminant of stored grains and poses health hazards to human and livestock. The aim of this study is to explore the ability of isolated bacteria Bacillus subtilis AF13 and Streptomyces shenzhenensis YR226 to inhibit growth and OTA production of 3 ochratoxigenic Aspergillus strains. The antifungal activity against mycelial growth and sporulation of Aspergillus strains was examined by coculture with AF13 and YR226 on potato dextrose agar plate. AF13 and YR226 reduced 77.58 and 78.48% of fungal colony radius, respectively, and both strains inhibited fungal sporulation up to 99% in 10 days of incubation. YR226 also reduced more than 91% of spore germination of 3 fungal strains. When Aspergillus strains were cocultured with AF13 or YR226 in yeast extract sucrose medium, mycelial growth and OTA production decreased in all three fungal strains. In particular, AF13 completely inhibited the mycelial growth of A. alutaceus and inhibited its OTA production by 99%, and YR226 also reduced mycelial growth and toxin production up to 99%, respectively. Antimicrobial substances produced by AF13 and YR226 included siderophore, chitinase, protease, ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase and biosurfactant. These results suggest that AF13 and YR226 can be used in a biological method to prevent valuable crops against mycotoxigenic fungi, and therefore decrease economic damage in agriculture and feed industry.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.9
• /
• pp.941-948
• /
• 2019

Colorectal cancer is a major health problem in industrialized countries. Ziyuglycoside II ($3{\beta}-3-{\alpha}$-1- arabinopyranosyloxy-19-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oicacid), a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the roots of Sanguisorba officinalis L., possesses antioxidant, antiangiogenic, and anticancer properties. However, the therapeutic function of ziyuglycoside II in colitis-associated colorectal carcinogenesis is undefined. In the present study, the effect of ziyuglycoside II on colitis-associated colon cancer induced in mice using azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was explored. The AOM model recapitulates many features of human colon cancer, but it lacks an inflammatory component. DSS induces colitis and promotes AOM-induced colon cancer in mice. BALB/c mice were injected with AOM and administered 2% DSS in drinking water. The mice were given ziyuglycoside II (1 or 5 mg/kg) orally three times per week, and colonic tissue was collected at 64 days. Administration of ziyuglycoside II markedly diminished the formation of colonic tumors. Western blot and immunohistological analyses showed that ziyuglycoside II noticeably decreased nuclear factor kappa-B-positive cells and levels of inflammation-related proteins, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and interleukin-6 in colon tissue. It also prompted apoptosis. Ziyuglycoside II treatment augmented cleaved forms of caspase-3, caspase-7, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase in colonic tissues. In conclusion, ziyuglycoside II could defend against colitis-associated tumorigenesis in mice by inhibiting inflammation and inducing apoptosis. This shows a promising chemopreventive potential for its use in colitis-associated colon cancer.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.266-273
• /
• 2019

Heavy metal contamination in freshwater ecosystem has been receiving increased worldwide attention due to their direct or indirect effect on human health and aquatic organisms. In this study, we investigated biological effects such as survival rate, growth rate, emergence rate, sex ratio and mouthpart deformity of Chironomus plumosus. The survival rate of C. plumosus decreased with the increase in heavy metal concentration as well as exposure time after cadmium (Cd) or zinc (Zn) exposure. The growth rate decreased at days 4 and 7 after Cd exposure and significantly reduced at the relatively high concentration of $50mg\;L^{-1}$ Cd. The emergence rate was decreased at $50mg\;L^{-1}$ Cd and $100mg\;L^{-1}$ Zn. The sex ratio showed imbalance pattern at relatively low concentrations (0.5 and $2mg\;L^{-1}$ Cd) with high proportion of male and relatively high concentration ($100mg\;L^{-1}$ Zn) with high proportion of female (60%). In addition, mentum deformities were observed at high concentration of Cd and Zn. These results suggest that heavy metal exposure in aquatic ecosystem may affect biological and morphological responses, and aquatic midge C. plumosus is a potential indicator for assessment of environmental pollutant such as heavy metals.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.8
• /
• pp.922-940
• /
• 2019

Obesity, represented by abnormal fat accumulation due to an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, is a major public health issue worldwide, leading to multiple noncommunicable diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Diverse solutions have been proposed to combat obesity. Attention has focused on two types of adipose tissues as a promising therapeutic target in obesity: traditional brown and beige or brite. Unlike energy-storing white adipose (endocrine) tissue, traditional brown adipose tissue and beige adipose tissue have energy-dissipating thermogenic properties. Both types of tissue are present in adult humans and inducible through external stimuli, such as cold exposure, ${\beta}3$-adrenergic receptor agonists, and phytochemicals. Among these stimuli, microbiota present in the human intestinal tract participate in multiple metabolic activities. Modulation of gut microbiota may offer a potent and possibly curative strategy against various metabolic diseases. Numerous studies have focused on the effects of established antiobesity treatments on the gut microenvironment or brown-adipose-tissue activation. In this review, we focus mainly on stimuli known to alleviate obesity, weight gain, and metabolic diseases, in addition to known and possible inter-relations between gut microbiota modulation and similar interventions and adipose tissue browning. The findings may pave the way toward new strategies against obesity.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2015.05a
• /
• pp.221-221
• /
• 2015

Sustainable use of water resource and conservation of water quality are essential problems in the world. Especially, problems of water quality are serious one for human health as well as ecological system of all creatures on the earth. Recently, the importance of total effluent load as well as the concentrations of pollutant materials has been recognized not only for the conservation of water quality but also for sustainable water use in watersheds. However, the measurement or estimation of total effluent load from non-point source area such as farm lands or forests may be more difficult because both of concentration and discharge of the water are greatly changed depending on various factors especially metrological conditions such as rainfall, while the measurement from a point source area may be easy because the concentration of pollutant materials and amount of discharge water are relatively steady. Therefore, the total effluent load from a non-point source is often estimated by statistical relationships between concentration and discharge, which is called as L-Q equation. However, a lot of work and time are required to collect and analyze water samples and to get the accurate relationship or regressive equation. So, we proposed a new system for direct measurement of total effluent load of water quality from non-point source areas to solve the problem. In this system, the overflow depth at a hydraulic weir is measured with a pressure gage every hourly interval to calculate the amount of hourly discharge at first. Then, the operating time of a small electric pump to collect an amount of water which is proportional to the discharge is calculated to intake the water into a storage tank. The stored water is taken out a few days later in a case of storm event or several weeks later in a case of non-rainfall event and the concentrations of water quality such as total nitrogen and phosphorous are analyzed in a laboratory. Finally, total load of the water quality can be calculated by multiplying the concentration by the total volume of discharge. The system was installed in a small experimental forestry watershed to check the performance and know the total load of water quality from the forest. It was found that the system to collect a proportional amount of water to actual discharge operated perfectly and a total load of water quality was analyzed accurately. As the result, it was expected that the system will be very available to know the total load from a non-point source area.