• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to determine the quantity of selenium in grains by hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Two sample preparation methods, beaker and microwave digestions, are compared and the former shows better result. The optimum condition for hydride generation is 4.0 M for HCl, 3% for $NaBH_4$ with the sample flow of 0.6 mL/min. The detection limit is 0.02 ${\mu}g/kg$($3{\sigma}$) and improved by 10 times. Isobaric interferences on Se is removed by Octopole Reactoin Cell and $H_2$ (3.8 mL/min) shows better performance over He. However, in case Br exists in a matrix, $H_2$ could induce interferences on m/z 80 and 82 ($^{80}[BrH]^+$ and $^{82}[BrH]^+$). The accuracy of this experiment is examined successfully by analyzing several reference materials. The results for several domestic grain analysis show that the concentrations are between 12.7 ${\mu}g/kg$ and 29.6 ${\mu}g/kg$.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.102-108
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• 2017

Purpose: Many metal ions released from dental casting alloys have been reported to influence the intraoral symptoms of oral lichen planus (OLP) and burning mouth syndrome (BMS). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between salivary metal ion levels and the prosthetic duration as well as to evaluate the time-dependent morbid effects of metal ions in OLP and BMS patients. Methods: Three study groups consist of the following subjects respectively: 17 OLP patients, 12 BMS patients, and 12 patients without oral symptoms. The salivary concentrations of 13 metal ions (copper, cobalt, zinc, chromium, nickel, aluminum, silver, iron, titanium [Ti], platinum, tin, palladium, and gold) were measured by Laser Ablation Microprobe Inductively coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Results: The Ti ions had statistically significant differences among the groups with a prosthetic duration of less than 5 years. There were no significant differences between all ion levels among the groups wearing dental cast alloys for over 5 years. In the BMS group, the level of Ti ions in patients with prosthetic restorations less than 5 years old were significantly high (p<0.05). Conclusions: In the BMS group, 3-60 months during which salivary Ti levels were higher were matched with the duration of burning symptoms ($15.6{\pm}17.1months$). Furthermore, Ti ions were statistically high in the oral cavity of BMS patients fitted with dental casting alloys for 5 years. These results suggest that Ti ions released from dental implants and oral prostheses could attribute to burning sensation of BMS.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.313-318
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• 2014

From 2008 to 2013, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected from a major area of mussel production (Changseon area), which is a designated shellfish-cultivating area for export, located on the southern coast of Korea. The samples were analyzed for mercury (Hg) using a direct Hg analyzer and for other metals, such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentrations and bioaccumulation of the heavy metals were determined, and a potential risk assessment was conducted to evaluate their hazards towards human consumption. The concentration and bioaccumulation ratio of Cd were the highest of the three hazardous metals (Cd, Pb, and Hg). The concentrations of hazardous metals in all samples were within the limits set by Korea and other countries. The estimated dietary intake (EDI) was compared to the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) adopted by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EDIs of all heavy metals tested for mussel samples ranged from 0.01 to 4.99% of the PTDI; the highest value was measured for As. The hazard index (HI) can be used to assess the risk of heavy metal consumption associated with contaminated food. The HI for all samples was far less than 1.0, which indicates that the mussels produced in the Changseon area do not represent an appreciable hazard to humans and are fit for consumption.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 2014

Objectives: Along with the several cases of pulmonary disorders caused by exposure to indium that have been reported in Japan, China, and the United States, cases of Korean workers involved in processes that require handling of indium compounds with potential risk of exposure to indium compounds have also been reported. We performed biological monitoring for workers in various target manufacturing processes of indium, indium oxide, and indium tin oxide(ITO)/indium zinc oxide(IZO) in domestic factories. Materials: As biological exposure indices, we measured serum concentrations of indium using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and Krebs von den Lungen 6(KL-6) and surfactant protein D(SP-D) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We classified the ITO/IZO target manufacturing process into powdering, mixing, molding, sintering, polishing, bonding, and finishing. Results: The powdering process workers showed the highest serum indium level. The mixing and polishing process workers also showed high serum indium levels. In the powdering process, the mean indium serum concentration in the workers exceeded $3{\mu}g/L$, the reference value in Japan. Of the powdering, mixing, and polishing process workers, 83.3%, 50.0%, and 24.5%, respectively, had values exceeding the reference value in Japan. We suppose that the reason of the higher prevalence of high indium concentrations in powder processing workers was that most of the particles in the powdering process were respirable dust smaller than $10{\mu}m$. The mean KL-6 and SP-D concentrations were high in the powdering, mixing, and polishing process workers. Therefore, the workers in these processes who were at greater risk of exposure to indium powder were those who had higher serum levels of indium, as well as KL-6 and SP-D. We observed significant differences in serum indium, KL-6, and SP-D levels between the process groups. Conclusions: Five among the seven reported cases of "indium lung" in Japan involved polishing process workers. Polishing process workers in Korea also had high serum levels of indium, KL-6, and SP-D. The outcomes of this study can be used as essential bases for establishing biological monitoring measures for workers handling indium compounds, and for developing health-care guidelines and special medical surveillance in Korea.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2015

Using laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), we evaluated the reliability of trace element abundance data measured from the silicate rock references of JR-3, JG-3, JGb-1 and JB-1b using glass discs made by alkali fusion. For 28 elements including rare earth elements, relative standard deviations (RSD) are better than 7% in case when the concentrations of the elements in the rock samples are greater than 10 ppm. However, RSD shows somewhat increased values for the concentrations less than 10 ppm, but never exceeds 25%. Compared with previously reported averages of the compiled abundance data, our data display satisfactory results for the most cases with differences less than 10%. We suggest that LA-ICP-MS analysis using fused glass beads is a reliable, precise and time-saving method of trace element analysis for the silicate rocks spanning from mafic to felsic compositions.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.180-185
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• 1997

Zinc, cadmium, lead and copper were simultaneously determined by depositing metals at - 1.200 V vs. a Ag/AgCl(sat. KCl) reference electrode for 150 seconds on a hanging mercury drop electrode(HMDE) or a thin mercury film electrode(TMFE), followed by scanning towards anodic direction using differential pulse voltammetric(DPASV) and square wave voltammetric(SWASV) techniques. The linear calibration curves were obtained for four metal ions simultaneously determined by DPASV with a HMDE in the concentration range between 20 and 100 ppb. However, the linear calibration plots were obtained only for $Cd^{2+}$ and $Pb^{2+}$ in the simultaneous determinations with a TMFE in the concentration range up to 100 ppb using DPASV and up to 10 ppb using SWASV. DPASV with a TMFE was about 15 times more sensitive than DPASV with a HMDE for simultaneous determinations of $Cd^{2+}$ and $Pb^{2+}$. SWASV was about 5 times more sensitive than DPASV at a TMFE. Concentrations of zinc in seven different sediment samples determined by DPASV with a HMDE and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry were compared, resulting with an excellent correlation coefficient of 0.9993 and with no significant difference between two methods after t-test.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.357-365
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• 2010

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz is commonly applied to the age dating of Quaternary sediments. However, one of the issues is that some of the quartz samples are not suitable to OSL dating. Mineralogical analysis of the quartz samples with diverse OSL signals are required to strengthen the reliability and applicability of the OSL dating. We analysed the OSL signal characteristics of sedimentary quartz samples from diverse geological environments and measured their trace element contents using laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Quartz samples could be grouped into ones suitable to OSL dating and ones unsuitable on the basis of their OSL signal characteristics. The average trace element contents ranged from 73 to 260 ppm (Al), and from 61 to 248 ppm (Ti) with minor Li, Mg, Cr, Mn, and Fe contents below 40 ppm. We did not find any significant variation of trace element contents of quartz samples consistent with their OSL signal characteristics. This indicates unknown mineralogical factors causing diverse OSL characteristics which should be confirmed by further analysis of sufficient set of samples.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.283-287
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• 2014

This study determined the hazardous heavy metal content of mushrooms from markets in Seoul, Korea. One hundred and fifty mushroom samples were digested by the microwave method then the hazardous heavy metal (Pb, Cd, As, Cr, Ni and Hg) content was determined by the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and mercury analyzer. The average values of heavy metals in the samples were as follows: (mean [minimum-maximum], ${\mu}g/kg$); Pb 7.8 (1.9-30.0), Cd 45.3 (0.7-292.4), As 54.6 (24.2-229.3), Cr 42.6 (8.4-334.3), Ni 22.4 (up to 180.4), and Hg 8.9 (2.0-25.0). The contents of hazardous heavy metal in mushrooms were lower than those reported previously and also lower than the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) limit prescribed by the FAO/WHO. Thus, it could be suggested that the hazardous heavy metals levels in the mushrooms of retail market were adequately safe for consumption.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2004

The objective was to evaluate the factors influencing on the growth of children aged 3 - 6 years by mini dietary assessment and anthropometric indices in 556 children and by analyzing mineral contents of hair from 273 children by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean concentration of zinc (Zn) in hair was 68.9 $\pm$ 31.1 ppm and the zinc level of 91 ％ children was less than 60％ of the reference value of 180 ppm. The mean content of lead (Pb) in hair was 1.76 $\pm$ 1.20 ppm, but only 67％ of 273 children was within the reference value of 2 ppm and the lead level of 33％ of children was 2 - 4 times higher than the reference value. The level of Zn was negatively correlated with Pb content (r = -0.305, p 〈 0.01). Hair Zn content, regardless of age, was significantly positively correlated with height (r = 0.214) and body weight (r = 0.159). The height of 95.3％ children was belonged to the normal range of 90 - 109.9％ of standard value and the body weight of 49.8％ children was in the range of 90 - 109.9％ of standard value. However, 8.1 ％ children was overweighted (110 - 119.9％ of standard) and 9.4％ children was obese (120 - 149.9％ of standard) and 0.9％ children was severe obese (〉 150％) which resulted in total 10.3％ obese. Contrary to our expectation, 32.8％ children was underweight (70 - 89.9％ of standard) and 36％ of the underweight children showed the low content of zinc (10 - 49 ppm) in hair. There was no significant correlation between dietary intake of Zn and hair Zn content. Hair Zn content was low even though children consumed greater than 75％ of their requirement for zinc. Regardless of dietary intake of Zn, hair Zn level was rather negatively correlated to the content of Pb in hair. 38.8％ children had an unbalanced diet which resulted in lower intake of calorie, Ca, Zn, vitamin B$_2$ compared with those consuming variety of foods. Therefore, it would be needed that new approach for nutrition education to improve eating habit having the unbalanced diet in preschool children. It might be also suggested to develop new food products to complement the nutrients of Zn, Ca, Fe as snacks or dietary supplement for Korean preschool children.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.377-383
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• 2019

Objectives: Exposure to fine particles in urban air has been associated with a number of negative health effects. High levels of fine particles have been detected at underground stations in big cities. We investigated the exposure conditions in four occupational groups in the Stockholm underground train system to identify high-exposed groups and study variations in exposure. Methods: $PM_1$ and $PM_{2.5}$ were measured during three full work shifts on 44 underground workers. Fluctuations in exposure were monitored by a real-time particle monitoring instrument, pDR, DataRAM. Qualitative analysis of particle content was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Nitrogen dioxide was measured using passive monitors. Results: For all underground workers, the geometric mean (GM) of $PM_1$ was $18{\mu}g/m^3$ and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $37{\mu}g/m^3$. The particle exposure was highest for cleaners/platform workers, and the GM of $PM_1$ was $31.6{\mu}g/m^3$ [geometric standard deviation (GSD), 1.6] and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $76.5{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.3); the particle exposure was lowest for ticket sellers, and the GM of $PM_1$ was $4.9{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 2.1) and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $9.3{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.5). The $PM_1$ and $PM_{2.5}$ levels were five times higher in the underground system than at the street level, and the particles in the underground had high iron content. The train driver's nitrogen dioxide exposure level was $64.1{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.5). Conclusions: Cleaners and other platform workers were statistically significantly more exposed to particles than train drivers or ticket sellers. Particle concentrations ($PM_{2.5}$) in the Stockholm underground system were within the same range as in the New York underground system but were much lower than in several older underground systems around the world.