• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.156-165
• /
• 2001

A radiological safety assessment was performed for a hypothetical near-surface radioactive waste repository as a simple screening calculation to identify important nuclides and to provide insights on the data needs for a successful demonstration of compliance. Individual effective doses were calculated for a conservative ground water pathway scenario considering well drilling near the site boundary. Sensitivity of resulting ingestion dose to input parameter values was also analyzed using Monte Carlo sampling. Considering peak dose rate and assessment time scale, C-14 and T-129 were identified as important nuclides and U-235 and U-238 as potentially important nuclides. For C-14, the dose was most sensitive to Darcy velocity in aquifer The distribution coefficient showed high degree of sensitivity for I-129 release.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.78-84
• /
• 2020

Purpose: In acute acetaminophen poisoning, the administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can effectively treat the main complications, such as kidney injury and liver failure. In the current situation, measurements of the acetaminophen concentration are not checked in the usual medical facilities. Therefore, this study examined the factors of determining the administration of NAC in addition to the stated amount of intake. Methods: The medical records of patients who visited Ajou University Hospital emergency center with acetaminophen poisoning from January 2015 to December 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. One hundred and seventy-nine patients were initially included. Among these patients, 82 patients were finally selected according to the inclusion criteria in the study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: patients who were 15 years of age or older; those whose ingested dose, ingested time, and body weight were clearly identified; and patients whose acetaminophen sampling time was within 24 hours. Patients were divided into two groups: NAC administered vs. non-NAC administered. The following variables were compared in these two groups: ingested dose, ingested dose per body weight, hospital arrival time after ingestion, suicide attempt history, psychiatric disease history, classification of toxic/non-toxic groups, duration of hospitalization, and laboratory results. Results: Univariate analysis revealed the ingested dose per body weight, hospital arrival time after ingestion, suicide attempt history, and psychiatric disease history to be the determining factors in administering NAC. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the ingested dose per body weight was the only significant factor leading to an NAC treatment decision. (Odds ratio=1.039, 95% Confidential interval=1.009-1.070, p=0.009) Conclusion: The ingested dose per body weight was the only determining factor for administering NAC in patients with acute acetaminophen poisoning. On the other hand, additional criteria or indicators for the NAC administration decision will be necessary considering the inaccuracy of the ingested dose per body weight and the efficiency of NAC administration.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
• /
• v.59 no.11
• /
• pp.1097-1102
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To report a case of toxic optic neuropathy caused by chlorfenapyr ingestion accompanied by central nervous system involvement. Case summary: A 44-year-old female visited our clinic complaining of reduced visual acuity in both eyes for 7 days. She had ingested a mouthful of chlorfenapyr for a suicide attempt 2 weeks prior to the visit. Gastric lavage was performed immediately after ingestion at the other hospital. Her best-corrected visual acuity was finger count 30 cm in the right eye and hand motion in the left eye. Both pupils were dilated by 5.0 mm and the response to light was sluggish in both eyes. A relative afferent pupillary defect was detected in her left eye. Funduscopy revealed optic disc swelling in both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a symmetric hyper-intense signal in the white matter tract including the internal capsule, corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, and brainstem. The patient was diagnosed with toxic optic neuropathy induced by chlorfenapyr ingestion, and underwent high-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy. Three days later, the best-corrected visual acuity was no light perception in both eyes. Three months later, optic atrophy was observed in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography revealed a reduction in the thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer in the macular area. Conclusions: Ingestion of even a small amount of chlorfenapyr can cause severe optic nerve damage through the latent period, despite prompt lavage and high-dose steroid treatment.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.107-111
• /
• 2009

The alcohol extract of the larvae of Bombus ignitus, otherwise known as the Bumblebee, was orally administered to rats at doses of 0, 0.04, 0.2, 1 or 2 g/kg as a single oral dose. There were no observed clinical signs or deaths related to treatment in all the groups tested. Therefore, the approximate lethal dose of the alcohol extract of B. ignitus was considered to be higher than 2 g/kg in rats. Mild decreases in body weight gain in male rats were observed dose-dependently within the B. ignitus treated groups over 2 weeks. Throughout the administration periods, no significant changes in diet consumption, ophthalmologic findings, clinical pathology (hematology, clinical chemistry and coagulation) or gross pathology were detected. Minor changes in male rats were found with in the hematological parameters in groups treated with the 0.04 g/kg, 1 g/kg or 2 g/kg of B. ignitus larvae extract, however, all the changes observed were within the physiological range. From these results, it was concluded that there was no evidence of specific toxicity related to the ingestion of alcohol extract of B. ignitus larvae.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.131-142
• /
• 1990

The selective toxicity of lead was tested in central catecholaminergic nervous system of postnatally lead exposed rats. Three groups of animals were prepared; 1) rats exposed to low dose of lead (0.05%PbAc); 2) rats exposed to high dose of lead(0.2%PbAc); 3) age-matched normal control rats. At2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age brain and body weight gain, and lead concentrations in brain tissues were measured. At the same ages tyrosine hydroxylase and Na-K ATPase activities were measured in the 4 brain areas of each animal. Body weight gain was decreased after 6 weeks of age in rats exposed to high dose of lead. Concentrations of lead in whole brain tissues were increased from 0.37 to 0.83 (ng/mg wet tissue) in these animals. in lead exposed rats, tyrosine hydroxylase activities were higher but Na-K ATPase activities were lower than those of age-matched control animals. Brain areas where tyrosine hydroxylase activities were detected without concomitant changes of Na-K ATPase activities were pons-medulla (2 weeks of age) and telencephalon (6 weeks of age) in rats exposed to low dose of lead, and those in rats exposed to high dose of lead were midbrain (4 and 6 weeks of age). These data indicate that catecholaminergic nervous system in the brain areas described above could selectively be affected by lead.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.2 no.5
• /
• pp.735-744
• /
• 1997

The effect of green tea drinking on the hepatocellular chemical cacinogenesis have been studied. Placental glutathione S-transferase(GST-P) positive foci area in a liver tissue, contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS), total cytochrome P450 and glucose 6-phospphatase(G6P) activity in hepatic microsomes were investigated. Weaning Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed AIN-76A diet with deionized water or green tea infusion, Rats of CTR and CTR+ groups were provided deionized water while GTI and GTI+ groups were provided green tea instead of deionized water for the entire experimental period of 13weeks. Rats of GTP and GTP + groups had deionized water for the first 6 weeks and switched to green tea for the last 7weeks of the experimental period. CTR+, GTI +, and GTP + groups were carcinogen treated groups, Diethylnitrosamine(DEN) was injected as a single dose of 200mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally after 4 weeks of feeding. 2-Acetyla-minofluorene(AAF) was used as a carcinogen proliferater and suppled in the diets of carcinogen treated rats as 0.02% content for the last 6weeks starting from 2weeks after DEN injection. Rats were sacrificed after 13week weeks of feeding. The area and number of GST-P positive foci detected in carcinogen treated rats were decreased by green tea ingestion but when timing and duration of green tea ingestion was delayed after promotion period as in GTP + group, GST-P positive foci were not decreased as much as in GTI+ group. TBARS contents of carcinogen treated rats decreased by 13weeks of green tea ingestion but GTP groups did not show statiscally significant differences. G6P activities tended to decrease by carcinogen treatment but changes were not statiscally significant by green tea ingestion. Total cytochrome P450 contents were increased by carcinogen treatment. Thirteen weeks of green tea ingestion (GTI) also increased to total cytochrome P450 contents while 7weeks of green tea ingestion(GTP) did show any effects. These results suggest that green tea has suppressive effects on hepatocellular chemical carcinogenesis probably through the activities of antioxidant compounds. (Korean J Community utrition 2(5) : 735∼744, 1997)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.284.3-285
• /
• 2002

Paraquat(methyl viologen) is a bis-quaternary ammonium compound as a wide range herbicide. which was first introduced as an oxidation-reduction indicator dye. When paraquat(fatal dose. 1-2g) was administered to men, the oxido-reduction system of cell was repeatedly acted to perpetuate the cell membrane system, Many death cases had been occurred after ingestion of paraquat around Daejon area for the last six months. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1994.04a
• /
• pp.335-335
• /
• 1994

Possibility whether lead ingestion can cause selective toxicity to central serotonergic nervous system in rats was tested. Three groups of wistar rats; 1)Control, 2) Low dose and 3) High dose groups, were prepared. In prenatally lead-exposed rats, until parturition from dams, rat pups were intoxicated via placenta of mother rats having received drinking water containing either 0%(control ), 0.05%(low dose) or 0.2%(high dose) of lead acetate respectively, In postnatally lead-exposed rats, right after parturition from dams rat pups received drinking water containing either 0％ (control), 0.05%(low dose) or 0.2％(high dose) of lead acetate. At 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activity and Na$\^$+//K$\^$+/-ATPase activity were measured in 4 areas of rat brain; Telencephalon, Diencephalon, Midbrain and Pons/Medulla. TPH activities were assayed by modified method of Beevers et al. (1983) using L-(5-$^3$H)-tryptophan as substrate. TPH activity was determined as a criterion of lead poisoning to central serotonergic nervous system and Na$\^$+//K$\^$+/-ATPase activity as a criterion of non specific lead poisoning to any kinds of tissues. Selective toxicity of lead poisoning to central serotonergic nervous system was evaluated by the changes of TPH activities without concomitant changes of Na$\^$+//K$\^$+/-ATPase activities. In prenatally lead-exposed rats. this selectivity was found in Telencephalon (2 weeks of age), Diencephalon/Midbrain (2 weeks of age), Midbrain (4 and 6 weeks of age), Pons/Medulla (2, 4 and 6 weeks of age) In rats exposed to low dose of lead and Pons/Medulla (2 weeks of age) to high dose of lead. In postnatal Iy lead-exposed rats, this selectivity was found in Telencephalon (8 weeks of age), Diencephalon(8 weeks of age), Pons/Medulla (6 and 8 weeks of age) in rats exposed to low dose of lead and Pons/Medulla (8 weeks of age) to high dose of lead. These results suggest that lead poisoning may exhibit selective toxicity to central serotonergic nervous system.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.2-10
• /
• 2020

Background: Huge amounts of radionuclides were released into the environment due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, which caused not only serious contamination on the ground, but also radiation exposure to the public. One problem that remains in performing the dose estimation is the difficulty of estimating the internal thyroid dose due to the intake of radioiodine (mainly, ¹³¹I) because of limitations to the human data available. Materials and Methods: The relevant papers were collected and reviewed by the authors. The results of thyroid dose estimates from different studies were tabulated for comparison. Results and Discussion: The thyroid dose estimates from the studies varied widely. The dose estimates by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation were higher than the others due to the ingestion dose being based on conservative assumptions. The dose estimates by Japanese experts were mostly below 20-30 mSv. The recent studies suggested that exposure on March 12, 2011 would be crucial for late evacuees from the areas near the FD-NPP because of the possible intake of short-lived radionuclides other than ¹³¹I. Further multilateral studies are vital to reduce uncertainties in the present dose estimations. Conclusion: The estimation of the thyroid doses to Fukushima residents still has many uncertainties. However, it is considered unlikely that the thyroid doses exceeded 50 mSv except in some extreme cases. Further multilateral studies are thus necessary to reduce the uncertainties in the present dose estimations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.837-842
• /
• 2019

A large amount of radioactive material was released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in 2011 and dispersed into the environment. Though seven years have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, some parts of Japan are still under the influence of radionuclide contamination, especially Fukushima Prefecture and prefectures neighboring Fukushima Prefecture. The long-term effective doses and the contributions of each exposure pathway (5 exposure pathways) and radionuclide ($^{131}I$, $^{134}Cs$, and $^{137}Cs$) were evaluated for people living in the regions of Fukushima and neighboring prefectures in Japan using a developed dose assessment code system with Japanese specific input data. The results estimated in this study were compared with data from previously published reports. Groundshine and ingestion were predicted to contribute most significantly to the total long-term dose for all regions. The contributions of each exposure pathway and radionuclide show different patterns for certain regions of Japan.