• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.216-226
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• 2022

Background: The amount of smoking in adolescence increases with a younger age of smoking initiation and affects physical health. To establish and evaluate smoking-related policies, it is important to determine actual smoking status. Validation of self-reported questionnaires can identify the accuracy of the questionnaire data reflecting smoking status. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of self-reported smoking status and identify factors affecting the accuracy of self-reported smoking in South Korean adolescents. Methods: This study investigated the consistency between cotinine concentrations and self-reported questionnaire data through the analysis of urine samples collected from 922 adolescents aged 13~18 among the participants of Cycle 3 of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey. Smoking status was classified using the cotinine cut-off point of 39.85 ㎍/L in adolescents, and factors affecting the accuracy were analyzed through multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The smoking rates according to the self-reported questionnaire and cut-off point-based cotinine concentrations among adolescents were 3.1% and 5.1%, respectively. The results found 97.1% consistency between self-reported smokers and smokers according to cotinine concentration. Factors affecting the discrepancy showed a significant relationship, including gender, secondhand smoke, and use of e-cigarettes. Conclusions: The results can be used as basic data to establish a smoking policy for adolescents through continuous monitoring and improvement of questionnaire items of factors affecting the discrepancy.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.450-464
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• 2016

Objectives: This study developed and validated reference materials (RMs) to analyze metal compounds in blood. Methods: We referred to KoNEHS (Korea National Environmental Health Survey) to estimate concentrations of blood metals (cadmium, Cd; lead, Pb; mercury, Hg) and applied analytical methods (inductively coupled plasma - mass spectroscopy, ICP-MS, for Cd and Pb; graphite furnace - atomic absorption spectrometry, GF-AAS, for Cd and Pb; and direct mercury analyzer, DMA, for Hg). Homogeneity and stability tests were carried out. In addition, certified values and uncertainties of RMs were calculated through internal and external experiments. All RMs were developed and assessed in various forms according to element, analytical method, and two types of concentration levels high concentration for occupational exposure and low concentration for environmental exposure. Results: All samples showed acceptable homogeneity, except for low concentration of Cd in the GF-AAS method. Short- and long-term stabilities were satisfied by ANOVA testing. In the inter-laboratory comparison, robust medians were lower than the certified values of all RMs (robust median/reference value; $1.301/1.327{\mu}g/L$ for Cd, ICP-MS, low concentration; $3.152/3.388{\mu}g/L$ for Cd, ICP-MS, high concentration; $1.219/1.301{\mu}g/L$ for Cd, GF-AAS, low concentration; $3.074/3.321{\mu}g/L$ for Cd, GF-AAS, high concentration; $14.473/14.516{\mu}g/L$ for Pb, ICP-MS, low concentration; $50.069/50.114{\mu}g/L$ for Pb, ICP-MS, high concentration; $12.881/14.147{\mu}g/L$ for Pb, GF-AAS, low concentration; $47.015/47.591{\mu}g/L$ for Pb, GF-AAS, high concentration; $4.059/4.218{\mu}g/L$ for Hg, DMA, low concentration; $11.474/11.181{\mu}g/L$ for Hg, DMA, high concentration). Conclusion: This study demonstrates procedures for developing and validating RMs for biomonitoring in the field of the environmental health.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제45권5호
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• pp.541-555
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine heavy metal exposure levels in the blood and urine of a nationally representative adult population in Korea, and to identify the major influence factors for exposure through linkage analysis using questionnaire data. Methods: Biological samples and questionnaire data were collected from adults aged 18 and over who had participated in the Korean National Environmental Health Survey from 2009 to 2017. Lead, mercury, and cadmium exposure levels were presented with geometric mean and 95th percentiles. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting heavy metal concentrations. Results: Blood lead levels increased slightly in Cycle 2 compared to Cycle 1, but decreased in Cycle 3. Blood and urinary mercury and urinary cadmium levels decreased over time. The main influence factors included gender, age, and smoking status for blood lead levels; gender, age, and intake of fish at least once a week for blood mercury levels; and age for urinary cadmium levels. Conclusion: The Korean National Environmental Health Survey is an effective tool for confirming over-time changes in exposure to lead, mercury, and cadmium in Korean adults and to identify its influence factors. The results of this study are expected to present basic data for calculating reference values and baseline exposure levels for environmental chemicals in Korean adults.