• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2001

The spatial distribution characteristics of airborbe mercury(Hg) were investigated used its concentration data from six measurement sites selected to represent:(1) three terminal sites with heavy traffic loads in urban area, (2) one urban residential site and (3) two mountainous sites in Korea. The measurement data obtained during September 1997 through May 1998 indicated that the mean concentration of Hg from different study sites were comparably high with the mean values spanning from 5-9ng./㎥. The concentration from all those sites were systmatically high compared to those of most background sites around world or to other Korean sites investigaed previously. When results of correlation analysis between Hg and relevant parameters were compared among different study sites. temperature was most frequently found out to be in strong correlation with Hg concentrations. Results of factor analysis also indicated that Hg concentrations could be affected simultaneously by th factors affecting such parameters as ozone, temperature, ozone, carbon monoxide, and PM. The findings of enhanced Hg levels from Ji-Ri Mountain relative to terminal site suggest that is distributions may be rather homogeneous not enough to clearly distinguish areal differences and the associated source signatures between urban and rural area. The existence of systmatically high concentrations from all investigated sites also indicate that the impact of its source processes should be quite ubiquitous, while highly variable in relatively long term scale.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 2003

The concentration of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg) was measured concurrently with relevant environmental parameters from Yang-Jae monitoring station in Seoul during Sept. 1997 to June 2002. Although data collection was disrupted for certain periods, the grand mean concentration of Hg for this five year period was found at 5.32 $\pm$ 3.53 ng m$^{-3}$ (N = 27,170). Because of short resolution of data acquisition, we were able to examine the temporal variability of Hg at varying time scale. The diurnal variability of Hg, when investigated for each of those five years, indicated consistently the dominance of nighttime over daytime. If examined at seasonal scale, Hg level was systematically higher during winter/spring than summer/fall period. The results of this short-term variability were best explained by the combined effects of such factors as meteorological conditions (formation of inversion layer and seasonal changes) and anthropogenic source processes. However, examination of long-term variation Pattern was much more complicated to explain. Thus, extension of our study is needed to diagnose the future direction in long-term trend of Hg behavior.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.1-5
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• 2016

Rhodamine B Hydrazide as a novel fluorescent and colorimetric probe exhibiting remarkably selective fluorescence enhancement toward Hg²⁺ ion over other 16 metal ions is herein introduced. The probe reacts with Hg²⁺ ion followed by its spirolactam ring-opening to give a remarkable enhancement of absorption maximum at 550 nm as well as an enhanced fluorescence intensity at 580 nm in aqueous media. Upon titration with Hg²⁺ ion in various concentration of 10~200 uM, we found that the probe shows a marked color change from colorless to pink, enabling naked-eye detection toward mercury ion. In addition, in the presence of Hg²⁺ ion, the probe gave rise to change from non-florescence to strong orange fluorescence (Off-On) with a good linearity of R²=0.97. This preliminary results demonstrate that the fluorescent chemosensor we herein introduced can open a new strategy for marked selective and sensitive detection of mercury ions in contaminated soil containing various metal ions.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.99-107
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• 2016

The adsorption of inorganic mercury, Hg (II), in aqueous solution has been investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of synthesized gold (Au) nanoparticle-coated silica as sorbent in comparison with activated carbon and Au-coated sand. The synthesis of the Au-coated silica was confirmed by x-ray diffraction (Bragg reflections at $38.2^{\circ}$, $44.4^{\circ}$, $64.6^{\circ}$, and $77.5^{\circ}$) and the Au loading on silica surface was $6.91{\pm}1.14mg/g$. The synthesized Au-coated silica performed an average Hg adsorption efficiency of ~96 (${\pm}2.61$) % with KD value of 9.96 (${\pm}0.32$) L/g. The adsorption kinetics of Hg(II) on to Au-coated silica closely follows a pseudo-second order reaction where it is found out to have an initial adsorption rate of $4.73g/{\mu}g/min/$ and overall rate constant of $4.73{\times}10^{-4}g/{\mu}g/min/$. Au-coated silica particles are effective in removing Hg (II) in aqueous solutions due to their relatively high KD values, rapid adsorption rate, and high overall efficiency that can even decrease mercury levels below the recommended concentrations in drinking water.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.7-9
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• 1977

Quantitative analysis of harmful Hg in edible bean sprouts was carried out by the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Perkin-Elmer Model 403). The samples studied as shown in Table 2. are edible bean sprouts (36) which wet·e collected from Gwangju area. It was investigated that the Mercury (Hg) content of edible bean sprouts was from 0.0098 ppm to 0.533 ppm (average 0.240). Mercury contaminated edible bean sprouts studied, was about 50 percentage of total samples.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.274-282
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• 2019

Mercury-resistant ($Hg^R$) bacteria were isolated from heavy metal polluted wastewater and soil collected near to tanneries of district Kasur, Pakistan. Bacterial isolates AZ-1, AZ-2 and AZ-3 showed resistance up to $40{\mu}g/ml$ against mercuric chloride ($HgCl_2$). 16S rDNA ribotyping and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the characterization of selected isolates as Bacillus sp. AZ-1 (KT270477), Bacillus cereus AZ-2 (KT270478) and Bacillus cereus AZ-3 (KT270479). Phylogenetic relationship on the basis of merA nucleotide sequence confirmed 51-100% homology with the corresponding region of the merA gene of already reported mercury-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. The merE gene involved in the transportation of elemental mercury ($Hg^0$) via cell membrane was cloned for the first time into pHLV vector and transformed in overexpressed C43(DE3) E. coli cells. The recombinant plasmid (pHLMerE) was expressed and the native MerE protein was obtained after thrombin cleavage by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The purification of fusion/recombinant and native protein MerE by Ni-NTA column, dialysis and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC/SEC) involved unfolding/refolding techniques. A small-scale reservoir of wastewater containing $30{\mu}g/ml$ of $HgCl_2$ was designed to check the detoxification ability of selected strains. It resulted in 83% detoxification of mercury by B. cereus AZ-2 and B. cereus AZ-3, and 76% detoxification by Bacillus sp. AZ-1 respectively (p < 0.05).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.259-265
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• 2001

Mercury vapor inhalation-induced acute respiratory failure(ARF) has been reported to be fatal. This study was designed to observe the possible mechanism of inhaled mercury vapor poisoning in the respiratory system. Sixty percent of rats(12/20) exposed to mercury vapor were dead within 72 hours of exposure whereas all the rats(20/20) exposed to mercury vapor combined with dithiothreitol(DTT) vapor survived. The histological observation showed that ARF was a direct cause of the death induced by mercury vapor inhalation, which was significantly circumvented by DTT vapor. Cyclic AMP mediated chloride secretion was inhibited by luminal side but not serosal side sulfhydryl blocking agents (Hf$^{2+}$ $\rho$-chloromercuribenzoic acid or $\rho$-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonic acid) in a dose-dependent manner in a primary cultured rat airway monolayer. The inhibitory component of cAMP induced chloride secretion was completely restored by luminal side DTT(0.5mM). these results suggest that the oxidized form(Hg$^{2+}$) of mercury vapor(Hg0) contribute to ARF and subsequent death. The finding is important as it can provide important information regarding emergency manipulation of ARF patients suffering from by mercury vapor poisoning.ing.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.199-204
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• 2006

Objectives: Mercury is a hazardous organ-specific environmental contaminant. It exists in a wide variety of physical and chemical states, each of which has unique characteristics for the target organ specificity. Exposure to mercury vapor and to organic mercury compounds specifically affects the CNS, while the kidney is the target organ for inorganic Hg compounds. Methods: In this study, mercury chloride $(HgCl_2)$ was studied in a renal derived cell system, i.e., the tubular epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line, which has specific sensitivity to the toxic effect of mercury. MDCK cells were cultured for 6-24 hr in vitro in various concentrations (0.1-100 M) of $HgCl_2$, and the markers of apoptosis or cell death were assayed, including DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activity andwestern blotting of cytochrome c. The influence of the metal on cell proliferation and viability were evaluated by the conventional MTT test. Results: The cell viability was decreased in a time and concentration dependent fashion: decreases were noted at 6, 12 and 24 hr after $HgCl_2$, exposure. The increases of DNA fragmentation were also observed in the concentrations from 0.1 to 10 M of $HgCl_2$ at 6 hr after exposure. However, we could not observe DNA fragmentation in the concentrations more than 25 M because the cells rapidly proceeded to necrotic cell death. The activation of caspase-3 was also observed at 6 hr exposure in the $HgCl_2$ concentrations from 0.1 to 10 M. The release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol, which is an initiator of the activation of the caspase cascade, was also observed in the $HgCl_2-treated$ MDCK cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that the activation of caspase-3 was involved in $HgCl_2-induced$ apoptosis. The release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol was also observed in the $HgCl_2-treated$ MDCK cells. These findings indicate that in MDCK cells, $HgCl_2$ is a potent inducer of apoptosis via cytochrome c release from the mitochondria.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.3767-3770
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• 2013

Potassium methylselenite ($KSeO_2(OCH_3)$) was reduced to elemental selenium, Se(0), and then doped onto montmorillonite K 10 (MK10) clay to examine the interaction between elemental mercury (Hg(0)) vapor and Se(0) in an effort to understand the possible heterogeneous reaction of Hg(0) vapor and Se(0) solid. The clay was used as a cost-effective support material for uniform dispersion of Se(0). The Se(0)-doped MK10 showed an excellent reaction performance with Hg(0) under an inert nitrogen gas at 70 and $140^{\circ}C$ in our lab-scale fixed-bed system. However, the precursor, $KSeO_2(OCH_3)$-doped MK10 showed a negligible reaction performance with Hg(0), suggesting that the oxidation state of selenium plays a key role in the reaction of Hg(0) vapor and selenium compounds.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.377-385
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• 2017

Objectives: Although mercury (Hg) exposure is known to be neurotoxic in humans, its effects on liver function have been less often reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether total Hg exposure in Korean adults was associated with elevated serum levels of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Methods: We repeatedly examined the levels of total Hg and liver enzymes in the blood of 508 adults during 2010-2011 and 2014-2015. Cross-sectional associations between levels of blood Hg and liver enzymes were analyzed using a generalized linear model, and nonlinear relationships were analyzed using a generalized additive mixed model. Generalized estimating equations were applied to examine longitudinal associations, considering the correlations of individuals measured repeatedly. Results: GGT increased by 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5 to 18.0%) in women and 8.1% (95% CI, -0.5 to 17.4%) in men per doubling of Hg levels, but AST and ALT were not significantly associated with Hg in either men or women. In women who drank more than 2 or 3 times per week, AST, ALT, and GGT levels increased by 10.6% (95% CI, 4.2 to 17.5%), 7.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 14.7%), and 37.5% (95% CI,15.2 to 64.3%) per doubling of Hg levels, respectively, showing an interaction between blood Hg levels and drinking. Conclusions: Hg exposure was associated with an elevated serum concentration of GGT. Especially in women who were frequent drinkers, AST, ALT, and GGT showed a significant increase, with a significant synergistic effect of Hg and alcohol consumption.