• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2006

Objectives : This study has attempted to establish an organized system for the microbiological quality of raw materials which are important factors in preparing the standard for microbial limits. Methods : This study has first set up microbial contamination limit test. total aerobic microbial count and total fungi count, int accordance with testing method of the Korea Pharmacopeia 8th edition in order to establish an inspection standard for microbial contamination. Results : The microbial contamination of 18 items that are highly prone to contamination by three regions(Seoul, Daejeon, Gyeongsangbuk-do), As a result, Morus alba Linne and Rehmannia glutimosa Liboschitz var. purpurea Makino showed as high contaminated by WHO's Microbial Contamination Limit standard. In case of Yukjin medicine in the Theory of Herb Medicinal Properties, total bacterial contamination rate showed as 17.7%, total fungal contamination rate showed as 41.2% and total aerobic mircobial count and total fungi count on Ephedra sinica Stapf. Pinellia ternate Breitenbach, Evodia officinalis Dode showed as high measured. The microbial conatmination rate materials which make up Yukmijihwanghwan were mostly high therefore the total aerobic microbial count was measured as high in case of Yukmijihwanghwan, the characteristics about microbial contamination strain is to be researched. Conclusions : By combining the basic data and experimental results related to microbial contamination of herb medicine, the most ideal storage standards for herb medicine has been attempted to be presented.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.129-133
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• 1973

The authors have investigated about the microbial contamination of goods which is a criterion of hygienic control. Conducting on investigation, a special attention has been paid on the rate of microbial contamination in the goods, especially in manufacturing process of the softdrink. The authors also made an experiment on total microbes which is the criterion of contamination in each step of the process and in raw materials together with materials to be used for subdividing. Results obtained were as follows : 1) The orgin of microbial contamination was found in bottle cap and in tap water, that is, there appeared 9 colony per ml in bottle cap and 31-74 colony per ml in tap water, respectively. 2) It was found that microbial contamination are 4 colony per ml in average through year. However, it appeared 1 colony per ml in winter and 8 colony per ml in summer. 3) Coliform groups are not detected in goods through a year. 4) There was no variation in number of total microbes after ion exchange resin passage in purification process of tap water. 5) The number of microbes in goods are decreased when the raw materials are treated in high temperature short time (HTST) sterilization.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.395-402
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• 2023

Objectives: Microbial contamination of face masks used by healthcare professionals can vary depending on the degree of exposure to bioaerosols in various healthcare environments. However, research on this topic is limited. Therefore, we analyzed microbial contamination of N95 respirators used in hospital offices, wards, and outpatient settings. Methods: Samples isolated from N95 respirators worn for 2, 4, and 6 hours were incubated at a temperature of 35-37℃ or 25-28℃ for 24 hours or for 3-7 days, and colony-forming units were counted in chocolate agar, tryptic soy agar, and Sabouraud dextrose agar plates. Total indoor airborne bacteria were also measured in the healthcare environments. Finally, microbial species were identified using Gram staining with a microscopic speculum. Results: The three types of environments did not deviate from the maintenance of standard indoor air quality. There was no difference between the microbial species identified in the healthcare environment and mask contamination. However, the number of bacteria in the masks worn in each environment differed, and the degree of contamination increased with mask-wearing time (p<0.05). Conclusions: Therefore, care must be taken to avoid recontamination of masks due to improper use and exposure to biological hazards in healthcare environments. In conclusion, scientific evidence is necessary for safe mask-wearing times. Based on the results of this study, we hope to conduct further research to establish guidelines for the safe use of face masks during respiratory disease epidemics.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.5-15
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• 1973

An investigation was carried out on a basis of the bacteriological examination with a view to detecting the degree of bacterial contamination for the 77 samples collected from the locally-sold liquid specialties. It's test period was 50 days from July 10 to August 30, 1971. Specially, the survey has put emphasis on the population of general bacteria and the identification of coli-form group, staphylococcus species, streptococcus species, bacillus species, fungi, and yeast species from liquid samples. The results obtained are summarized as follows; (1) For the 77 samples tested, the contamination of general bacteria was found out as minimun 0, i,e., maximum, $12{\times}10^4$ and the total average $45{\times}10^2$ per milliliter. (2) Although streptococcus species could not be detected with the samples, the contamination of the coli-form and staphylococcus species means the strong suggestion of the possibility of pathogenic bacterial contamination. (3) Specially, the products which stay in the neutral pH range and use suspending agents need to care for the microbial contamination in the manufacturing crocess. (4) It is thought necessary to perform the microbiological quality control in the liquid preparations only at least. (5) As the microbial contamination degree in the liquid decreases according to the elapse of time, the microbiological quality control will have to be carried out immediately after the completion of the manufacturing process in order to know the accurate degree. (6) The author thinks that the main reason of the microbial contamination in the liquid is the contamination during the manufacturing process. (7) For the purpose of prevention of the microbial contamination in liquid, therefore, it is more important to make efforts for the rationalization of manufacturing process, the improvement of equipment and environment, the specific training of workers for hygienic knowledges, etc. rather than the use of preservatives for the preparations.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.87-97
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to compare crop contamination between two irrigation methods using microbial-contaminated water. The effect of relative humidity on microbial survival of the three indicator microorganisms was also investigated. Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Clostridium perfringens ATCC 3624, and coliphage PRD1 were applied to irrigation water to grow cantaloupe, lettuce, and bell pepper. Half of the sixteen plots were subsurface drip irrigated (SDI) and the other half were furrow irrigated (FI). Two relative humidity levels were controlled at 15-65 % and 55-80 % for the dry and humid condition experiments, respectively. Samples of produce, surface soil, and subsurface soil at a depth of 10 cm were collected over a two-week period following the application of the study microorganisms. Overall, greater contamination of both produce and soil occurred in the FI plots. For the SDI plots, preferential water paths and resulting water appearance on the seed beds seemed to be responsible for produce contamination. Relative humidity levels did not appear to affect microbial survival in soil. PRD 1 showed lower inactivation rates than 5. coli in both dry and humid conditions. C. perfringens did not experience significant inactivation over the experimental period, suggesting this microorganism can be an effective indicator of fecal contamination.

• The International Journal of Costume Culture
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 1999

The purpose of this research was first to analyse and compare the types of microbes inherent among the unwashed and washed Kupori textiles, and second to investigate whether there is a difference between unwashed and washed Kupori textiles on the susceptibility of contamination by microorganism when exposed to the same microbial environment. Microbial identification procedure and the Shake Flask Test for investigating the effect of exposure to microbial environment were carried out separately. The result of microbial identification procedure indicated that a variety of bacteria and fungi were inherent in both unwashed and washed textiles and that the population of contaminated microorganism became more diverse after washing. The result of Shake Flask Test indicated that given the same exposure condition, the unwashed textiles tend to be more susceptible to bacterial contamination than the washed textiles. The results of the present study supported the current conservation procedures adopted in Korean museums which include washing and humigation procedures before long-term storage or display of exhumed textiles.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the change of microbial contamination levels in the different areas and at the different time points after application of a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) that has mechanical antimicrobial effect. The microbial contamination levels were measured in three different areas; unit chair handle, spit sink area and hand piece holder at different time points using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) monitoring system and ATP surface test kit. Hand piece holder showed the highest level of microbial contamination. In most of the clinics, QAC significantly reduced the levels of microbial contamination, and maintained antimicrobial activity for 4 to 6 months. QAC may be used effectively in dental clinics due to the duration of antimicrobial effect and the minimal exposure of chemicals and further studies are needed with large sample size.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1709-1715
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• 2021

Outbreaks of food poisoning due to the consumption of norovirus-contaminated shellfish continue to occur. Male-specific (F+) coliphage has been suggested as an indicator of viral species due to the association with animal and human wastes. Here, we compared two methods, the double agar overlay and the quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR)-based method, for evaluating the applicability of F+ coliphage-based detection technique in microbial contamination tracking of shellfish samples. The RT-PCR-based method showed 1.6-39 times higher coliphage PFU values from spiked shellfish samples, in relation to the double agar overlay method. These differences indicated that the RT-PCR-based technique can detect both intact viruses and non-particle-protected viral DNA/RNA, suggesting that the RT-PCR based method could be a more efficient tool for tracking microbial contamination in shellfish. However, the virome information on F+ coliphage-contaminated oyster samples revealed that the high specificity of the RT-PCR- based method has a limitation in microbial contamination tracking due to the genomic diversity of F+ coliphages. Further research on the development of appropriate primer sets for microbial contamination tracking is therefore necessary. This study provides preliminary insight that should be examined in the search for suitable microbial contamination tracking methods to control the sanitation of shellfish and related seawater.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2024

This study assessed microbial contamination in seven fried fish pastes sold in Southeast Asian traditional markets during summer. It measured viable cell count, coliforms, Escherichia coli, fungi, and Staphylococcus spp. It also qualitatively analyzed Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Clostridium perfringens. The average viable cell count, coliforms and fungi were detected as 6.34 (3.84-8.13), 2.16 (1.00-3.55), and 3.92 (1.85-7.74) log₁₀ CFU/g, respectively. Staphylococcus spp. was detected at 4.59 (2.10-7.63) log₁₀ CFU/g. Some samples had high contamination levels: viable cell count (8.13 log₁₀ CFU/g), fungi (7.74 log₁₀ CFU/g) and S. aureus (7.63 log₁₀ CFU/g). However, E. coli was not detected in any samples (ND, <1 log₁₀ CFU/g). V. parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., B. cereus, L. monocytogenes, and Cl. perfringens were also not detected in the samples. The microbial contamination data provide insight into managing microbial contamination and ensuring the safety of fried fish pastes in traditional summer markets.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.694-698
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• 2020

The consumption of Gwamegi, a semi-dried saury Cololabis saira, and its vegetable sides has increased owing to its availability online. Therefore, this study investigated the microbial contamination levels in Gwamegi and its accompanying vegetable sides bought online by measuring total viable bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and fungi. The total viable bacteria ranged from 3-5 log CFU/g. The fungi in Gwamegi and garlic were 3.4 and 3.9 log CFU/g, respectively. The positive rate of bacterial contamination was 100% (2-3 log CFU/g) in Gwamegi, cabbage Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis, and green chili Capsicum annuum, whereas the contamination positive rate was 80% and 60% (< 2 log CFU/g) in chives Allium ascalonicum L. and garlic A. sativum L., respectively. The positive rates of E. coli were 0%, 20%, 60%, and 40% in Gwamegi, green chili, cabbage, and chives, respectively. The contamination levels of E. coli were 1-2 log CFU/g. S. aureus was detected at < 1 log CFU/g in all raw materials. The data on microbial contamination levels may be used for microbial risk assessment of Gwamegi and vegetables for controlling the level of microbial contamination and securing microbiological safety.