• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.335-340
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• 2013

A chemical reaction of PBDEs was implemented using the polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and KOH, along with different reaction conditions such as temperatures and times. Removal efficiencies of PBDEs before and after chemical reaction were examined by difference of concentration. PBDEs was not removed at lower temperatures of 25 and $50^{\circ}C$. However, under the increased temperature, removal efficiency of PBDEs in ${\sigma}$-xylene was gradually increased, showing completely removal of PBDEs containing 5-6 bromines on biphenyl frame. When increasing the reaction conditions to 4 hours and $150^{\circ}C$, removal efficiency of PBDEs reached almost 100%. In studying the reaction of PEGs with PBDEs, it confirmed that the PBDEs led to less brominated by PEGs through a stepwise process with the successive elimination of bromines.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 2010

Octopus(Octopus minor), benthic cephalopod, were collected from intertidal zone in Seosan, Choongnam and analyzed for polybrominted diphenyl ethers(PBDEs). PBDEs concentrations ranged from 29 to 109 ng/g lipid wt(mean; 54 ng/g) in mantle and from 12 to 89 ng/g lipid wt(mean; 48 ng/g) in internal organ. PBDEs concentrations in octopus internal organ were lower about two times than that in common squid collected in Yellow Sea, indicating Seosan is relatively less contaminated with PBDEs. Major congener was BDE 206, occupying 72% and 49% of total PBDE concentration in mantle and in internal organ, respectively, which is very different from PBDE composition in common squid with major congeners of BDE 47 and 99. From PBDE composition, octopus seemed to concentrate higher brominated BDE rather than lower brominated BDE. This PBDE composition in octopus may be affected by sediment with extremely high contribution of deca-BDE to total PBDE concentration.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.23-27
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• 2014

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.446-452
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• 2015

In order to evaluate and improve the ability of Korean testing laboratories to measure Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), a proficiency test was organised by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) based on ISO/IEC 17043. The proficiency test material used was 10 g of a granular ABS fortified with a mixture of congeners of PBDE (BDE-154, 183, 206, 209). Homogeneity and stability were investigated to assess the adequacy of the test material. The certified value established by KRISS based on the national reference was used for assigned value of each PBDE. The test materials were distributed to the 16 participating laboratories. The participating laboratories were requested to analyse the samples employing the methods used in their routine analysis. Each laboratory was given it’s own code to secure the anonymity. Participants results were evaluated with z-scores according to ISO/IEC 17043. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment was set by standard deviation of the participants results except for outlier. The results, the laboratory's performance and improvement of accuracy were discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.427-436
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• 2010

A total of 18 surface sediments within the special conservation zone in the Masan Bay were analyzed to investigate the spatial distribution and polluted pathway of polybrominated diphenyl ehters(PBDEs). Twenty-two PBDE congeners were detected and brominated diphenyl ether-209 (BDE-209) among them was predominant. The concentrations of BDE-209 and ${\Sigma}_{21}$PBDEs (sum of 21 PBDE congeners without BDE-209) ranged from 2.32 to 64.2 ng/g and from 0.72 to 8.24 ng/g, respectively. The spatial distribution of both BDE-209 and ${\Sigma}_{21}$PBDEs showed a negative gradient from the inner to the outer Bay, indicating that the source of PBDEs might be mainly located inside the Bay such as streams and an effluent of wastewater treatment plants. It was seemed likely that the major parameters determining levels of PBDEs in the Masan Bay were the distance discharging from their sources as well as the characteristics and movement of sediments due to the flow of sea water.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.440-449
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk and to evaluate the relations with factors affecting these levels. Methods: The congener levels of PBDE in 22 samples of breast milk were analyzed using a high resolution gas chromatograph with a high resolution mass detector. In accordance with our standard operating procedures, the recoveries of internal standards had to range between 68% and 118%. Since the distribution of PBDE concentrations is close to log-normal, the data were logarithmically transformed before analysis. Test subjects were healthy primipara and multipara mothers with a mean age of 32 (SD = 2.7) in 2006. Results: Seven PBDE congeners (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, and 183) were detected and identified in all of the pooled breast milk samples, indicating widespread contamination from PBDEs in the environment in Korea. Residue levels of total PBDEs (sum PBDEs from tri- to hepta-BDE) ranged from 0.84-13.1 ng/g lipid with median and geometric mean levels of 2.6 ng/g lipid and 2.74 ng/g lipid, respectively. PBDE congeners 47, 99 and 153 markedly predominated and accounted for about 75% of the amount of the PBDE congeners analyzed. BDE-47 was the dominant congener in most samples, whereas BDE-153 was predominant in a few (n = 7/22). BDE-47 was highly correlated with total PBDEs (r = 0.987, p < 0.01). In analyses of the differences of the means of log transformed breast milk PBDE levels for groups of potential covariates, only breast milk BDE-47 and BDE-99 levels were significantly associated with fish (p < 0.05) and meat consumption (p < 0.01). However, we did not find significant correlations between PBDE levels and maternal age, body mass index (BMI), parity, job presence and smoking status. Conclusions: Our findings are mainly limited due to the small sampling size and low doses of PBDEs exposure. Background and human exposure data of PBDEs is lacking, and longitudinal investigations into the environment and biota are encouraged to determine the health impact on future populations in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.829-835
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• 2006

The composition, source, and regional concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs) were measured in pine needles with several sites in Korea. Homologs specific analysis confirmed that hepta-BDE(bromodiphenyl ethers) through deca-BDE were predictive indicator for total PBDEs concentration(Pearson's correlation coefficient r>0.96, p<0.001). Deca-BDE were detected in relatively very high concentration compared to other PBDE congeners in all samples. The similarity of between congeners profile to those of Bromkal 70-5DE and DE-71, the commercial mixture of PBDEs, indicates these mixtures are source of PBDEs observed in these sites. Also, BDE-47, -99, -100, -206, -207, and -209 were the dominant congeners in all samples, suggesting that the widely used commercial penta- and deca-BDE technical mixture were the original sources. However, Pearson's correlation coefficients of between BDE-209 and BDE-47, -99, -100 were insignificant, which implied that tetra-BDE and penta-BDE may originate from secondary sources such as air-plant partition in manner similar to that of the PCBs, while deca-BDE formulation still has primary sources.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.579-585
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• 2013

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances which persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. POPs are thermally stable, highly lipophilic and water-insoluble compounds which can induce various toxic influences including immunotoxicty, carcinogenicity adverse effects on reproduction, development and endocrine fuctions. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs, are organobromine compounds that are used as flame retardant. Because of their toxicity and persistence, the industrial production of some PBDEs is restricted under the Stockholm Convention, a treaty to control and phase out major POPs. In this study, PBDEs was measured in various site of Sihwa industrial complex to investigate concentration distribution of POPs. The levels of PBDEs in house dust samples were 0.722~44.024 ng/g-dry. In PBDEs congener, BDE-209 was relatively higher in the all sites. The concentration of BDE-209 measured over 80.0% of total PBDEs. In various site, high molecular PBDEs homologues are measured higher than low molecular.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.356-364
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the exposure pathway of PBDEs in human breast milk collected from new mothers residing in Chuncheon, a comparatively clean area in Korea. The congeners of PBDE in 22 human breast milk samples were analyzed using a high resolution gas chromatography with a high resolution mass detector. The residue level of ${\sum}PBDEs$ was higher in primipara subjects than in multipara subjects (p<0.05). The levels in this study were similar to those of people in some Asian and European countries, but were lower than those of people in north America. In the congener profiles, BDE-47 (mean contribution=36.1%) was predominant, followed by BDE-153 (27%), BDE-99 (11.7%), BDE-100 (11.1%), BDE-28 (7.9%) and BDE-183 (3.5%). The sum of BDE-47 and BDE-153 accounted for more than 50% of ${\sum}PBDEs$ in most samples. BDE-47 was highly correlated with ${\sum}PBDEs$ (r=0.94, p<0.001). No strong trend was observed between PBDE levels and a number of key biological factors (women's age, weight, height and body mass index) examined in this study, however, weak correlations were observed in PBDE levels measured against dietary habits, particularly in fish consumption frequency. It seems that Korean people might be exposed to multiple sources including products of PBDEs, and particularly food resources.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.346-359
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• 2002

The brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are one of the unregulated pollutants in Korea, which is recently highlighted the new pollutants of environmental contamination. In this study, the previous research papers related the BFRs were surveyed, and the analytical methods of BFRs were established. The results are followed; The 40 kinds of PBDEs standards were used to establish the analytical methods to perform the experiments of recoveries and detection limits in water and soil. The detection limits of PBDEs using GC/MS represented 5.0~10.0 pg/L for water and 0.5~2.0 ng/g for soil samples. The average recoveries of water samples were 89~98% with ethylacetate, n-hexane and dichloromethane, and 89~103% in combined solvent with n-hexane and acetone. In soxhlet extraction, the higher recoveries obtained the acetone:n-hexane(1:1) comparing with acetone:dichloromethane(1:1).