• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.313-318
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• 2007

Monitoring for the quality of coastal water is necessary to improve its biological resources and to maintain healthy environments. We measured the concentrations of phenols, nine polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tributyltin (TBT) in surface water at 5 stations and the concentrations of mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr (VI)), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) in surface water of 10 stations in Tongyeong marine ranching ground of Korea in August, 2003. The concentrations of analytes were determined as follows: phenols: 1.6$\sim$2.8 ppb, PCBs: not detected (ND), Hg: <0.1 ppb, Cr (VI): 0.01$\sim$5.32 ppb, Cd: ND$\sim$0.41 ppb and Pb: 0.43$\sim$2.60 ppb. These concentrations satisfied the standards of human health protection in coastal water by Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea as follows: phenols; 5 ppb, PCBs: 0.5 ppb, Hg: 0.5 ppb, Cr (VI): 50 ppb, Cd: 10 ppb and Pb: 50 ppb. TBT was not listed in the standards. The concentrations of Sn in TBT analyzed in sea water of Tongyeong marine ranching ground were in the range of ND$\sim$0.0273 ppb which are similar with the values of 8$\sim$35 ng Sn $L^{-1}$ (0.008$\sim$0.035 ppb) in Chinhae Bay studied by Shim et al.. Therefore, the quality of sea water in Tongyeong marine ranching ground was safe enough to protect human health.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2001

Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) are halogenated aromatic compounds with the empirical formula $C_{12}$ $H_{10-n}$C $l_{n}$(n=1~10), and are a mixture of possible 209 different chlorinated congeners. PCBs were widely used as dielectric fluids for capacitors and transformers, plasticizers, lubricant inks and paint addirives. Once released into the environment, PCBs persist for years because they are so resistant to degradation. In addition to their persistence in the environment, PCBs in ecological food chains undergo biomagnification because of their high degree of lipophilicity. In 1970s, the worldwide production of PCBs was ceased and the import of PCBs was prohibited since 1983 in Korea. In spite of these actions, many PCBs seems to be still in use. The environmental load of PCBs will continue to be recycled through air, land, water, and the biosphere for decades to come. This study was conducted to measure the concentrations of PCBs in the serum samples of 112 women by GC/MSD and GC/ECD. The main results of this study were as follows. 1. PCBs were detected in all samples. The mean $\pm$SD levels of PCBs in the serum were 3.613$\pm$0.759 ppb, and median were 3.828 ppb. 2. The correlation coefficients of the concentrations of 13 PCB congeners were from minimum, 0.7913 to maximum, 0.9985, and all was significant(p=0.0001). The correlation coefficient between the concentrations of PCBs and p,p'-DDE was 0.9641(p=0.0001). 3. There was a positive association between age and PCBs' concentrations (simple linear regression ; $R^2$=0.86, $\beta$=0.08023, p<0.001). 4. There was a positive association between total lipids in the serum and PCBs' concentrations (simple linear regression ; $R^2$=0.7058, $\beta$=0.00486, p<0.001). 5. For possible predictors of PCBs and p,p' -DDE levels in the serum, age adjusted model (Y=$\beta$$_{0}$+$\beta$$_1$age+ $B_2$X) was applied. For BMI, major residential area, wether to eat caught fish by angling, where to eat caught fish by angling(by parents in the past), fish consumption, meat consumption, meat consumption, and dairy consumption, there was no association. For total conception frequency and lactation frequency and lactation period, there was negative association.ion.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2003

The effects of physico-chemical properties of soils on PCBs analysis in Korea was studied Three kinds of extraction solvents(toluene, acetone:hexane, dichloromethane) was selected to apply three different soils. The silicagel, florisil and alumina column cleanup also performed to compare the elution patterns, and three different methods (EPA, Japan, Proposed method in this study) of 62 PCBs also compared the individual peaks recoveries. The solvent average recovery was surveyed the order of toluene, acetone:hexane, dichloromethane as 77.94%, 58.59%, 54.20% for soil A, 53.65%, 80.32%, 68.27% for soil B and 44.52%, 60.35%, 56.36% for soil C, respectively. The average recovery was depended on the soil characters. The highest recoveries of each soil were obtained the toluene for soil A, acetone:hexane for soil B and C. However, the coplanar PCBs was obtained the highest recovery with dichloromethane. Thus, to select the solvent for the analysis of PCBs in solid, the selected compounds have to consider to get good result. The silicagel, florisil, alumina I and alumina II column cleanup process were surveyed the range of 38.73%~98.26%, and the higher chlorinated compounds was obtained the lower recovery compared to the low chlorinated compounds, generally. This results are also consistent with the coplanar PCBs isomers. The compared results of three different countries were obtained the 37.15% for USA, 45.92% for Japan and 44.46% for proposed method in this study.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.332-339
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• 2012

Horizontal distributions and their ecotoxicological implications relating to organochlorine compounds (OCs) were determined in surface sediments sampled from the West Nakdong River. The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in surface sediments were in the range of 0.57-3.68, 0.41-8.35, 0.63-1.65, and n.d.-0.56 ng/g, respectively. DDTs represent the major OC in the West Nakdong River. Concentrations of PCBs and DDTs correlate with the total organic carbon (PCBs: r=0.874, p<0.001, and DDTs: r=0.762, p<0.05, respectively), indicating that organic content in the sediments is one of the major factors for influencing horizontal distribution of the organochlorine compounds in this river. Examining the potential poisonous character of the surface sediments to benthic organisms according to the sediment quality guideline (SQG), set out by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we found that the concentrations of total PCBs, p,p'-DDD, and ${\gamma}$-HCH were lower than the effects range-low (ER-L) and the probable effects level (PEL). As a result, it is considered that the effect of organochlorines in the region considered on benthic organisms is very low from the perspective of environmental toxicology. However, in terms of the Canadian SQC, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, and total DDTs, respectively, exceeded the interim sediment quality guidelines (ISQG) and the threshold effect level (TEL) in 30%, 17%, and 19%, respectively, of the sediment samples analyzed.

• Journal of Environmental Analysis, Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.252-263
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• 2018

Distributions of 15 PAHs and 82 PCBs were investigated in sediment and fish samples collected from the Suyoung Estuary of Busan, one of the most urbanized and newly contaminated areas in Busan. The concentrations of $S_{15}PAH$ in sediments ranged from 17.9 to 777 ng/g-dry and were mainly originated from combustion processes. The concentrations of $S_{82}PCB$ in sediments ranged from 0.55 to 12.5 ng/g-dry and were significantly correlated with those of 12 dioxin-like PCBs and 6 non-dioxin like PCBs. Higher concentrations of PAHs and PCBs were found in the upper river and the inner Suyoung Bay than in marina and the outer Suyoung Bay. No sites exceeded the ecotoxicological values of PAHs and PCBs in marine sediments. Benzo[a]-pyrene was not detected in fish samples and the concentrations of $S_4PAH$ (0.15~0.45 ng/g-wet) were lower than the maximum level set by EU. The levels of PCBs in fish samples were at less than 1% of the Korean maximum level and 2% of the EU maximum level. The concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs were $0.01{\sim}0.32pg-TEQ_{WHO-2005}/g-wet$, and the highest concentration was found in eels, which were at less than 5% of the EU maximum level. Dietary intakes of PAHs and PCBs through fish consumption were estimated, and their lifetime cancer risk and non-cancer risk were much lower.