• Toxicological Research
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.353-358
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• 2016

The generation and collection of cigarette smoke (CS) is a prerequisite for any toxicology study on smoking, especially an in vitro CS exposure study. In this study, the effects on blood and vascular function were tested with two widely used CS preparations to compare the biological effects of CS with respect to the CS preparation used. CS was prepared in the form of total particulate matter (TPM), which is CS trapped in a Cambridge filter pad, and cigarette smoke extract (CSE), which is CS trapped in phosphate-buffered saline. TPM potentiated platelet reactivity to thrombin and thus increased aggregation at a concentration of $25{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$, whereas 2.5~10% CSE decreased platelet aggregation by thrombin. Both TPM and CSE inhibited vascular contraction by phenylephrine at $50{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$ and 10%, respectively. TPM inhibited acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation at $10{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$, but CSE exhibited a minimal effect on relaxation at the concentration that affects vasoconstriction. Neither TPM nor CSE induced hemolysis of erythrocytes or influenced plasma coagulation, as assessed by prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Taken together, CS affects platelet activity and deteriorates vasomotor functions in vitro. However, the effect on blood and blood vessels may vary depending on the CS preparation. Therefore, the results of experiments conducted with CS preparations should be interpreted with caution.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.362-371
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• 2023

Background: PM_2.5 pollution has been a persistent problem in South Korea, with concentrations consistently exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The aging of the population in the country further exacerbates the health impacts of PM_2.5 since older adults are more susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate how the health impact (premature death) due to long-term exposure to PM_2.5 in South Korea could change in the future according to the trend of change in the country's population structure. Methods: The study employs a relative risk function, which accounts for age-specific relative risks, to assess the changes in premature deaths by age and region at the average annual PM_2.5 concentration for 2022 and at PM_2.5 concentration improvement levels. Premature deaths were estimated using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM). Results: The findings indicate that the increase in premature deaths resulting from the projected population structure changes up to 2050 would significantly outweigh the health benefits (reduction in premature deaths) compared to 2012. This is primarily attributed to the rising number of premature deaths among the elderly due to population aging. Furthermore, the study suggests that the effectiveness of the current domestic PM_2.5 standard would be halved by 2050 due to the increasing impact of population aging on PM_2.5-related mortality. Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of considering trends in population structure when evaluating the health benefits of air pollution reduction measures. By comparing and evaluating the health benefits in reflection of changes in population structure to the predicted PM_2.5 concentration improvements at the provincial level, a more comprehensive assessment of regional air quality management strategies can be achieved.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.375-383
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• 2023

Objectives: Coal-fired power plants feature diverse working conditions, including multi-layered employment structures and irregular work cycles due to outsourcing and non-standardized tasks. The current uniform occupational environment measurement systems have limitations in accurately assessing and evaluating these varied conditions. This study aims to propose alternative measurement and assessment strategies to supplement existing methods. Methods: Major domestic coal-fired power plants were selected as the study targets. To prepare for the study and establish strategies, work processes were identified and existing occupational environment measurement results were compared and analyzed. The study proceeded by employing three strategies: specific exposure groups (SEGs) measurement, continuous monitoring, and supplementary measurements, which were then compared and discussed. Results: Previous exposure index evaluations (5,268 cases) indicated that crystalline silica, a type of respirable particulate matter, had detection limits below the threshold (non-detectable) in 82.6% (4,349 cases) of instances. Exposures below 10% of the exposure limit were observed at a very low concentration of 96.1%. Similar exposure group measurements yielded results where detection limits were below the threshold in 38.2% of cases, and exposures below 10% of the limit were observed in 70.6%. Continuous monitoring indicated detection limits below the threshold in 12.6% of cases, and exposures below 10% of the limit were observed in 75.6%. Instances requiring active workplace management accounted for more than 30% of cases, with SEGs at 11.8% (four cases), showing a higher proportion compared to 3.0% (four cases) in continuous monitoring. For coal dust, exposures below 10% of the limit were highest in legal measurements at 90.2% (113 cases), followed by 74.0% (91 cases) in continuous monitoring, and 47.0% (16 cases) in SEGs. Instances exceeding 30% were most prevalent in SEGs at 14.7% (five cases), followed by legal measurements at 5.0% (eight cases), and continuous monitoring at 2.4% (three cases). When examining exposure levels through arithmetic means, crystalline silica was found to be 104.7% higher in SEGs at 0.0088 mg/m³ compared to 0.0043 mg/m³ in continuous monitoring. Coal dust measurements were highest in SEGs at 0.1247 mg/m³, followed by 0.1224 mg/m³ in legal measurements, and 0.0935 mg/m³ in continuous monitoring. Conclusions: Strategies involving SEGs measurement and continuous monitoring can enhance measurement reliability in environments with irregular work processes and frequent fluctuations in working conditions, as observed in coal-fired power plants. These strategies reduce the likelihood of omitting or underestimating processes and enhance measurement accuracy. In particular, a significant reduction in detection limits below the threshold for crystalline silica was observed. Supplementary measurements can identify worker exposure characteristics, uncover potential risks in blind spots of management, and provide a complementary method for legal measurements.

• 인간식물환경학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.637-646
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• 2020

Background and objective: The main objective of this study is to measure the amount of particulate matter (PM) reduction under different characteristics of leaves in 18 different species of indoor plants. Methods: First, a particular amount of PM was added to the glass chambers (0.9×0.86×1.3 m) containing the indoor plant (height = 40 ± 20 cm), and the PM concentration were measured at 2-hour intervals. The experiment with the same conditions was conducted in the empty chamber as the control plot. Results: The range of PM reduction per unit leaf area of 18 species of experimental plants was 3.3-286.2 ㎍·m^-2 leaf, total leaf area was 1,123-4,270 cm², and leaf thickness was 0.14-0.80 mm and leaf size 2.27-234.47 cm². As time passed, the concentration of PM decreased more in the chamber with plants than in the empty chamber. Among the 18 indoor plants, the ones with the greatest reduction in PM2.5 in 2 hours and 4 hours of exposure to PM2.5 were Pachira aquatica and Dieffenbachia amoena. As the exposure time of PM increased, the efficiency of reducing PM2.5 was higher in plants with medium-sized leaves than plants with large or small leaves. The effect of reducing PM2.5 was higher in linear leaves than round or lobed leaves. Plants with high total leaf area did not have advantage in reducing PM because the leaves were relatively small and there were many overlapping parts between leaves. In the correlation between leaf characteristics and PM 2.5 reductions, all leaf area and leaf thickness showed a negative and leaf size showed a positive correlation with PM reduction. Conclusion: The PM reduction effect of plants with medium-sized leaves and long linear leaves was relatively high. Moreover, plants with a large total leaf area without overlapping leaves will have advantaged in reducing PM. Plants are effective in reducing PM, and leaf characteristics are an important factor that affects PM reduction.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.245-253
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• 2007

This research was performed to evaluate the airborne personal concentration of hazardouse materials during the process of ship construction and surveyed from May 23 to June 30, 2007 in Kyungnam West Distirct, Korea. The subject was 94 ship construction workers exposed to welding fume and respirable particulate. The airborne concentrations of those were compared to Permissible Exposure Limit(PEL) from the Ministry of Labor in Korea. The airborne concentration of 23 samples(48.9%) of welding fumes was less than $5mg/m^3$, that of 16 (34.0%) was between 5 and $10mg/m^3$, and that of 8 (17.0%) was greater than $10mg/m^3$. The airborne concentration of 27 (57.4%) of respirable particulate masses was less than $5mg/m^3$ and the othere are greater than $5mg/m^3$. The welding fumes were identified containing the heavy metasl such as Fe, Mn, Zn, Mg, Ca, and Cu. The respirable particulates has similiar tendency with welding fumes in the component of heavy metals. But the concentration of Ca, Cu, Cr, and Ni turned out to be higher in welding fumes. Twenty (42.6%) of the 47 samples of welding fumes were exceeded PEL. In the heavy metals in welding fumes, ten (21.3%) of the 47 samples of Mn were exceeded PEL. Based on the results, the higher airborne hazardous materials were still exposed to wokers in ship construction process. It is suggested that the appropriate engineering control be applied to minimize the exposed cocnetration in ship building processes.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제18권5호
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• pp.301-307
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• 1995

In the particulate fraction obtained from PKC-down regulated K562 cells by treatment for 24 h with 200nM TPA, phosphorylation of two proteins with molecular weight, 100 kDa and 23 kDa (designated p100 and p23, respectvely) was depleted and addition of exogenous purified PKC to this fraction failed to testore their phosphorylation. However, in the soluble fraction, all of phosphoproteins abolished by long-term treatment with TPA were restored by exogenously added PKC. Phosphorylation of two proteins was increased by short-term tretment (20 min), and diminished with the persistant exposure to TPA as well as at a concentration as low as 1nM. When K562 cells were treated with 1 nM and 200 nM TPA for 24 h, phosphorylation of p100 was restored with or without exogenous PKC on 2-3day and 6day after removal of treated TPA, respectively. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of phosphoproteins revealed that phosphorylated p100 (pl=5.9) and p66 species were completely absent from the particulate fraction of K562 cells treated with 200nM TPA for 24 h. These results suggest that the interaction of sensitive endogenous substrates, p100 and p23 with the plasma membrane might be regulated by PKC-down regulation without displacement to the cytosol and the interaction of p100 with the membrane might be reveersible.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.6-11
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• 1992

This study was carried out to investigate exposure level, size distribution, and respirable mass fraction of airborne coal dust and heavy metal concentration of respirable coal dust at each work site in coal briquet factory from July 1991 to September 1991. Geometric mean of total dust concentration was 10.88mg/m$^{3}$ at storage shop, 8.22mg/m$^{3}$ at pulverize shop, and 3.79mg/m$^{3}$ at rotary press shop, respectively, but those at storage and pulverize shop were higher than TLV. Geometric mean of respirable coal dust concentration wat 1.03mg/m$^{3}$ at storage shop, 0.78mg/m$^{3}$ at pulverize shop, and 0.55mg/m$^{3}$ at rotary press shop, respectively, which were lower than TLV Aerodynamic 50% cutoff diameter of the suspended coal dust was 5$\mu$m at rotary press shop and 6.8$\mu$m at storage shop, ranged to thoracic particulate defined by ACGIH, and deposited in the region of repiratory system. The mass fraction rate of respirable dust to the total coal dust was 26.2% at rotary press shop, 18.8% at storage shop, and 13.8% at pulverize shop, respectively. Heavy metal concentrations of the respirable coal dust were 0.028mg/m$^{3}$ ib Fe, 0.0081mg/m$^{3}$ in Cu, and 0.0039mg/m$^{3}$ in Pb.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.324-332
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• 2016

Objectives: The annual average of PM10 in Seoul was $45{\mu}/m^3$, which surpasses the WHO annual guidelines ($20{\mu}/m^3$). Most previous analyses of the effects of PM exposure have been retrospective studies using single hospital data, and fewer studies have attempted to address the relationship of PM10 and hospital costs. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the concentration of PM10 on hospital visits, admissions and hospital costs in patients with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Medical data from the National Health Insurance Service and the monthly average of PM10 from National Institute of Environmental Research were used to identify the effects of PM10 on hospital visits, admissions and hospital costs. We applied Poisson regression and linear regression to perform the analysis. Results: The relative risks for admissions per $10{\mu}/m^3$ increase in PM10 were 23.11%, 10.2% and 6.9% increases for acute bronchiolitis, asthma and bronchitis, respectively. The relative risk for hospital visits per $10{\mu}/m^3$ increase in PM10 were 10.4%, 6.7% and 5.9% for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and chronic sinusitis, respectively. For cardiovascular disease, the relative risk for admissions per $10{\mu}/m^3$ increase in PM10 were 2.2% and 2.1% increases in angina and acute myocardial infarction, respectively. A $10{\mu}/m^3$ increase in the monthly average of PM10 corresponded to 170,723,000 won (95% CI: 125,587,000-215,860,000 won), 123,636,000 won (95% CI: 47,784,000-199,487,000 won) and 78,571,000 won (95% CI: 29,062,000-128,081,000 won) increases in hospital costs for asthma, acute tonsillitis and chronic sinusitis, respectively. Conclusion: Hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular disease were associated with PM10 levels. PM10 exposure is also associated with increased costs for respiratory diseases.

• 대한약리학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.37-45
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• 1981

The importance of thyroid hormones for the survival of rats in the cold is along-established fact. Hypothyroid animals are unable to survive in a cold environment. It was also reported that acute exposure of rats, guinea pigs and rabbits to cold produced an increased secretion of TSH and thereby thyroid hormone secretion within 10 to 30 min, but this increase of thyroid activity disappeared quite rapidly during warming. However, in human study no significant difference was found in the concentration of $T_4$, TSH and cortisol between summer and winter. But plasma $T_3$ concentration was increased significantly in winter in 56 adult men. On the other hand, it has been also known that catecholamines are important in the maintenance of body temperature of rat exposured to cold. Abundant evidences suggest that the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the activation of nonshivering thermogenesis and that thyroid hormone metabolism and secretion are influenced by catecholamines and consequently by the activity of the sympatheticadrenal system. Many of the metabolic effects of catecholamines are associated with an increase in the level of cAMP mediated through activation of adenylate cyclase which converts ATP to cAMP. Other studies have shown that thyroid hormones affect the amount of adenylate cyclase present in the adipose tissue. On the other hand. it was also reported that a particulate cAMP phosphodiesterase activity in fat cells was modulated by the action of thyroid hormones. The objective of the present study was to determine the interaction between thyroid activity and cyclic nucleotides during acute exposure to cold. Albino rats weighing around 200 g were used as the experimental animal. The room temperature group was kept at $25^{\circ}C$ and the cold-exposured group was kept at $4^{\circ}C$ for 1 week or 2 weeks. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups; control, KI, and MTU group. At the end of experiment the animals were etherized and blood was taken from abdominal aorta for $T_4,\;T_3$ and cyclic nucleotides. The determinations of $T_3,\;T_4$ and cyclic nucleotides were carried out with a radioimmunoassay(RIA) method. The results were summerized as followings. 1) A significant increase of thyroid weight was observed in rats exposured to cold for 2 weeks. Furthermore, in rats administered MTU while to exposure to cold the thyroid weight was also increased significantly. 2) After 2 weeks $T_3$ concentration in the plasma of cold-exposured rats was significantly increased in KI group and MTU group as well as in control group. On the contrary, after 2 weeks of cold exposure $T_4$ level was decreased in control group. 3) In the case of cyclic nucleotides, plasma cAMP was increased in the control group after 1 or 2 weeks of cold exposure. However, cAMP level in plasma was rather significantly decreased in KI group and MTU group as well as in control group.

• 한국경제지리학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.59-77
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• 2008

자동차를 중심으로 하는 도로교통량이 크게 늘면서 교통에 기인한 다양한 피해 현상들이 나타나고 있다. 특히 교통량이 집중되는 대도시에서는 교통에 기인한 도시민의 건강피해가 심각한 것으로 밝혀지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 교통에 기인한 미세먼지의 피해를 직접적으로 받는 도시인구는 미세먼지의 주 발생원인 교통흐름이 있는 도로변에 가까이에 노출되는 도시민들이라고 보고 도시 공간 내에서 교통흐름과 미세먼지, 그리고 도시 통행인구의 공간적 분포를 분석하였다. 특히 본 연구에서는 대기오염문제가 심각한 서울을 대상으로 교통에 기인한 미세먼지의 실태를 살펴보고, 서울을 둘러싸고 있는 경기도 일대에 대단위 주거지들이 밀집된 신도시들이 개발되면서 나타나는 인구분포와 통행패턴, 그리고 교통흐름 및 미세먼지 농도에 나타나는 공간적 변화와 이들 간의 공간적 관계를 종합적으로 파악하기 위하여 GIS를 적용하였다. 또한 교통카드 트랜잭션 데이터베이스에서 데이터마이닝기법으로 추출해낸 통행흐름 자료를 이용하여 통행시간별 통행인구분포도를 작성하고, 이를 바탕으로 교통에 기인한 미세먼지에 직접 노출하게 되는 도시인구를 산정하는 시 공간적 모형개발을 시도하였다.