• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2010

United Nations Environment Program adopted a global binding agreement to regulate the production and distribution for the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in May 22, 2001. The agreement took its effectuation with the ratification of 59 countries from the approval of 151 countries in May 17, 2004. After the approval on the binding agreement in October 4, 2001, South Korea performed systematic investigation for the ready of ratification on the convention with country-specific exemption for some chemical substances. Case study with documentary examination and fact-finding survey found some potential problem for 5 chemical substances such as chlordane, dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorobenzenes (HCB), heptachlor, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). However, subsequent investigation with more detailed degree showed the possibility for the ratification with no country-specific exemption.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.97-107
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• 2000

PCBs [Polychlorinated biphenyls] are halogenated aromatic compounds with the empirical formula C12H10-nCln(n=1~10), and are a mixture of possible 209 different chlorinated congeners. PCBs were widely used as dielectric fluids for capacitors, transformers, plasticizers, lubricant inks, and paint additives. once released into the environment, PCBs persist for years because they are so resistant to degradation. In addition to their high degree of lipophilicity. In 1970s, the worldwide production of PCBs seem to be still in use. The environmental load of PCBs was prohibited since 1983 in Korea. In spite of these actions, many PCBs seem 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 I the serum samples of 112 women by GC/MSD(Hewlett Packard 5897 Gas Chromatography-Mass Chromatography Detector) and CG/ECD(Hewlett Packard 5890 series-II gas chromatography-Electron capture detector, U.S.A). The main results of this study were as follows; The mean and standard deviation of serum PCBs were 3.613, 0.759 ppb, respectively and median of it was 3.828 ppb. The correlation coefficients of the concentrations of 13 PCB congeners ranged from 0.7913 to 0..9985 and were significantly correlated between each items(p=0.0001). The PCB concentrations were positively associated with age(simple linear regression; R2=0.86, =0.08023, p<0.001) and with total lipids in serums(simple linear regression; R=0.7058, =0.00486, p<0.001). The age adjusted model (Y=$\beta$0+$\beta$1age+$\beta$2X) was applied for possible predictors of PCBs levels in serum. For BMI(Body Mass Index), major residential area, and fish, meat, and dairy consumption, there was no association with PCBs levels, Also there was negative association for the number of pregnancy and lactation period with PCBs levels.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.364-369
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• 2013

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been studied during the past few decades because of their potential impacts on the environment and human health. PCBs are toxic environmental pollutants and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This study was carried out to assess the dietary exposure and risk to PCBs for the general Korean population through food intake. Various samples (n=389) covering 28 kinds of food were collected from 5 cities in Korea. The PCB content was not detected-$182.4{\mu}g/kg$ (mean of $5.4{\mu}g/kg$) in the food. The mean dietary exposure of PCBs for the general population was 9.54 ng/kg bw/day with an intake of 0.19% of tolerable daily intake (TDI) ($5{\mu}g/kg$ bw/day). Therefore, the level of overall dietary exposure to PCBs for the Korean population through food intake is below the recommended TDI levels.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1499-1507
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• 2011

Practical disposal of transformer insulation oil laden with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) by a chemical treatment has been studied in field work. The transformer insulation oil containing PCBs was treated by the required amounts of PEG (polyethylene glycol) and KOH, along with different reaction conditions such as temperatures and times. The reaction of PEG with PCBs under basic condition produces arylpolyglycols, the products of nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Removal efficiencies of PCBs in insulation oil before and after chemical treatment were examined. The removal efficiency of PCBs was very low at lower temperatures of 25 and $50^{\circ}C$. Under the reaction condition of PEG 600/KOH/$100^{\circ}C$/2hr, removal efficiency of PCBs was approximately 70%, showing completely removal of PCBs containing 7~9 chlorines on biphenyl frame which appear later than PCB IUPAC Number 183 (2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaCB) in retention time of GC/ECD. However, when increasing the reaction temperature and time to $150^{\circ}C$ and 4 hours, removal efficiency of PCBs reached 99.99% without any formation of PCDDS/PCDFs during the process. Such reaction conditions were verified by several official analytical institutions. In studying the reaction of PEG with PCBs, it confirmed that the process of chemical treatment led to less chlorinated PCBs through a stepwise process with the successive elimination of chlorines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.267-268
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• 2001

Chlorobenzenes (CBs) are ubiquitous hydrophobic chlorinated organic compounds in the environment. These compounds are used as de-ordants, solvents and pesticides, as well as byproducts of agro- or petro-chemical related manufacturing processes, such as PCBs and pentachlorophenol, or of biodegradation of lindane (Newhook and Meek, 1994). Unlike some organochlorine (OC) compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and various pesticides, CBs are not banned from production or use in any country. (omitted)

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.239-245
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• 1997

The sorption kinetic was studied to evaluate feasibility of removing PCBs from mineral oil with activated carbon. Adsorption efficiency for Aroclor 1242 which is composed of lower chlorinated PCB formulations was $\geq$ 95%, whereas the adsorption efficiency for Aroclor 1260 having higher chlorinated constituents was considerably lower with the efficiency falling to 75%. The observed difference in the adsorption efficiency is attributed to the geometry of PCBs with non-planar and coplanar structure. The concentration of coplanar PCBs is appreciably higher in Aroclor 1242. Since toxicity is primarily associated with coplanar congeners, the preferential adsorption of coplanar congeners by activated carbon accounts for the fact that toxicity reduction can be achieved through this process. The efficiency of process was assessed in terms of Toxicity Equivalence Factor (TEF).

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1987

Degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides by Alcaligenes aquamarinus has been studied and also degradation product of PCB-42 was investigated by TLC and GC. The less chlorinated members of PCBs such as Aroclor 1016 was degraded readily by the strain and rates of the microbial degradation of several organochlorine pesticides were found to decrease in the order of p,p'-DDT, r-BHC and Thiolix. Approximately 40 percent of PCB-42 was degraded when incubated with non-autoclaved soil for 25 days at $25^{\circ}C$. The yellow compound from PCB-42 was tentatively identified as p-chlorobenzoic acid.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.273-278
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• 1986

PCBs was degraded by bacterium, which was classified as a strain of Alcaligenes aquamarinus. Its PCB-42 degradation was maximized when grown on mineral salts medium containing 0.1% of PCB-42 as a sole carbon source at $25^{\circ}C$ and initial pH $7.0{\sim}8.0$, and also shaking culture was effective for it. The addition of glucose and peptone were effective for the degradation of PCB-42, but metal ions were not effective.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.283.2-283.2
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• 2002

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been used intensively in agriculture and industry for a long time. They belong to a group of contaminants whose occurrence in the environment is a serious concern to environmental chemists and toxicologists due to their resistance to degradation in the environment as well as their potential toxicity. Also. the lipophilic characteristics of these substances are responsible for their ability to bioaccumulate in tissues and organs rich in lipids of men and animals through food chain. Therefore, the measure of the levels of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in human tissues are good markers in detemining the extent to exposure and evaluating the hazards. This study was preformed to compare concentrations of organochlorine pesticides(${\alpha}-BHC, {\beta}-BHC, {\gamma}-BHC, {\delta}-BHC$, p.p'-DDT,p.p'-DDD,p.p.'-DDE. endrin. dieldrin. aldrin) and seven marker PCBs(PCB nos. 28. 52. 101. 118. 138. 153. 180) in liver. kidney cortex, lung blood and adipose tissue collected at autopsies of 10men and 10 women using gas chromatography equipped with electron capture detector to express the data on a lipid adjusted basis. From the results, the significant differences in the levels of organochlorines of PCBs between sexes, districts where they had lived and ages were also investigated.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.91-108
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• 2007

This study was investigated both the Korean official soil test method and the international various methods for PCBs in soil sample. The analytical guideline of PCBs in contaminated soil were proposed based on the official soil test methods by discussing the extraction, column cleanup, instrumental conditions, quantification methods of peak matching and individual isomers. The total 28 soil samples were selected by consideration of PCBs-contamination, land use etc., and then analyzed using gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC/MS). In this study, the PCBs were not detected as peak matching method using GC/ECD, but PCBs detected $0.002{\sim}0.487{\mu}g/kg$ using GC/MS in background concentrations.