• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.201-212
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• 2014

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are carcinogenic and persistent will be restricted in consumer products from December 27, 2015 by EU REACH regulation. Pretreatment using Soxhlet extraction and quantitative analysis by GC-MS were studied to develop the method for analyzing 18 PAHs in consumer products as well as to detect the amounts and the kinds of PAHs in consumer products such as grips of a bag and a hammer, a cable and a plastic sandal. Linearity and precisions were evaluated by analyses of the standard PAH solutions ranging from 0.3125 mg/L to 5.00 mg of each of 18 PAHs. Linearity of resulting standard curves for all 18 PAHs were obtained with $R^2$ above 0.999. Precisions of the retention times and the peak areas were found to be 0.00%~0.05% and 1.16%~3.69% of relative standard deviations, respectively. The recoveries for spiked samples were all around 95%~105% after Soxhlet extration using three different solvents such as dichloromethane, hexane and toluene. The limits of quantitation for 18 PAHs in solutions and polymer samples by GC-MS were evaluated to be 0.327 mg/L (Benzo[ghi]perylene)~0.464 mg/L (Acenaphthylene) and 1.635 mg/kg (Benzo[ghi]perylene)~2.32 mg/kg (Acenaphthylene) based upon dilution factor of 5, respectively. Under the developed analytical method, only trace amounts of phenanthrene were detected in three samples while 15 kinds of PAHs including phenanthrene were detected in a grip of hammer with concentrations of maximum 83.4 mg/kg of Phenanthrene and minimum 8.5 mg/kg of Acenaphthylene. Further studies are needed to decrease the quantitation limit and to check the feasibility of decreasing Soxhlet time as well as to demonstrate cases that the clean up is required.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.6.1-6.15
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• 2023

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are occupational and environmental pollutants generated by the incomplete combustion of organic matter. Exposure to PAHs can occur in various occupations. In this study, we compared PAH exposure levels among occupations based on 4 urinary PAH metabolites in a Korean adult population. Methods: The evaluation of occupational exposure to PAHs was conducted using Second Korean National Environmental Health Survey data. The occupational groups were classified based on skill types. Four urinary PAH metabolites were used to evaluate PAH exposure: 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), 2-naphthol (2-NAP), 1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OHPHE), and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFLU). The fraction exceeding the third quartile of urinary concentration for each PAH metabolite was assessed for each occupational group. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for exceeding the third quartile of urinary PAH metabolite concentration were calculated for each occupational group compared to the "business, administrative, clerical, financial, and insurance" group using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: The "guard and security" (OR: 2.949; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.300-6.691), "driving and transportation" (OR: 2.487; 95% CI: 1.418-4.364), "construction and mining" (OR: 2.683; 95% CI: 1.547-4.655), and "agriculture, forestry, and fisheries" (OR: 1.973; 95% CI: 1.220-3.191) groups had significantly higher ORs for 1-OHP compared to the reference group. No group showed significantly higher ORs than the reference group for 2-NAP. The groups with significantly higher ORs for 1-OHPHE than the reference group were "cooking and food service" (OR: 2.073; 95% CI: 1.208-3.556), "driving and transportation" (OR: 1.724; 95% CI: 1.059-2.808), and "printing, wood, and craft manufacturing" (OR: 2.255; 95% CI: 1.022-4.974). The OR for 2-OHFLU was significantly higher in the "printing, wood, and craft manufacturing" group (OR: 3.109; 95% CI: 1.335-7.241) than in the reference group. Conclusions: The types and levels of PAH exposure differed among occupational groups in a Korean adult population.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.577-588
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• 1998

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are products of incomplete combustion and, in urban area atmosphere, are mainly traffic or heating in origin. Size-segregated aerosol samples were collected on the Eixth story of Shinchon on the Yonsei campus, using a high-volume cascade impactor, between August 1994 and September 1995. Ten PAHs were analyzed by GC/MSD. The size distribution of PAH-containing particulates followed approximately a log-normal relationship with the majority of PAH content associated with particles below 3.0mm. PAHs concentration in submicron particles increased during the winter months. The Mass Median Diameter (MMD) value of annual particulates in the heavy traffic area of Shinchon shows about 1.6 pm. The MMD values of air particulate in winter were the lowest values and similar to that in summer, while MMD values of seasonal PAHs were generally lower than 1.0 pm. Among the PAHs, MMD values of PAHs with the more than 5 benzen ring were averagely lower than those with 4 benzin rings. Especially MMD's of dibenzo (a, h) anthracene in winter was clearly lower than in summer. This reason may be caused by fuels used for heating. In this area, 50∼80% PAHs mass was particles smaller than 1.0mm aerodynamic diameter in size range, and the MMD values of PAHs lower than those of other country's area.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.1 s.52
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• pp.57-69
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• 2006

Lately human exposure to fine particles smaller than $2.5{\mu}m$ in aerodynamic diameter ($PM_{2.5}$) has become a great concern in Korea due to their possible cause of elevated mortality, lung function decrements, and more frequent hospital admissions for asthma. This study was conducted to investigate seasonal variations of human exposure to residential $PM_{2.5}$ and particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Ten homes in Chuncheon, Korea were visited for continuous 72 hour sampling of $PM_{2.5}$ in the living rooms using a MiniVol Portable Sampler from December 22, 2002 to November 3, 2003. During the same period, outdoor $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected on the top of the Natural Sciences Building of Kangwon National University which is located in the middle of the ten households. Samples were analyzed for $PM_{2.5}$ mass concentrations and six selected PAHs. In two smoking homes, the highest $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were measured ranging from 51.1 to 69.7 {\mu}g/m^3$ on average in all seasons, indicating smoking is a very important contributor to the elevation of indoor particle concentrations. Seasonal comparison showed that indoor particle concentrations were higher than outdoor ones except winter. Total PAH concentrations in smoking homes were highest in winter among the seasons primarily due to low ventilation rate, followed by the outdoor site and nonsmoking homes. BaP toxic equivalents (TEQs) were calculated for five PAHs. The TEQ for smoking homes in winter was highest followed by the outdoor site in winter. It is concluded that smoking and ventilation rate are two important contributors to the elevation of indoor $PM_{2.5}$ and PAH concentrations.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2021

Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to assess the effect of oxidative decomposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in field soil using peroxy-acid. The study soil texture is sandy soil containing 19.2 % of organic matter at pH 6.8. Among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the study soil, the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene is 2.23 mg/kg which is three times higherthan the Korea standard level. Therefore benzo(a)pyrene was selected as the target study PAH for the treatment by peroxy-acid oxidation using peroxy-acid coupled with hydrogen peroxide, and the efficiency of the oxidative decomposition of benzo(a)pyrene was assessed for the different organic acids and dosages of an organic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Propionic acid among the tested organic acids showed the highest efficiency of benzo(a)pyrene reduction in the peroxyacid oxidation treatment and finally satisfied the Korea standard level.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.12-19
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• 2004

Binding mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) and its ultrafiltration (UF) size fractions were investigated. Organic carbon normalized binding coefficient ($K_oc$) values were estimated by both a conventional Stern-Volmer fluorescence quenching technique and a modified fluorescence quenching method. Pyrene $K_oc$ values depended on PAHA concentration as well as freely dissolved pyrene concentration. Such nonlinear sorption-type behaviors suggested the existence of specific interactions. Smaller molecular size PAH (naphthalene) exhibited higher $K_oc$ value with medium-size PAHA UF fractions whereas larger size PAH (pyrene) had higher extent of binding with larger PAHA UF fractions. The inconsistent observation for naphthalene versus pyrene was well explained by size exclusion effect, one of the previously suggested specific mechanisms for PAH binding. In general, the extent of pyrene binding increased with lower pH likely due to the neutralization of acidic functional groups in HS and the subsequent increase in hydrophobic HS region. However, pyrene $K_oc$ results with a large UF fraction (>100K Da) corroborated the existence of the size exclusion effect as demonstrated by an increase in $K_oc$ values at a certain higher pH range. The size exclusion effect appears to be effective only for the specific conditions (HS size or pH) that render HS hole st겨ctures to fit a target PAH.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.89-89
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1997.10b
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• pp.130.2-130
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• 1997

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.339-344
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• 2009

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in processed chestnut products were determined by HPLC/FLD. The methodology involved procedures of sonication with water, extraction with hexane, and clean-up on a Sep-pak florisil cartridge. The PAH limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) ranged from 0.012 to 0.382 ${mu}g/kg$ and from 0.042 to 1.273 ${mu}g/kg$, respectively. The coefficients of variation for intra- and inter-day assays were 0.02-4.48% and 0.37-9.83%, respectively, and the accuracies were 81.95-125.44% and 79.89-116.53%, respectively. The overall recoveries for eight PAHs spiked into the processed chestnut products ranged from 87.83 to 100.56%. As a result, PAH contents were not detected in the processed chestnut products.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2003

The atmospheric concentrations of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with PM$_{10}$ were determined in Taegu metropolitan area. Sampling was undertaken every five days throughout one year period from 1993 to 1994 at four sites, representing a residential, a commercial, an industrial, and a sub-urban area, respectively. Benzo (e) pyrene, benzo (k) fluoranthene, and chrysene were found to be the most abundant com-pounds during the study period. The concentrations of benzo (a) pyrene, one of carcinogenic PAHs, ranged 2.0~4.8 ng/㎥ in winter and 0.5~1.5 ng/㎥ in summer season, indicating a marked seasonal variation. It was found that there were very similar patterns in the relative profiles of PM$_{10}$-bound PAH concentrations among the four sampling sites, while the absolute levels of each PAH were significantly different from each site. In addition, the patterns of summer to winter concentration ratios for each PAH were almost identical between the different sites. Despite difficulties due to the lack of good markers for specific sources in the target compounds, we were able to evaluate and describe the effects of vehicle emissions and space heatings, using relative profiles of PAHs, winter to summer (W/S) ratios, PAH-to-PAH ratios, and the result of principal component analysis. As a con-sequence, it was concluded that the vehicle emissions in urban and sub -urban areas are likely to be a major contributor for PAH loadings in the ambient atmosphere during the non-heating season, while the contributions of residential heating and local industrial oil burning emissions were highly significant in heating season.son.