• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 1983

In spite of the world-wide increase of incidence of pesticide poisoning due to greater use of pesticides, the epidemiological study of pesticide poisoning in Korea has been grossly neglected. The author gained access to the medical records for two year period (1981 through 1982) from local clinics, hospitals and health centers of Kyungpook area to investigate the status of the pesticide poisoning. During these two years, there were 1,618 cases of documented pesticide poisoning, of which in 1981 were 765 and in 1982 were 853. Those in the twenties decade of age was the most frequent and the male(70%) was more liable than the female (30%). In view of manner of poisoning, occupational poisoning was 27.8%, accidental 5.6%, and suicidal 66.6%. There are three distinct groups which make up the large majority of both fatal and nonfatal cases; young children who accidentally ingest pesticides, young to middle age adult who are occupationally poisoned, and middle age to older adults who suicidally ingest pesticides. The seasonal distribution of these poisonings disclosed the peak month to be July, with August next, followed by June and September. Only 11% of cases occurred during the three-month winter season of December to February. Thus pesticide caused poison- ing was primarily a summer and early fall occurrence. During these two years, average of 67 cases of poisoning was observed monthly. Of the pesticide poisoning documented, 49% were treated with poisoning patients from local clinic and 43% from hospital. The case fatality rate of occupational poisoning was 0.9%, accidental 5.6% and suicidal 20.3%. The mean overall case fatality rate was 14.1%. Annual incidence of pesticide poisoning was 25.4 per 100,000 population in the study area. There is a nationwide need for more reliable date on pesticide poisoning. This need can only grow more acute with the passage of time because of the increasing importance of pesticides as a cause of morbidity and mortality.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.620-626
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• 1997

Annual biomasses of the hairtail, Trichiurus lepturus, were estimated from the biomass-based cohort analysis (Zhang, 1987), using data of annual catch in weight at age during $1970\~1988$ in Korean waters. Annual biomass of the hairtail was peaked at about 240,000 mt in 1975, and thereafter declined with a slight fluctuation. Adult biomass showed a peak in 1978 with about 55,000 mt. However, it has continuously decreased untill 1980 to the level of 9,000 mt and remained at this level till 1988. Age compositions of the hairtail in the 1980s differed greatly from those in the 1970s. The proportions of older hairtail (>4 years) were very low in the 1980s and even the biomasses of young hairtail $(1\~3\;years)$ were at a low evel in the 1980s compared with the level in 1970s. The 1973 and 1974 year classes appeared to be relatively dominant. The mean value of instantaneous rate of fishing mortality (F) in the 1980s was significantly different from that of the 1910s (P<0.05). Recruitment of the hairtail exhibited a similar trend with stock biomass until 1974, indicating the density-dependent Ricker curve.