• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2010

Environmental-friendly agriculture (EFA) is defined as the cultivation of crops with reduced amounts or without chemical-synthetic pesticides. Recently, the use of chemical pesticides has decreased significantly; therefore, we cultivated peppers following EFA- and conventional methods and compared their antioxidant activities. To accomplish this, the environmental-friendly cultivated peppers (EFPE) and conventionally cultivated peppers (CCPE) were extracted with 70% methanol and the effects of the extracts on the cell viability, intracellular ROS generation, lipid peroxidation and catalase activity of HepG2 cells were evaluated. EFPE showed a stronger protective effect against oxidative stress induced-cell death than that of CCPE. EFPE also reduced intracellular ROS generation (42.7% to 26.4%) following treatment with hydrogen peroxide more effectively than that of CCPE (24.2% to 6.3%). Furthermore, EFPE and CCPE showed protective effects against lipid peroxidation and induced catalase activity, although these effects were not statistically significant. Taken together, these results suggest that EFPE showed stronger antioxidant activities than CCPE, and thus represent evidence that EFA with biocontrol materials may improve the functional properties of crops and/or secondary metabolites with antioxidant activities when compared with conventional agricultural practices.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2015

Synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) are the most common pesticides which are recently used for indoor pest control. The widespread use of SPs has resulted in the increased exposure to wild animals and humans. Recently, some SPs are suspected as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and have been assessed for their potential estrogenicity by adopting various analyzing assays. In this study, we examined the estrogenic effects of lambda-cyhalothrin (LC) and cypermethrin (CP), the most commonly used pesticides in Korea, using BG-1 ovarian cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors (ERs). To evaluate the estrogenic activities of two SPs, LC and CP, we employed MTT assay and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in LC or CP treated BG-1 ovarian cancer cells. In MTT assay, LC ($10^{-6}M$) and CP ($10^{-5}M$) significantly induced the growth of BG-1 cancer cells. LC or CP-induced cell growth was antagonized by addition of ICI 182,720 ($10^{-8}M$), an ER antagonist, suggesting that this effect appears to be mediated by an ER-dependent manner. Moreover, RT-PCR results showed that transcriptional level of cyclin D1, a cell cycle-regulating gene, was significantly up-regulated by LC and CP, while these effects were reversed by co-treatment of ICI 182,780. However, p21, a cyclin D-ckd-4 inhibitor gene, was not altered by LC or CP. Moreover, $ER{\alpha}$ expression was not significantly changed by LC and CP, while down-regulated by E2. Finally, in xenografted mouse model transplanted with human BG-1 ovarian cancer cells, E2 significantly increased the tumor volume compare to a negative control, but LC did not. Taken together, these results suggest that LC and CP may possess estrogenic potentials by stimulating the growth of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells via partially ER signaling pathway associated with cell cycle as did E2, but this estrogenic effect was not found in in vivo mouse model.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.395-402
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• 2017

Overuse of synthetic pesticides caused negative side-effects such as environmental contamination, development of insect pests' resistance, and effects on non-target organisms. Plant origin substances without/or with low mammalian toxicity have been considered as promising alternatives to the synthetic pesticides. Fumigant toxicity of the essential oil of Iranian Yarrow, Achillea millefolium L., was investigated against a cosmopolitan stored-product insect pest: saw-toothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis L.). Chemical profile of this essential oil was studied by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Tested concentrations were significantly effective to the mortality of insect pest. A positive correlation between essential oil concentrations and pest mortality were realized. LC50 value (lethal concentration needed to 50% mortality) was achieved as $17.977(16.195{\pm}20.433){\mu}l/l$ air. The main components were 1,8-Cineole (13.17%), nerolidol (12.87%), ${\alpha}$-cubebene (12.35%), artemisia ketone (6.69%), ${\alpha}$-terpineol (5.27%), alloaromadendrene oxide (4.71%) and borneol (3.99%). Terpenic compounds including monoterpene hydrocarbons (8.19%), monoterpenoids (44.23%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (21.69%) and sesquiterpenoids (22.24%) were 96.35% of the total identified compounds. Results indicated that the terpene-rich A. millefolium essential oil may be considered as a safe bio-agent in the O. surinamensis management.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.239-246
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• 2010

Aphids are one of the major pests in agricultural crops. A number of synthetic pesticides have been used for control of aphids in agriculture, but increasing public concerns over their adverse effects on the environment have required more environmentally-friendly methods for pest management. In this study, we examined plant oil formulations for the control of green peach aphid (Myzus persicae). Oil formulations were prepared by hydrolyzing the plant oils in ethanolic KOH solution and diluted at the rate of 1:500 for aphid control. The oil formulations showed aphid mortalities ranging from 24.44 to 43.33% in vitro. Significantly increased aphid mortalities were observed by the treatment of oil formulations combined with low-dosed imidacloprid. No significant difference in the aphid mortality was observed between the oil formulations. Mass spectrometry analyses of aphids treated with the low dosedimidacloprid plus the plant oil formulations detected similar concentrations of imidacloprid between the treatments. In field trial bioassays against aphids, significantly decreased aphid population were observed in the pepper plants treated with soybean oil formulation combined with the low-dosed imidacloprid, while aphid population dramatically increased in the pepper plants treated with the low-dosed imidacloprid alone. These results suggested that the plant oil formulations can be used as an environmentally-friendly method for enhancing the insecticidal effectiveness, which may play a role in reducing the use of synthetic pesticide in agriculture.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.246-253
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• 2007

The reproduction toxicity of several pesticides on two Korean water flea was investigated to develop a new standard species used for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. were exposed to 4 different types of pesticides over 10 and 21 days, respectively. No-ohserved effect concentration (NOEC) for synthetic pyrethroid, fenpropathrin on Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. were 0.17 and $0.06\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Diazinon, carbofuran and myclobutanil were in the order of their reproduction toxicity to cladocerans tested. There were large differences between Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. in their susceptibility to fenpropathrin, diazinon and carbofuran except myclobutanil. Daphnia sp. is more sensitive than M. macrocopa to pesticides tested. Therefore Daphnia sp. may be a good surrogate species to assess the reproduction effect of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates. M. macrocopa also be a good surrogate species because it is one of the most abundant cladocera in agricultural environment, especially rice paddy in Korea. In addition to it's ecological importance of wide spread distribution, it has also economical importance to make possible to shorten period for reproduction test using M. macrocopa due to it's short life cycle.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 2002

The success of sericulture industry in India is mainly attributed to the well-planned annual sericultural activity and the systematic implementation of pest preventive and control measures. The insect spectrum of silkworm and its food plants is complex and plays a major role in limiting the production of silk. Insects cause extensive damage to plant whereas predators and parasites either kill the silkworm larvae or force them to spin flimsy cocoons. Unilateral control measure against this pest is mainly based on the use of synthetic organic insecticides. Though these approaches initially paid rich dividends, the undesirable consequences soon surfaced. Insecticide induced resurgence of gall midges, leafhopper, leaf roller, secondary pest out breaks and development of pest biotypes has led to realization of Integrated Pest Management in sericulture. Various components of IPM, viz. Host plant resistance, cultural practices, biological control, chemical control and integrating them at various technological levels have been studied. Sources of host plant resistance have been identified for some of the major insect pests. High yielding mulberry variety has been propagated and their resistances towards major pests have been recorded. Cultural practices like pruning, pollarding, judicious use of nitrogen, optimum spacing and weed management have preyed to be the powerful tools in containing pests. Natural control over the pest population build- up exerted by the wide range of parasitoids, predators and pathogens has been well documented with identification of natural enemies and studies on their potential. Augmentation, through inoculation or inundative releases of parasitic arthropods, is the most direct way of increasing the numbers of these beneficials in sericulture.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.23-32
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• 2007

Changes in the characteristics of dissolved organic matter was studied at selected stations in the Nakdong river basin using physical and chemical methods. Characteristics of dissolved organic matters were analysed and assessed. Production of disinfection byproducts were also investigated. Distribution of the organic compounds according to the Molecular weight(MW) indicate that MWs higher than 100K were highest with cattle excrement wastewater and MW between 100-10K were highest with waters from forest streams. Low MW compounds (Jess than 1K) were highest with the effluents from environmental facilities. Results of resin fractionation study show that acidic hydrophobic substances(AHS) were dominant in many stations. The values were higher in the samples from mainstreams and sidestreams where the influence of organic matter is higher than the water from environmental facilities. Hydrophilic neutral substances(HoN) such as hydrocarbon, pesticides and detergents were higher in the wastewater treatment facilities. HoN values of water from the forest streams were 4.7% indicating there is no synthetic pollutant.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2003

Uzi fly (Exorista bombycis Louis) is one of the major larval endo-parasitoid of silkworm (Bombyx mori). It causes extensive damage to sericulture industry. The application of synthetic organic pesticides has tremendous impact on minimizing pest population but their overuse and frequent misuse and high sensitivity towards the silkworms, has forced the entomologists to search for alternatives to chemical control, which is safe to silkworm, environment and farm workers. Biological control continues to offer exciting possibilities for the control of fly pest population. It is environmentally safe alternative to chemical control and offering a long-term protection. Several potential hymenopteran parasitoids have been screened. Among successful natural enemies, Nesolynx thymus, Trichomalopsis apanteloctena, Trichopria sp., Brachymeria lasus, Pediobius sp., Spalangia sp., Spilomicrus karnatakensis and Dhirhinus sp. are important. It is essential to predict accurately the efficacy of these natural enemies in a new habitat prior to its introduction. The important desirable attributes of these potential parasitoids viz., host searching capacity, specificity, power of increase and fitness and adaptability of the parasitoid in new environment has been recorded. Results of the host parasitoid interaction indicate that the aging of the host function as a factor that influence the host finding efficiency of the parasitoid. It is highly scored with 15-20 hrs old pupa of the host. However, aging of the parasitoid does not significantly affect it. The sex ratio is female biased which is advantageous from biological control point of view, Biological suppression methods involving conservation and utilization of natural enemies have been discussed in detail.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.223-227
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• 2018

This study reports a cyanide resistant and/or tolerant fungus, isolated from the rhizosphere of Zea mays contaminated with cyanide-based pesticides. The isolate was characterised using molecular biology. The effect of free cyanide and heavy metals on the growth of isolate in a synthetic gold mine wastewater was examined. The molecular analyses identified the isolate as Fusarium oxysporum EKT01/02 (KU985430/KU985431). The isolate had a free cyanide degradation efficiency of 77.6%. The results indicated greater growth impairment in culture containing Arsenic (optical density 1.28 and 1.458) and cyanide (optical density 1.315 and 1.385). Higher growth was observed in all cultures supplemented with extracellular polymeric substance. This study showed that the isolate possesses wide substrate utilisation mechanism that could be deployed in environmental engineering applications.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.261-267
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• 2007

The acute toxicity of several pesticides on 4 Korean water flea was investigated to develop a new standard species used for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. Four Korean freshwater cladocerans, Daphnia obtusa, Daphnia sp., Moina macrocopa and Simocepholus vetulus were exposed to five different pesticides during 48 hours to compare their sensitivity with a standard test species, Daphnia magna, endorsed formally by the major international organizations. The synthetic pyrethroid, fenpropathrin was the most toxic pesticide to cladocerans. Diazinon, carbofuran, iprodione and myclobutanil were in the order of their toxicity to cladocerans tested. There was no consistent difference in sensitivity to five pesticides for four Korean cladocerans tested. In conclusion, the ecological risk assessment using single species toxicity referred to base set data should not be enough to protect to every species in the field environment.