• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.26-35
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• 2019

This study aims to introduce and economical review on the possibilities of rare earth elements(REEs) recovery from coal ashes and the analysis of economical evaluation factors based on the data for securing domestic rare earth elements. The cut-off grade of REEs on recovering from coal ash was confirmed to be 1,000 ppm on total rare earth oxides(TREO) basis, and while the economic value of coal ash changed with contents and specific elements of rare earth elements. This shall be resulted in the price differences of rare earth elements required by the current industry, and it probably varies depending on the future demand of rare earth components. For developing of commercial recovery technology on REEs in coal ashes, many researches have been carried out by various analyzing methods, such as evaluation of holding value of REEs in ashes, assessment between supply and demand of industry, comparison of investment and its profitability for the REEs's production from coal ashes, and so on. Although these methods have been suggested, its recovery system with economical feasibility could not been confirmed up to present. In this reason, the process design of recovering REEs from coal ash shall be researched continuously to solve the problems of the global rare earth market. And also these researches shall be conducted actively in Korea for the purpose of securing the REEs resources and their recovering technologies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.293-300
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• 2010

tert-Butyl acetate (TBAc) is an organic solvent, which is commonly used in architectural coatings and industrial solvents. It has recently been exempted from the definition of a volatile organic compound (VOC) by the Air Resources Board (ARB). Since the use of TBAc as a substitute for other VOCs has increased, thus its potential risk in humans has also increased. However, its inhalation toxicity data in the literature are very limited. Hence, inhalation exposure to TBAc was carried out to investigate its toxic effects in this study. Adult male rats were exposed to TBAc for 4 h for 1 day by using a nose-only inhalation exposure chamber (low dose, $2370\;mg/m^3$ (500 ppm); high dose, $9482\;mg/m^3$ (2000 ppm)). Shamtreated control rats were exposed to clean air in the inhalation chamber for the same period. The animals were killed at 2, 7, and 15 days after exposure. At each time point, body weight measurement, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis, histopathological examination, and biochemical assay were performed. No treatment-related abnormal effects were observed in any group according to time course. Based on those findings, the median lethal concentration ($LC_{50}$) of TBAc was over $9482\;mg/m^3$ in this study. According to the MSDS, the 4 h $LC_{50}$ for TBAc for rats is over $2230\;mg/m^3$. We suggested that this value is changed and these findings may be applied in the risk assessment of TBAc which could be beneficial in a sub-acute study.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 1994

The experiments were canied out to investigate the toxicological characteristics of Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) such as chlorfluazuron, diflubenzuron, pyriproxyfen and tebufenozide against the various stages of instars of fall webwom (Hyphantrio cuneo Dmy) and nce stem borer (Chiio suppressaiis Walker). In fall webwom, the tolerance ratio m) with the 2nd-6th instars, as cornpared with LCso of the 1st instar, ranged 107-358, 1.13-6.06, 1.02-3.23 and 1.05- 6.64, respectively. In the rice stern borer, the TR of the 3rd instar, as compared with LCso of the 1st instar, to chlorfluazuron, diflubenzuron, pyriproxyfen and tebufenoz~de were 2.86, 260, 19.80 and 15.30, respectively.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.111-125
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• 2018

Solvents can be used in the manufacture of medicinal products provided their residual levels in the final product comply with the acceptable limits based on safety data. At worldwide level, these limits are set by the "Guideline Q3C (R6) on impurities: guideline for residual solvents" issued by the ICH. Diisopropyl ether (DIPE) is a widely used solvent but the possibility of using it in the pharmaceutical manufacture is uncertain because the ICH Q3C guideline includes it in the group of solvents for which "no adequate toxicological data on which to base a Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) was found". We performed a risk assessment of DIPE based on available toxicological data, after carefully assessing their reliability using the Klimisch score approach. We found sufficiently reliable studies investigating subchronic, developmental, neurological toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats and genotoxicity in vitro. Recent studies also investigated a wide array of toxic effects of gasoline/DIPE mixtures as compared to gasoline alone, thus allowing identifying the effects of DIPE itself. These data allowed a comprehensive toxicological evaluation of DIPE. The main target organs of DIPE toxicity were liver and kidney. DIPE was not teratogen and had no genotoxic effects, either in vitro or in vivo. However, it appeared to increase the number of malignant tumors in rats. Therefore, DIPE could be considered as a non-genotoxic animal carcinogen and a PDE of 0.98 mg/day was calculated based on the lowest No Observed Effect Level (NOEL) value of $356mg/m^3$ (corresponding to 49 mg/kg/day) for maternal toxicity in developmental rat toxicity study. In a worst-case scenario, using an exceedingly high daily dose of 10 g/day, allowed DIPE concentration in pharmaceutical substances would be 98 ppm, which is in the range of concentration limits for ICH Q3C guideline class 2 solvents. This result might be considered for regulatory decisions.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2016

Chronic exposure to cadmium (Cd) is known to adversely affect renal function. Our previous studies indicated that Cd induces p53-dependent apoptosis by inhibiting gene expression of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (Ube) 2d family in both human and rat proximal tubular cells. In this study, the effects of Cd on protein expression of p53 and apoptotic signals in the kidney and liver of mice exposed to Cd for 12 months were examined, as well as the effects of Cd on p53 protein levels and gene expression of the Ube2d family in various cell lines. Results showed that in the kidney of mice exposed to 300 ppm Cd for 12 months, there was overaccumulation of p53 proteins in addition to the induction of apoptosis, which was triggered specifically in the proximal tubules. Interestingly, the site of apoptosis was the same as that of p53 accumulation in the proximal tubules. In the liver of mice chronically exposed to Cd, gene expression of the Ube2d family tended to be slightly decreased, together with slight apoptosis without the accumulation of p53 protein. In rat small intestine epithelial (IEC-6) cells, Cd decreased not only the p53 protein level but also gene expression of Ube2d1, Ube2d2 and Ube2d4. In human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs), Cd did not suppress gene expression of the Ube2d family, but increased the p53 protein level. In human brain astrocytes (HBASTs), Cd only increased gene expression of UBE2D3. These results suggest that Cd-induced apoptosis through p53 protein is associated with renal toxicity but not hepatic toxicity, and the modification of p53 protein by Cd may vary depending on cell type.