• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.377-385
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• 2017

Objectives: Although mercury (Hg) exposure is known to be neurotoxic in humans, its effects on liver function have been less often reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether total Hg exposure in Korean adults was associated with elevated serum levels of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Methods: We repeatedly examined the levels of total Hg and liver enzymes in the blood of 508 adults during 2010-2011 and 2014-2015. Cross-sectional associations between levels of blood Hg and liver enzymes were analyzed using a generalized linear model, and nonlinear relationships were analyzed using a generalized additive mixed model. Generalized estimating equations were applied to examine longitudinal associations, considering the correlations of individuals measured repeatedly. Results: GGT increased by 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5 to 18.0%) in women and 8.1% (95% CI, -0.5 to 17.4%) in men per doubling of Hg levels, but AST and ALT were not significantly associated with Hg in either men or women. In women who drank more than 2 or 3 times per week, AST, ALT, and GGT levels increased by 10.6% (95% CI, 4.2 to 17.5%), 7.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 14.7%), and 37.5% (95% CI,15.2 to 64.3%) per doubling of Hg levels, respectively, showing an interaction between blood Hg levels and drinking. Conclusions: Hg exposure was associated with an elevated serum concentration of GGT. Especially in women who were frequent drinkers, AST, ALT, and GGT showed a significant increase, with a significant synergistic effect of Hg and alcohol consumption.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1079-1085
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety of chitosan oligosaccharide and the effects of chitosan oligosaccharide on mercury induced genotoxicity in mice using the micronuclei and chromosome aberration. The micronuclei test was performed by microscopic examination $(\times1,000,\;stained\;using\;a\;May-Grunwald\;solution)$ after administering 0.01, 0.1, and $1\%(10\;mg/mL)$ chitosan oligosaccharide for 7, 60, and 180 days ad libitum in mice. Total micronuclei of 1,000 polychromatic erythrocytes were recorded for each group. There was no difference between the untreated and experimental groups. The intake periods and concentrations of chitosan oligosaccharide did not affect the occurrence of micronuclei in bone marrow cells (P>0.05). The chromosomal aberration test was performed by microscopic examination $({\times}1,000,\;stained\;using\;a\;4\%\;Giemsa\;solution)$ after administering the same concentration of chitosan oligosaccharide to mice, in $F_1,\;F_2,\;F_3$ generations and parents. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations was defined as [Ydr=(D+R)/total number of counted lymphocytes]. Similar to the micronuclei test, there was no difference between the untreated and treated groups. These results showed that the intake periods and concentrations of chitosan oligosaccharide did not affect chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells (P>0.05). To investigate the effect of chitosan oligosaccharide on mercury-induced chromosome aberration, mice in each condition were supplied with $^{203}HgCl_2$ and chitosan oligosaccharide ad libitum. Chitosan oligosaccharide significantly inhibited $^{203}HgCl_2-induced$ chromosome aberration in mice. Based on the results of this study, it may be concluded that the chitosan oligosaccharide is a nontoxic material that could be used as a suppressor of heavy metal-induced genotoxicity.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.178-184
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• 1998

To elucidate contamination levels and distribution of methyl mercury (Me-Hg) in Korean coastal areas, 126 sediment samples were collected from Kyeonggi Bay, Namyang Bay, Chinhae Bay, and Lake Shihwa during 1995-1996, and the Me-Hg concentrations were determined by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS). Contamination levels of Me-Hg in sediments from Kyeonggi Bay, Namyang Bay, Chinhae Bay, and Lake Shihwa were 274 ${\pm}$ 990, 108 ${\pm}$ 24, 294 ${\pm}$ 342, and 1080 ${\pm}$ 760 pg/g, respectively. Concentrations of Me-Hg in sediments were significantly correlated with total organic carbon and sulfur contents, but were independent of mud contents and mean grain size. The highest concentration of Me-Hg (7100 pg/g) was observed at Incheon North Harbor (Site Kl9) in Kyeonggi Bay. This Me-Hg concentration was one or two orders of magnitude higher than those in other Kyeonggi Bay sediments were. The average concentration of Me-Hg in sediments from Lake Shihwa was higher than in those from other study areas. The three peaks of Me-Hg concentrations were observed on three sites (55, 56,and 510) in Lake Shihwa and gradually decreased in distance-dependent manner around these sites. High concentrations of Me-Hg at surface and 10-cm sediment depth in Chinhae Bay maybe due to higher rates of methylation process by active sulfate-reducing bacteria or higher concentrations of total mercury available to sulfate-reducing bacteria.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.285-288
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.274-275
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.197-199
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• 2007

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.473-474
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.217-218
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• 2007

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.667-676
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• 2006

The reduction of $Hg^{2+}$ in the aqueous phase results in the production of dissolved gaseous mercury(DGM), and the volatilization of DGM has been identified as an important mechanism for the loss of Hg from waterbodies to the atmosphere. Although mercury emission in the world is known to be mostly from Asia, there have been few studies of measuring DGM concentrations in lakes in Asia. In this study, DGM concentrations were measured at Juam reservoir($35^{\cir}00'N,\;127^{\circ}14'E$), Korea. The results showed that the average concentrations of DGM at the upper and down stream of the lake during summer time were $95{\pm}8\;and\;130{\pm}15$ pg/L, respectively and the concentration of total mercury(TM) at the upper and down stream was $2.1{\pm}0.7,\;1.7{\pm}0.3$ ng/L respectively. Average DGM concentration during summer time($101{\pm}14pg/L$) was approximately 5.5 times higher than that during fall($18{\pm}0.1pg/L$). The DGM concentrations ai the midstream decreased from 32 to 13.7 pg/L during rain event, while the TM concentrations increased from 2.2 ng/L to 2.7 ng/L indicating the deposition of mercury from the atmosphere. Also, the diurnal patterns between DGM concentrations and UV intensities were observed. Water temperatures and DOC concentrations were significantly related to DGM concentrations, while TM concentrations were negatively related to DGM concentrations(p<0.0001). Comparing with the study of Dill et al.,(2006) the average concentrations of DGM $(109{\pm}15pg/L)\;and\;TM(2.2{\pm} 0.4ng/L)$ at Juam reservoir were approximately 3 and 2.2 times higher than those measured in other lakes(DGM: $38{\pm}16pg/L$, TM: $1.0{\pm}1.2ng/L$).

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 1975

This is a study to determine the content of the mercury compound and the distribution of microorganisms in the waste waters flowing from the chemical plants in the Ulsan area (at 4 stations). The summary of the result of this study is as follows: 1. The content of the mercury compound has ranged from non-detection to 0.075 ppm with an average of 0.03 ppm. The highest content has been detected from the water at station A. 2. As for the distribution of the microorganisms, one species each of bacteria, Mucor, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Trichothecium (T. roseum); 4 species of Penicillium; and 3 species of Sterile hyphae; a total of 12 species have been isolated. 3. The following results have been found with regard to the growth of these microorganisms in terms of the content of the mercury compound. In the case of an inorganic mercury compound, most of the microbes can grow in water with a content of up to 10 ppm. Pe. sp No. 1 particularly can grow even in 50 ppm. In the case of an organic mercury compound, the growth of the microbes seems to be somewhat restrained even in 2 ppm.