• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.364-373
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a mercury database for food commonly consumed by Koreans. Methods: Target foods for a mercury database were selected from dietary survey data of the 2007-2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Data for mercury contents of foods were collected through literature review. Among 702 food items reported by 24 hr dietary recall method, the contents of mercury for 300 food items were selected with systematic evaluation from the literature, which provided analytical values, and those of 56 food items were imputed by using a conversion factor. Results: The mercury database developed in this study covered 50.7% of all kinds of consumed foods and 95.1% of total amount of food intake reported by 2007-2009 KNHANES. In the database, the geometric mean of mercury contents in food items was the highest in the fishes and shellfishes group ($41.13{\mu}g/kg$, n = 101) followed by mushrooms ($18.93{\mu}g/kg$, n = 12) and seaweeds ($5.92{\mu}g/kg$, n = 14), and the lowest in the meats group ($0.15{\mu}g/kg$, n = 17). Conclusion: The developed mercury database can be used to estimate the dietary mercury exposure of Korean people, and the method for development of a mercury database would be helpful to researchers in development of a new database for other food borne hazardous substances.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.801-809
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• 2012

Long-term measurement of total mercury (TM) and dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) were performed in Yangsuri marsh. Average TM and DGM concentrations were $2.0{\pm}2.0$ ng/L and $15.0{\pm}2.8$ pg/L, respectively, indicating that only 2.6% of TM existed as the form of DGM in Yangsuri marsh. While TM did not show the seasonal variation a statistically high DGM concentration was observed in warm season, indicating that DGM was effectively produced by strong solar radiation and high water temperature. There was no relationship between TM and DGM concentrations in Yangsuri marsh, as observed in other studies. DGM in Yangsuri marsh was supersaturated for most of sampling period; therefore, one can conclude that $Hg^0$ in water surface can readily volatilize to the atmosphere.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.376-381
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• 2013

In this study, we monitored total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in tuna, billfish, and deep-sea fish distributed in Seoul city. With the acquired data, we carried out statistical analysis and an exposure assessment for intake. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of total mercury and methylmercury were $0.32{\pm}0.31/0.20{\pm}0.20$ for tuna, $0.43{\pm}0.48/0.20{\pm}0.17$ for patagonian toothfish, $0.99{\pm}0.72/0.51{\pm}0.40$ for billfish and $1.20{\pm}0.70/0.95{\pm}0.51$ for sharks, respectively. We found that sharks, billfish, patagonian toothfish, and tuna were more contaminated with total mercury and methylmercury, in sequence, and that 66% of the total mercury concentration consisted of methylmercury, on average. Although the estimated weekly intakes of methylmercury from commercial deep-sea fish were lower than the weekly intakes recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), we identified that the total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in tuna, billfish, and deep-sea fish continued to increase with the passage of time. Therefore, we confirmed the necessity of continuous monitoring and comprehensive analysis for general safety.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.7-9
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• 1977

Quantitative analysis of harmful Hg in edible bean sprouts was carried out by the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Perkin-Elmer Model 403). The samples studied as shown in Table 2. are edible bean sprouts (36) which wet·e collected from Gwangju area. It was investigated that the Mercury (Hg) content of edible bean sprouts was from 0.0098 ppm to 0.533 ppm (average 0.240). Mercury contaminated edible bean sprouts studied, was about 50 percentage of total samples.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 1993

This study was carried out to find out the content of injurious heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic of marine fish which had been captured in adjacent sea of Korea. From March, 1 to April, 30 in 1993. 60 sample of fishes were collected the adult fish and young fish. These samples were analyzed by the Mercury Analyzer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectro Analyzer. The results of the study were summarized as follows: (1) The content of mercury in Therafra chalcograma was 0.112$\pm$0.034 ppm which was higher than other fishes, but Pseudosciaena manchurica and Pampus argenteus had lower (P<0.05). Although lead content of Trichiurus lepturus was 0.359$\pm$0.056 ppm, which was higher than other fishes. The lead content of Theragra chalcograma had lower to the almost same level. The cadmium content of the Theragra chalcograma was 0.069$\pm$0.010 ppm which was higher than other samples, but Pseudosciaena manchurica had 0.039$\pm$0.020 ppm to lower level. Though there was some fluctuation in the arsenic content which was 0.433~3.752 ppm, the arsenic content of Therafra chalcograma was 3.752$\pm$2.873 ppm which was the higher than any other fishes. But there are not statistical significances. (2) Heavy metal content by the maturity of the fishes: Mercury content of the old Pseudosciaena manchurica was 0.055$\pm$0.15 ppm comparing to the young's result of 0.030$\pm$0.009 ppm (P<0.05). Though there were some differences according to the maturity, but thee was no statistical significance. (3) In view of the correlation of the heavy metal content, for Pseudosciaena manchurica, high correlation was founded to r=0.6437 between mercury and cadmium (P<0.05). Though the content of mercury, arsenic cadmium and lead had positive correlation (r=0.2725) and negative correlation (r=-0.3958), but there was no significance at all. The other fishes were not found correlation between the heavy metal content. Positive correlation was found between age with mercury in Pseudociaena manchurica (r=0.7018, P<0.05). The negative correlation of age with lead content in the Pseudociaena Manchurica was signigicant (P<0.05). The correlation coefficient was r=-0.7623. The age with mercury content in Coloabis saira had high correlation (r=0.7201, P<0.05). Through the above analysis, it can get conclusion that injurious heavy metal content of the fishes in Korea such a mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic were at the level of natural content. At present, guidelines of maximum residue level allowed at foreign countries about the injurious heavy metal have been used according to the kinds of fish but our government guideline for the marine fishes in only total mercury below 0.7 ppm and lead below 2 ppm. So more aggressive guidelines for the allowance level of heavy metals in marine fishes are required for the safety of foods.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2003

In this work, the present concentration levels of total gaseous mercury (TGM) are compared among three East Asian countries, Korea, China, and Japan. Comparison of Hg distribution patterns was made by selecting representative figures for each type of land use among those three countries. The results of the analysis indicate that Hg concentrations within a country can fall into a wide range due probably to the diversity of source processes. It is seen that the urban areas of China and Japan generally exhibit large spatial variability with notably high Hg levels (above 10 ng m$^{-3}$), compared to their Korean counterparts. Although the presence of high Hg levels in Chinese locations can be accounted for by the major man-made source processes (e.g., the use of coal), the causes of unexpectedly high Hg data in Japanese sites appear to be rather complicated. The Hg concentration levels in relatively remote locations however show much reduced values, above 3 ng m$^{-3}$, which is still higher than the typical background concentrations of 1 to 2 ng m$^{-3}$ in Europe or America. Considering that the presence of unusually high Hg levels in urban areas of Asia is the consequence of man-made activities, the prevalence of excessively high Hg values in certain regions of the Asian continent needs further research to accurately assess the fundamental picture of Hg geochemistry in the East Asia.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.436-443
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• 2012

Previous Korean total diet studies (KTDSs) have estimated dietary exposure to toxic chemicals based on 110-120 representative foods selected from over 500 foods appeared in the Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES), which would result in a possible underestimation. In order to find measures for a closer-to-real estimate of dietary exposure to heavy metals, this study examined the feasibility of mapping foods to the representative foods in the KTDS by comparing estimates. In mapping, those foods not analyzed in the 2009 KTDS (443 out of 559 foods appeared in the 2007 KNHANES) were mapped to the 114 representative foods used in the 2009 KTDS based on the closeness in regards to biological systematics and morphological similarity. Dietary exposures to total mercury and lead were re-estimated using the content of total mercury and lead in 114 foods analyzed in the 2009 KTDS, food intake, and individual's own body weight for respondents in the 2007 KNHANES instead of mean body weight of Koreans used in the 2009 KTDS. The re-estimates of exposure with mapping were approximately 50% higher than the original estimates reported in the 2009 KTDS. In addition, mapping enabled the comparison of percentile distribution of the exposure among populations of different age groups. In conclusion, estimates via mapping resulted in a more comprehensive estimation of dietary exposure to heavy metals present in foods that Koreans consume.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 1994

This study was carried out to investigate the levels of copper, zinc, manganese, nickel, cadmium and mercury content in breast milk among urban, rural and industrial lactating women in Korea. A total of 59 samples, which were collected from 17 in urban, 20 in rural and 22 in industrial area, and from 21-38 years-old healthy lactating women, were analyzed by Rigaku Mercury Analyzer for mercury, and by atomic absorption apectrophotometry for the other metals. The results are summarized as follows : The mean trace metal contents in breast milk were determined to be 0.34$\pm$0.14 ppm for copper, 2.01$\pm$1.43 ppm for zinc, 8.49$\pm$5.11 ppb for manganese, 7.75$\pm$5.73 ppb for nickel, 1.65$\pm$2.42 ppm for cadmium, 34.45$\pm$26.71 ppb for lead and 0.90$\pm$0.68 ppb for mercury. For the trace metal content in breast milk by area, the highest of copper, zinc, cadmium and mercury content were in urban, the highest of manganese content was in industrial, and the highest of nickel and lesd content were in rural. For copper, zinc, manganese and lead content in breast milk by lactation period, the highest levels were found in under 4 weeks after lactating, and subsequently the levels declined as lactation progressed, but the levels of zinc and manganese content increased from over 25 weeks after lactating. For cadmium and mercury content in breast milk by lactation period, the lowest levels were found in under 4 weeks after lactating, the highest levels were found in 5-12 weeks after lactating, and subsequently the levels declined as lactation progressed.For nickel content in breast milk by lactation period, the highest level was in 13-24 weeks after lactating, the lowest level was in 5-12 weeks after lactating.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 2006

Ambient gas phase mercury concentrations including elemental mercury ($Hg^0$) were measured at the Potsdam, Stockton, and Sterling sites in NY from 2000 to 2003. Also, concentrations of ambient reactive gaseous mercury (RGM; $Hg^{2+}$) were measured at the Potsdam site during one year. The contribution of RGM($4.2{\pm}6.4pg/m^3$) was about $0.2{\sim}3%$ of the total gas phase mercury concentration measured (TGM: $1.84{\pm}1.24,\;1.83{\pm}0.32,\;3.02{\pm}2.14ng/m^3$ in Potsdam. Stockton, and Sterling, respectively) at the receptor sites. Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF), a hybrid receptor modeling incorporating backward trajectories was performed to identify source areas of TGM. Using PSCF, southern New York, North Carolina, and eastern Massachusetts were identified as important source areas in the United States, while the copper smelters and waste incinerators located in eastern Quebec and Ontario were determined to be significant sources in Canada. The Atlantic Ocean was suggested to be a possible mercury source. PSCF incorporating back-dispersion and deposition was applied for RGM , as well as PSCF based on 2-days back-trajectories. Two different approaches yielded considerably different results, primarily due to the consideration of dispersion rather than deposition. Using back-trajectory based PSCF, eastern Ohio, southern New York, and southern Pennsylvania where large coal -fired power plants area located were identified as the large sources in US. Metallurgical industry located in eastern Quebec was resolved as well. From the result of back-dispersion and deposition based PSCF, Pennsylvania, mining facilities around Lake Superior, Toronto, Boston, MA, Quebec, and coal power plants in NY were identified to be the significant source areas for Potsdam site.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.119-129
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• 1992

Present study was carried out to investigate the cytotoxicity of cadmium, chromium and mercury on cultured rat fibroblasts. The colorimetric assays of neutral red (NR) and tetrazolium MTT, the measurement of total content of protein and electron microscopic studies were performed on the fibroblasts cultured in the media containing various concentrations of cadmium, chromium and mercury. The results are as follows' 1. In cadmium-treated group, the NR and MTT values were dose-dependent increase. The NR90, NR50, MTT90 and MTT50 values of cadmium were 0.2mM, 19.5mM 1.0mM and 60.0mM, respectively.