• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2011

Objectives: Industrial development in Korea results in a rapid increase in the number of chemicals, some of which may be responsible for toxicity to aquatic ecosystems. In addition, the types of hazardous chemicals included in industrial effluents have gradually increased. Therefore, chemical analysis alone is not enough to assess ecological effects of toxic chemicals in wastewater. Methods: In response to new regulations as whole effluent toxicity (WET) tests for effluent discharge of 15 publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and 25 industrial effluent treatment plants in Gyeonggi-do, which will be effective from 2011, a necessity of studies emerges that investigates toxicity levels. Results: In case of the public treatment plants, none of them had exceeded the criteria for ecotoxicity. As for individual wastewater discharge facilities, on the other hand, two types were found to exceed the criteria: pulp and paper manufacturing facilities and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. For the pulp and paper manufacturing facilities, monitoring results could not help determine the exact toxicant identification. However, Daphnia magna inhibition effect or death was found to leave white plums, suggesting that suspended solids treated and the polymer used in coagulant dose. In case of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, the general water quality parameters cannot affect Daphia magna. However, conductivity and salinity can have an effect to be 14,000 ${\mu}s/cm$, 8.1‰ by salts, respectively. Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) and Toxicity Reduction Evaluation (TRE) procedures results appeared to be effective for identifying toxic compounds in $Cl^{-}$ and $SO_4^{2-}$. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop control measures for water treatment chemicals and salts used for processes such as coagulation in individual wastewater discharge facilities in order to achieve the goal to protect aquatic ecosystems in public waters.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.110-117
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• 2007

In vitro toxicity tests such as cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity assay are useful for evaluating the relative toxicity of smoke or smoke condensates obtained from different cigarette configurations. A major disadvantage of these tests is relatively time-consuming, complicated and expensive. Recently, a cell-free glutathione consumption assay (GCA) as a rapid and simple screening method for the toxicity assessment of smoke has been reported by Cahours et al. (CORESTA, 2006). This study was carried out to assess the GCA application capable of predicting the toxicity of gas/vapor phase (GVP) of cigarette smoke and to identify individual compounds responsible for the glutathione (GSH) consumption in smoke. Each GVPs from 2R4F, standard cigarette, carbon filter cigarette (ExC) and new carbon filter cigarette (ExN), test cigarettes were collected by automatic smoking machine and evaluated the relative toxicity by GCA and neutral red uptake (NRU) assay. Toxic compounds existed in smoke were also chosen, relative toxicities of these compounds were screened by using two methods and compared individually. The overall order of toxicity by GCA was 2R4F > ExC > ExN, which was consistent with the result of Neutral Red Uptake assay. The levels of carbonyl compounds of ExN were lower than those of 2R4F and ExC, indicating that GSH consumption was associated with carbonyl compound yields. A major toxicant under current study is acrolein, which contributed to more than half of the GSH consumption. Collectively, the toxicity of GVP determined by GCA method may be mainly attributed to acrolein.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.158-161
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• 2003

Toxicity evaluations of 3-tert-butyl-, 2-isopropyl-, 3-isopropyl- and 4-propyl-phenol and their binary mixtures were performed with the Microtox$\^$(R) / assay and compared to invertebrates and fish. The single chemical, 4-isopropylphenol, exhibited the greatest relative toxicity to the Microtox organism (Vibrio fischeri). The relative electrophilicity (LUMO) of the phenols, in contrast to the lipophilicity (Log P), was strongly correlated with toxicity to V fischeri (r$^2$=0.96, p<0.01). In contrast, relative electrophilicity alone could not explain variances in toxicity of the phenols to Ceriodaphnia dubia. Results suggest that electrophilicity in conjunction with lipophilicity provide better correlation with toxicity to C. dubia and Pimephales promelas. Microtox results from the binary mixture toxicity tests of selected phenolics indicate a mechanism of interaction governed by suppression/antagonism.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.149-157
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• 2002

Though the bamboo salt, called as "JUKYUM" has been widely used in Korea as panacea, it's toxicity was not screened completely. To investigate the toxicity of bamboo salt, we compared with the toxicity of crude salt and reagent-grade NaCl by performing repeated dose (3 month's) oral toxicity test in SD rats. Crude salt, natural sun-dried salt (crude salt) production, was purchased from the western seashore of Korean peninsular and reagent-grade NaCl was purchased from Sigma company. Results of repeated dose oral toxicity tests for 3 months (bamboo salt; 750, 1500, 3000 mg/kg/day, crude salt : 3000 mg/kg/day, reagent-grade NaCl; 3000 mg/kg/day) suggested that the bamboo salt treated group show no significant toxicological findings with body weights and organ weighs changes, and hematological, serum bio-chemical and histopathological findings compared with other groups.er groups.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2012

Our former study indicated efficacy of apoptotic cell death on animal study by using Egg white combined Chalcanthite (EC). Clinically, bamboo salt is using because of safety. Hence we investigated a toxicity study for determining safety by adding bamboo salt in former materiel. We had two studies: toxicity of EC and of Bamboo salt with egg white combined Chalcanthite (BC). Both were studied in 1-week single and 5-week repeated oral dose toxicity tests on male Imprinting Control Region mice. In EC, doses used in 1 week single oral dose toxicity tests were 0, 0.05, 0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg/day and 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg/day. In BC, doses used by 0, 0.08, 8.3, 83.3 and 166.6 mg/kg/day in single oral dose toxicity and 0, 4.2, 8.3, 41.7 and 83.3 mg/kg/day in repeated oral dose toxicity tests. Their blood and urine were assayed and organ morphology were examined. Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA tests were used by analysing methods. First, significant increased left renal weight in all groups of EC and BC. Second, increased ALT score was found in EC-S2 and increased relative liver weight was found in EC-S3. In addition, increased relative weight and urine bilirubin and urobilinogen were found in EC-R2 and EC-R3. There was no significant toxic change in BC. The Mixture of EC had a possibility of hepatotoxicity in the short and long term. Processed BC appears to be safe and non-toxic in these studies and a no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was established at 83.3 mg/kg/day in mice. Relatively, The BC were safer than The EC.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2005

In this study, we performed whole effluent toxicity(WET) test and compared the biological component analyses tests for some streams into which wastewater treatment plant effluents are discharged. The test procedures for the WET test and the biological component analysis were conducted according to U.S. EPA guidelines and the Ohio EPA wading method. The WET tests based on the test species of D. manga and S. capricornutum All treatment plants showed a S. capricornutum toxicity, and at 7 sites, except A and J, we could observe a D. magna toxicity. The highest toxicity was observed at site D and this were followed by E and F. The biological component analyses applied to the effluent discharged stream. We found that total species were low at sites C1, D1 and J1 and the low number of total individuals were observed at sites A1, C1, E1, H1, and J1 compared to the controls and other sites. The species richness was low at sites A1, B1, C1, D1, and J1. The species change was evident at site D(D1) and the tolerant species was predominant. The biological analyses and WET tests suggested that the effluents resulted in massive ecosystem impact.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2003

Although 'Cinnamon' has been widely used for the food and biophamacy in the world, it's toxicity was not screened completely. Major component of 'cinnamon' is CB-OH and CB-PH. CB-PH has been reported to have antimutagenic effect. To investigate the toxicity of 2-o-Benzoylcinnama-Idehyde (CB-PH), repeated dose (4 weeks) oral toxicity test performed in SD rats. Results of repeated dose oral toxicity tests for 4 weeks (CB-PH; 500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg/day) suggested that the CB-PH treated group showed no significant toxicological findings with body weights, organ weights, hematological and histopathological findings. Therefore, these data indicated that the maximum tolerated dose of CB-PH was 2000 mg above/kg/day in the rats.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2019

Many in vitro developmental toxicity assays have been proposed over several decades. Since the late 1980s, we have made intermittent attempts to introduce in vitro assays as screening tests for developmental toxicity of inhouse candidate products. Two cell-based assays which were developed two decades apart were intensively studied. One was an assay of inhibitory effects on mouse ascites tumor cell attachment to a concanavalin A-coated plastic sheet surface (MOT assay), which we studied in the early days of assay development. The other was an assay of inhibitory effects on the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cell to beating heart cells (EST assay), which we assessed more recently. We evaluated the suitability of the assays for screening in-house candidates. The concordance rates with in vivo developmental toxicity were at the 60% level. The EST assay classified chemicals that inhibited cell proliferation as embryo-toxic. Both assays had a significant false positive rate. The assays were generally considered unsuitable for screening the developmental toxicity of our candidate compounds. Recent test systems adopt advanced technologies. Despite such evolution of materials and methods, the concordance rates of the EST and MOT systems were similar. This may suggest that the fundamental predictivity of in vitro developmental toxicity assays has remained basically unchanged for decades. To improve their predictivity, in vitro developmental toxicity assays should be strictly based on elucidated pathogenetic mechanisms of developmental toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.23 no.2 s.58
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• pp.146-151
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• 2005

Recent studies indicated the utility of whole effluent assessment as a measure to control discharge of toxic effluents to receiving water in Korea. However, most studies have been focussed on acute lethal effects of toxic wastewater with little consideration of chronic sublethal impacts which are of growing concern in protecting aquatic ecosystem. We conducted acute and chronic toxicity tests with effluents discharged from five different dyeing plants in Gyeong-gi province using a marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and a freshwater macroinvertebrate Daphnia magna to demonstrate the importance of assessing chronic sublethal effects. Various levels of acute and chronic toxicities were observed in many samples tested in this study. In 21-d chronic toxicity tests using D. magna all samples showed effects on reproduction and growth. Notable mortalities were also noted in three out of five effluents. The result of the Microtox assay indicated that acute microbial toxicity existed in effluents from two out of five plants and acute daphnid toxicity was observed in only one effluent. The result of this study clearly suggests chronic toxicity tests are more suitable to assess biological effects of effluents because it was shown from this study that even an effluent with no acute toxicity could cause chronically lethal and/or sublethal adverse effects on aquatic biota which may affect the population dynamics in aquatic ecosystem.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.795-812
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• 2020

Novel food sources have enormous potential as nutritional supplements. For instance, edible insects are considered as an alternative food source due to their higher protein content; moreover, they are economically efficient reproducers and have high in nutritional value. In this study, we investigated the toxicity of the freeze-dried powder of Locusta migratoria (fdLM), known to contain rich proteins as well as fatty acids. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the subacute toxicity of fdLM in male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The SD rats were divided into four groups based on the dosage of fdLM administered: dosage of 0 (vehicle control), 750, 1,500, and 3,000 mg/kg/day were administered for 28 days. Toxicological assessments including observations on food consumption, body and organ weights, clinical signs, mortality, ophthalmologic tests, urinalyses, hematologic tests, clinical chemistry tests, gross findings, and histopathology tests were performed. Clinical signs, urinalyses, hematology, serum biochemistry tests, and organ weight examinations revealed no fdLM-related toxicity. The no-observed-adverse-effect level for fdLM was higher than 3,000 mg/kg/day in rats of both sexes; therefore, fdLM, in conclusion, can be considered safe as an edible alternative human and animal food source material.