• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of heavy metal concentrations in the blood and urine of the general population. This research had been conducted from April to December 2008, studying 545 residents of Daejeon and Chungcheong Province. Through the concentrations of heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Mn) in the biota samples and questionnaires, the residents heavy metal exposure level and the influential factors according to personal characteristics or lifestyle were evaluated. As to the heavy metal concentration in the blood and urine of the comparing region, were As and Mn statistically significant(p<0.01, p<0.05). Blood lead and urinary mercury concentrations were higher in males than females. The heavy metal concentration for each age group increased blood mercury. The concentration of all heavy metals were higher in the drinkers than in the non-drinkers. Blood lead and mercury concentrations were higher in the smokers than in the non-smokers, but the urinary cadmium, arsenic and blood manganese was higher in the non-smokers than in the smokers. As to the blood lead and urinary cadmium concentration according to the food preference fish showed high concentration. To clarify the factors affecting the heavy metal concentration in biota among subjects multiple regression analysis was conducted. As a results, it turned out that as to lead content in blood, sex, age and smoking have influence on the subjects with explanatory adequacy of 14.0 %. These results demonstrated that the factors affected the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine. The results of this study could be used as the foundational data for setting the health risk assessment.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2009

In this study, we analyzed the blood cadmium concentration in general population of Korea, and followed the analyses the relations with epidemiologic factors, life-style and body iron store. The geometric mean concentration of blood cadmium was 1.20 ${\mu}g/L$ in study subject, the level of blood cadmium was higher in female (1.27 ${\mu}g/L$) than in male (1.11 ${\mu}g/L$). The mean concentration of blood cadmium was the highest in coastal area (1.80 ${\mu}g/L$) and followed in urban (1.01 ${\mu}g/L$) and rural area (0.90 ${\mu}g/L$). The cadmium concentration in whole blood was increased with age-dependent pattern, such as 0.64 ${\mu}g/L$ in the below 30 years, 0.95 ${\mu}g/L$ in the 30~44 years, 1.28 ${\mu}g/L$ in the 45~59 years and 1.31 ${\mu}g/L$ in the over 60 years. The level of blood cadmium was higher in smokers than in non-smokers, but was not significant by alcoholic habit. The blood cadmium level was different from occupations, which was the highest in the fishers as 1.87 ${\mu}g/L$. The inversed relation was observed between blood cadmium and serum Fe, while was correlated positively with the ferritin level. In summary, the environmental exposure to cadmium in Korean is not so much compared to other countries, and the blood cadmium is influenced by genetic factors (age and sex), life-styles (dietary habit, occupation and smoking habit) and nutrition such as serum iron.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.195-207
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• 2019

Objectives: This study was performed to confirm whether plasma lead can be used as a chronic biomarker for the biological monitoring of exposure to lead. Methods: Lead concentrations in 66 plasma samples from retired lead workers (G.M. 60.25 years, Median 61.00 years) and 42 plasma samples from the general population (G.M. 53.76 years, Median 56.50 years) were measured using ICP/Mass. Tibia, whole blood, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and blood zinc protophorphyrin (ZPP) concentrations and urinary ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid (${\delta}-ALA$) were measured for correlation analysis with plasma lead. Results: The geometric mean concentration of lead in plasma was $0.23{\mu}g/L$ for the retired lead workers and $0.10{\mu}g/L$ for the general population sample. A simple correlation analysis of biomarkers showed that plasma lead concentration among the retired lead workers was highly correlated with lead concentration in the tibia and with blood lead concentration, and the plasma lead concentration among the general population correlated with ZPP concentration in the blood. The lead concentration in the tibia and the lead concentration in the whole blood increased with length of working period. As the period in the lead workplace increased, the ratio of lead in plasma to lead concentration in whole blood decreased. Conclusion: This study confirmed the possibility of a chronic biomarker of lead concentration in blood plasma as a biomarker. In the future, comparative studies with specific indicators will lead to more fruitful results.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.334-340
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate changes in blood properties of high potassium (HK) phenotype Jindo dogs (15kg$\pm$2kg) after daily oral administration with water celery extracts (10 ml/kg) for 7 days. Blood samples were collected for three days in a row before administration of water celery extracts. After water celery extracts administration, blood samples were collected at 3h, 6h, 9h and then on daily basis until day 10 post administration (PA). At day 15, final sample was collected. Blood samples were analyzed on the basis of red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, mean corpuscular volume(MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC), gluthathione concentration(GSH) and met-hemoglobin(Met-Hb) concentration. The significant changes (p<0.01, p<0.05) of RBCs were shown at 3 h to day 5, and days 7 and 9 after administration. PCV values were decreased form 3 h to day 10 after administration. Mean Hb concentration showed significant increase as 3 h to day 3, and day 6 to day 9 after administration. The significant changes (p<0.05) of WBCs were shown at 9 h and day 1 after administration. The increased numbers of MCV were detected at days 6 to 9 after administration (p<0.05, p<0.01). The significant changes of MCHC were shown at 9h and day 1 after administration. The significant increases (p<0.01, p<0.05) of GSH concentration were detected at days 1, 6 and 7 after administration. In Met-Hb concentration, the significant increases (p<0.05) occurred at only 9h and day 7 after administration, The significant increases (p<0.01, p<0.05) of reticulocyte were detected at days 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Data from blood samples collected at day 15 after administration showed that all of blood analysis results returned to normal level, compared to controls.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.392-397
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• 2015

Blood chemistry values according to ages have rarely been investigated in indigenous Korean calves. The present study aimed to clarify the changes in blood chemistry values of indigenous Korean calves with age. Blood samples were collected from 29 calves (11 females and 18 males) reared at the Gyeongsangbukdo Livestock Research Institute and the levels of various chemical components in the serum were analyzed. The total protein, albumin and globulin concentration in the calves increased gradually over time. The glucose concentration increased significantly at 2 weeks after birth, and then decreased slightly 4 weeks after birth. The blood urea nitrogen concentration increased from 2 weeks after birth, and the levels in females were higher than those in males at 2 and 4 weeks after birth. The creatinine concentration decreased significantly from 2 weeks after birth, and the levels in females were higher than those in males at 2 weeks and 6 months after birth. The total bilirubin concentration decreased gradually from 2 weeks after birth. The glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase concentration increased gradually from 2 weeks after birth. The triglyceride concentration tended to increase from 2 weeks after birth. The total cholesterol concentration increased significantly at 2 weeks after birth, and then decreased slightly 4 weeks after birth. The total high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration increased significantly from 2 weeks after birth. The calcium concentration was maintained between $9.8{\pm}0.8mg/dL$ and $11.6{\pm}0.9mg/dL$ throughout the investigation period, although some levels fluctuated at 4 weeks and 6 months after birth. The phosphorus concentration increased significantly at 2 weeks after birth, and then decreased slightly 4 weeks after birth. In conclusion, the data obtained from this study may be valuable for use as a standard for interpreting results of blood biochemical analyses in indigenous Korean calves.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2002

A microscopic theoretical study is performed to predict the rheological properties of human blood in the low concentration limit. The shear thinning behavior of blood in the low shear limit is studied by considering the aggregate formation of red blood cells, which is called the rouleaux formation. Then the constitutive equations of blood in the high shear limit are derived for various flow situations by considering the unique features of deformation of blood cells. Specifically, the effects of the surface-area-preserving constraint and the lank-treading motion of blood cells on the rheological properties are studied.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.170-179
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• 2023

Starvation, diabetes, alcoholism and hypothermia cause ketoacidosis in the human body; therefore, the cause of death can be determined by analyzing ketone bodies in the blood of the deceased. In the case of decomposition of the cadaver, however, since collecting intact blood is impossible, ketone body analysis is performed using the spleen. However, the index for diagnosing ketoacidosis is based on blood concentration, and its correlation with ketone bodies present in the spleen remains unknown. In particular, since decomposition proceeds rapidly during summer, when temperature and humidity are high, understanding the correlation between ketone bodies in the blood and spleen is important to estimate the state at the time of death from a decaying body. Therefore, in the present study, the correlation between ketone bodies in the blood and spleen of the deceased was explored. Ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyric acid [BHB] and acetone) in the blood and spleen were analyzed and compared from autopsies (>100 mg·L^-1 BHB, blood basis) conducted at the Daejeon Forensic Research Institute from June to December 2021. Moreover, the concentration of ketone bodies in the spleen juice and tissues was compared assuming the scenario of extreme decomposition. Ketone retention concentration in the blood and spleen was positively correlated, and the ratio of BHB concentration in the spleen to BHB concentration in the blood ranged from 0.52 to 1.08 (mean = 0.85 ± 0.12), although the ratio may vary depending on the degree of decomposition of the corpse.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.63-66
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• 1977

Motor vehicles are the major source of environmental air pollution through the combustion of lead-containing gasolines. People who live in the areas with heavy traffic usually have the higher blood lead levels. This study was to investigate the lead level between the maternal blood and their infants cord blood. Immediatly after Placental delivary, the sampls of cord blood and maternal venous blood were obtained randomly from 14 infants whose mothers had spent their entire pregnancy in Seoul. Lead concentration was determined by the dithizone method. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Hemoglobin, Hct and RBC were significantly higher in cord blood than in the maternal blood, by 36%, 54.9%, 36.9% respectively. 2. MCV in cord blood was higher than that in maternal blood by 13.8%. But MCH and MCHC were lower than those in maternal blood, by 9.7%, 3.3% respectively. The differences were statistically significant. 3. Lead concentration of cord blood $(23.93\;{\mu}g%)$ was higher than that in maternal blood $(21.93\;{\mu}%)$ by 9.1%.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.253-256
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• 1982

The organ distribution of mercury was examined in the rat after oral administration of a single dose of red mercuric sulfide (15mg Hg/kg). The concentration of total mercury in the organs and blood after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 and 72 hours of administration was determined by Quartz Tube Combustion-Gold Amalgamation Method. It was found that the maximal concentration of total mercury was in the kidneys and muscle within 24 hours and in the brain, heart, liver and blood within 48 hours. The descending order of the maximal organ and blood concentration was: kidneys(1.08ppm)>blood> muscle>heart>liver>brain. The accumulation states of total mercury in the rat organs were investigated by continuous administration of red mercuric sulfide (5mg Hg/kg/day) for 15 days. The mercury concentration increased progressively throughout the experimental period and the descending order of the highest level of mercury after 15 days was: kidneys (1.55ppm)>blood>liver. The concentration of alkyl mercury in brain, liver and kidneys also was measured after 7 and 15 days of consecutive administration of red mercuric sulfide (5mg Hg/kg/day). The concentration in the Kidneys and the liver was very low, but was significantly different from control group. The concentration in the brain was extremely low and was not significantly different from control group.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.117-129
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• 2013

Background: This study was carried out for the purpose of comprehensively evaluating the mercury exposure level of residents in several areas and the correlation between hair mercury concentration and blood mercury concentration. Method: One thousand one hundred ninety seven subjects were sampled from 30 sites using random assignment sampling. We performed a questionnaire survey and measured the level of total mercury in hair and blood samples from all subjects. Results: The geometric mean concentrations of hair and blood mercury in all subjects were 1.27 mg/kg [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23-1.32 mg/kg] and 5.24 ${\mu}g/L$ [95% CI: 5.07-5.41 ${\mu}g/L$], respectively. Male (1.56 mg/kg in hair, 6.00 ${\mu}g/L$ in blood) was significantly higher than that of female (1.03 mg/kg in hair, 4.56 ${\mu}g/L$ in blood), and the concentrations were elevated as age increased up to the 50s. Education, smoking, alcohol drinking, and using of pesticides were also shown to influence mercury concentrations in hair and blood. The ratio of hair/ blood mercury concentration was 261.3. The total mercury concentration in hair was identified to be significantly related with total mercury concentration in blood (r=0.814, p<0.001). Conclusion: The geometric mean concentrations of hair and blood mercury were higher than the levels provided in international recommendations. The total mercury concentration in hair was positively correlated with the concentration in blood. The results of this study suggest that hair mercury be considered as a useful tool for the evaluation of mercury exposure.