• 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%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.30-41
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• 2001

Rapid economic development and industrialization has been accompanied by an increase of energy demand and environmental pollution. The consumption of gasoline has increased totally, but decreased in use of leaded gasoline after 1988 in Korea. On the other hand, risk assessment of environmental pollutants requires reliable dose estimates. Source oriented monitoring is not providing adequate information to estimate human exposure. The Health Surveillance Project has been launched in Korea from 1980, which questioned their symptoms based on questionnaires and medical examinations for inhabitants in the vicinity of 13 industrial areas and 2 non-industrial areas. 10, 598 inhabitants living in these 15 areas had medical checkups and donated their blood f3r heavy metal analysis from 1980 to 2000 through this project. Especially lead levels in inhabitants' blood of these areas were determined and monitored. Totally 4, 967 samples in target areas were used to review the trend of blood lead level in this paper. Average lead concentrations by areas were from 15.2 to 21.0 ug/dl in 1981 and 22.3 to 34.3 ug/dl in 1988, but were 8.8 to 11.1 ug/dl in 1992 and 4.4 to 4.8 ug/dl in 1995. On the other hand, the consumption of leaded gasoline was at a peak in 1958. Blood lead level showed a very close relationship with the consumption of leaded gasoline in the change pattern(p<0.01) and showed a rapid declining trend since the use of unleaded gasoline, especially from 1988 when Seoul held the olympic games. For example, the blood lead levels were 15.2 ug/dl in 1981, 20.2 ug/dl in 1955. 24.3 ug/dl in 1988 and 3.9 ug/dl in 1993 in Yochon area. China also had monitored blood lead levels of general population. 7, 015 inhabitants living in 28 areas donated their blood far heavy metal analysis from 1981 to 1988. Average lead concentrations by areas were from 5.1 to 5.6 ug/dl before. 1984 but were form 2.8 to 11.2 ug/dl after 1984. Average lead concentration in blood showed increasing trends clearly in most of the areas. The recent policy of unleaded gasoline use for automobile will be a very beneficial policy for the management of atmospheric lead pollution & health risk assessment for the general population in China. It is recommended that it should be propelled more widely and rapidly to the entire country.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2005

Chitosan, which is a biopolymer, composed of glucosamine units linked by $\beta$-1, 4 glycoside bonds, is rich in shells of crustacean such as crabs and shrimps. Consumption of chitosan has been rapidly increased as a functional food. We examined effects of chitosan on the damages caused by lead (Pb) exposure in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 8 groups (n = 64), then fed diets containing 3% cellulose (control) or 3% chitosan, each with 4 different lead doses (0 mg/d, 20 mg/d, 50 mg/d, and 100 mg/d) for 4 wks. Lead doses were given 3 times per week by oral administration. Blood lead levels in rats increased depending on the administered doses of lead. Rats fed chitosan diets showed lower blood lead concentration than did their respective controls. Effect of chitosan on the blood lead was more beneficial in rats exposed to lower lead (20 mg/d) than in rats exposed to higher lead (50 mg/d and 100 mg/d). Histological changes in erythrocytes and liver were also examined. Chitosan tended to reduce numbers of basophilic stippling erythrocytes and improve the histological liver changes in rats given various lead doses. The preventive effects of chitosan on liver damages were stronger in rats with higher lead than those with lower lead. These results indicate that chitosan has beneficial effects on both blood toxicological responses and histological damages of erythrocytes and liver induced by the administration of various lead doses.

• 산업보건소식
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• no.46
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• pp.3-13
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• 1987

For the purpose of investigating the effect of occupational health service in terms of environmental control and health provision of workers on the improvement of worker's health, authors analysed the data of environmental measurement and health check-up of one lead using industry who started his investment to environmental improvement from 1980. Six hundred million won was invested for environmental improvement from 1980 to 1986. This investment brought about apparent improvement of working conditions of all of the workplaces from mean concentration of lead in air over 0.15mg/$m^3$ 1981 to mean concentration of lead in air less than 0.15mg/$m^3$. Environmental control reduced mean blood lead level from 51.2 $\pm$ 11.5ug/이 in 1983 to 39.2 $\pm$ 16.0ug/dl in 1986, and delta-aminolevulinic acid concentration 3.15 $\pm$ 2.1mg/l in 1982 to 1.96 $\pm$ 1. 7mg/l in 1986, respectively. Blood ZPP levels were decreased from 76.1 $\pm$ 58.9ug/dl in 1983 to 42.23 $\pm$ 30.3ug/dl in 1986. If 150ug/dl of blood ZPP is considered as unacceptable limit of lead intoxication, more than 10 percent of workers belonged to this category in 1983, but only 0.5 of workers showed their blood ZPP level over the 150ug/dl in 1986 It was observed that no workers whose work duration were less than one year showed their blood ZPP level over 100ug/dl, but there were high percentages of lead workers with high blood ZPP (over 150 ug/dl) who were working in uncontrolled had working condition and whose work duration were less than one year.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.227-235
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• 2022

Background: Abandoned metal mines are classified as vulnerable areas with the highest level of soil contamination among risk regions. People living near abandoned metal mines are at increased risk of exposure to toxic metals. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between soil contamination levels in areas around abandoned metal mine and the blood lead levels of local residents. Moreover, we assess the possibility of using soil contamination levels as a predictive indicator for human exposure level. Methods: Data from the Survey of Residents around Abandoned Metal Mines (2013~2017, n=4,421) and Investigation of Soil Pollution in Abandoned Metal Mines (2000~2011) were used. A random coefficient model was conducted for estimation of the lower level (micro data) of the local resident unit and the upper level (macro data) of the abandoned metal mine unit. Through a fitted model, the variation of blood lead levels among abandoned metal mines was confirmed and the effect of the operationally defined soil contamination level was estimated. Results: Among the total variation in blood lead levels, the variation between abandoned mines was 18.6%, and the variation determined by the upper-level factors such as soil contamination and water contamination was 8.1%, which was statistically significant respectively. There was also a statistically significant difference in the least square mean of blood lead concentration according to the level of soil contamination (p=0.047, low: 2.32 ㎍/dL, middle: 2.38 ㎍/dL, high: 2.59 ㎍/dL). Conclusions: The blood lead concentration of residents living near abandoned metal mines was significantly correlated with the level of soil contamination. Therefore, in biomonitoring for vulnerable areas, operationally defined soil contamination can be used as a predictor for human exposure level to hazardous substances and discrimination of high-risk abandoned metal mines.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1158-1163
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• 2006

More than 95% of lead, a environmental heavy metal, entering into blood accumulates in erythrocytes suggesting erythrocytes as an important target of lead toxicity. Recent studies reported that erythrocytes could contribute to blood coagulation via phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure in erythrocytes. However, in vivo effects of chronic lead exposure especially by drink-ing water on procoagulant activity of erythrocytes have not been studied yet. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure of lead by drinking water on erythrocytes in rats. Groups of 40 male rats were provided with drinking water containing various concentrations of lead for 4 weeks and complete blood cell count, procoagulant activities of erythrocytes and platelets were evaluated with basic inspections on body weight and food/water consumption. The administration of lead containing drinking water increased the blood lead level (BLL) in a dose-dependent manner up to $22.39{\pm}2.26\;{\mu}g/dL$. Water consumption was significantly decreased while food consumption or body weight gain was not affected. In contrast to the previous findings with acute lead exposure, chronic lead exposure failed to increase PS exposure in erythrocytes with statistical significance although some trends of enhancement were observed. It implies that a certain adaptation might have happened in body during repeated exposure to lead, resulting in attenuation of PS exposure. With this study, we believe that a valuable information was provided for the study on the toxicological significance and the risk assessment of lead contaminated drinking water.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 1986

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of lead on the incidence of anemia and to find cases with lead poisoning early among female workers who have been exposed to lead occupationally, for one year from August, 1985. The level of blood lead and hemoglobin concentration were observed for 284 female lead workers and 123 female non-lead workers of industries in the Gumi industrial complex in Kyungpook Province. The average age was $20.3{\pm}2.9$years and $21.1{\pm}3.5$ years in lead workers and non-lead workers, respectively. The average working duration was $26.46{\pm}19.26$ months in lead workers. The mean value of blood lead was $30.11{\pm}6.61{\mu}g/100ml$ and $21.86{\pm}3.75{\mu}g/100ml$ in lead workers and non-lead workers, respectively. There were significant differences between two groups. The mean value of hemoglobin concentration was $14.00{\pm}0.57g/100ml$ and $14.03{\pm}0.64g/100ml$ in lead workers and non-lead workers, respectively. Anemia cases were not observed at Hb concentration below 12g/100ml. The percentages of lead workers at Hb concentration ranged 12.0~13.0g/100ml were 4.5%. There was no dose-response relationship between blood lead level and the incidence of anemia. There were no remarkable differences between age and blood lead level as well as Hb concentration, and between working duration and the level of blood lead and hemoglobin.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.2 s.50
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• pp.373-385
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• 1995

The association between blood lead of children and Intelligent Quotient(I.Q) was investigated in a sample of 100 boys and girls aged $6\sim8$ years from one primary school within an industrial area of Pusan. The trained undergraduates in school of public health administered an 1.0. test one by one. Parents answered a questionnaire on demographic, perinatal and socioeconomic variables. Atomic Absorbtion Spectrophotometer was used to determine blood lead levels. The geometric mean of blood lead value was $7.99{\mu}g/dl$. In total children, there was no significant relationship between blood lead level and I.Q. But in the children who were born of gestational age of less than 38 weeks, children with higher levels of blood lead performed more poorly on I.Q test with correlation coefficient from -0.68 to -0.71. But, the children who were born of gestational age of 38 weeks and more were same as total children. These results suggest that exposure to low levels of lead in the children who were born premature probably may result in impaired intelligent development. But, We think that more profound study should be performed with sufficient numbers of subjects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effect of increased blood and tibia lead on the change of bone mineral density in retired male lead workers. One hundred nine retired male lead workers who worked in 4 different lead industries and 51 nonoccupationally lead exposed male subjects were recruited from March 2004 to October 2004. Bone mineral density(BMD) was measured by broadband ultrasound attenuation(BUA) at left calcaneous bone area with broadband ultrasound attenuation method of QUS-2(Metra Biosystems Inc, USA). Tibia bone lead was measured for skeletal bone lead with K-xray fluorescence(K-XRF) and blood lead was analyzed with flameless atomic spectrophotometer. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum calcium and iron were also analyzed. In addition, information for smoking and drinking status and basic personal data such as age and lead exposure were also collected using questionnaire inquiry. Blood lead was correlated with tibia lead (r=0.711) and these two variables were negatively correlated with BUA in bivariate analysis. BUA and tibia lead showed significant main effects on the change of blood lead after adjusting covariates. The effect modification by the level of BMD (low: lower than the median of BUA and high: higher than the median of BUA) was observed between the association of tibia lead and blood lead after adjustment of covariates. The subjects who had higher BMD seemed to have lower blood lead by the increase of tibia lead than those of lower BMD. In the multiple regression analysis of blood lead and tibia lead on BUA after adjustment of covariates, only blood lead showed statistically significant effect on BUA. This study confirmed that BMD and blood lead were significantly associated. To verify the causal association of BMD on blood lead and vice versa, further longitudinal studies are needed.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2013

Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects associated with heavy metal exposure. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between proximity to an industry complex and blood lead and urinary cadmium levels for children aged 7-13 who lived in Ulsan where a big petrochemical complex is located. We conducted a questionnaire survey to collect data including sociodemographics, daily habits, residential environment, etc. We also analyzed blood lead and urinary cadmium levels using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Data were analyzed using regression analysis. All statistical analyses were conducted with SAS software version 9.2. We calculated distance by using a Geographic Information System (ArcGIS version 10.0). The geometric mean blood lead level was 1.55 ${\mu}g/dL$ (boys: 1.59 ${\mu}g/dL$, girls: 1.51 ${\mu}g/dL$), and the geometric mean urinary cadmium level was 0.51 ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine (boys: 0.45 ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine, girls: 0.58 ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine). In the results of regression analyses, we found that urinary cadmium levels significantly decreased as distance between residence and industrial complex increased after adjusting for age, gender, income, passive smoking and the length of residence. This result was opposite to that for lead levels. Our observations support the hypothesis that urinary cadmium levels in children are related to their proximity to an industrial complex.