• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.440-449
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk and to evaluate the relations with factors affecting these levels. Methods: The congener levels of PBDE in 22 samples of breast milk were analyzed using a high resolution gas chromatograph with a high resolution mass detector. In accordance with our standard operating procedures, the recoveries of internal standards had to range between 68% and 118%. Since the distribution of PBDE concentrations is close to log-normal, the data were logarithmically transformed before analysis. Test subjects were healthy primipara and multipara mothers with a mean age of 32 (SD = 2.7) in 2006. Results: Seven PBDE congeners (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, and 183) were detected and identified in all of the pooled breast milk samples, indicating widespread contamination from PBDEs in the environment in Korea. Residue levels of total PBDEs (sum PBDEs from tri- to hepta-BDE) ranged from 0.84-13.1 ng/g lipid with median and geometric mean levels of 2.6 ng/g lipid and 2.74 ng/g lipid, respectively. PBDE congeners 47, 99 and 153 markedly predominated and accounted for about 75% of the amount of the PBDE congeners analyzed. BDE-47 was the dominant congener in most samples, whereas BDE-153 was predominant in a few (n = 7/22). BDE-47 was highly correlated with total PBDEs (r = 0.987, p < 0.01). In analyses of the differences of the means of log transformed breast milk PBDE levels for groups of potential covariates, only breast milk BDE-47 and BDE-99 levels were significantly associated with fish (p < 0.05) and meat consumption (p < 0.01). However, we did not find significant correlations between PBDE levels and maternal age, body mass index (BMI), parity, job presence and smoking status. Conclusions: Our findings are mainly limited due to the small sampling size and low doses of PBDEs exposure. Background and human exposure data of PBDEs is lacking, and longitudinal investigations into the environment and biota are encouraged to determine the health impact on future populations in Korea.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.88-93
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• 2001

To measure the levels of dioxins in food selling at local markets, meat was analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution ass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). The food samples were obtained from 5 large cities of Seoul, Chunchon, Daejon, Kwangju and Busan in Korea. All the samples were minced and extracted with Soxhlet extractor for 18 hours. After extraction, extracts were cleaned up by sulfuric acid impregnated silica gel, purified on a series of silica gel, alumina, carbon column chromatography and then analyzed by HRGC/HRMS. The contaminated levels were calculated as the TEQs by multiplying with the corresponding WHO-TEFs for each congeners. The overall recoveries were ranged from 80% to 153% and the limit of detection was about 0.01 ppt at S/N>3. The levels of PCDD/Fs for beef, pork and chicken were 0.018, 0.008 and <0.001 pgTEQ/g, respectively. In addition, the levels of non-ortho-co-planar PCBs for beef, pork and chicken were 0.008, 0.002 and 0.001 pgTEQ/g, respectively. Among food samples analyzed, chicken showed the lowest level of dioxin-like compounds. Regarding congener pattern, OCDD and PCB #77 were the highest contributing congeners.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.316-322
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• 2005

In this study, the concentration of 17 dioxin congeners in the soil samples near a waste incinerator with respect to distance from incinerator and wind directions were investigated. The effect of PCB source was investigated using the cluster analysis method. The total concentration and I-TEQ concentration of dioxin ranged from 31.065 to 7,257.499 pg/g(dry weight) and from 0.099 to 35.191 pg I-TEQ/g(dry weight.), respectively. There was a weak correlation(not statistically significant) observed between soil concentration and wind direction, and the distance from the incinerator. The reason may be due to the presence of the local combustion sources other than the target incinerator. The fraction of PCDFs and PCDDs was also examined to study the effect of incinerator. The fraction of PCDFs was decreased with the distance from the incinerator. The influence of target incinerator was found within a 500-meter radius. The high concentration in the for site was due to small incinerators and the use of agricultural chemicals such as PCP. To investigate the relationship between soil near the incinerator and the sources, the cluster analysis was conducted using the congener pattern. As a result soil samples were divided into four groups and were qualitatively estimated the influence of sources such as incinerator and PCP by comparing the congener pattern of each roups. It was thought that a cluster analysis was a useful statistical method for the source estimation of dioxin.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.578-584
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• 2003

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) known as environmental contaminants in soil were analyzed by the soil pollution standard process test and the static supercritical $CO_2$ extraction mode. It was shown that the percent average recoveries of PCBs by the soil pollution standard process test were ranged in 25-35% and the corresponding standard deviations were above 10%. In contrast, the percent average recoveries of PCBs by the static supercritical $CO_2$ extraction mode were 2-2.5 times higher and standard deviations were within 7%. These results indicate that static supercritical $CO_2$ extraction mode may be a useful alternative to sample pretreatment certified by the soil pollution standard process test. The increasing supercritical $CO_2$ pressure from 1130 psi to 1996 psi at $40^{\circ}C$ enhanced the recovery of all PCB congeners from soil. However, at same Tc and Pc, the equilibrium time (5 versus 60 minutes) had no effect on the recovery of each PCB congener. Finally, similar PCB recoveries were obtained under the same extraction condition, regardless of the molecular weight and structure (coplanar versus non-coplanar) of PCB congeners.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.356-364
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the exposure pathway of PBDEs in human breast milk collected from new mothers residing in Chuncheon, a comparatively clean area in Korea. The congeners of PBDE in 22 human breast milk samples were analyzed using a high resolution gas chromatography with a high resolution mass detector. The residue level of ${\sum}PBDEs$ was higher in primipara subjects than in multipara subjects (p<0.05). The levels in this study were similar to those of people in some Asian and European countries, but were lower than those of people in north America. In the congener profiles, BDE-47 (mean contribution=36.1%) was predominant, followed by BDE-153 (27%), BDE-99 (11.7%), BDE-100 (11.1%), BDE-28 (7.9%) and BDE-183 (3.5%). The sum of BDE-47 and BDE-153 accounted for more than 50% of ${\sum}PBDEs$ in most samples. BDE-47 was highly correlated with ${\sum}PBDEs$ (r=0.94, p<0.001). No strong trend was observed between PBDE levels and a number of key biological factors (women's age, weight, height and body mass index) examined in this study, however, weak correlations were observed in PBDE levels measured against dietary habits, particularly in fish consumption frequency. It seems that Korean people might be exposed to multiple sources including products of PBDEs, and particularly food resources.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.88-88
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.11b
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• pp.149-150
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• 2002

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon congener that induces expression of several genes including CYP1A. Exposure to TCDD results in many toxic actions such as carcinogenesis, hepatotoxicity, immune suppression, reproductive toxicity and developmental toxicity.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.107-108
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• 2001

본 연구에서는 부산, 경남 주민의 중요한 식수원인 낙동강에 큰 영향을 미치고 있는 금호강을 대상으로 하여 난분해성 물질이며 내분비계 장애물질인 PCBs의 분포 상태를 조사하였다. 금호강 저니토에서의 PCBs 분석은 용매 추출법을 사용하였고 실리카 겔과 플로리실 칼럼을 통과시켜 정제한 다음 GC-ECD로 분석하였다. 모든 조사 지점에서 26개 congener가 고루 검출되어 있는 것으로 보아 금호강으로 유입되었던 PCBs의 종류는 다양했던 것으로 추정되고 금호강 유역의 저니토에 축적되어 있는 PCBs가 낙동강 하류로 유입될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.294.1-294.1
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• 2002

The effects of estradiol and its metabolites on the regulation of CYP1A1 expression. K.E. Joung and Y.Y. Sheen College of Pharmacy, Ewha womans University, Seoul. 120-750, Korea 2, 3.7.8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon congener that induces expression of several genes including CYP1A1. Exposure to TCDD results in many toxic actions such as carcinogenesis, hepatotoxicity. immune suppression. and reproductive and developmental toxicity. (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.280-288
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate deposition characteristics of atmospheric PCDD/Fs on pine needles and soil. Concentration of PCDD/Fs on soil were higher than those in pine needles, being 7.4 times for ${\Sigma}PCDDs$, 2.3 times for ${\Sigma}PCDFs$, and 5.4 times for ${\Sigma}PCDD/Fs$ respectively. The ratios of the concentration of each homologue in soil to that in pine needles increased as the number of chlorine atoms increased. The concentration (%) of each congener to ${\Sigma}PCDD/Fs$ was higher in the one with a small number of chlorine atoms substituted, such as tetra- to hexa-homologues in pine needle samples and in one with a large number of chlorine atoms, such as hepta- to octa-homologues in soil samples. Lower-chlorinated homologues of PCDD/Fs were mainly accumulative deposited in pine needles, whereas higher-chlorinated ones were on soil.