• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.567-576
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• 1996

Air pollution has been recognized for many years as a factor which heightens the risk of cancer. Extractable polycyclic organic matters in air particulates have been recognized as to have carcinogenic effects. This study examined the health risks posed by organic substances of air particulates in Seoul based on methodelogies that have been developed for conducting risk posed by organic substances of sir particulates in Seoul based on methodologies that have been developed for conducting risk assessment of complex -chemical-mixture. The data used in this study was obtained from air samples collected in a heavy traffic area of Seoul (Shinchon) from 1986 to 1994. The mean concentration of total supended pariculates was 158.0.mu.g/m/msup 3/, 5% of which is consisted of organic matter. The excess cancer risk from benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was estimated to be 3.48.times.10$^{-6}$ by applying BaP unit risk estimates to the mean concentration. 8.74ng/m BaP equivalents of potency method was 1.0.times.10$^{-3}$ . The calculated risk from EOM were comparably higher than that from benzo(a)pyrene and exceeded the acceptable risk level.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 1992

The risk of benzo(a)pyrene for cancer in the ambient air of Seoul was assessed by using the extrapolation methods. The average daily lifetime exposure of benzo(a)pyrene in the ambient air of Seoul was calculated at 6.97-24.30ng/$m^2$/day, which was based on the occurrence analysis of benzo(a)pyrene in the residential(Bull Kwang Dong) and traffic areas(Shin Chon) of Seoul. Using the dose scaling based on body surface area in comparisons of toxicity for extrapolation from animal to human and mathematical models from the high dose region, the low-dose risk was estimated. The response probabilities were estimated by the tolerance distribution models; Probit, Logit and Weibull model. They were consistent with the observed ones at experimental dose region. The unit risk estimates of these models were too low to be used. One-hit and multistage model to prove more conservative risk was selected. As a redult, the lifetime unit risk of benzo(a)pyrene for cancer and virtually safe dose were calculated; One-hit model provided the risk 2.8 $\times 10^{-7}$ and 3.4ng/$m^3$, respectively and multistage model provided 5.2 $\times 10^{-7}$ and 1.9ng/$m^3$ as the more conservatives. The lifetime excess risk estimates of benzo(a)pyrene for cancer were calculated at 0.37-1.30 persons/million persons by one-hit model and 0.69-2.41 persons/million persons by multistage model, which was considered in without virtual risk.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2022

Patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer who undergo an axillary dissection and require adjuvant therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy are at high risk of developing lymphedema of the associated extremity. Historically, patients with lymphedema were treated with ablative procedures aimed simply to remove excess fluid and adiposity; however, the field of lymphatic surgery employing super-microsurgery techniques has witnessed tremendous advances in a relatively short period of time. Advancements in surgical instruments, microscope magnification and optics, imaging technology, and surgeon experience have ushered in a new era of hope to treat patients suffering from breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Here we aim to present the available options for patients suffering from BCRL, and the pinnacle in reconstruction and restoration for these patients.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2010

This study assessed the lifetime cancer and non-cancer risk of aldehydes and volatile organic compounds exposure of young children at child-care facilities and indoor playgrounds in Korea. The samples were collected at various children's facilities (40 day-care houses, 42 child-care centers, 44 kindergartens, and 42 indoor playgrounds) in summer (Jul~Sep, 2007), winter (Jan~Feb, 2008) and Spring (Mar~Apr, 2008) periods, and analyzed by GC-MS. We estimated the lifetime excess cancer risks (ECRs) of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, chloroform, CCI4 and tetrachloroethylene, and the hazard quotients (HQs) of Non-carcinogens (toluene, xylene, benzaldehyde and formaldehyde). Formaldehyde evaluated both cancer and non-cancer risk. The average ECRs of formaldehyde for young children were $1\times10^{-4}{\sim}1\times10^{-5}$ level in all facilities. HQs of four non-carcinogens did not exceed 1.0 for all subjects in all facilities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7663-7670
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• 2015

DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is a relatively large protein family responsible for maintenance of normal methylation, cell growth and survival in mammals. Toxic industrial chemical exposure associated methylation misregulation has been shown to have epigenetic influence. Such misregulation could effectively contribute to cancer development and progression. Methyl isocyanate (MIC) is a noxious industrial chemical used extensively in the production of carbamate pesticides. We here applied an in silico molecular docking approach to study the interaction of MIC with diverse domains of DNMT1, to predict cancer risk in the Bhopal population exposed to MIC during 1984. For the first time, we investigated the interaction of MIC and its hydrolytic product (1,3-dimethylurea) with DNMT1 interacting (such as DMAP1, RFTS, and CXXC) and catalytic (SAM, SAH, and Sinefungin) domains using computer simulations. The results of the present study showed a potential interaction of MIC and 1,3-dimethylurea with these domains. Obviously, strong binding of MIC with DNMT1 interrupting normal methylation will lead to epigenetic alterations in the exposed humans. We suggest therefore that the MIC-exposed individuals surviving after 1984 disaster have excess risk of cancer, which can be attributed to alterations in their epigenome. Our findings will help in better understanding the underlying epigenetic mechanisms in humans exposed to MIC.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.154-160
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and contamination levels of aflatoxin in Medicinal Herbs for Food and Medicine at Yakyeang market in seoul. 191 Samples 11 items medicinal herbs for food and medicine were evaluated for the aflatoxin contamination. in result 41 samples 10 items (21.5%) were detected in the alfatoxin, a high incidence of aflatoxins items are cassiae semen (50.0%), testudinis plastrum (43.8%) and Batryticatus Bombyx (40.0%), Polygalae Radix (31.2%), Zizyphi Semen (23.5%), Dolichoris Semen, Myristicae Semen (20.0%), Nelumbinis Semen (15.8%), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (7.4%), Hoveniae Semen Cum Fructus (4.3%). AFB1 were detected 27 cases (14.1%), AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 were detected 18cases (9.4%), 16cases (8.4%) and 5cases (2.6%). The excess cancer risk estimated using the cancer potency of aflatoxin B1 (7(mg/kg/day)-1 for HBsAg-and 230(mg/kg/day)-1 HBsAg+) was N.D ~ $3.79{\times}10^{-6}$ for hepatits B surface antigen negative (HBsAg-) and N.D ~ $9.68{\times}10^{-5}$ hepatits B surface antigen positive (HBsAg+) respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.247-257
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• 2019

Objectives: The Korea Ministry of Environment regulates concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) through Atmosphere Environmental Standards to protect public health from HAPs. However, simply determining the exceedance of HAP concentrations has several limitations and more comprehensive assessment is required. In addition, integrated risk assessment is needed considering exposure in all microenvironments, including outdoor as well as indoor environments. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in risk by sub-population groups according to time-activity patterns and reported concentrations, as well as the lifetime risk for Koreans. Methods: In this study, we calculated time-weighted average exposure concentrations for benzene and $PM_{10}$ among preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly using residential time and concentrations for indoor (house, school or workplace, other), outdoor, and transport by the meta-analysis method. The risk assessments were conducted by excess cancer risk and disease death risk using 1,000,000 Monte-Carlo simulations for probabilistic analysis. Results: Preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly spent 91.9, 86.0, 79.8, 82.2, and 77.3% of their day in their house, workplace, or school, respectively. The more than 99% excess cancer risk for benzene exceed 1.0E-06 in all sub-populations and lifetime. The acute disease death risk for $PM_{10}$ for housewifes and workers for lifetime were 3.35E-04 and 3.18E-04, and chronic disease death risks were 2.84E-03 and 2.70E-03, respectively. Conclusions: The risk of benzene and $PM_{10}$ by sub-population group and for the lifetime of housewifes and workers were assessed. Benzene showed risky results for this study. All disease death risks of $PM_{10}$ were higher than 1.0E-04 and showed different risks by sub-population. This study can be used as a basis for lifetime exposure and risk assessment to benzene and $PM_{10}$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure and risk assessment of residents near asbestos mines in Korea. Methods: To assess asbestos types and airborne concentrations, air monitoring was performed in the neighborhoods of Kwangcheon (KC) and Sinsuk (SS) mines, which were leading South Korean mines in the past. In addition, activity-based-sampling (ABS) of residents' particular activities were conducted in order to estimate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risks (ELCRs) for the residents. Conclusions: The average concentration of airborne asbestos in KC was 0.0014 f/cc and 0.0015 f/cc by PCM and TEM, respectively. In SS it was equal at 0.0012 f/cc by PCM and TEM. No statistically significant difference was found in the average concentration of airborne asbestos between the two mines. The average asbestos concentration of ABS was 0.0048 f/cc (PCM) and 0.0042 f/cc (TEM) in KC, while it was 0.0137 f/cc (PCM) and 0.0125 f/cc (TEM) in SS. It was found that the average asbestos concentration of ABS in SS was statistically significantly higher than that of KC (p<0.01). The results of ELCRs by scenario in KC showed that the scenarios of bicycle, car, weed control, weed whacking, child playing in the dirt, and physical training fell within $1{\times}0^{-6}-1{\times}10^{-4}$, which is the acceptable range of ELCR. The scenarios of motorcycle, walker, digging, and field sweeping, however, exceeded the acceptable range. In SS, only the scenario of car fell within the acceptable range, while all of the other scenarios exceeded the acceptable range.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2643-2647
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• 2013

Background: Despite anti-smoking campaigns, smoking prevalence among Thai males aged 30 or older is high, at around 50%. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between smoking and mortality in a rural Thai community. Materials and Methods: Subjects enrolled into the Khon Kaen cohort study between 1990 and 2001 were followed up for their vital status until $16^{th}$ March 2012. The death resource was from the Bureau of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Interior, Thailand. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyse the association between smoking and death, controlling for age, education level and alcohol drinking, and confidence intervals were calculated using the floating risk method. Results: The study recruited 5,962 male subjects, of whom 1,396 died during a median 13.5 years of follow-up. Current smokers were more likely to die than never smokers after controlling for age, education level and alcohol drinking (HR, 95%CI: 1.41, 1.32-1.51), and the excess mortality was greatest for lung cancer (HR, 95%CI: 3.51, 2.65-4.66). However, there was no increased risk with increasing dose of tobacco, and no difference in risk between smokers of yamuan (hand-rolled cigarettes) and manufactured tobacco. Conclusion: Mortality from cancer, particularly lung cancer, and from all causes combined is dependent on smoking status among men in rural Thailand, but the relative risks are lower than have been reported from studies in high income countries, where the tobacco epidemic is more established.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2011

Health risk assessments for the abandoned asbestos mine were usually performed with activity-based sampling (ABS) method, which was not a effective tool for indexing health risk on an exact small area of mine. A newly proposed potential index of health risk (PIHR) was applied with proper spatial determination of geographical information system (GIS) to assess quantitatively health risks. A new trial was applied to a certain abandoned mine in Boryong as follows: A high grade area of PIHR was estimated 7.8% of the whole area of the mine (about 27.3 ha). Based on US EPA IRIS (integrated risk information system) model considering lifetime excess cancer risk (LECR), the health risk assessment indicated that the high grade area increased from 3.0 ha through 12.9 ha to 19.5 ha with an increase of asbestos contents in soil from 0.36% (1E-04 level) through 0.1% (3E-05 level) to 0.04% (1E-05 level). These results can be effectively applied to determine reclamation area of the abandoned asbestos mine.