• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2015

This study was conducted to find out accumulated concentration of nickel, survival rate and falling rate, structural changes of abalone, Haliotis discus hannai exposed to nickel chloride. Experimental groups were composed of one control condition and five nickel chloride exposure conditions (5.9, 8.8, 13.3, 20.0, 30.0 mg/L). The accumulation of nickel in abalone was significantly increased all exposure group. Though the exposure groups had lower survival rate than the control group, higher falling rate than the control group. Histopathological changes in the foot, gill and hepatopancreas of abalone revealed obvious with exposure group than control group.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.533-538
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• 2018

As the use of digital radiographic system has been expanded, there are some concerns an increase about in patient of radiation dose. Therefore, International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) has been proposed a standard foe exposure index (EI). In this study, the EI was measured on human chest model using computed radiography (CR). Radiation quality used RQA5 of IEC62494-1. After acquiring the chest anterior posterior image (Chest AP) by using the phantom, the EI was obtained by applying the system response. In this study, we have analyzed the images with the detector size (Full filed ROI) and the optimized image (Fit filed ROI). The EI increased proportionally with radiation dose increase. Due to the discrete increase in pixel value, the EI showed an exponential increase. The discrete increase in noise equivalent quanta (NEQ) resulted in a discrete increase in the EI. The EI of the two images used in this study increased with increasing NEQ but showed different increments. For the measurement of the EI, IEC standards must be followed. The EI should be used as an index to evaluate the image quality for quality control of X-ray image rather than as an indicator of exposure dose. When calculating the EI, the system response should be applied depending on whether or not the grid is used. The size of the field should be obtained by including only the necessary parts.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.4
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• pp.210-218
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• 2012

Background: The level of urine cotinine is an indicator of tobacco smoke exposure. The purpose of this study is to investigate urine cotinine for the purpose of assessing the smoking status of Korean smokers and non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke. Methods: The subjects were identified from the 2007-2009 and the 2010 data sets of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). They were assigned as non-smokers, current smokers and ex-smokers. Non-smokers were also divided into three subset groups according to the duration of smoke exposure. Each group was stratified by gender prior to analysis. Results: The median value of urine cotinine in the male current smokers was 1,221.93 ng/mL which was the highest among all groups. The difference between levels of urine cotinine for male and the female groups was statistically significant (p<0.01). In the female group, passive smoke exposure groups reported higher urine cotinine levels than non-exposure groups (p=0.01). The cutoff point for the discrimination of current smokers from non-smokers was 95.6 ng/mL in males and 96.8 ng/mL in females. The sensitivity and specificity were 95.2% and 97.1%, respectively, in males, 96.1% and 96.5% in females. However, the determination of urine cotinine level was not useful in distinguishing between passive smoke exposure groups and non-exposure groups. Conclusion: Urine cotinine concentration is a useful biomarker for discriminating non-smokers from current smokers. However, careful interpretation is necessary for assessing passive smoke exposure by urine cotinine concentration.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.93-111
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• 2020

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Korea is conducted for specific development projects within Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system. However, as HIA is being carried out in the implementation stage of the development project, it sometimes has failed to take proper actions despite the significant adverse health impact. Considering an environment conflict regarding adverse health impact in developing industrial complex and the current application of HIA in EIA system, it is necessary to come up with an adequacy evaluation in the industrial complex development considering health impact. This study proposes an adequacy evaluation method considering health impact for the industrial complex development and embodies the method by applying it to actual cases. Referring to methodologies of US EPA's CalEnviroScreen 3.0 and US ATSDR's Public Health Assessment, this study proposed using indicators divided by community characteristic, background exposure and development burden as an adequacy evaluation method to consider health impact. Five indicators for community characteristic, three indicators for background exposure and seven indicators for development burden were selected through literature survey, and the weights for each indicator were calculated through Analytic Hierarchy Process's survey of experts related to HIA. Through a pilot application in the three government-led industrial complex development projects, the method was further elaborated by clarifying the evaluation data and subdividing the evaluation criteria for each indicator. Adequacy criteria of plan considering health impact could be presented in three ways to be linked to the government's policy stance on the industrial complex development criteria of total score, criteria of total score and community characteristic score, and criteria of total score and community characteristic allowed by development burden.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.99-104
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• 2001

To determine if micronucleus (MN) assay could be used to predict the absorbed dose of victims after accidental radiation exposure, we carried out to assess the absorbed dose depending on the numerical changes of MN in human peripheral blood lymphocytes after $^{60}Co\;{\gamma}-rays$ exposure in the range of 0.25 to 1 Gy, respectively. The MNs were observed at very low doses, and the numerical changes according to doses. Satisfactory dose-effect calibration curve is observed after low dose irradiation of human lymphocytes in vitro. When plotting on a linear scale against radiation dose, the line of best fit was $Y=(0.02{\pm}0.0009)+(0.033{\pm}0.010)D+(0.012{\pm}0.012)D^2$. The dose-response curve for MN induction immediately after irradiation was linear-quadratic and has a significant relationship between the frequencies of MN and dose. These data show a trend towards increase of the numbers of MN with increasing dose. The number of MN in lymphocytes that were observed in the control group is $0.1610{\pm}0.0093/cell$. Accordingly, MN assay in human peripheral lymphocytes could be a useful in viva model for studying radio-protective drug sensitivity or screening test, microdosimertic indicator and radiation-induced target organ injury. Since MN assay is simple, rapid and reproducible, it will also be a biodosimetric indicator for individual dose assessment after accidental exposure.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.1 s.88
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• pp.67-70
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• 2006

A gas chromatography/mass spectrometric method was developed for the determination of formaldehyde in hair. 0.3mg of hair was placed in 10ml headspace vial. 1.5mM pentafluorophenylhydrazine solution (pH 2) in 0.03 M phosphoric acid and $20\;{\mu}l$ of 500 mg/l $acetone-d_6$ as internal standard were added in vial and sealed tightly with cap. The solution was heated for 30 min at $90^{\circ}C$ in heating block. The extraction, the derivatization and the evaporation were performed simultaneously. After heating of the solution, 0.5 ml of headspace was taken up and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Low limit of detection (LaD) and Low limit of quantitation (LOQ) of formaldehyde were 0.5 and 1.5 ng/g, respectively. The method was used to analyze formaldehyde in rat hair after oral exposure. The developed method may be valuable to be used to analyze formaldehyde in human hair.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.519-525
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• 2004

Air pollution from the Daegu industrial complex (Die) in Korea has been a common nuisance and cause of complaints for nearby residents. The current study measured the indoor and outdoor levels of six VOC (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and three isomeric xylenes) at two residential areas with a different proximity to the ODIC, plus the ambient levels at two industrial areas within the boundary of the DDIC. The QA/QC program included the range of correlation coefficient (0.94-0.99) for calibration curves, within the permissible range. Toluene was the most abundant VOC in the ambient air both in residential and industrial areas. Both indoor and outdoor air concentrations of all target VOC except benzene were higher in residential area near the DIC compared to that further away from the DIC. Moreover, the ambient air concentrations of all target VOC except benzene for two industrial sites (A and B) were significantly higher than the outdoor or indoor air concentrations in the two residential areas. The findings further suggested that VOC ambient levels measured in a residential area near the DIC be used as a potential indicator of odor-causing unidentified air pollutants transported from the DIC. Moreover, it was found that the elevated ambient toluene levels outweighed the indoor sources with respect to the environmental exposure of residents nearby the DIC. However, in the residential area further away from the DIC, the toluene indoor sources outweighed the outdoor sources.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.395-400
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• 2002

Lead is one of the most toxic metal and is detectable in practically all phases of environment and in all biological system. Transport, industrial and domestic waste products are the main sources of this pollutant. Ingested lead is rapidly absorbed and widely distributed throughout the body, causing extensive tissue damage. In this study, we chose the freshwater decapods Maceobrachium nipponnese as a sensitive indicator organism for environmental pollution. In order to investigate the possibility in use of $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ activity as a biomarker of lead pollution, we tested the acute toxicity of lead to Maceobrachium nipponnese. The $LC_{50}(96hr)$ value for lead in Maceobrachium nipponnese was found to be $446{\mu}g/L$ with the 95% confidence limits. The lead exposure group at $LC_{50}$ showed a significant $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ inhibition, depending on the exposure time. Comparision of several concentrations of lead revealed that the $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ activity in Maceobrachium nipponnese was significantly decreased in a concentration dependent manner. These results suggest that $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ activity in Maceobrachium nipponnese may possibly be used as a biomarker of lead pollution in aquatic ecosystem.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.74-81
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the health effects of exposure to oil-contaminated water in G village near the area of Daecheon beach on which air force had test fired. Methods: Eighty residents consented and were divided into three groups; 33 residents(drinking well water and still living there), 23 residents(drinking well water but do not live there any more), and 24 residents(did not drink well water but live there now: control group). Data were collected from August to September, 2010 from the survey questionnaires, general health examination, specific functional test, and biological marker tests. Results: Current residents showed higher levels of body mass index, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose that are related to adult diseases. 64 participants received specific test for cancer. Only one person had esophageal cancer. Perchloroethylene was not found in the Urine Samples. Current residents showed a higher level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, an indicator of oxidative damage, and there was a statistically significant difference after correcting the confounding variables. Conclusion: We need education programs for managing the risk factors that are related to adult diseases in people who are now living in this village. We also need to expand further studies for investigating oxidative damage indicators.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2012

Performance of coronary angiography for exact diagnosis and treatments of cardiovascular disease have been increased recently and it also brings increase of the contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) referred from increasing use of radiological contrast agents. The variation of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is an indicator of CIN, which is known to increase when renal function is decreased. Therefore, this study was to evaluate the affecting factors including concomitant drug on variation of eGFR of patients who underwent coronary angiography according to the conditions of renal function. Medical records of 66 patients were evaluated retrospectively and the patients underwent coronary angiography or angioplasty with nonionic and isotonic contrast media (iodixanol) at Chungnam national university hospital from 1 Jan 2008 to 30 Jul 2010. Patients group was divided into 2 groups; the patients in stages 3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the patients in stage 2 CKD. Each group was researched about the effect of concomitant drug and clinical characteristics on eGFR variation. The change of eGFR was compared among baseline and 2 or 3 day after coronary angiography. In results, the eGFR variation in group over age 75 was significantly decreased after radiological contrast agents exposure (p $$\leq_-$$ 0.05). The eGFR variation in anemia was significantly decreased after radiological contrast agents exposure in stage 2 CKD (p > 0.05). The eGFR variation in group under $HbA_{1c}$ 6.5% was significantly decreased after radiological contrast agents exposure in stages 3-4 CKD (p $$\leq_-$$ 0.05). The eGFR variation by taking statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and nitroglycerin was increased after radiological contrast agents exposure in stage 2 CKD (p $$\leq_-$$ 0.05). The eGFR variation by using of diuretics was significantly decreased after radiological contrast agents exposure in stages 3-4 CKD (p $$\leq_-$$ 0.05). The eGFR variation by taking statins, nitroglylcerin was increased after radiological contrast agents exposure in stages 3-4 CKD(p > 0.05). The eGFR variation in group over contrast dosage 150 ml was significantly decreased after radiological contrast agents exposure in stages 3-4 CKD (p $$\leq_-$$ 0.05). Therefore, when undergoing coronary angiography, contrast dosage should be minimized less than 150 ml, and diuretics should be restricted as possible in stages 3-4 CKD. Patients over age 75 require special attention to prevent CIN, and if patients undergo coronary angiography in stages 3-4 CKD, $HbA_{1c}$ is also requried to maintain below 6.5% to prevent CIN.