• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1216-1217
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• 2004

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.455-460
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• 1994

A selective extraction-spectrophotometric method for the determination of mercury(II) with nocotinaldehyde-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone(NPS) was described. The method is based on the formation of an insoluble mercury-NPS complex, which is extratable into chloroform from an aqueous solution at pH 3.5 by shaking for 3 min. The absorbance is measured at 365nm and the molar absorptivity is $2.45{\times}10^4L\;mol^{-1}\;cm^{-1}$. The complex system conforms to Beer's law for up to $18{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ of mercury(II). The proposed method is simple and selective and has been satisfactorily applied to the determination of mercury in standard human hair sample.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.269-276
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• 2010

Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations were determined in 15 commonly consumed aquatic food species using total mercury analyzer and gas chromatography with electron capture detector. The mean total mercury and methylmercury concentrations (mg/kg) were 0.088 and 0.034 in mackerel, 0.061 and 0.016 in hair tail, 0.030 and 0.005 in yellow croaker, 0.032 and 0.008 in Alaska pollock, 0.059 and 0.023 in eastern catfish, 0.110 and 0.045 in snakehead, 0.030 and 0.011 in Japanese common squid, 0.026 and 0.009 in common octopus, 0.035 and 0.008 in swimming crab, 0.009 and not detected (ND) in oyster, 0.011 and ND in shortneck clam, 0.008 and ND in mussel, 0.018 and ND in sea mustard, 0.007 and ND in nori, and 0.019 and ND in sea tangle, respectively. The total weekly dietary intakes of total mercury and methylmercury were estimated, respectively, using food consumption data from diet surveys and the concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury from this study. They were $0.178\;{\mu}g/kg$ body weight (b.w.)/week (3.57% of provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI)) and $0.052\;{\mu}g/kg$ b.w./week (3.34% of PTWI) respectively, and all were within their respective PTWI set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Therefore, considering that the main contributor to mercury intake in the diet is aquatic foods and that the 15 aquatic food species examined in this study are highly consumed, it is concluded that the mercury levels in the foods measured in this study do not present a concern for consumer health.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.97-114
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• 2012

This study was performed to assess the nutritional status and hair mineral content of children with behavioral problems and compare the values with a gender, age-matched control group. The subjects were recruited from S elementary school children in Seoul, Korea. Students scored higher than 60 points were diagnosed with behavioral problems according to the Korean-Child Behavior Checklist. Nutritional assessment of the two groups (behavior problem group: male n=15, female n=24; $9.6{\pm}1.6$ years, control group: male n=16, female n=18; $9.5{\pm}1.9$ years) was performed using a nutritional survey and by measuring hair mineral contents. In the results, food frequency questionnaire analysis showed that the intakes of anchovy (P<0.05), soybean curb (P<0.01), radish (P<0.05), bean sprouts (P<0.05), spinach (P<0.05), carrot (P<0.05), pumpkin (P<0.05), lettuce (P<0.05), cabbage (P<0.01), apple (P<0.05), and milk (P<0.01) were higher in the control group than the behavior problem group, whereas intakes of ramyeon (P<0.05), cookies (P<0.05), and coke (P<0.01) were higher in the behavior problem group than the control group. Intakes of most nutrients such as plant-derived protein (P<0.05), fiber (P<0.05), plant-derived calcium (P<0.05), phosphorus (P<0.05), plant-derived iron (P<0.05), vitamin B2 (P<0.05), vitamin B6 (P<0.05), vitamin C (P<0.01), vitamin E (P<0.05), and folate (P<0.05) were significantly higher in the control group than the behavior problem group. Hair analysis showed that the levels of arsenic (P<0.05), mercury (P<0.001), uranium (P<0.05), iron (P<0.001), boron (P<0.01), and germanium (P<0.001) were lower, but the levels of phosphate (P<0.05), chromium (P<0.001), sodium (P<0.05), and sulfur (P<0.001) were higher in the behavior problem group than the control group. Conclusively, behavioral problems constitute a complicated condition in which nutritional factors may play major roles. However, it is still under investigation as to whether or not modification of dietary habits or nutritional supplementation can improve children's behavior, since symptoms require a broad understanding of the environmental and genetic interactions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.237-243
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• 2010

This study was investigated the effect of antioxidative vitamin supplementation ($\beta$-carotene 175 mg, vitamin C 200 mg, vitamin E 33.5 mg) for 12 weeks on antioxidant status and autistic related behaviors in autistic children. The antioxidative vitamin-supplemented children had significantly lower concentrations of toxic mineral, such as cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in hair, while they had higher concentration of antioxidant minerals (Se, Zn, Fe) in hair. Antioxidant vitamin supplementation for 12 weeks reduced free radical while it increased the hair levels of serotonin compared to the beginning of the study. Additionally, antioxidative vitamin supplementation resulted in significant improvement in social age. These results indicate that the consumption of antioxidative vitamin supplementation for 12 weeks in autistic children may increase plasma antioxidant mineral concentration, resulting in reduced toxic mineral and free radical and improved autistic behavior.