• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.212-218
• /
• 2001

This study was performed to estimate environmental and biological monitoring of workers exposed to methyl bromide through quarantine fumigation. Airborne methyl bromide and it's metabolites were analyzed by gas chromatography and ion chromatography, respectively. The results are as followings; airborne concentration of methyl bromide(TWA) was $2.08{\pm}1.56ppm$(N=8). Dispersion and setting/degas groups were $0.67{\pm}0.12ppm$(N=2) and $2.54{\pm}1.53ppm$(N=6), respectively. Bromide ion concentration in serum was $23.40{\pm}14.91mg/{\ell}$(N=10) in the exposed workers and $4.74{\pm}0.82mg/{\ell}$(N=21) in the non-exposed workers. Bromide ion concentration in urine was $35.56{\pm}26.89mg/{\ell}$(N=11) in exposed group and $6.62{\pm}2.31mg/{\ell}$(N=21) in non-exposed group. Good correlation was observed between concentration of serum and urine ($r^2$=0.890 p<0.01). No significant correlations of other determinants were observed. Calculated from a regressive curve, the biological half lifes of serum and urine were 10.7 and 5.9 days. In these results, biological monitoring of bromide ion of serum and urine provided useful information for evaluating exposure of workers to methyl bromide, so that an availability of bromide ion of biological samples was showed as biological monitoring indices for methyl bromide.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.27-30
• /
• 2002

A thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometric method was developed for the determination of methyl bromide in fumes formed during preservation of cultural materials from insects. Methyl bromide in lunes was collected by drawing 10ι of air through the adsorbent tube filled with a solid adsorbent (Chromosorb). The air samples were analyzed by using a special thermal desorption device and GC/MS determination. The recovery of methyl bromide by air sampling was 88% and the detection limit of the assay was 0.1 pptv based upon assayed air of 10ι. The method was applied to the determination of fumed methyl bromide used for the preservation of papers in a library. The mean concentration of methyl bromide determined in a library was 280.2 $\pm$ 25.4 pptv.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.50-57
• /
• 2020

Objectives: Methyl bromide is a highly toxic substance that can cause systemic poisoning, neurotoxicity, pulmonary edema. Methyl bromide is a widespread fumigation agent used for import and export quarantine, but there is little data on exposure assessment of workers participating in such fumigation. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the exposure level of methyl bromide among workers and the concentration distribution of methyl bromide in the workplace during fumigation. Methods: For this study, one wood tent and one container fumigation area in Pusan, and one wood tent fumigation area in Incheon were investigated over three months from June 2001. Results: Methyl bromide exposure levels for container fumigation workers were from undetected to 1.86 ppm and from undetected to 2.28 ppm for tent fumigation workers as an 8 hr TWA. After opening the container door, the methyl bromide concentration in the container decreased rapidly over time, but the concentration remained over 1 ppm even after about one hour. The concentrations around the tent during its removal were highly affected by wind, but were detected in a range from undetected to 11.97 ppm. Conclusions: This study confirmed that both container and tent fumigation caused workers to exceed the exposure limit of 1 ppm as an 8 hour TWA. In particular, it could be confirmed that a situation exists in which the worker may be exposed to high concentrations of methyl bromide when opening the container or removing the tent due to the nature of the work. Therefore, it is very important to improve working methods and to wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.32-40
• /
• 2008

Methyl bromide has been used as a representative fumigant for quarantine, and several poisoning cases have occurred recently by this chemical in Korea. The purpose of this study is to evaluate workers' exposures to airborne methyl bromide in the importing and exporting plant products quarantine companies. Air samples were collected 400/200 mg Anasorb 747TM and were analyzed by gas chromatograph /flame ionization detector according to the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) Method PV2040. Geometric mean (GM) and arithmetic mean (AM) of total 27 workers' exposure concentrations to airborne methyl bromide were 1.12 ppm and 0.24 ppm, respectively. Two exposures(12.1 ppm and 12 ppm as 8hr-TWA) of total 27 workers' exposures exceeded the Korean standard (5 ppm) of Ministry Labor, while 4 exposures (15%) exceeded the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) (1 ppm) of American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Seven samples (11%) of total 63 short-term air samples exceeded the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) 20 ppm (Ceiling). The opening (management) task in wood fumigation by tent showed the highest short-term exposure concentrations (AM: 18.6 ppm, GM: 0.58 ppm, maximum: 340.7 ppm). The maximum level in treatment task of the same process was 2.01 ppm. Methyl bromide concentrations in opening operation was significantly higher than that in treatment operation (p<0.05). In conclusion, the GM of workers' 8hr-TWA exposures to airborne methyl chloride in the importing/exporting plant quarantine industry was estimated below the ACGIH TLV (1 ppm). However, opening task in the fumigation of wood being covered with tent or fumigation of pant products in container showed the levels exceeding ACGIH TLV (1 ppm), and opening task in the fumigation of wood being covered with tent showed the level exceeding the Korean standard of Ministry of Labor (5 ppm).

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.20 no.4 s.49
• /
• pp.212-216
• /
• 1981

This experiment was carried out to investigate the penetration velocity and diffusion ability of methyl bromide fumigants under the condition of natural gravity, and the effect of in control of yellow corn in the vortical silo. The results were as fallows 1. The methyl bromide remainded concentration on the surface of the vertical silo was rapidly reduced from over 100mg/l to under 20mg/l, within 2 hours after supplying methyl bromide fumigant 2. Even 3m depth place from the surface of the vertical silo filled with yellolw corn was well penetrated within 30 minutes, but its remained methyl bromide gas was reduced gradually from over 100mg/l to 30mg/l after 12 hours duration. 5. In case of 13m place tile penetration ability of methyl bromide was over 100mg/l within one hour and kept the same concentration of it for 12 hours, its remainded methyl bromide preserved over 40mg/l until 48 duration time. 4. Less methyl bromide gas was detected at the bottom place than 3m and 13m depth of the vertical silo. It showed bellow 20mg/l of methyl bromide gas only through the whole duration time. 5. Comparing to the vertical penetration velocity of mehtyl bromide gas, the horizontal diffusion ability was not so good. Therefore, remained methyl bromide gas of 3m depth at the wall side of silo was about half than that of center circle where the nearer place from the methyl bromide supplying point, and the methyl bromide gas of 13m depth placed center circle was detected about 15 to 20 times than that of wall side. 6. For the purpose of examining the mortality of methyl bromide, the testing insects (Lesser Rice weevil and confused flour beetle) placed on the surface and bottom side of the silo were killed completely after 24 hrs fumigation, and the same results showed also at the 3m, 7m and 13m depth after 48 hrs fumigation.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.77-83
• /
• 1962

The solubilities of hydrogen bromide and methyl bromide in nitrobenzene and in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene have been measured in the presence and absence of gallium bromide. When gallium bromide does not exist in the system, the solubilities of HBr and MeBr in nitrobenzene are greater than in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, indicating the greater basicity of nitrobenzene than 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene. When there exists gallium bromide in the system, the addition compounds, GaBr3·HBr and GaBr3·CH3Br, have been found to exist in solution. The addition compound of GaBr3·HBr is stable in nitrobenzene but unstable in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene. On the other hand the addition compound of $GaBr_3{\cdot}CH_3Br$ is unstable in both solvents. All of these unstable addition compounds dissociate into components to large extents according to one of the following equilibria or both: $$GaBr_3{\cdot}RBr{\leftrightarrows}GaBr_3+RBr\;GaBr_3{\cdot}RBr{\leftrightarrows}1}2\;Ga_2Br_6+RBr$.$ where R denotes either hydrogen atom or methyl group.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.214-217
• /
• 2011

Fumigant, methyl bromide which is used in most countries for plant quarantine, has been designated and under control as ozone depleting substance. For developing alternative chemicals for methyl bromide, many countries have been intensifying their capacity. This study was carried out to investigate the residue patterns of hydrogen cyanide which is commonly used for plant quarantine. Hydrogen cyanide was treated onto the orange, banana, and pineapple at recommended and double doses and then sampling was done at 1 and 3 day after fumigation treatment. Residue of hydrogen cyanide was found safe because average residue levels on orange, banana, and pineapple after 3 days of fumigation treatment were $0.57{\pm}0.05$, $0.21{\pm}0.17$, and $0.41{\pm}0.08$ ppm, which were lower than the MRLs of Korea (5 ppm), Japan (5 ppm), USA (50 ppm), and Canada (25 ppm). Hydrogen cyanide are expected to be used as alternative chemicals for methyl bromide fumigant for orange, banana, and pineapple.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.295-298
• /
• 1988

Acyclic nucleosides, 1-[[1,3-bis(benzyloxy)-2-propoxy]methyl]-2-thiopyrimidine, 9-[[1,3-bis(benzyloxy)-2-propoxy]methyl]-6-amino -2-thiopurine, 1-(2-acetoxyethoxymethyl)-2-thiopyrimidine, and 9-[[1,3-bis(benzyloxy)-2-propoxy]methyl]-6-amino -2-thiopurine have been synthesized by coupling pyrimidine and purine bases with acyclic acetates using a new coupling reagent of lithium bromide in the presence of trifluoro acetic acid in acetonitrile.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.199-206
• /
• 1998

Comparative effects of gamma irradiation and methyl bromide (MBr) fumigation on disinfestation and some physicochemical attributes of acorn seeds were investigated. Insects in domestic acorns were identified to be Curculio dentipes Roelofs and Dichocrocis punctiferalis Guenee, which were easily disinfestated immediately after commercial MBr fumigation. Irradiation also showed similar effects on mortality of the insects in different post-irradiation periods; at 3rd day with doses of 1-3 kGy and at around 30th day 0.5-1 kGy. MBr fumigation caused the decrease in lightness (Hunter L value), total phenolics and reducing sugars and the increase in yellowness (Hunter b value) and browning intensity for the subjected samples, as compared with the nontreated control and irradiated ones at 0.5-2 kGy. Furthermore, MBr fumigation resulted in decay for the most part of samples during storage at 5-10 $^{\circ}C$ for 6 months in a PVC box packaging with nets. As a result, optimum levels of irradiation is expected to be roe of the alternatives to chemical fumigants.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.444-449
• /
• 2001

Comparative effects of gamma irradiation and methyl bromide (MeBr) fumigation on disinfestation and physicochemical attributes of mung bean were investigated. Insects in domestic mung bean were identified to be Collosobruchus chinensis Linne. Ina disinfestation test, MeBr showed 100% disinfestation effect on Larva and adult at 5th day after treatments, while irradiation dose above 3 kGy was effective for disinfesting all larva at that time. Adults were more sensitive to radiation than larva. Around 1 kGy was enough to control larva and adult in mung bean following 10 to 15 days of irradiation. In physicochemical properties of treated sampels, nitrogen solubility, TBA value, amino acid and fatty acid compositions were not different among the control, 2.5 kGy-irradiated and MeBr-fumigated samples. MeBr fumigation caused the decrease in lightness (Hunter's L value) and the increase in redness (a value) and yellowness (b value), thereby resulting in overall color difference (${\Delta}E$) in a noticeable level (NBS 2.61~2.94).