• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.360-368
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• 2013

Recently interactive water fountains are gaining popularity in making public facilities in South Korea. The total number of interactive fountains is rapidly growing at the rate of >50% annually. In this study, we performed quantitative microbial risk assessment to estimate infection risks in children by Legionella spp. while playing in interactive fountains. The exposure dose for a given concentration of Legionella in water was calculated using water-aerosol partition rate of Legionella, exposure duration, inhalation rate, and deposit rate of aerosols in the lungs following inhalation. The dose was converted to infection risk by using the dose-response function developed for L. pneumophila. High weight and/or old children, i.e., 12-year children, running around in fountains were the highest risk group by showing >0.05 infection probability for fountain waters containing ${\geq}10^4$ CFU/L Legionella. The result supported the current guideline by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which permits use of water with < $10^3$ CFU/L Legionella cells for all purposes. However, the results still warrant further evaluation of the guideline to accommodate risks for children because the dose-response relationship in the model was developed for healthy adults. Further risk assessment studies need to be conducted by employing dose-response model for children who generally carries weaker immune system than adults.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.335-342
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• 2015

Laboratory facilities for biology are designed as biosafety level 1, biosafety level 2, biosafety level 3, and biosafety level 4. Biosafety level designations are based on a composite of the design features, construction, containment facilities, equipment, practice and operation procedures required for working with agents from the various risk groups. Generally, biosafety level 3 means the facility that is appropriate for the experiments using pathogens which can cause serious diseases by aerosol transmission. The biosafety level assigned for the specific work to be done is driven by professional judgement based on a risk assessment, rather than by automatic assignment according to the particular risk group designation of the pathogenic agents to be used. In this paper, we introduced the biosafety level 3 facility operated in ADD(Agency for defense development). It contains the overview of facility, microbiological experiment, animal experiment, decontamination and waste disposal. Biosafety level 3 laboratory in ADD has served the vital role in the research of biological agents and antidote development.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2017

This study was performed to assess microbial contamination of Aronia melanocarpa, blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry sold in several markets. We investigated total aerobic bacteria and detected foodborne bacteria by multiplex PCR from Aronia melanocarpa, blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry. Total aerobic bacteria of each sample showed mean 3.54 log CFU/g for Aronia melanocarpa, mean 1.90 log CFU/g for blueberry, and mean 1.40 log CFU/g for raspberry, but not detected in cranberry. Specially, Aronia melanocarpa contained high total aerobic bacteria contamination among various berries and contamination level reached 4.17 log CFU/g in sample 5. To evaluate the effect of distribution conditions, we also investigated total aerobic bacteria of various berries. Total aerobic bacteria showed mean 2.89 log CFU/g for berries in refrigerated distribution and 1.40 log CFU/g in frozen distribution, but not in dry distribution. For assessment of foodborne bacteria contamination, we conducted PCR with multiplex primers of E. coli O157, S. aureus, B. cereus, V. parahaemolyticus, L. monocytogenes, Y. enterocolitica, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. Among these foodborne bacteria, B. cereus was amplified in Aronia melanocarpa in sample 4 and blueberry in sample 1, 2, 3, and 5. The result of quantitative analysis of B. cereus contamination showed 4.08 log CFU/g of Aronia melanocarpa in sample 4 and higher contamination rate 4.07 log CFU/g of blueberry in sample 3. These results suggest that strict food safety control in harvest and distribution of various berries is necessary to prevent foodborne disease and improve microbiological safety.

• 한국가스학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.58-68
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• 2001

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of carbon steel gas pipeline in soil environments was investigated at field and laboratory MIC is very severe corrosion and it is not easy to distinguish this corrosion from Inorganic corrosion because of its localized, pitting-type character Therefore, it is important to provide proper assessment techniques for the prediction, detection, monitoring and mitigation of MIC. It is possible to predict the MIC risk, i.e., the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) through the analysis of soil environments. Chemical, microbiological and surface analysis of corrosion products and metal attacked could reveal the possibility of the occurrence of MIC. Various electrochemical and surface analysis techniques could be used for the study of MIC. Among these techniques, thin-film electrical resistance (ER) type sensors are promising to obtain localized corrosion rate of MIC induced by SRB. It is also important to study the effect of cathodic protection (CP) on the MIC In case of coated pipeline, the relationship between coating disbondment and the activity of SRB beneath the disbanded coating is also important.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.101-113
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• 2016

To properly manage and remediate groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE), it is necessary to assess natural attenuation processes of contaminants in the aquifer along with investigation of contamination history and aquifer characterization. This study evaluated natural attenuation processes of TCE at an industrial site in Korea by delineating hydrogeochemical characteristics along the flow path of contaminated groundwater, by calculating reaction rate constants for TCE and its degradation products, and by using geochemical and reactive transport modeling. The monitoring data showed that TCE tended to be transformed to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) and further to vinyl chloride (VC) via microbial reductive dechlorination, although the degree was not too significant. According to our modeling results, the temporal and spatial distribution of the TCE plume suggested the dominant role of biodegradation in attenuation processes. This study can provide a useful method for assessing natural attenuation processes in the aquifer contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons and can be applied to other sites with similar hydrological, microbiological, and geochemical settings.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.358-366
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• 1998

To meet the demand for high quality of foods with the expanded implementation of foodservice into kindergarten, and to make the efficient use of resources, the necessity of introducing central production unit with cook/chill system into kindergarten foodservice is getting increased. The purpose of this study were to develop standardized recipe applicable to cook/chill system for kindergarten foodservice and to evaluate the microbial and sensory quality. For quantitty production of cook/chill system in kindergarten foodservice, Various Bulkogis were selected as menu items. The followings are summary of the results： 1. Standard recipes to produce Various Bulkogis(Broiled Sliced Meat with Sauce) for cook/chill system have been developed. 2. The microbial quality of Various Bulkogis during 10 days chilled storage was very good. And in this experiment, the stability of storage of standard recipes of Various Bulkogis at cook/chill system was proved for 10 days. 3. All of the items of sensory evaluation of Bulkogis has no significance between the first day and the third day of storage, except the color of Pork Bulkogi (P<0.05).

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.321-325
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• 2001

Baird-Parker agar with egg yolk/tellurite emulsion (BPA) is widely accepted as a medium for the enu-meration of Staphylococcus aureus in foods. Howerver, it is not vompletely selective and colonies of other genera of species could be similar to those of Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the strains of Staphylococcus aureus that are lecithinase negatrive could go unnoticed. Both facts could affect the counts. The aim of this study was to dtermine whether the enumeration of the colonies with the typical morphol-ogy of Staphylococcus aureus on BPA is sufficien to quantity this species in poultry meat. Forty chiken carcasses were tested for Staphylococcus aureus by surface plating using BPA, Results indicate that the predictiv value of the morphoogy of the colonies of BPA is 85.71% and 68.42% for typical and atypical colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. However, Staphylococcus aureus counts (after identification) and counts of typical colonies did not show any significant differences(P>0.05) and are significantly(P<0.001) correlated (r=0.996).These results suggest that , for screening purposes. enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus from poultry meat does not require any identification of stains. resulting in a saving of time and money.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.3 s.54
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• pp.283-289
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• 2006

In recent years, there has been an increase in consumer demand for bottled waters. There is a perception that consumption of natural mineral water represents a healthy life style and that these products are relatively safe. In this study, the microbiological quality of 39 samples of bottled water, purchased from retail store in Korea, was investigated during the 2005. Applying pour plate method, the 1 mL of water samples were analyzed for the presence and enumeration of total general bacteria and Pseudomonas spp.. Nineteen samples representing 9 brands of bottled water contained general bacteria ($1.54{\times}10^2$ CFU/mL). In addition four samples contained Pseudomonas spp. and Camamonas acidovorans. The susceptibility of the strains tested against 25 antimicrobial agents, Pseudomonas fluorescens were resistant to Lincomycin, Amoxacilin/Clavulanic acid and Cefazolin (> $100{\mu}g/mL$). Also Comamonas acidovorans were intermediate to Cephalothin and resistant to Cefoperazone.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.195-204
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• 2022

Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum Rottler) has potential risks associated with pathogenic bacterial contamination as it is usually consumed raw. In this study, we investigated the microbiota of Chinese chives purchased from traditional markets and grocery stores in March (Spring) and June (Summer) 2017. Differences in bacterial diversity were observed, and the microbial composition varied across sampling times and sites. In June, potential pathogenic genera, such as Escherichia, Enterobacter, and Pantoea, accounted for a high proportion of the microbiota in samples purchased from the traditional market. A large number of pathogenic bacteria (Acinetobacter lwoffii, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Serratia marcescens) were detected in the June samples at a relatively high rate. In addition, the influence of the washing treatment on Chinese chive microbiota was analyzed. After storage at 26℃, the washing treatment accelerated the growth of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) because it caused dynamic shifts in Chinese chive indigenous microbiota. These results expand our knowledge of the microbiota in Chinese chives and provide data for the prediction and prevention of food-borne illnesses.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2017

Foodborne disease outbreaks associated with produces have been increasing in occurrence worldwide. This study investigated microbial contamination levels on thirteen kinds of agricultural products from farms stage to evaluate potential hazards associated with foodborne illness. A total of 1,820 samples were collected in major cultivating area from 2013 through 2015, and analyzed to enumerate aerobic bacterial counts, coliforms/E. coli, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the prevalence study for four kinds of microorganisms (Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) was performed on each sample. Aerobic bacterial counts ranged from 0.01 to 7.18 log CFU/g, with the highest bacterial cell counts recorded for watermelon. Coliforms were detected in 651 samples (35.8%) with a minimum of 0.01 log CFU/g and a maximum of more than 5 log CFU/g. B. cereus was detected in 169 samples (9.3%) ranging from < 0.01 to 2.48 log CFU/g among total samples analyzed. S. aureus was detected in 14 samples (0.7%) with a minimum of 0.01 log CFU/g and a maximum of 1.69 log CFU/g. E. coli was detected in 101 samples (5.5%) among 1,820 samples. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not detected in any of the samples. The microbial contamination levels of several agricultural products determined in this study may be used as the fundamental data for microbiological risk assessment (MRA).