• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.272-281
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• 1995

The residual Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) in the sediment of the Kumho River basin were measured because the Nakdong River was considered to be affected by the environmental quality of Kumho River. PCBs in the sediment were chlorinated and converted into Decachlorinated biphenyl(DCB) which showed the single peak in the GC-ECD chromatogram. The detectable concentrations of PCBs was 0.5ng/g in the sediment. PCBs in the 21 sediment samples was of Kumho River located at 7.5km from conjunction of Nakdong River were not detected from 100 samples. 49% of samples was showed lower than 50ng/g, and 9% did more than 400ng/g. The mean of PCBs concentrations was 131ng/g. The means of COD and organic carbon were 14.5mg/g and 3.41%, respectively. The relationship between PCBs were concentration and the distance from conjunction with Nakdong River was not significant. The concentration of PCBs were varied with the depth of the sediment down to the 250cm depth. The concentrations of PCBs in the depth 0-20cm and 50-90cm were higher than the mean concentration of PCBs. Along the cross of the stream, the concentrations of PCBs were 142ng/g at the center and 126 and 131ng/g at the river sides.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.385-391
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• 2008

This study was performed to examine the effect of 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB#118) on testis of male rats. PCB#118 (20 mg/kg/week) in corn oil was intraperitoneally injected to adult male rats for 2, 5, 8 weeks. The body and testicular weights were measured at 3, 6, 9 weeks of PCB treatment. The morphological changes in the rat testes were then analyzed by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that PCB#118 caused significant change in the body weights and testicular weights. Moreover, the morphological studies that were conducted on the PCB-treated rats revealed that the number of spermatocytes and spermatids in their seminiferous tubules decreased than control group (LM). The nuclear membrane was damaged when PCB was administered to them for 9 weeks (TEM). These results suggest that the reproductive function of the adult male rats is sensitive to PCB#118, and that may affect the testicular morphology of adult male rats.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.679-686
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• 1997

In order to investigate the distribution characteristics of polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) at the southern of Korean East Sea, vertical measurements of temperature, salinity, DO and PCBs were performed by each depth of 5 stations during August - October 1996. Thermocline and salinocline were generally existed at depth of 30 m and water mass current of midwater in the southern of Korean East Sea was distributed below 30 m depth. The distribution of surface water mass in this area was extended to Tsusima area from the southern offshore of the Korean last Sea. In August 1996, concentration range of PCBs had $0.22\~0.36\;ng/\ell$ at surface layer and their concentrations at near Tsusima offshore were relatively decreased. Total mean concentration of PCBs was $0.29\;ng/\ell$ in the sea surface and $0.31\;ng/\ell$ in the middle layer. PCBs seemed to correlate well with suspended particles. And vortical and horizontal distribution of their concentrations showed comparatively uniform pattern. Relatively high compositional ratio of Di- and Tri-PCBs could be found at the sea surface, while compositional ratio of Penta-PCBs dominates over other congener at deep layer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.258-263
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• 2000

2-Hydroxy-6-oxo-6phenylhexa-2,4-dienoate (HOPDA) hydrolase catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of HOPDA to bemzpate and 2-hydroxypenta-2, 4-dienoate (HPD) during microbial catabolism of biphenyl and polychlorinated biphenyls. A HOPDA hydrolase gene (pcbD) was isolated from the genomic library of Pseudomonas sp. P20 and designated as pCNUO1201; a 7.5-kb XbaI DNA fragment from Pseudomonas sp. P20 was inserted into the pBluescript SK(+) XbaI site. E. coli HB101 harboring pCNU1201 exhibited HOPDA hydrolase activity. The open reading frame (ORF) corresponding to the pcbD gene consisted of 855 base pairs with an ATG initiation codon and a TGA termination codon. The ORF was preceded by a rebosome-binding sequence of 5'-TGGAGC-3' and its G+C content was 55 mol%. The pcbD gene of Pseudomonas sp. P20 was located immedeately downstream of the pcbC gene encoding 2,3- dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase, and approximately 4-kb upstream of the pcbE gene encoding HPD hydratase. The pcbK gene was able to encode a polypeptide with a molecular weight of 31,732 containing 284 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the HOPDA hydrolase of Pseudomonas sp. P20 exhibited high identity (62%) with those of the HOPDA hydrolases of P. putida KF715, P. pseudoalcaligenes KF707, and Burkholderia cepacia LB400, and also significant homology with those of other hydrolytic enzymes including esterase, transferase, and peptidase.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.202-206
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• 1983

After examining the changes of LDH activity in the liver, brain and kidney of albino rats administrated with various amounts and periods, the following results were obtained: The LDH activity in liver, brain and kidney showed a gradual increase in proportion to the amount of PCB. The LDH activity has considerably increased with PCB administration, the maximum increasing rate shown within the first five days and the second five days respectively for 50 & 100 ppm group and for 10 ppm group. The LDH activity of brain in 50 and 100 ppm group showed its peak increase for the first five days with its subsequent decrease, while there was almost no change until the 1th day in 10 ppm group. The LDH activity in kidney showed the greatest increase between the 10th and 15th day.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.130-138
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• 2017

This study examined chemical characterization in commercial dark-fleshed fish (mackerel Scomber japonicus, Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius, and Pacific herring Clupea pallasii) to determine their suitability for use as raw materials for seafood products. The volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), heavy metal, radioactivity, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), benzo[a]pyrene, and histamine concentrations were measured. The VBN in all of the dark-fleshed fish was less than 20 mg/100 g, which is the limit for raw materials for seafood processing. Except for mackerel based on the lead (Pb) standards of the European Union (EU), Taiwan, and CODEX, and all fish based on the cadmium (Cd) standards for China and the EU, the commercial dark-fleshed fish were free from total mercury (Hg), Pb, and Cd based on domestic and foreign standards. The radioactivity, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), benzo[a]pyrene, and histamine concentrations of the commercial dark-fleshed fish all adhered to the domestic and foreign standards. The commercial dark-fleshed fish tested could all be used as raw materials for seafood products, except for some exported products.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.520-528
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• 2007

A practical and efficient disposal of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in waste transformer oil by a chemical dechlorination process has been reported. The transformer oil containing commercial PCB mixtures (Aroclor 1242, 1254 and 1260) was treated by the required amounts of PEG 600 (polyethylene glycol 600), potassium hydroxide (KOH) and aluminum (Al), along with different reaction temperatures and times. The reaction of PEG with PCBs under basic condition produces arylpolyglycols, the products of nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The relative efficiencies of PCB treatment process were assessed in terms of destruction and removal efficiency (DRE, %). Under the experimental conditions of PEG600/KOH/Al/100 oC/2hr, average DRE of PCBs was approximately 78%, showing completely removal of PCBs containing 7-9 chlorines on two rings of biphenyl which appear later than PCB no. 183 (2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaCB) in retention time of GC/ECD. However, when increasing the reaction temperature and time to 150 oC and 240 min, average DRE of PCBs including the most toxic PCBs (PCB no. 77, 105, 118, 123 and 169) in PCB family reached 99.99% or better, with the exception of PCB no. 5 and 8 (2,3-diCB and 2,4'-diCB). In studying the reaction of PEG with PCBs, it confirmed that the process led to less chlorinated PCBs through a stepwise process with the successive elimination of chlorines. The process also permits complete recovery of treated transformer oil through simple segregating procedures.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.187-194
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• 2013

Microalgae are sensitive indicators of environmental changes, and hence they are widely used in environmental risk assessments and for the development of discharge guidelines. Here we evaluated the toxicity of metals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to the marine green microalga, Tetraselmis suecica. The toxicants investigated included the metals, Cu, Ni, and Pb; and the EDCs, bisphenol A (BPA), endosulfan (ES), and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). The endpoints were variations in cell counts and chlorophyll a levels. T. suecica displayed a varied pattern of sensitivity to the toxicants. Based on the 72-h median effective concentration ($EC_{50}$), ES (0.045 mg/L) was most toxic to T. suecica, followed by PCB (3.96 mg/L) and Pb (9.62 mg/L). Interestingly, T. suecica was relatively tolerant to Cu (43.03 mg/L). The 72-h $EC_{50}$ values of Ni and BPA were approximately 16 mg/L. Our data suggest that this species may be relatively tolerant to most of the chemicals within their permissible limits in the environment.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.115-123
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• 2019

Among the environmental chemicals that may be able to disrupt the endocrine systems of animals and humans are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a chemical class of considerable concern. PCB consists of two six-carbon rings linked by a single carbon bond, and theoretically, 209 congeners can form, depending on the number of chlorines and their location on the biphenyl rings. Furthermore, 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) exposure also increases nitric oxide production and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells binding activity in chondrocytes, thus contributing as an initiator of chondrocyte apoptosis and resulting in thymic atrophy and immunosuppression. This study identified whether cardiac and immune abnormalities from PCB126 were caused by the Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 channels. PCB126 did not affect either the steady-state current or peak current of the Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 channels. However, PCB126 right-shifted the steady-state activation curves of human Kv1.3 channels. These results suggest that PCBs can affect the heart in a way that does not block voltage-dependent potassium channels including Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 directly.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate the level of PCBs and distribution of PCB congeners in the ambient air of Korea and Japan. The source of PCBs were also studied by a statistical method. The TEQ concentration of PCB in the ambient air of Korea and Japan were between 0.003 and $1.01\;pgTEQ/m^3$(mean value : $0.22\;pgTEQ/m^3$) and between 0.002 and $0.014\;pgTEQ/m^3$ (mean value: $0.007\;pgTEQ/m^3$), respectively. The ambient air of industrial area of Korea showed a fluctuation in PCB concentration than other sampling area. The isomer distribution patterns in the ambient air was more or less similar in all sampling places. In addition, highly chlorinated homologues ($7{\sim}10CB$) were detected in the only Korea industrial area. This observation suggests that there is a possibility of specific source of PCBs in the industrial area. The source identification of PCB in ambient air was performed using multivariate statistical analysis(principal component analysis). As a result, it is estimated that the Korean ambient air was more influenced by combustion process than the ambient air of Japan and also the effect of PCB commercial products was relatively a small.