• 한국환경보건학회지
• /
• 제39권2호
• /
• pp.159-165
• /
• 2013

Objective: This study was carried out in order to estimate atmospheric Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations using pine needles as a passive air sampler (PAS) in urban, semi-rural and rural regions. Methods: One-year old pine needles were collected to analyze their PCBs concentrations ($C_p$, pg/g dry) at the end of December. PCBs concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$, $pg/m^3$) were calculated with the $logK_{oa}-log(C_p/C_a)$) model. Results: PCBs concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$) were high in the order of urban, semi-rural and rural regions. The lower-chlorinated PCBs showed a higher concentration in ambient air. However, the distribution of PCBs congeners was similar in all three regions. Correlation between $C_a$ and the population density of the three regions was significant ($R^2$=0.9834, p<0.001). Conclusions: It was concluded that although the production and use of PCBs was banned in the1970s, PCBs are currently being produced unintentionally by human activities.

• 한국입자에어로졸학회지
• /
• 제5권4호
• /
• pp.179-188
• /
• 2009

The dry deposition fluxes of particulate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured along with their mass size distributions at Seoul and Incheon in fall in 1999. The dry deposition fluxes of PCBs were in the range of $16.7{\sim}62.2ng/m^2/day$. The ambient concentrations of particulate PCBs were in the range of 0.07 to $0.20ng/m^3$. Generally, the mass size distribution of particulate PCBs shows bi-modal distribution. The mass fraction of PCBs in the fine particle fraction ($D_p<2.1 {\mu}m$) was over than 55% of the total PCBs concentrations. It was found that Seoul and Incheon were not the major source of PCBs emissions in Korea. Based on the comparison with the measurement data in summer, 1999, it is likely that both the dry deposition fluxes and ambient particulate PCBs concentrations were not site-specific.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.501-516
• /
• 2014

Background: Our aim was to identify gaps and limitations in the current literature and to make recommendations for future research required to address these. Materials and Methods: We reviewed occupational exposures and related factors associated with the risk of prostate cancer between 2000 and 2012. These included chemical, ergonomic, physical or environmental, and psychosocial factors which have been reported by epidemiological studies across a range of industries. Results: The results are inconsistent from study to study and generally this is due to the reliance upon the retrospectivity of case-control studies and prevalence (ecological) studies. Exposure assessment bias is a recurring limitation of many of the studies in this review. Conclusions: We consider there is insufficient evidence to implicate prostate cancer risk for ergonomic, physical, environmental or psychosocial factors, but there is sufficient evidence to implicate toxic metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). More research is required to identify specific pesticides that may be associated with risk of prostate cancer.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• 제17권4호
• /
• pp.461-469
• /
• 2014

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent pollutants in aquatic environments, often causing the decline or disappearance of wild populations. In this study, we used a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay to evaluate the effects on the genomic DNA of olive flounder embryo and larval stages of exposure to Aroclor 1254 at concentrations of 1, 5, 10, 20, and $40{\mu}g/L$. We compared RAPD fingerprints of exposed and non-exposed samples. Polymorphisms were revealed as the presence and/or absence of DNA fragments between the two samples. A dose-dependent increase in the number of polymorphic bands was observed with Aroclor 1254 treatment. Also, RAPD profiles of animals exposed to Aroclor 1254 exhibited an increase in the frequency values (FV) compared to the control. A phenogram constructed using neighbor-joining method indicated that genomic template stability in developing embryo and larval stages was significantly affected at ${\geq}5{\mu}g/L$. This study suggested that DNA polymorphisms detected by RAPD analysis could be used as an investigative tool for environmental toxicology and as a useful biomarker in early life stages for the detection of potential genotoxicants.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• 제11권1호
• /
• pp.33-44
• /
• 2006

The objective of this study was to develop and assess a method for estimating the rain scavenging ratios (RSRs) of particle-bound PAHs and PCBs using measured scavenging ratio of particulate matters (PM) and routinely available data of physico-chemical properties of PM. Paired atmospheric and rainwater sampling was conducted for a total of 4 rain events. Assuming equilibrium partitioning in rainwater-gas-PM system, an equation was derived for estimating the RSR of particle-bound chemicals as a function of RSR of PM and three equilibrium partition constants (i.e. dimensionless Henry's law constant, gas-particle partition coefficient, and water-particle partition coefficient). For all PAHs, the model significantly under-predicted the RSR while the model prediction for PCBs agreed with observation mostly within a factor of 5. The RSR model for the chemicals is of limited use as its accuracy critically depends on how close the observed partitioning of the chemicals in the gas-PM-rainwater system is to that estimated under the equilibrium assumption.

• 한국대기환경학회지
• /
• 제21권3호
• /
• pp.285-293
• /
• 2005

This study was aimed at estimation of gas-particle partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in ambient air. The samples were collected at urban site in Japan from March 2002 to January 2003. The concentration of total PCBs (from 4 CB to 10 CB) and TEQ (Toxic equivalent) ranged from 62 to $247\;pg/m^3$ and from 2 to $14\;fgTEQ/m^3 $, respectively. The average contribution $(\%)$ of gas phase to total PCBs concentration was above $80\%$, which suggests that in the atmosphere PCBs predominantly existed in the gas phase. The weak correlations between total PCBs concentration and temperature was found. However this result was due to a typhoon during summer and raining during sampling period. The gas-particle partition coefficient (Kp) was obtained as a function of temperature. The partition ratio of gaseous and particulate phase PCBs can be estimated for an arbitrary temperature. The plot of gas/particle partition coefficient (log Kp) vs. sub-cooled liquid vapor pressure $(log\;P_L)$ had reasonable correlations for individual samples but the slope varied among the samples (coefficients of determination for log Kp versus log $P_L$ plot were> 0.76 $(p<0.0001)$, except for 3 samples). As a result, the variations in the slope among the sampling period may be due to change of temperature, raining during sampling period and wind in this study.

• 한국대기환경학회지
• /
• 제23권6호
• /
• pp.734-743
• /
• 2007

Polyurethane foam-disk passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed in a southern area of Korea for three months. The target compounds were 12 coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The congener profiles measured in this study were the same as those in ambient air and emission gas from the incinerator. A gradient of the total PCBs in different regions (industrial>residential>rural) was observed, suggesting the industrial complex may be an important source of coplanar PCBs. In general, only gas-phase compounds are mainly sequestrated by PAS. In order to estimate the concentration of particle-phase PCBs, a gas/particle partition model was used. A combined result (gas+particle-phase PCBs) was compared with previous results, indicating that the level of coplanar PCBs in our study area is comparable to those in other urban sites in the world. The validation of this method for estimating the total concentration is required through additional backup studies.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국연소학회 2006년도 제32회 KOSCO SYMPOSIUM 논문집
• /
• pp.75-78
• /
• 2006

Disposal of highly toxic wastes like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is very difficult. These substances create a growing mountain of problematic waste that has to be disposed properly. Conventional technologies that are based on common burning(rotary kiln, ${\sim}1100^{\circ}C$) and plasma technology(${\sim}10000^{\circ}C$) do not satisfy important conditions. for example, complete combustion of the toxic waste and the price of waste disposal. The combustor like a rocket engine is operated at relatively high pressure(${\sim}15$ bar) and relatively high temperature(>$3000^{\circ}C$) that are ideal for the complete destruction of extremely toxic substances. In this study, test compound($_o-DCB$) was dissolved in kerosine with a concentration of 10%. Pure gas oxygen was used as an oxidant. Analysis showed that the destruction efficiency achieved for ${o}-DCB$ was 99.9999% or better. The results show that a combustor based on liquid propllant rocket technology is a validated tool for the disposal of highly toxic waste, and a good alternative technology when applied to the destruction of extremely toxic wastes.

• 한국독성학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국독성학회 2001년도 International Symposium on Dietary and Medicinal Antimutgens and Anticarcinogens
• /
• pp.112-112
• /
• 2001

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathological process of neurodegenerative diseases. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, some of which may be neurotoxic. Our previous studies showed that 2,2',5,5'-TetracWorobiphenyl (PCB 52) induced apoptotic death in human neuronal SK-N-MC cells, which was demonstrated on gel electrophoresis by visualization of the proteolytic cleavages of $\beta$-catenin and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and of the production of characteristic ladder patterns of DNA fragmentation.

• 한국미생물생명공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국미생물생명공학회 2000년도 Proceedings of 2000 KSAM International Symposium and Spring Meeting
• /
• pp.100-107
• /
• 2000

In a recently developed strategy for in-situ treatment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), bioaugmentation was used in conjunction with a surfactant, sorbitan trioleate, as a carbon source for the degrader bacteria, along with the monoterpene, carvone, and salicylic acid as inducing substrates. Two bacteria were used for soil inoculants, including Arthrobacter sp. st. B1B and Ralstonia eutrophus H850. This methodology achieved 60% degradation of PCBs in Aroclor 1242 after 18 weeks in soils receiving 34 repeated applications of the degrader bacteria. However, an obvious limitation was the requirement for soil mixing after every soil inoculation. In the research reported here, bioaugmentation and biostimulation treatment strategies were modified by using the earthworm, Pheretima hawayana, as a vector for dispersal and mixing of surface-applied PCB-degrading bacteria and soil chemical amendments. Changes in microbial biomass and microbial community structure due to earthworm effects were examined using DNA extraction and PCR-DGGE of 16S rDNA. Results showed that earthworms effectively promoted biodegradation of PCBs in bioaugmented soils to the same extent previously achieved using physical soil mixing, and had a lesser, but significant effect in promoting PCB biodegradation in biostimulated soils treated with carvone and salicylic acid. The effects of earthworms were speculated to involve many interacting factors including increased bacterial transport to lower soil depths, improved soil aeration, and enhanced microbial activity and diversity.