• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.187-200
• /
• 1995

This paper reviews studies on potential health effects of electric and magnetic fields at extremely low frequencies(ELF). Recent studies focus on the epidemiological investigation of cancer, reproductive outcome and neurobehavioral effects due to residential and occupational exposure to ELF. Laboratory experiments are also carried out to find the possible mechanism of biological effects of ELF. Firm conclusion regarding whether ELF cause cancer are not yet conclusive but suggestive and other health effects of exposure to ELF have also been suggested but the evidence is even weaker than that related to cancer.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.24 no.7
• /
• pp.927-937
• /
• 2015

This study was performed to identify and quantify the asbestos fibers released from two types of asbestos-cement slate roofs. One is a plant roof installed in 1987 which contained 15% chrysotile, and the other is a residential roof installed before 1983 which contained 12% chrysotile. The concentrations of asbestos fibers in air surrounding asbestos-cement slate roofs and in the falling water harvested from the same roofs on rainy days ranged from 0.0012 to 0.0018 f/mL and from 1,764 f/L to 10,584 f/L, respectively. The concentration of inorganic fibers in the soil around asbestos-cement slate roofs was from 217 to 348 f/g. With the above results, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for the risk assessment of the asbestos fibers released from asbestos-cement slate based on US EPA IRIS (Integrated risk information system) model is within 5.5E-06 ~ 6.5E-06 levels which indicates that the levels do not exceed "the acceptable risk(1.0E-05)" recommended by WHO. The asbestos concentration in air, drained rainfall and soil around the plant slate roof was higher than that around residential slate roof, but the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) from residential slate was higher than that from plant slate. This suggested that the enclose and encapsulation of residential roofs have priority in removal policy to minimize the exposure risk.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.306-314
• /
• 2011

Objectives: Respiratory virus infections are the most common disease among all ages in all parts of the world and occur through airborne transmission. The purpose of this study was to detect and quantitate human respiratory viruses in residential environments. Methods: Air samples were collected from the residential space of apartments in the Seoul/Gyeonggi-do area. The samples were collected from indoor and outdoor air. Among respiratory viruses, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, parainfluenza virus, metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus were investigated by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Among the virus-positive samples, we performed adenovirus quantification by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Virus detection rates were 44.0%, 3.8%, 3.4%, and 17.3% in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The virus detection rate was higher in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. Adenovirus was most commonly detected, followed by influenza A virus and parainfluenza virus. Virus distribution was not significantly different between indoor and outdoor environments. Conclusions: Although virus concentrations were not high in residential environments, residents in houses with detected viruses may have an increased risk of exposure to airborne respiratory viruses, especially in winter and spring.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.30
• /
• pp.9.1-9.5
• /
• 2015

Objectives Pyrethroid pesticides are among the most commonly using insecticides in South Korean households and have been the subject of considerable interest among public health professionals for their potential health effects. The objective of this study is to examine the level of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) among elementary students in South Korea. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate pyrethroid pesticide exposure levels by measuring the urinary metabolites of 3-PBA using a gas chromatographymass spectrometry method in March 2011. Study participants were 70 Asan-area and Incheon-area elementary students. Results All respondents had values above the detection limit, and the geometric means of 3-PBA in all children were $1.85{\mu}g/L$ and $1.46{\mu}g/g$ creatinine. Children with the top 10% urinary levels of 3-PBA were more likely to be girls, under nine years of age, living in a rural area, and living in a residential type apartment. Conclusions South Korean children have a higher concentration of urinary 3-PBA compared with those of other countries. Further research identifying exposure pathways and intervention efforts to reduce environmental pesticide use are needed in South Korea.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.59-66
• /
• 2015

The growth and hole formation of Ulva australis were examined at seven coastal areas of Korea between July and August, 2013. Animal species and weight growing on the Ulva fronds were estimated at Haseom, Pohang, and Woedo. The effects of wave exposure on the morphological features and residential animals of Ulva fronds were investigated at wave-exposed and sheltered sites of Seongsan on October 19, 2013. U. australis had different frond areas ($82-665cm^2$), hole areas ($2.5-6.3cm^2$), and hole numbers (9.8-41.3 holes) at the seven sites. Within $0.1m^2$ of Ulva frond, hole areas ranged from 0.37 to $5.94cm^2$, and between 4.9 and 36.2 holes were observed. Fourteen residential animal species were observed at the three evaluated sites, 75.0 (Haseom) to 408.7 individuals $100g^{-1}$ Ulva (Pohang) per site. The dominant residential species at each site differed with Amphithoe sp. at Haseom, Monodonta spp. at Pohang, and Pagurus sp. at Woedo. The growth (frond area, wet weight) and hole number of Ulva fronds, and the number of residential animals were significantly greater in samples collected from the sheltered shore than the wave-exposed shore of Seongsan. The present results showed U. australis grew well at sheltered shores and had more holes on the fronds due to abundance of residential animals. The dominant residential animals (crabs, gammaridea, and snails) were similar in the Ulva populations of sheltered and wave-exposed shores, but greater species diversity was observed at the exposed shore (18 species ver. 11 species). In conclusion, U. australis is a keystone species providing habitat to various invertebrates and frond holes are positively correlated to the number of residential animals.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.45-63
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of high school students' exposure to pornographic materials as well as to provide basic data to develop sex education programs. This study was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire survey of 774 students of six high schools in Seoul, three boys' and three girls' respectively, from August 22 to August 25, 2000. This study shows that high school students' exposure to pornographic materials such as CD-ROMs, internet, video tapes and adult movies has become very serious. The results of this study are as follows. 1. Among the students surveyed, $23.5\%$ of them currently has opposite-sex friends, while $42.2\%$ used to have and $34.2\%$ has never had opposite-sex friends. 2. $55.3\%$ of the students pick up their sexual knowledge from their friends, followed by mass media $(47.5\%),\;school (21.1\%),\;adult\; magazines (17.1\%)\;, internet (14.1\%)$, pornography visual $materials (11.5\%),\; sexual\; books (3.6\%)$ and pornography printed $materials (2.4\%).$ 3. Regarding the frequency of sexual education taken in school, $54.2\%$ of the students answered 'often', while $37.6\%$ answered 'almost none', 'several times' $(4.4\%)$, 'never' $(2.9\%)$ and 'frequently' $(0.9\%)$, respectively. Regarding sexual education at home, $42.2\%$ answered 'almost none', followed by 'never' $(36.3\%)$, 'often' $(16.3\%)$, 'several times' $(3.3\%)$ and 'frequently' $(1.8\%)$, respectively. 4. $68.2\%$ of the students have been exposed to adult movies, followed by pornography videos $(60.1\%)$, internet chatting $(50.2\%)$ and pornography computer diskettes $(38.0\%)$. 5. The degree of exposure to pornographic materials of boy students is much higher than that of girl students. 6. It appears that there is an interrelation between the kind of schools and the degree of the students' exposure to pornographic materials. 7. The higher the students' grade is. the more they have been exposed to pornographic materials. 8. It shows that there is an interrelation between the students' academic performance and the degree of their exposure to pornographic materials. 9. There is also an interrelation between the amount of students' pocket money and the degree of their exposure to pornographic materials. 10. There is an interrelation between the degree of their adaptation to school life and the degree of their exposure to pornographic materials. 11. It appears that there is an interrelation between their parents' relations with them and the degree of the students' exposure to pornographic materials. 12. There is a significant difference in the degree of their exposure to pornographic materials in accordance with their residential area. 13. There is also a significant difference in the degree of their exposure to pornographic materials in accordance with the average income of their families. 14. There is also a significant difference in the degree of their exposure to pornographic materials in accordance with the mean sexual education at home.

• Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.234-240
• /
• 2017

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, for which smoking is considered as the primary risk factor. The present study was conducted to determine whether genetic alterations induced by radon exposure are associated with the susceptible risk of lung cancer in never smokers. Methods: To accurately identify mutations within individual tumors, next generation sequencing was conduct for 19 pairs of lung cancer tissue. The associations of germline and somatic variations with radon exposure were visualized using OncoPrint and heatmap graphs. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using various tools. Results: Alterations in several genes were implicated in lung cancer resulting from exposure to radon indoors, namely those in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), tumor protein p53 (TP53), NK2 homeobox 1 (NKX2.1), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 7 (CHD7), discoidin domain receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (DDR2), lysine methyltransferase 2C (MLL3), chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 5 (CHD5), FAT atypical cadherin 1 (FAT1), and dual specificity phosphatase 27 (putative) (DUSP27). Conclusions: While these genes might regulate the carcinogenic pathways of radioactivity, further analysis is needed to determine whether the genes are indeed completely responsible for causing lung cancer in never smokers exposed to residential radon.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.99-105
• /
• 2022

Styrene is the precursor of polystyrene. Human exposure to styrene could occur in occupational and residential settings and via food intake. Styrene is metabolized to styrene-7,8-oxide by cytochrome P450 enzyme. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity mediated by styrene and styrene-7,8-oxide in TM3 testicular Leydig cells in vitro. We first monitored the nuclear fragmentation in Leydig cells after exposure to styrene or styrene-7,8-oxide. Hoechst 33258 cell staining showed that styrene exposure in TM3 Leydig cells did not exhibit nuclear fragmentation at any concentration. In contrast, nuclear fragmentation was seen in styrene-7,8-oxide-exposed cells. These results indicate that cytotoxicity-mediated cell death in Leydig cells is more susceptible to styrene-7,8-oxide than to styrene. Following styrene treatment, procaspase-3 and XIAP protein levels did not show significant changes, and cleaved (active) forms of caspase-3 were not detected. Consistent with the western blot results, the active forms of caspase-3 and XIAP proteins were not prominently altered in the cytoplasm of cells treated with styrene. In contrast to styrene, styrene-7,8-oxide induced cell death in an apoptotic fashion, as seen in caspase-3 activation and increased the expression of XIAP proteins. Taken together, the results obtained in this study demonstrate a fundamental idea that Leydig cells are capable of protecting themselves from cytotoxicity-mediated apoptosis as a result of styrene exposure in vitro. It remains unclear whether the steroid-producing function, i.e., steroidogenesis, of Leydig cells is also unaffected by exposure to styrene. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate the endocrine disrupting potential of styrene in Leydig cells.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.223-229
• /
• 2003

Annual radiation dose of residential individuals near 4 nuclear power plants in Korea was calculated via K-DOSE 60 based on the updated ICRP-60. The critical exposure variables were chosen as radionuclides, exposed organs and intake pathways. From the calculation results, the critical nuclides were found to be $^3$H, $^{133}$ Xe, $^{60}$ Co for Kori plants and $^{14}$ C, $^{41}$ Ar for Wolsung plants. The most critical pathway was 'vegetable intake' for adults and 'milk intake' for infants. However, there was no preference in the effective organs. Sensitivity analyses showed that the chemical composition in a nuclide much more influenced upon the radiation dose than any other input parameters such as food intake, radiation discharge, and transfer/concentration coefficients by more than 10$^2$ factor. The effect of transfer/concentration coefficients on the radiation dose was negligible. All input parameters showed highly estimated correlation with the radiation dose, approxinated to 1.0.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.1025-1029
• /
• 2005

A simple analysis of atmospheric sulfur dioxide($SO_2$) pollution in industrial region was investigated using badge type passive samplers. It were set up in 76 locations and the $SO_2$ distribution evaluated along the boundary of land use type. It changed considerably both monthly and seasonally. Soil samples were also collected in 120 locations to investigate influence of sulfur dioxide pollution on soil and heavy metal distribution in the study area, where the sulfur dioxide pollutants from industrial area could affect the soil environment of near residential and green areas. The relationship between the $SO_2$ concentrations in the atmosphere and heavy metal(Cu, Pb) concentrations in the soil were analyzed, by using the correlation coefficient values and the results were 0.17 and 0.08 in industrial area. And this study indicated that the atmospheric pollution in industrial region affect the level of the soil pollution adjacent to the residential and green area. The study result may be used to define correlativity for establishing an exposure index. It will subsequently be used for a more precise assessment measuring the exposure of plants and inhabitants, for the purposes of a study en effects on health.