• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.300-309
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• 2014

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate microbial exposure hazards in the metal-working fluids(MWF) handling industry. Methods: Air quality parameters(airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxin and oil mist) and bulk MWF in storage tanks were evaluated at 54 points at nine sites in South Korea. Results: The geometric means(GM) of culturable airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxin and oil mist concentration were $133CFU/m^3$(n=376, range $7{\sim}6,510CFU/m^3$), $159CFU/m^3$(n=381, range $7{\sim}8,469CFU/m^3$), $8.06EU/m^3$(n=103, range $0.34{\sim}280.4EU/m^3$) and $0.20mg/m^3$(n=104, range $0.01{\sim}2.87mg/m^3$), respectively. The ratio of indoor to outdoor concentration was 2.7 for bacteria, 6.1 for endotoxin, and 4.8 for oil mist. Even though average airborne bacteria concentration did not exceed recommended exposure limits($1,000CFU/m^3$), MWF in the storage tanks was highly contaminated with bacteria(arithmetic mean $2.1{\times}10^6CFU/ml$) and exceeded recommended bacteria limits($10^5CFU/ml$). Conclusions: It is necessary for MWF handling workplaces to conduct periodical biohazard inspection of MWF storage tanks. Additionally, further research may be necessary to establish biological occupational exposure limits.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2014

A total of 7039 strains of filamentous fungi are preserved in Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC). The 4065 strains (58%) of them, which produce many spores in cultivation on proper media, are preserved with freeze-drying method. They are also preserved with liquid nitrogen and deep-freezer storage in order to minimize loss by death. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Lichtheimia, Mucor, Rhizopus, etc. which are common in surrounding environments, are included in this category. The others which do not produce spores, or produce few spores in vitro, are preserved with liquid nitrogen, deep-freezer and mineral oil storage. Phytophthora, Pythium, Cercospora, Septoria, Rhizoctonia, etc. are included in this category. The authors also introduced various fungal preservation methods and provided detailed preservation procedures that are used in KACC.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.155-163
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• 2021

Dried red peppers are frequently contaminated with mycotoxins during storage. To determine the effect of storage environments on fungal occurrence and subsequent mycotoxin accumulation in dried red peppers, we monitored red pepper powder and whole fruit samples for fungal occurrence under various temperatures and relative humidity (RH) conditions during 340 days. Fungal occurrences fluctuated in both pepper forms throughout the storage but they were higher in pepper powder than whole one, higher under low temperatures (-20℃, 0℃, or 4℃) than others (10℃, 25℃, or 30℃), and higher under RH 93% than RH 51% and 69% in both peppers. The samples exhibiting high fungal occurrences were associated mainly with dominant species such as Aspergillussydowii, Penicillium solitum, P. roqueforti, P. polonicum, or P. chrysogenum. Mycotoxigenic species, including A. flavus, A. ochraceus, A. westerdijkiae, A. tubingensis, and P. citrinum, were also detected throughout the samples. Although mycotoxins were not detected in the samples, mycotoxigenic potential of A. flavus, A. ochraceus, and A. westerdijkiae isolates were confirmed. These results show that low temperatures (-20℃, 0℃, or 4℃) and/or high surrounding RH (>93%) are not safe environments for storage of dried red peppers as fungal growth can occur under these conditions.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.87-90
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• 2005

The dried persimmons is produced fungi and develop browning, hardening in circulation at normal temperature. To resolve such problem in commercial value preservation, the research was conducted to measure the quality changes of dreid persimmons depending on pre-treatments and packagings at low temperature ($0^{\circ}C$) during 6 month storage. The rate of weigh loss, fungi, browning, hardening, surface chromaticity were changed a little in the "Cinnamon" pre-treatment and N/LDPE.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Conference
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• 2009.04a
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• pp.295-303
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• 2009

The annals of Joseon dynasty, especially the volumes of King SeJong(1418-1450 A.D.), were heavily deteriorated by fungi. Investigations on the deteriorating and foxing fungi were carried out. Fungal structures on the beeswax, which were coated on the both side of Han-Ji, were suspected to be involved in the deterioration, and were observed by SEM. Isolation and culturing of these fungi were tried by scrubing swab samples and placing on the artificial media. Culture-independent approaches were used to identify the fungal strains associated with damages of beeswax and foxing of the paper by the analyses based on DNA sequences data from the specific ITS region of rDNA regions. In addition, well-known paper staining fungi(PSF), i.e., Aspergillus terreus var. terreus, Fusarium oxysporum, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Alternaria solani, were compared in the mycelial growth and stain on beeswax and papers under different environmental conditions (temperature, light, moisture, etc). Fungal strains isolated from the air samples in the storage room and shelves were identified as Irpex sp., Arthrinium sacchari, Cladosporium tenuissimum, Aspergillus sclerotiorum, Sistotrema brinkmannii, and Hypoxylon bovei var. microsporum The isolated strains were compared in growth and stain patterns on beeswax and papers(Han-Ji, Hwa-Ji, and Yang-Ji) whether these can cause damage or foxing on the annals or not.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.33-33
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• 2016

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi. They can be present in where agricultural-based commodities are contaminated with toxigenic fungi. These mycotoxins cause various toxicoses in human and livestock when consumed. Small grains including corn, barley, rice or wheat are frequently contaminated with mycotoxins due to infection mainly by toxigenic Fusarium species and/or under environment favorable to fungal growth. One of the most well-known Fusarium toxin groups in cereals is trichothecenes consisting of many toxic compounds. Deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), T-2 toxin, and various derivatives belong to this group. Zearalenone and fumonisin (FB) are also frequently produced by many species of the same genus. In order to monitor Korean cereals for contamination with Fusarium and other mycotoxigenic fungal species as well, barley, corn, maize, rice grains, and soybean were collected from fields at harvest or during storage for several years. The fungal colonies outgrown from the grain samples were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Trichothecene chemotypes of Fusarium species or presence of FB biosynthetic gene were determined using respective diagnostic PCR to predict possible toxin production. Heavy grain contamination with fungi was detected in barley, rice and wheat. Predominant fungal genus of barley and wheat was Alternaria (up to 90%) while that of rice was Fusarium (~40%). Epicoccum also appeared frequently in barley, rice and wheat. While frequency of Fusarium species in barley and wheat was less than 20%, the genus mainly consisted of Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) which known to be head blight pathogen and mycotoxin producer. Fusarium composition of rice was more diverse as FGSC, Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC), and Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) appeared all at considerable frequencies. Prevalent fungal species of corn was FFSC (~50%), followed by FGSC (<30%). Most of FFSC isolates of corn tested appeared to be FB producer. In corn, Fusarium graminearum and DON chemotype dominate within FGSC, which was different from other cereals. Soybeans were contaminated with fungi less than other crops and Cercospora, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Fusarium etc. were detected at low frequencies (up to 14%). Other toxigenic species such as Aspergillus and Penicillium were irregularly detected at very low frequencies. Multi-year survey of small grains revealed dominant fungal species of Korea (barley, rice and wheat) is Fusarium asiaticum having NIV chemotype.

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.52-63
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• 2018

In our previous studies, Bacillus megaterium KU143, Microbacterium testaceum KU313, and Pseudomonas protegens AS15 have been shown to be antagonistic to Aspergillus flavus in stored rice grains. In this study, the biocontrol activities of these strains were evaluated against Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium fellutanum, and Penicillium islandicum, which are predominant in stored rice grains. In vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of the bacterial strains were evaluated against the fungi on media and rice grains, respectively. The antifungal activities of the volatiles produced by the strains against fungal development and population were also tested using I-plates. In in vitro tests, the strains produced secondary metabolites capable of reducing conidial germination, germ-tube elongation, and mycelial growth of all the tested fungi. In in vivo tests, the strains significantly inhibited the fungal growth in rice grains. Additionally, in I-plate tests, strains KU143 and AS15 produced volatiles that significantly inhibited not only mycelial growth, sporulation, and conidial germination of the fungi on media but also fungal populations on rice grains. GC-MS analysis of the volatiles by strains KU143 and AS15 identified 12 and 17 compounds, respectively. Among these, the antifungal compound, 5-methyl-2-phenyl-1H-indole, was produced by strain KU143 and the antimicrobial compounds, 2-butyl 1-octanal, dimethyl disulfide, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-1-heptanol, and 4-trifluoroacetoxyhexadecane, were produced by strain AS15. These results suggest that the tested strains producing extracellular metabolites and/or volatiles may have a broad spectrum of antifungal activities against the grain fungi. In particular, B. megaterium KU143 and P. protegens AS15 may be potential biocontrol agents against Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. during rice grain storage.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.128-133
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of storage time on the sapstain development of Japanese red pine and Korean pine logs during storage in log yard, and their stain characteristics. Japanese red pine and Korean pine trees were harvested and cut into logs in mid January of 2001. These logs were transported to the two local sawmills where they were closely stacked in remote parts of log yard. The logs were then sampled destructively by cutting seven to nine 3-cm long discs along the length of each log at intervals of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 month after felling. The stain coverage and maximal radial penetration of stain were measured from the discs of the sampled logs after the isolation of causal staining fungi. The sapstain was primarily infested by the attack of bark beetles and the species of bark beetle was identified as Tomicus piniperda. The main fungal species isolated from stained wood was Ophiostoma species. Based on the present study, the logs could be stored in log yard until May without stain; but stain development was rapid after May and the severity of stain increased proportionally with storage time. Korean pine was more susceptible to fungal stain than Japanese red pine. During summer storage, decay started to develop in logs and the main species were identified as Tyromyces sp. and Schizophyllum commune. Information provided in this paper would be very useful to develop more effective control strategies for sapstain prevention in Japanese red pine and Korean pine logs.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.166-171
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• 2009

The effects of vacuum precooling(VP) on the shelf-life of polyethylene film(PE) packaged King oyster mushrooms(Pleurotus eryngii) during storage at $-1^{\circ}C$ were investigated. VP was conducted below $0^{\circ}C$ in a $-1^{\circ}C$ cold chamber of 40 minutes, and mushrooms were stored for 30 days in batches of 1kg. The weight loss of the VP-treated mushroom was slightly lower than that of control. The $O_2$ concentrations of VP-treated mushroos, within 4 days of storage, were 2.44-14.50 %/kg-package/hr, thus higher than control values(2.01-8.19%/kg-package/hr). $CO_2$ generation of VP-treated mushrooms, again within 4 days of storage, was 0.47%/kg-package/hr, thus lower than that of controls(0.58%/kg-package/hr). The $CO_2/O_2$ ratio peaked on day 4 of storage in the control group, tbut no such peak was observed in VP-treated mushrooms. In the VP-treated fungi, lightness was higher, and redness and yellowness lower, than in controls, at all storage times.. In VP-treated mushrooms, strength, hardness and chewiness were significantly higher than in controls, but there were no significant differemces in springiness or cohesiveness. Softening and breakdown of under-cap wrinkles were observed in control mushrooms stored for 30 days, but occurred to a lesser extent in VP-treated fungi. Stipe reticulum tissue vessels in the 30 day-stored VP-treated mushrooms were relatively well-defined and clear, but were softer and diffuse in the control fungi. The results thus confirmed that VP after harvest enhanced mushroom shelf-life and PE packaging prolonged storage time. The data will have industrial applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.98.1-98
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• 2003

Antagonistic effect of bacterial strains isolated from phylloplane of strawberry plants grown In greenhouse was tested on Botrytis cinerea Among the promising bacterial strains, Bacillus sp. S1-0210 showed highest inhibition of mycelial growth of B. cinerea and a broad spectrum of antifungal activities against many plant pathogenic fungi in vitro. Bacillus sp. S1-0210 was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on the analysis of 185 rDNA as well as its biochemical characteristics. Application of wettable powder formulation of B. subtiiis S1-0210 significantly reduced the incidence of gray mold on trawberry fruits during storage. Results showed that treatment of B. subtilis S1-0210 decreased the incidence of gray mold by 4.8％ whereas the incidence in control was 77.9％, indicating that the formulation of B. subtilis S1-0210 will be practically applied on strawberry fruits as a biocontrol agent of gray mold during storage.