• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2009

This study evaluated the potential human health risk on the basis of the level of bioaccumulation and EDI (Estimated Daily Intake) of microcystin-LR, one of hepatotoxic, in organs, including liver, muscle, viscera and gill, of fish from Lake Yeongeheon and Lake Daecheong when the cyanobacterial water-blooms broke out. The result has confirmed that Carassius cuvieri from Lake Yeongcheon contains higher level of microcystin-LR in its organs including liver. In Lake Daecheong, omnivorous Hemibarbus labeo and phytoplanktivorous Carassius cuvieri have shown high microcystin-LR level on average, especially higher for viscera, and Carassius cuvieri has appeared to contain higher level of microcystin-LR in the liver and the gill compared with other species. As a result of comparison between EDI of microcystin-LR from each organs and TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) of WHO (Chorus and Bartram, 1999) to evaluate human health risk, the EDI levels from Carassius cuvieri's organs except museles have exceeded TDI level at the both lakes. Consequently, the study has proved that microcystin was bioaccumulated in the various parts of fish, and it can be ingested by human resulting in risking human health. Continuous monitoring and reducing consumption of fish, especially Carassius cuvieri, during the cyanobacterial water-blooming period will be needed to protect human health.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.270-286
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• 2002

The human adipose and milk samples analyzed in this study were collected at hospitals in Seoul, Masan and Jinju. The mean values of International Dioxin Toxic Equivalents (I-TEQ) of PCDDs and PCDFs in human adipose samples from the three regions were calculated as 9 pg I-TEQ/g(0.2 ~ 30 pg TEQ/g, lipid weight basis) and 8 pg I-TEQ/g (0.8 ~ 25 pg TEQ/g), respectively. The residue levels of PCDDs-TEQ and PCDFs-TEQ in human milk collected from Masan were 13 pg I-TEQ/g (lipid wt.) and 4.8 pg I-TEQ/g, respectively. On the whole, the contamination levels of these compounds in the Korean population were lower than those in the other countries. Based on the analytical data and assuming a daily intake consumption of 800 mL milk with 3% fat, the average daily intake of PCDDs/DFs via human milk for a baby weighing 5 Kg could be calculated. The daily intake of PCDDs/DFs via breast-feeding was estimated to be 39 pg/kg body weight/day for 2,3,7,8-TeCDD and 86 pg/kg/day for TEQ. These levels are far above all virtually safe dose(VSD) or tolerable daily intake(TDI) values proposed by health authorities in various countries, ranging from 0.001(US EPA) to 4 pg/kag/day (WHO).

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2008

As the NOAFL of copper based on liver toxicity in the human body is set and the TDI of copper is lower, it is necessary to strengthen the drinking water standard of copper according to toxic effects and the TDI of copper in humans. It is difficult to calculate the accurate drinking water standard because of the part of uncertainty for chronic effects of acute human with Wilson's disease and baby in the current studies. In order to improve the drinking water standard of copper considering of liver toxicity, it is desired to set the drinking water standard with concerning of the revising tendency in the foreign countries such as US, EC and WHO.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Many edible mushrooms are known to accumulate high levels of heavy metals. This research was focused on health risk assessment to investigate the mushrooms in Korea, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) contaminations in edible mushrooms in cultivated areas were investigated, and health risk was assessed through dietary intake of mushrooms. METHODS AND RESULTS: The heavy metals in mushrooms were analyzed by ICP/MS after acid digestion. Probabilistic health risk were estimated by Monte-Carlo simulation techniques. The average contents of As, Cd, Pb, and Hg were $0.035{\pm}0.042$ mg/kg, $0.017{\pm}0.020$ mg/kg, $0.043{\pm}0.013$ mg/kg, and $0.004{\pm}0.004$ mg/kg, respectively. The results showed that contents of Cd and Pb did not exceed maximum residual levels established by European Uion regulation (Cd 0.20 mg/kg and Pb 0.30 mg/kg). For health risk assessment, estimated intakes in all age populations did not exceed the provisional tolerable daily intake of As and Hg, provisional tolerable monthly intake of Cd, provisional tolerable weekly intake of Pb. The Hazard Index (HI) were ranged from $0.03{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}0.01{\times}10^{-3}$ for As, $0.02{\times}10^{-3}{\sim}0.81{\times}10^{-3}$ for Cd, $0.06{\times}10^{-3}{\sim}0.38{\times}10^{-3}$ for Pb, and $0.08{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}0.14{\times}10^{-3}$ for Hg at general population. CONCLUSION: The HI from the ratio analysis between daily exposure and safety level values was less than 1.0. This results demonstrated that human exposure to heavy metals through dietary intake of mushrooms might not cause adverse effect.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2010

Recently, reproductive and neurobehavioral effects of bisphenol A (BPA) have been documented, and thus a review was requested for BPA management direction by the government. Therefore, this study was performed to establish a Korean tolerable daily intake (TDI) for BPA. An expert committee, consisting of specialists in fields such as toxicology, medicine, pharmacology, and statistics, was asked to evaluate BPA health based guidance values (HbGVs). Although many toxicological studies were reviewed to select a point of departure (POD) for TDI, rat and mouse reproductive studies by Tyl et al. (2002, 2006), which were performed according to GLP standards and OECD guidelines, were selected. This POD was the lowest value determined from the most sensitive toxicological test. The POD, a NOAEL of 5 mg/kg bw/day, was selected based on its systemic toxicity as critical effects. An uncertainty factor of 100 including interspecies and intraspecies differences was applied to calculate the TDI. According to the evaluation results, a TDI of BPA for Korean was suggested at 0.05 mg/kg bw/day. In addition, the BPA exposure level based on food consumption by the Korean population was estimated as 1.509 ${\mu}g/kg$ bw/day, and the HI was evaluated at 0.03 when the TDI of 0.05 mg/kg bw/day was applied. This HI value of 0.03 indicated that hazardous effects would not be expected from BPA oral exposures. Although highly uncertain, further studies on low dose neurobehavioral effects of BPA should be performed. In addition, it is recommended that the 'as low as reasonably achievable' (ALARA) principle be applied for BPA exposure from food packaging materials in newborn infants and children.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.758-766
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• 2008

To evaluate homologue patterns and removal efficiency before and after water treatment, the concentrations of dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) were determined in 122 samples from 42 drinking water treatment plants throughout Japan over a two year period. The mean concentrations and toxic equivalent (TEQ) values of dioxins in raw and treated waters were 60.24 pg/L (0.14 pg-WHO-TEQ/L) and 4.15 pg/L (0.016 pg-WHO-TEQ/L), respectively. The dioxins contribution ratio of drinking water in relation to dioxins tolerable daily intake (TDI, 4 pg-TEQ/kg/day) was 0.016%. The mean TEQ removal rate of dioxins by drinking water treatment was over 88%. However, the mean removal rate of 2, 3, 7, 8-TeCDF (tetrachlorodibenzofuran) by water treatment in the 122 samples was minus 17%. Therefore, to identify which process affected the level of 2, 3, 7, 8-TeCDF, the removal efficiencies at both the advanced and conventional water treatment plants were investigated. For the TEQ removal rate across the processes, the dioxin congeners, TeCDF and non-ortho-PCBs remarkably indicated minus values after chlorination in both the advanced and conventional water treatments plant. From this study, the level of 2, 3, 7, 8-TeCDF was found to be increased as a result of chlorination.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 2001

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins(PCDDs), dibenzofurans(PCDFs), and biphenyls(PCBs) were analyzed by HRGC/HRMS in human blood samples from the Siwha industrial area in Korea. The PCDD/F and PCB concentrations in workers were higher than those in residents. The average TEQ concentrations of PCDD/Fs in workers and residents were 40.3 pg I-TEQs/g lipid and 16.6 pg I-TEQs/g lipid, respectively, and the total PCB concentrations were 174.1 ng/g lipid and 151.0 ng/g lipid, respectively. When applied to principal component analysis, the PCDD/F congener distributions of workers were differentiated from those of residents. But, all of them were similar to the distribution in several Korean foods. Estimated daily intake(EDI) of each person was calculated, and then only 40% to the total people were within the tolerable daily intake range(1-4pg I-TEQ/kg bw/day) suggested by WHO(1997).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.50-60
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• 2013

The aims of this study were to estimate daily intake of macrominerals from beverages, liquid teas, and liquid coffees and to evaluate their potential health risks for Korean children and adolescents (1-to 19 years old). Assessment of dietary intake was conducted using the actual level of sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium in non-alcoholic beverages and (207 beverages, 19 liquid teas, and 24 liquid coffees) the food consumption amount drawn from "The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2009)". To estimate the dietary intake of non-alcoholic beverages, 6,082 children and adolescents (Scenario I) were compared with 1,704 non-alcoholic beverage consumption subjects among them (Scenario II). Calculation of the estimated daily intake of macrominerals was based on point estimates and probabilistic estimates. The values of probabilistic macromineral intake, which is a Monte-Carlo approach considering probabilistic density functions of variables, were presented using the probabilistic model. The level of safety for macrominerals was evaluated by comparison with population nutrient intake goal (Goal, 2.0 g/day) for sodium, tolerable upper intake level (UL) for calcium (2,500 mg/day) and phosphorus (3,000-3,500 mg/day) set by the Korean Nutrition Society (Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, KDRI). For total children and adolescents (Scenario I), mean daily intake of sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium estimated by probabilistic estimates using Monte Carlo simulation was, respectively, 7.93, 10.92, 6.73, 23.41, and 1.11, and 95th percentile daily intake of those was, respectively, 28.02, 44.86, 27.43, 98.14, and 3.87 mg/day. For consumers-only (Scenario II), mean daily intake of sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium estimated by probabilistic estimates using Monte Carlo simulation was, respectively, 19.10, 25.77, 15.83, 56.56, and 2.86 mg/day, and 95th percentile daily intake of those was, respectively, 62.67, 101.95, 62.09, 227.92, and 8.67 mg/day. For Scenarios I II, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus did not have a mean an 95th percentile intake that met or exceeded the 5% of Goal and UL.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.266-272
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• 2010

The present study was carried out to assess exposure & risk for Korean by total and inorganic As intake through agricultural products. Total arsenic analysis was performed using microwave device and ICP-MS. 50% MeOH extraction and anion-exchange HPLC-ICP-MS method has been used to determine arsenic species. 329 samples covering 20 kinds of agricultural products were collected from various retail outlets and markets across Korea. The concentration of total As was in the range of 0.001~0.718 mg/kg, while inorganic and organic arsenic species in all samples was not determined. For risk assessment, probable daily intake was calculated and compared with provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI, 15 ${\mu}g$/kg b.w./week for inorganic arsenic) established by JECFA. The median daily exposure to total and inorganic As by intake of agricultural products except rice was ranged 0.0002~0.012, 0.0001~0.001 ${\mu}g$/kg b.w./day, corresponding to 0.01~0.5%, 0.002~0.1% of PTWI, respectively. The median level of total and inorganic As intake through rice was 0.603 and 0.041 ${\mu}g$/kg b.w./day, and 28.1% and 1.9% of PTWI, respectively. Therefore, the level of overall exposure to arsenic for Korean through agricultural products was below the recommended JECFA levels, indicating of least possibility of risk.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.215-219
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• 2009

To conduct a risk assessment of $AFB_1$ intake, $AFM_1$, which is a metabolite of $AFB_1$ in the human and porcine urine, was determined by competitive direct ELISA (cdELISA). The detection limit of cdELISA using anti-$AFM_1$ antibody and $AFB_1$-HRP conjugate was 10 pg/mL. The recoveries of $AFM_1$ were 117-167% after the addition of $AFM_1$ in the human urine in a range of 3-100 pg/mL. 165 samples (95.5%) of those obtained from 172 persons evidenced measurable levels of urinary $AFM_1$. The detected $AFM_1$ ranges were 0-11.6 pg/mL and the average level of $AFM_1$ contamination was 2.74${\pm}$ 1.89 pg/mL. The estimated amount of $AFM_1$ excretion in the human urine was 3.97 ng/day and the estimated $AFB_1$ intake amount was 79.4 ng/day. The probable daily intake (PDI) of $AFB_1$ by the subjects was estimated to be 1.28 ng/kg bw/day, which was higher than the tolerable daily intake (TDI, 0.15 ng/kg bw/day). In the case of porcine urine, the $AFM_1$ ranged between 0.97-26.7 pg/mL and the average contaminated $AFM_1$ was 10.62${\pm}$4.39 pg/mL. The estimated amount of $AFM_1$ excretion in the porcine urine was 27.6 ng/day, and the estimated $AFB_1$ intake amount was 551 ng/day.