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Changing Transmission Pattern of Plasmodium vivax Malaria in the Republic of Korea: Relationship with Climate Change.

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011001-.

Plasmodium vivax malaria has occurred annually in the Republic of Korea (ROK) since its re-emergence in 1993. P. vivax malaria in ROK has been strongly influenced by infected mosquitoes originating from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Korean P. vivax malaria has shown typical characteristics of unstable malaria transmitted only during the summer season, and displays short and long incubation periods. The changing pattern of the transmission period can be predicted by analyzing the seasonal characteristics of early primary attack cases with a short incubation period. Such cases began to gradually occur earlier in the 1990s after the re-emergence. Most of the malaria cases after mid-August are presumed to be early primary attack, short incubation period cases. Only primary transmission was possible until the early 2000s, whereas up to fourth or fifth transmission occurred in the mid-2000s. The results indicate that the length of transmission period has been gradually extending, which may be ascribed to a climate change-mediated temperature rise. Malaria and climate data should be integrated to analyze and predict the influence of climate change on malaria occurrence in ROK.
Climate ; Climate Change ; Culicidae ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Plasmodium ; Plasmodium vivax ; Republic of Korea ; Seasons

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Toxicity Assessment of Titanium (IV) Oxide Nanoparticles Using Daphnia magna (Water Flea).

Seung Hyuck BANG ; Thai Hoang LE ; Sung Kyu LEE ; Pil KIM ; Jong Soo KIM ; Jiho MIN

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011002-.

OBJECTIVES: Titanium dioxide (TiO2), a common nanoparticle widely used in industrial production, is one of nano-sized materials. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute and chronic toxicity of TiO2 using different size and various concentrations on Daphnia magna. METHODS: In the acute toxicity test, four concentrations (0, 0.5, 4, and 8 mM) for TiO2 with 250 or 500 nm and five concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mM) for TiO2 with 21 nm were selected to analyze the toxic effect to three groups of ten daphnia neonates over 96 hours. In addition, to better understand their toxicity, chronic toxicity was examined over 21 days using 0, 1, and 10 mM for each type of TiO2. RESULTS: Our results showed that all organisms died before the reproduction time at a concentration of 10 mM of TiO2. In addition, the exposure of anatase (21 nm) particles were more toxic to D. magna, comparing with that of anatase (250 nm) and rutile (500 nm) particles. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that TiO2 had adverse impacts on the survival, growth and reproduction of D. magna after the 21days exposure. In addition, the number of test organisms that were able to reproduce neonates gradually were reduced as the size of TiO2 tested was decreased.
Daphnia ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Nanoparticles ; Reproduction ; Titanium ; Toxicity Tests, Acute

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Ingestion Exposure to Nitrosamines in Chlorinated Drinking Water.

Hekap KIM ; Kichan HAN

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011003-.

OBJECTIVES: N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and is formed during the chlorination of municipal drinking water. In this study, selected nitrosamines were measured in chlorinated drinking water collected from Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, Republic of Korea, and a risk assessment for NDMA was conducted. METHODS: Twelve water samples were collected from 2 treatment plants and 10 household taps. Samples were analyzed for 6 nitrosamines via solid-phase extraction cleanup followed by conversion to dansyl derivatives and high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Considering the dietary patterns of Korean people and the concentration change of NDMA by boiling, a carcinogenic risk assessment from ingestion exposure was conducted following the US EPA guidelines. RESULTS: NDMA concentrations ranged between 26.1 and 112.0 ng/L. NDMA in water was found to be thermally stable, and thus its concentration at the end of boiling was greater than before thermal treatment owing to the decrease in water volume. The estimated excess lifetime carcinogenic risk exceeded the regulatory baseline risk of 10(-5). CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that more extensive studies need to be conducted on nitrosamine concentration distributions over the country and the source of relatively high nitrosamine concentrations.
Dimethylnitrosamine ; Drinking ; Drinking Water ; Eating ; Family Characteristics ; Halogenation ; Humans ; Nitrosamines ; Oligopeptides ; Phosphatidylcholines ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Assessment ; United States Environmental Protection Agency ; Water

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Relationship between PAHs Concentrations in Ambient Air and Deposited on Pine Needles.

Man Young CHUN

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011004-.

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine whether or not pine needles can be used as passive samplers of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using the correlation between accumulated PAH concentrations in air (Ca, ng/m3) and those deposited on pine needles (Cp, ng/g dry). METHODS: PAHs in ambient air was collected using low volume PUF sampler and pine needles was gathered at same place for 7 months. RESULTS: good correlation (R2=0.8582, p<0.05) was found between Ca and Cp for PAHs with a higher gaseous state in air (AcPy, Acp, Flu, Phen, Ant, Flt, Pyr, BaA and Chry), but there was a poorer correlation (R2=0.1491, p=0.5123) for the PAHs with a lower gaseous state (BbF, BkF, BaP, DahA, BghiP and Ind123). A positive correlation (R2=0.8542) was revealed between the logarithm of the octanol-air partitioning coefficient (logKoa) and Cp/Ca for the PAHs with a higher gaseous state in air, but there was a negative correlation (R2=0.8131) for the PAHs with a lower gaseous state. The Ca-Cp model could not be used to estimate PAHs concentrations in air using deposited PAHs concentrations on pine needles, but the logKoa-Cp/Ca model could be used. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that pine needles can be used as passive samplers of atmospheric PAHs.
Ants ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Needles ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic

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Molecular Cloning and Characterization of the Estrogen Receptor from the Slender Bitterling (Acheilognathus yamatsutae).

Jong Geuk KIM ; Ha Ryong KIM ; Yong Joo PARK ; Kyu Hyuck CHUNG ; Seung Min OH

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011005-.

OBJECTIVES: In order to identify the possibility of slender bitterling (SB) (Acheilognathus yamatsutae) being used as a test species for estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs), we carried out the cloning and sequence characterization of the estrogen receptor (ER). METHODS: The ER from a slender bitterling was obtained by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RACE and 3'-RACE) and T-vector cloning. The expression of ER mRNA was also analyzed in six tissues (brain, liver, kidney, gill, gonad, and intestines) by real-time PCR. RESULTS: We obtained an ER from the slender bitterling. The SB ER cDNA was 2189 base pairs (bp) in length and contained a 1707 bp open reading frame that encoded 568 amino acid residues. The SB ER amino acid sequence clustered in a monophyletic group with the ERalpha of other fish, and was more closely related to zebrafish ERalpha (88% identity) than to the ERalpha of other fish. The SB ER cDNA was divided into A/B, C, D, E and F domains. The SB ER has conserved important sequences for ER functions, such as the DNA binding domain (D domain), which are consistent with those of other teleosts. CONCLUSIONS: The ER of the slender bitterling could provide basic information in toxicological studies of EEDCs in the slender bitterling.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Pairing ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; Estrogens ; Gills ; Gonads ; Kidney ; Liver ; Open Reading Frames ; RNA, Messenger ; Zebrafish

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Evaluation of Maternal Toxicity in Rats Exposed to Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes during Pregnancy.

Jeong Hyeon LIM ; Sung Hwan KIM ; In Chul LEE ; Changjong MOON ; Sung Ho KIM ; Dong Ho SHIN ; Hyoung Chin KIM ; Jong Choon KIM

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011006-.

OBJECTIVES: The present study investigated the potential adverse effects of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on pregnant dams and embryonic development following maternal exposure in rats. METHODS: MWCNTs were orally administered to pregnant rats from gestational day (GD) 6 through 19 at dose levels of 0, 8, 40, 200, and 1000 mg/kg/day. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food consumption, serum biochemistry, oxidant-antioxidant status, gross findings, organ weights, and Caesarean section findings were examined. RESULTS: All animals survived to the end of the study. A decrease in thymus weight was observed in the highest dose group. However, maternal body weight, food consumption, serum biochemical parameters, and oxidant-antioxidant balance in the kidneys were not affected by treatment with MWCNTs. No treatment-related differences in gestational index, embryo-fetal mortality, or fetal and placental weights were observed between treated and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that 14-day repeated oral dosing of MWCNTs during pregnancy induces minimal maternal toxicity at 1000 mg/kg/day in rats. Under these experimental conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level of MWCNTs is considered to be 200 mg/kg/day for dams and 1000 mg/kg/day for embryonic development.
Animals ; Biochemistry ; Body Weight ; Carbon ; Cesarean Section ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Kidney ; Maternal Exposure ; Nanotubes, Carbon ; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level ; Organ Size ; Oxidative Stress ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Thymus Gland ; Weights and Measures

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Hebei Spirit Oil Spill Exposure and Subjective Symptoms in Residents Participating in Clean-Up Activities.

Hae Kwan CHEONG ; Mina HA ; Jong Seong LEE ; Hojang KWON ; Eun Hee HA ; Yun Chul HONG ; Yeyong CHOI ; Woo Chul JEONG ; Jongil HUR ; Seung Min LEE ; Eun Jung KIM ; Hosub IM

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011007-.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. METHODS: A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. RESULTS: Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Metals ; Metals, Heavy ; Petroleum ; Petroleum Pollution ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic ; Skin ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; Biomarkers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

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Health Risks Assessment in Children for Phthalate Exposure Associated with Childcare Facilities and Indoor Playgrounds.

Ho Hyun KIM ; Ji Yeon YANG ; Sun Duk KIM ; Su Hee YANG ; Chung Soo LEE ; Dong Chun SHIN ; Young Wook LIM

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011008-.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the health risks for children exposed to phthalate through several pathways including house dust, surface wipes and hand wipes in child facilities and indoor playgrounds. METHODS: The indoor samples were collected from various children's facilities (40 playrooms, 42 daycare centers, 44 kindergartens, and 42 indoor-playgrounds) in both summer (Jul-Sep, 2007) and winter (Jan-Feb, 2008). Hazard index (HI) was estimated for the non-carcinogens and the examined phthalates were diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP). The present study examined these four kinds of samples, i.e., indoor dust, surface wipes of product and hand wipes. RESULTS: Among the phthalates, the detection rates of DEHP were 98% in dust samples, 100% in surface wipe samples, and 95% in hand wipe samples. In this study, phthalate levels obtained from floor dust, product surface and children's hand wipe samples were similar to or slightly less compared to previous studies. The 50th and 95th percentile value of child-sensitive materials did not exceed 1 (HI) for all subjects in all facilities. CONCLUSIONS: For DEHP, DnBP and BBzP their detection rates through multi-routes were high and their risk based on health risk assessment was also observed to be acceptable. This study suggested that ingestion and dermal exposure could be the most important pathway of phthalates besides digestion through food.
2,4-Dinitrophenol ; Child ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate ; Digestion ; Dust ; Eating ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Hand ; Humans ; Phthalic Acids ; Risk Assessment

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Comparison of Temperature Indexes for the Impact Assessment of Heat Stress on Heat-Related Mortality.

Young Min KIM ; Soyeon KIM ; Hae Kwan CHEONG ; Eun Hye KIM

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011009-.

OBJECTIVES: In order to evaluate which temperature index is the best predictor for the health impact assessment of heat stress in Korea, several indexes were compared. METHODS: We adopted temperature, perceived temperature (PT), and apparent temperature (AT), as a heat stress index, and changes in the risk of death for Seoul and Daegu were estimated with 1degrees C increases in those temperature indexes using generalized additive model (GAM) adjusted for the non-temperature related factors: time trends, seasonality, and air pollution. The estimated excess mortality and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) due to the increased temperature indexes for the 75th percentile in the summers from 2001 to 2008 were compared and analyzed to define the best predictor. RESULTS: For Seoul, all-cause mortality presented the highest percent increase (2.99% [95% CI, 2.43 to 3.54%]) in maximum temperature while AIC showed the lowest value when the all-cause daily death counts were fitted with the maximum PT for the 75th percentile of summer. For Daegu, all-cause mortality presented the greatest percent increase (3.52% [95% CI, 2.23 to 4.80%]) in minimum temperature and AIC showed the lowest value in maximum temperature. No lag effect was found in the association between temperature and mortality for Seoul, whereas for Daegu one-day lag effect was noted. CONCLUSIONS: There was no one temperature measure that was superior to the others in summer. To adopt an appropriate temperature index, regional meteorological characteristics and the disease status of population should be considered.
Air Pollution ; Climate Change ; Health Impact Assessment ; Hot Temperature ; Korea ; Seasons

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Analyses of Expressed Sequence Tags from of Chironomus riparius Using Pyrosequencing : Molecular Ecotoxicology Perspective.

Prakash M Gopalakrishnan NAIR ; Sun Young PARK ; Jinhee CHOI

Environmental Health and Toxicology.2011;26(1):e2011010-.

OBJECTIVES: Chironomus riparius, a non-biting midge (Chironomidae, Diptera), is extensively used as a model organism in aquatic ecotoxicological studies, and considering the potential of C. riparius larvae as a bio-monitoring species, little is known about its genome sequences. This study reports the results of an Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) sequencing project conducted on C. riparius larvae using 454 pyrosequencing. METHODS: To gain a better understanding of C. riparius transcriptome, we generated ESTs database of C. ripairus using pyrosequencing method. RESULTS: Sequencing runs, using normalized cDNA collections from fourth instar larvae, yielded 20,020 expressed sequence tags, which were assembled into 8,565 contigs and 11,455 singletons. Sequence analysis was performed by BlastX search against the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) nucleotide (nr) and uniprot protein database. Based on the gene ontology classifications, 24% (E-value < or =1(-5)) of the sequences had known gene functions, 24% had unknown functions and 52% of sequences did not match any known sequences in the existing database. Sequence comparison revealed 81% of the genes have homologous genes among other insects belonging to the order Diptera providing tools for comparative genome analyses. Targeted searches using these annotations identified genes associated with essential metabolic pathways, signaling pathways, detoxification of toxic metabolites and stress response genes of ecotoxicological interest. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained from this study would eventually make ecotoxicogenomics possible in a truly environmentally relevant species, such as, C. riparius.
Biotechnology ; Chironomidae ; Databases, Protein ; Diptera ; DNA, Complementary ; Ecotoxicology ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Genome ; Insects ; Larva ; Metabolic Networks and Pathways ; Sequence Analysis ; Transcriptome

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