In this study, we configured a system which ranks hazardous chemicals to determine their management priorities based on experts' opinions and the existing CRS (chemical ranking and scoring). Aggregate exposure of food, health functional food, oriental/herbal medicine and cosmetics have been taken into account to determine management priority. In this study, 25 hazardous chemicals were selected, such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic, etc. These 25 materials were ranked according to their 1) risk (exposure or hazard) indexes, 2) exposure source-based weight, and 3) public interests, which were also formed based on the existing priority ranking system. Cadmium was scored the highest (178.5) and bisphenol A the lowest (56.8). Ten materials -- cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, tar, acrylamide, benzopyrene, aluminium, benzene, and PAHs -- scored higher than 100. Eight materials -- aflatoxin, manganese, phthalate, chromium, nitrate/nitrite, ethylcarbamate, formaldehyde, and copper -- recorded scores in the range from 70 to 100. Also evaluated as potential risks were 7 materials; sulfur dioxide, ochratoxin, dioxins, PCBs, fumonisin, methyl mercury, and bisphenol A, and these materials were scored above 50. Then we compared risk index and correlation coefficient of total scores to confirm the validity of the total scores; we analyzed correlation coefficient of parameter and indicator. We discovered that the total score and weight, which has incorporated public interests, were high and statistically significant. In conclusion, the result of this study contributes to strengthening risk assessment and risk management of hazardous chemicals.

Bamboo salt has been used as a traditional remedy for gastric ulcer and gastro-intestinal disorders. It is produced by baking the salt packed in bamboo cylinder nine times under the fire of pine tree. Three of commercially available bamboo salt products (bamboo salt A, B, and C) were characterized by qualitative and quantitative analyses using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometer, ion chromatograph (IC), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and electron microscope (EM). Compared with crude salt, the contents of iron, silicon, potassium, and phosphate in the bamboo salt products were higher whereas the sulfate content was lower. Water-insoluble fraction of bamboo salts contained the following compounds; MgO, SiO₂, Mg₂SiO₄, and CaMgSiO₄. The study on the microscopic structures of the bamboo salts were shown to have smooth surface and fused shape compared with crude salt. Among the three bamboo salt products, product A was used to test a possible inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion. Each test material (bamboo salt A, crude salt, and reagent-grade NaCl) was given orally to Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 0.2, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg for 28 days before pyrolus ligation. Twenty four hours after the last administration of the test materials, volume, pH, total acidity, and pepsin activity of gastric juice were measured by the Shay-ligation method. No significant differences were observed in the secretion of gastric acid between treated groups (bamboo salt-, crude salt- and reagent-grade NaCl-treated groups) and control group (distilled water-treated group). This result demonstrated that bamboo salt did not exert anti-ulcer activities in experimental animals used in the present study.