The ambient heavy metals data measured at major 7 cities (Seoul, Busan and Incheon et al) in Korea were used to explain the composition and general features of Asian Dust observed during 2002~2006. Generally heavy metal concentrations during the Asian Dust episodes had tendency of showing higher values at sites in west-north side than east-south side of Korea, which can be explained by the effect of diffusion and deposition. But in the result of this study, some heavy metals as chrome and nickel had shown more higher concentrations in east-south site and in case of copper at the west-south site of Korea. These features were influenced by the weather conditions, topography factors or characteristics of soil composition in each sources. And the concentration of heavy metals makes increase every year in proportioned with the industrial growth of source areas. Futhermore, the study will be continue to search minutely the relation with weather and topography factors.

This study was undertaken to investigate the concentration of VOCs from newly built apartments in three cities (Suncheon, Yeosu, and Gwangyang) of Honam province in Korea. VOCs were sampled using canister and analyzed by GC/MSD. The result of the canister blank test showed that, most VOCs were not detected when 5 ppb was cleaned once and 10 ppb was cleaned with two times. In case of the replicate alalysis to check for the precision of GC/MSD, RSD values were found to be excellent at 6%. The upper floor of C apartment (25 pyong) showed the highest concentration of TVOCs at 3,235 ㎍/㎥. The average concentration of TVOCs was the highest in C apartment (25 pyong) as 1,833±1,217 ㎍/㎥. The average concentration of TVOCs in K (52 pyong) and S apartment (16 pyong) were 1,820±1,035 ㎍/㎥ and 498±71 ㎍/㎥, respectively. The I/O ratio of TVOCs were 8.99∼35.90 (mean : 25.99), 11.51∼35.43 (mean : 20.07) and 6.03∼7.90 (mean : 6.92) in K, C and S apartment, respectively. From these results, it is believed that the concentration of TVOCs was comparatively high in new apartment. Therefore, it is important to use low VOC emission materials to reduce the emission concentration of VOCs from in new apartment. It is hence necessary that a scientific study is performed to secure clean indoor air quality.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Semen Cuscutae on phenylephrine(PE) and KCl induced contraction of isolated rat thoracic aorta. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducer under 1.5 g loading tension. Contraction evoked by PE (ED50) was relaxed significantly by Semen Cuscutae. The mean percent relaxing of PE induced contraction was 60.6% (p<0.01) after 300 ㎕/㎖ Semen Cuscutae, but the mean percent contraction of KCl induced contraction was 10.4% (p<0.05) after 300 ㎕/㎖ Semen Cuscutae. Vasorelaxation by Semen Cuscutae was significantly reduced after with and without endothelial cells. Pretreatment of aortic rings with L-NAME (100 μM), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, indomethacin (3 μM), an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, methylene blue (10 μM), guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, propranolol (1 μM), a β-adrenoceptor antagonist, atropine (1 μM), a muscarinic receptor antagonist and diltiazem (10 μM), a Ca2+-channel blocker was recovered the effect aorta. These results indicate that Semen Cuscutae can relax EP induced contraction of isolated rat thoracic aorta and that this increasing contraction related to epithelium and various effect