This study was carried out to investigate the acute oral toxicity of Chamaecyparis obtusa (C. obtusa) essential oil (CBE) in New Zealand white male and female rabbits. Acute oral treatment with the CBE did not reveal any sign of toxicity or mortality in treated rabbits. The body weight of the rabbits was not affected after a single oral administration of the CBE during the 14-day observation period. In both the hematological and blood biochemical analysis, all parameters of the treated group with 2,000 mg/kg body weight of the CBE were not significantly different than those of the control group. Therefore, the lethal dose 50 of the CBE was estimated to be greater than 2,000 mg/kg body weight in rabbits, which indicated that the CBE is non-toxic. In conclusion, this study suggests that oral administration of the CBE is safe on rabbits.

The present study was carried out to investigate the acute oral toxicity of Chamaecyparis obtusa (C. obtusa) essential oil in ICR male and female mice. Acute oral treatment with C. obtusa essential oil did not reveal any sign of toxicity or mortality in treated mice. Mouse body weights were not affected after single oral administration of C. obtusa essential oil during the 14-day observation period. In the hematological and blood biochemical analysis, all parameters of the treated group with 2,000 mg/kg body weight of the essential oil were not significantly different those of the control group. Therefore, the lethal dose 50 of the essential oil was estimated to be greater than 2,000 mg/ kg body weight in mice, which indicated that the essential oil is non-toxic. In conclusion, this study suggests that C. obtusa essential oil orally safe ICR mice.

Daphnia Magna Stratus has been widely accepted as useful species for estimating the toxicity of chemicals to aquatic invertebrate and recommended as species for the testing chemicals from the international guideline as well as Korean guideline. The study was performed for the acute toxicity test by using water flea(D. Magna) for effluents from several wastewater treatment plants and drainage canals in GyeongBuk area. Five heavy metals, 1,4-Dioxane and Perchlorate were tested. Most Toxicity Units(TU) of Industrial wastewater effluents were less than 1 which means effluent was not toxic to D. Magna. However, effluents containing 1,4-Dioxane and Perchlorate were significantly toxic to D. Magna. Therefore, facilities should reduce the 1,4-dioxane since new regulations will force them after the year of 2011.

There are concerns that chemical residues could harm the consumer on the environment, although 50 to 80% of the crops would be destroyed by pests and others without agrochemicals. Environmental fate and ecotoxicity studies are usually carried out to assess the impact on the human and the environment. A comparision of the Daphnia magnia and Simocephalus mixtus toxicity was performed to study the relative sensitivities and discrimination abilities to agriculture chemicals. The species of Simocephalus mixtus was more sensitive to agriculture chemicals than Daphnia magnia. Simocephalus mixtus was approved to be a water flea in determining insecticide and pesticide toxicity by heartbeat rate in a consistency and repeatability. The order of acute toxicity to water flea Daphnia magnia for ecotoxicity test was carbaryl>benomyl>amtirole with both Daphnia magnia and Simocephalus mixtus. The heartbeat pattern after the exposure to agrochemicals was different from that of exposure to heavy metals. Agrochemical leathal concentration test with heartbeat rate measurement was found to be more appropriate than inhibition concentration test with respect to toxicological endpoint.