이 연구에서는 원자력발전소 주변 환경 방사선이 생태에 미치는 영향을 감시할 수 있는 생물학적 지표로서 야생 등줄쥐의 활용 가능성을 평가하였다. 국내 5지 역을 선정하여 10월에 한정하여 등줄쥐를 채집하였는데, 농경지에서 산중턱에 이르기까지 폭 넓게 서식하였다. 채집한 쥐들에 대하여 황갈색 피모와 검은색 등줄무늬를 관찰하였는데, 외부형태 특성 가운데 몸통의 길이, 꼬리의 길, 귀의 길이를 계측한 결과, 등줄쥐의 분류기준과 일치하였다. 아울러, 간장내 효소형을 분석한 결과 국내에 서식하는 대부분의 등줄쥐가 Apodemus agrarius라는 것을 알 수 있었다. 또한, 야외에서 생포한 등줄쥐를 암수 한 마리씩 동거시키고 생산된 새끼가 5주령에 도달하였을때 방사선을 조사하고, ICR 마우스를 비교로 생존율과 적혈구내 미소핵 출현빈도를 분석한 결과, 반치사 선량은 5와 7.9Gy였다. 이 연구결과로 야생 등줄쥐가 원자력 발전소 주변 수준의 방사선이 인간생환에 미치는 영향을 판단할 수 있는 생물학적 인 지표로서 잠재적 활용성이 높다는 것을 알 수 있었다.

PCBs and DDE were determined in the soil samples and the Korean striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius, collected at six localities in Changwon and one locality in Gaduck Island from August 1997 to May 1998. The residual level of PCBs in soils, in which the concentrations of high chlorinated compounds were much higher than those of low chlorinated ones, was highest in the industrial area(IA) in Changwon(60.7 ng/g in average), whereas those of DDE in soils was highest in Gaduck Island(331.9 ng/g in average). However, the levels of each compound detected from soils in the respective remaining places were relatively low. The similar tendency as in the soils was observed in the mice, indicating that the concentration of pollutants in the mice could denote the status of pollution in the terrestrial environment. The composition of PCB congeners in the mice, however, was different from that of soils, but similar to those of other mammals. Moreover, the residual levels of PCBs and DDE in pregnant females from which fetuses were removed were lower than those of males and non-pregnant females. It suggests that these compounds accumulated in pregnant females might have been transferred to the fetuses through placenta as in other mammals. Judging from the above facts, it is suggested that the striped field mouse can be an useful biological index to evaluate the contamination in mammals inhabiting terrestrial environment.

Nine trace metals (Zn, Fe, Al, Pb, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Cd) and Se concentrations were determined in organs and tissues(muscle, bone, kidney, liver and skin) of the striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius collected at Daejeo-dong, Pusan city and the Sorak Mt., Kangwon Province. All the trace elements were detected from all the mice examined. As for the metal concentrations in the mice from Daejeo-dong, Zn, Fe, Al, Mn, Ni and Cr were significantly higher than those in Sorak Mt.(p<0.05), suggesting that pesticides including Zn and factory wastes containing several metals might contaminated the environment of Daejeo-dong. As regards the element concentrations in each organ and tissue, Fe, Al, Pb, Mn, Cu, Cr and Cd concentrations were high in liver or kidney; Zn in skin and bone; Ni in bone, skin and kidney; and Se in muscle, liver and skin in all the mice examined. There were significant differences(p<0.05) between juveniles and adults in average concentration of metals(Zn, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cd) in every organs and tissues of mice collected at Daejeo-dong. Much higher average levels of metals in juveniles indicate that considerable burdens of metals might be transferred through the placenta. However, there were no significant differences between males and females, and between young and old adults in average metal concentrations, which suggests that the mice might accumulate the metals during their life time, although they might excrete the metals not only through reproductive activities, such as parturition, lactation and ejaculation of semen, but also through molting, judging from higher accumulating ratios of most metals in skin of adults than of juveniles.