Iron is an essential nutrient for mammalian cells. Most iron absorption occurs in the duodenal epithelial cells and is regulated by hepcidin, which is produced and secreted in the liver. High hepcidin levels can cause iron deficiency anemia due to iron absorption failure. Inside the cell, iron conjugates with a porphyrin ring and is placed with an iron coordinated to heme. One of the heme-binding proteins, known as progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (Pgrmc1), is a non-canonical progesterone receptor associated with diverse molecular gene regulation. Previous studies showed that Pgrmc1 is related to iron homeostasis via hepcidin; however, these mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, to investigate the role of Pgrmc1 in mammalian iron metabolism, we introduced Pgrmc1 knockout (KO) mice and performed molecular biological analyses using qPCR and western blotting. Pgrmc1 deficiency decreased Hamp mRNA expression and hepcidin protein levels. However, Pgrmc1 deficiency failed to decrease Hamp transcript expression and hepcidin protein levels in siPGRMC1-transfected HepG2 cells and primary Pgrmc1 KO hepatocytes, respectively. PGRMC1 knockdown cells revealed low HAMP mRNA levels upon cyclic AMP (cAMP) activation, suggesting that PGRMC1 promotes HAMP mRNA transcription via cAMP activation. It has been implicated that hepatic Pgrmc1 cannot control hepcidin directly; however, the internal environment caused by the lack of Pgrmc1 may potentially cause low hepcidin levels.

본 연구에서는 CMB(Chemical Mass Balance) 모델을 이용하여 PM2.5에 대한 오염원 확인 및 오염원별 기여도를 분석하였다. A시의 배출원별 기여도 순위는 비산먼지(30.1%) > 생물성 연소(21.9%) > 2차 오염물질(21.1%) > 도로이동오염원(19.3%) > 면오염원(7.6%) 순이고, CMB 모델 기여도와 CAPSS(Clean Air Policy Support System) 배출자료 기여도 비교에서 증가한 배출원은 생물성 연소와 2차 오염물질이고, 감소한 배출원은 도로이동오염원, 비산먼지, 면오염원으로 분석되었다.

Industrial emissions, mainly from industrial complexes, are important sources of ambient Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Identification of the significant VOC sources from industrial complexes has practical significance for emission reduction. VOC samples were collected from July 2019 to June 2020. A Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model was used to evaluate the VOC sources in the area. Four sources were identified by PMF analysis, including coating-1, coating-2, printing, and vehicle exhaust. The coating-1 source was revealed to have the highest contribution (41.5%), followed by coating-2 (23.9%), printing (23.1%), and vehicle exhaust (11.6%). The source showing the highest contribution was coating emissions, originating from the northwest to southwest of the sample site. It also relates to facilities that produce auto parts. The major components of VOC emissions from the coating facilities were toluene, m,p-xylene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and butyl acetate. Industrial emissions should be the top priority to meet the relevant control criteria, followed by vehicular emissions. This study provides a strategy for VOC source apportionment from an industrial complex, which is helpful in the development of targeted control strategies.

The objectives of this study were to measure ambient total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations in Seoul, to analyze the characteristics of TGM concentration, and to identify of possible source areas for TGM using back-trajectory based hybrid receptor models like PSCF (Potential Source Contribution Function) and RTWC (Residence Time Weighted Concentration). Ambient TGM concentrations were measured at the roof of Graduate School of Public Health building in Seoul for a period of January to October 2004. Average TGM concentration was 3.43±1.17 ng/㎥. TGM had no notable pattern according to season and meteorological phenomena such as rainfall, Asian dust, relative humidity and so on. Hybrid receptor models incorporating backward trajectories including potential source contribution function (PSCF) and residence time weighted concentration (RTWC) were performed to identify source areas of TGM. Before hybrid receptor models were applied for TGM, we analysed sensitivities of starting height for HYSPLIT model and critical value for PSCF. According to result of sensitivity analysis, trajectories were calculated an arrival height of 1000 m was used at the receptor location and PSCF was applied using average concentration as criterion value for TGM. Using PSCF and RTWC, central and eastern Chinese industrial areas and the west coast of Korea were determined as important source areas. Statistical analysis between TGM and GEIA grided emission bolsters the evidence that these models could be effective tools to identify possible source area and source contribution.