A health survey was conducted on 199 workers engaged in dividing and packaging pyrethroids. The subjects were exposed to fenvalerate at 0O012-0055 mg/r3 and deltamethrin at--0005-0012 mg/m3 in the air with simultaneous skin contact for 0O5-4-5 months. Burning sensations and tightness or numbness on the face appeared in two thirds of the subjects and one third had sniffs and sneezes. Abnormal facial sensations, dizziness, fatigue, and miliary red papules on the skin were more evident in summer than in winter. Neither abnormalities in other organs or systems nor symptoms or signs of acute pyrethroid poisoning were found by interviews, examinations, and laboratory tests. There was no significant difference in plasma levels of NA, cAMP, and cGMP between the examined subjects and the control group. The urine concentration of fenvalerate in the study group ranged from 1 02 to 18-6 yg/l; deltamethrin in the urine was present in trace amounts.Importation and application ofpyrethroid insecticides for pest control in China have increased. By comparison with commonly applied broad spectrum insecticides such as organophosphates and carbamates, synthetic pyrethroids have a high insecticidal activity and a low toxicity in mammals. They are rapidly metabolised and leave virtually no residue in the biosphere.' They are therefore used to control a wide variety of agricultural pests and to protect stored products. At present, the most popularly used pyrethroids in cotton fields are deltamethrin, fenvalerate, and cypermethrin. To facilitate the application of these insecticides by individual farmers, the imported barrelled pyrethroids are divided and packaged into 100 ml bottles in several small pesticide factories. Since there is little information concerning human chronic exposure to synthetic pyrethroids, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of pyrethroids on occupationally exposed subjects engaged in dividing and packaging pyrethroid insecticides. Material and methods EXPOSURE BACKGROUND

A total of 66 Shigella sonnei isolates from 1999 to 2008 in Seoul was analyzed for their antimicrobial resistance, carriage of integron, and the patterns of Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A high level of antimicrobial resistance to streptomycin (100%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (95%), tetracycline (94%), nalidixic acid (65%), and ampicillin (41%) was observed among S. sonnei isolates. Fourteen profiles of antimicrobial resistance were identified with the most common resistance profile being nalidixic acid, streptomycin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (35%). PCR and DNA sequencing analysis revealed the presence of class 2 integron in all isolates, and class 1 and 2 integrons in 7 isolates. The class 2 integron carried two types of gene cassettes. One cassette array was dfrI, sat2, and aadA1 (91%), and the other was dfr1 and sat1 (8%). dfrA12 and aadA2 gene cassette was found in one isolate containing class 1 integron. PFGE was carried out to examine the genetic relatedness among isolates. All isolates except for one showed similar PFGE patterns (similarity of 80.1%). These results suggest that the S. sonnei isolated during 1999-2008 in Seoul have similar lineages that have not undergone evolutionary changes with time.

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This study was performed to investigate the pesticide residue of commercial medicinal plants used for food materials in the Seoul area. Multi class pesticide multiresidue methods in Korea Food Code was used to analyze 100 pesticides. Analyzed samples were 261 cases(domestic 201, imported 60), detection rate was 19.2%(domestic 20.9%, imports 13.3%). 17 pesticides were detected in fruit(chinese matrimony vine, jujube, rubus coreanus, japanese cornlian cherry, schizandra, tangerine peel), and root(cnidium, licorice, astragalus). Pesticide over Maximum Residue Limits were detected in jujube, cnidium. Frequently detected pesticides were cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, cyhalothrin, fenvalerate, bifenthrin. More than 50% of the sample were detected two or more pesticides at the same time. Because of the variety and increase of pesticide detection in medicinal roots and fruits, continued monitoring and safety management is required.