This research group (forensic research via omics markers in environmental health vulnerable areas: FROM) aimed to develop biomarkers for exposure to environmental hazards and diseases, assess environmental diseases, and apply and verify these biomarkers in environmentally vulnerable areas. Environmentally vulnerable areas—including refineries, abandoned metal mines, coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators, cement factories, and areas with high exposure to particulate matter—along with control areas, were selected for epidemiological investigations. A total of 1,157 adults, who had resided in these areas for over 10 years, were recruited between June 2021 and September 2023. Personal characteristics of the study participants were gathered through a survey. Biological samples, specifically blood and urine, were collected during the field investigations, separated under refrigerated conditions, and then transported to the laboratory for biomarker analysis. Analyses of heavy metals, environmental hazards, and adducts were conducted on these blood and urine samples. Additionally, omics analyses of epigenomes, proteomes, and metabolomes were performed using the blood samples. The biomarkers identified in this study will be utilized to assess the risk of environmental disease occurrence and to evaluate the impact on the health of residents in environmentally vulnerable areas, following the validation of diagnostic accuracy for these diseases.

Jee Hyun Rho, Byoung-Gwon Kim, Jung-Yeon Kwon, Hyunji Ju, Na-Young Kim, Hyoun Ju Lim, Seungho Lee, Byeng-Chul Yu, Suejin Kim, and Young-Seoub Hong. J Environ Health Sci. 2024;50:25-35. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2024.50.1.25

Introduction: Korea has higher levels of heavy metals compared to other countries, raising the need to study the health impacts on vulnerable populations. This study examined the effects of heavy metal exposure—lead, mercury, and cadmium—on kidney function in residents of environmentally vulnerable areas compared to the general population in Korea. Methods: Epidemiological studies in vulnerable areas and official data from the Fourth Korean National Environmental Health Survey were analyzed to assess blood levels of lead and mercury and urinary cadmium. An integrated heavy metal concentration was calculated, combining the levels of these metals. Kidney function was evaluated using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), classified into normal, mildly reduced, and impaired. Correlation and logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships between heavy metal levels and eGFR. Results: The integrated heavy metal concentration in vulnerable areas was higher than in the general population. In the general population, increased heavy metal levels were associated with a decrease in eGFR, whereas in vulnerable areas, eGFR increased with higher heavy metal levels. In the general population, a rise in urinary cadmium increased the risk of eGFR decline by 19.9%, while in vulnerable areas, higher urinary cadmium reduced this risk by 23.3%. Conclusions: Contrasting relationships between heavy metal exposure and eGFR in vulnerable areas versus the general population may be due to long-term exposure and reduced renal excretion. This study underscores the need for continued monitoring in vulnerable areas, and future research should identify eGFR thresholds that correlate with heavy metal level shifts.

Jee Hyun Rho, Byoung-Gwon Kim, Jung-Yeon Kwon, Hyunji Ju, Na-Young Kim, Hyoun Ju Lim, Seungho Lee, Byeng-Chul Yu, Suejin Kim, and Young-Seoub Hong. J Environ Health Sci. 2024;50:370. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2024.50.5.370