• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) lowered the annual equivalent dose limit of lens of the eye for radiation workers from 150 to 20 mSv in April 2011. This trend of lowering the equivalent dose limit for radiation workers has been observed worldwide, including international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the European Commission (EC). In 2016, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission of South Korea published research results that included a proposal for lowering the equivalent dose limit of lens of the eye for radiation workers in line with the ICRP recommendation. However, as of now, South Korea's Nuclear Safety Act and related regulations still specify an annual equivalent dose limit of lens of the eye as 150 mSv for radiation workers. The IAEA and ISO have issued guidelines regarding radiation protection for lens of the eye and recommended a dose level for the lens of the eye at 5 or 6 mSv per year for periodic monitoring of the equivalent dose for the lens of the eye.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 2024

Every year, approximately 350 million tons of plastic waste are generated worldwide. This waste, can degrade into microplastics, owing to factors such as temperature changes and UV exposure. These smaller plastic particles are increasingly entering the food chain through marine life, thereby raising concerns about their impact on human health. Consequently, there is an increasing need to measure microplastics. Common methods involve direct collection by using a manta trawl equipped with a 330 ㎛ mesh net or performing spectroscopic and thermal analyses on collected samples. However, these methods require complex pre-processing, which risk sample destruction. In this study, we developed a system to directly sample microplastics in aquatic environments by using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Through an analysis of the fluorescence spectra as well as, the with gradient and integration at specific points, we successfully distinguished microplastics of 100, 200, 300, and 500 ㎛ in size, and we also differentiated between polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) types.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.103-104
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• 2000

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.607-612
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• 2009

We investigated the effects of Co doping on the NO gas sensing characteristics of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) layered composites fabricated by coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with ZnO using pulsed laser deposition. Structural examinations clearly confirmed a distinct nanostructure of the CNTs coated with ZnO nanoparticles of an average diameter as small as 10 nm and showed little influence of doping 1 at.% Co into ZnO on the morphology of the ZnO-CNT composites. It was found from the gas sensing measurements that 1 at.% Co doping into ZnO gave rise to a significant improvement in the response of the ZnO-CNT composite sensor to NO gas exposure. In particular, the Co-doped ZnO-CNT composite sensor shows a highly sensitive and fast response to NO gas at relatively low temperatures and even at low NO concentrations. The observed significant improvement of the NO gas sensing properties is attributed to an increase in the specific surface area and the role as a catalyst of the doped Co elements. These results suggest that Co-doped ZnOCNT composites are suitable for use as practical high-performance NO gas sensors.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.149-153
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• 1984

Postoperative radiotherapy of breast cancer makes it possible to reduce loco-regional recurrence of breast cancer. The treatment technique, which can reduce the low-dose region at the junction and lung, is required. To produce proper dose distribution of internal mammary chain and chest wall, authors tried to find the method to expose $^{60}Co\;\gamma-ray$ on internal mammary region and 7MeV electron on chest wall. Exposure time of $^{60}Co\;\gamma$ and monitor unit of 9MeV were selected so that dose of $^{60}Co$ at 4cm depth was the same as that of 7Mev electron at $80\%$ dose depth. The position and direction of electron beam were changed for $^{60}Co$ beam: $0^{\circ},\;5^{\circ}$ for 0cm seperation; $0^{\circ},\;5^{\circ},\;10^{\circ}$ for 0.5cm seperation; $5^{\circ},\;10^{\circ},\;15^{\circ}$ for 1cm seperation. The results are as followings. 1. When the seperation of two fields was increased, dose on the axis of $^{60}Co$ beam was increased and dose at the junction region decreased while the volume of lung to be exposed to high dose and hot spot size were irregularly changed. 2. The dose distribution in the target volume of internal mammary and chest wall was most ideal when the seperation of two fields was $0\~0.5cm$ and the direction of electron beam was parallel to $^{60}Co$ beam.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.539-546
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• 2010

In nature, the overall effect of heavy metals on the biota can be influenced by a number of environmental factors like soil characteristics and air pollution by elevated $CO_2$. Pillbugs(Isopoda, Armadillium vulgare) take up heavy metals with their food and store them mainly in the vesicles of hepatopancreas. They accumulate certain metals, occuring in relatively large numbers, are easily collected and identified. Therefore, it has been suggested that total body concentration of metals in pillbugs could be positively correlated to the levels of environmental exposure and that pillbugs could be used as biological indicators of metal pollution and global change by $CO_2$. The aim of the study is to determine effects of heavy metal concentrations in soil and elevated $CO_2$ on pillbugs'body accumulation of heavy metal and growth rate. In this study, pillbugs were collected at five sites (N=287) May 2006. Cu and Zn concentrations in pillbugs were higher than in soils (1.39-41.70 times) than in control. The high bioconcentration of lead in Sangam may be partly associated with reclaimed land uses. Pillbugs in low $CO_2$ and Pb condition showed higher growth rate than in elevated $CO_2$ and Pb condition.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.295-306
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• 2009

The risk assessment of groundwater and soil in Sasang industrial complex in Busan Metropolitan City was carried out in order to estimate risks to human health and the environment. The carcinogenic risk (CR) of receptors to soil and air was not identified. However, the CRs for TCE and PCE were 6.7E-6 and 1.0E-5, respectively. Hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) did not appear through air exposure pathways. Yet the HQ and HI of soil were 3.4E-5 and 5E-5, respectively, and lower than the critical value (1.0). On the contrary, HQ and HI with respect to groundwater were calculated as 0.7 (not hazardous) and 1.4 (hazardous). The constituent reduction factor (CRF) for TCE in the study area was determined as 2.5, and thus remediation work is demanded. As a result of sensitivity analysis for 18 exposure factors, eight exposure factors (life time of carcinogens, age, body weight, exposure duration, exposure frequency, dermal exposure frequency, water ingestion rate, and soil ingestion rate) varied with the variation of risk.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.94-102
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• 1969

The protective action of methylene blue against gamma-irradiation was studied with rats. Albino rats were given 360 rads of whole-body gamma-irradiation following an intraperitoneal injection of physiological saline or methylene blue. Male rats given methylene blue (38mg/kg) and the control rats given saline were alive following gamma-irradiation. Serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and LDH isoenzyme patterns in serum and various organs were determined at various time intervals after the exposure. 1) The serum LDH level in both the control and methylene blue-treated rats was increased during the initial phase, but returned to the initial level thereafter. 2) Methylene blue showed a marked delay in the rise of serum LDH at 15 and 64 hours after exposure. 3) The exposure in the control and methylene blue-treated rats resulted in an increase in the relative amount of the more electrophoretically mobile-anodal isoenzyme (band 1) and a decrease in the least mobile-cathodal isoenzyme (band 5) in serum, liver, heart and testis nearly at 40 and 116 hours, respectively. 4) Isoenzyme patterns in serum, liver and testis after exposure were not significantly different between the control and the methylene blue-treated rats. 5) Methylene blue showed a slight delay in alteration of heart tissue LDH isoenzyme patterns after exposure. 6) The increase of serum LDH level after exposure is a reflection of an immediate increase in the H type, band 1 of LDH isoenzymes. 7) It is concluded from this study that methylene blue has a remarkable radioprotective action in the serum LDH activity and in the heart tissue LDH isoenzyme patterns.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.63-74
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• 2019

This study carried out a human risk assessment of Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni contained in soil contaminated by improperly buried heavy metal wastes in railway sites. The purpose of the human risk assessment is to derive the need for soil remediation and factors that should be considered during soil remediation. Risk assessment was performed in accordance with the Environment Ministry's Risk Assessment Guidelines. The results of the human risk assessment of contaminated heavy metal soil contaminated by improperly buried waste in the railway site were presented after the process of determining exposure concentration, calculating exposure, and determining carcinogenic hazards. The heavy metal content of soil is 621.3 Cu mg/kg, 2,824.5 Pb mg/kg, 1,559.1 Zn mg/kg and 45 Ni mg/kg, which is the exposure concentration of the target contaminant. The results of human exposure according to exposure pathways were high in the order of soil outdoor dust >soil ingestion >soil contact, and Pb >Zn >Cu >Ni were higher in order of contaminant. The carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks of soil contaminated with heavy metal waste were higher than the allowable carcinogenic risks (TCR> $10^{-6}$) and the risk index (Hi < 1.0) suggested by USEPA. Therefore, the site needs to be remediated.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.530-539
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• 2021

Background: In South Korea, areas around abandoned metal mines are designated as regions with high arsenic (As) contamination. However, studies assessing urinary As exposure, As metabolism, and relevant genetic polymorphisms in residents of these metal mine areas are lacking. Objectives: To identify factors associated with As exposure and evaluate the effects of MTHFR, As3MT, and GSTO1 genetic polymorphisms on As metabolism in residents of abandoned metal mine areas by measuring urinary As species. Methods: Urinary As species (arsenite [As³⁺], arsenate [As⁵⁺], monomethyl arsonic acid, and dimethylarsinic acid) were isolated using high-performance liquid chromatography in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). Four genetic polymorphisms (MTHFR A222V, MTHFR E429A, GSTO1 A140D, As3MT M287T) were analyzed in 144 residents of four areas around abandoned metal mines. Results: The study sample was comprised of 34.7% men and 65.3% women, with a mean age of 70.7±10.9 years. The urinary inorganic As concentration was higher among those consuming more than half locally produced rice (0.31 ㎍/L) than those consuming less than half such rice (0.18 ㎍/L). The urinary dimethylarsinic acid concentration was higher in the group that had consumed seafood in the past day (31.68 ㎍/L) than in those who had not (22.37 ㎍/L). Furthermore, individuals heterozygous in the MTHFR A222V and GSTO1 A140D polymorphism had higher urinary arsenic species concentrations than did individuals with a wild type or homozygous for the variant allele. Conclusions: Consumption of locally produced rice was associated with inorganic As exposure, whereas seafood consumption was associated with organic As exposure among residents of abandoned metal mine areas. There was no clear association between MTHFR A222V and GSTO1 A140D polymorphisms and As metabolism.