• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.5
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• pp.317-321
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• 2011

Occupational lung disease (OLD) is a group of lung diseases caused and/or aggravated by organic and inorganic inhaled dust, fumes, and mist. OLD can develop under various occupational situations. Therefore, occupational history should be considered when evaluating respiratory symptoms. Once OLD is developed, it may not be treated and may even progress after exposure to the causative agents has stopped. The best ways to treat OLD are prevention and early detection by controlling the working environment and conducting regular surveillance of workers. Common OLDs in Korea are coal worker's pneumoconiosis, asbestos-related diseases, and occupational asthma. Recent aspects of these common OLDs in Korea will be described based on recently published studies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.38-44
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• 2000

Compared to other waste, waste tire has much discharge quantity and calorie. When we use waste heat from waste tire, it can be definitely better substitute energy than coal and anthracite in high oil price age. To use as a basic data for providing low cost and highly effective heating system, following conclusion was founded. Annual waste tire production was 19,596 million in 1999, Recycling ratio was almost 55% and more than 8.78 million was stored. Waste tire has lower than 1.5% sulfur contain ratio which is resource of an pollution, So it is a waste fuel which can be combustion based on current exhaust standard value without any extra SOx exclusion materials. Waste tire has 9,256Kcal/kg calorific value and it is higher than waste rubber, waste rubber, waste energy as same as B-C oil. When primary and second air quantity was 1.6, 8.0 Nm$^3$/min, dry gas production time was 270min and total combustion time was 360 min. In the SOx, NOx, HC of air pollution material density were lower than exhaust standard value at the back of cyclone and dusty than exhaust standard value without dust collector.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.89-99
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• 1991

The metal concentrations in lungs from 12 coal workers' pneumoconiosis(CWP) patients and 6 controls, who were not exposed occupationally to coal mine dust and metals during their life time, were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. 1. Copper, lead, nickel, magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron concentrations in lungs of CWP patients were $1.10{\pm}0.088$, $1.12{\pm}0.068$, $0.22{\pm}0.020$, $113.7{\pm}1.31$, $0.19{\pm}0.012$, $10.2{\pm}1.54$, $426.7{\pm}2.63{\mu}g/g$ wet weight. 2. Copper, lead, nickel, magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron concentrations in lungs of controls were $1.10{\pm}0.013$, $0.85{\pm}0.007$, $0.10{\pm}0.008$, $87.6{\pm}1.29$, $0.18{\pm}0.005$, $10.6{\pm}1.44$, $164.9{\pm}3.29{\mu}g/g$ wet weight. 3. The ratios of concentrations for copper, lead, nickel, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and iron in lungs for CWP patients and controls were 1 : 1, 1.32 : 1, 2.20 : 1, 1.30 : 1, 1.06 : 1, 0.92 : 1, 2.58 : 1, respectively. There were significant differences in concentrations of lead, nickel, magnesium, iron by group(p<0.05). 4. There was no significant difference in metal concentrations of right upper lobe, right lower lobe, left upper lobe and left lower lobe for both CWP patients and controls (p>0.05, p>0.05). 5. In CWP patients lead was well correlated with nickel showing a rank correlation coefficient of 0.533, and zinc was correlated with copper showing a rank correlation coefficient of 0.476. 6. The concentrations of copper, nickel, maganese, and zinc in Korean CWP patients were lower than those in foreign CWP patients.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.279-287
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• 2023

Fine dust emitted from coal combustion is classified into filterable particulate matter (FPM) and condensable particulate matter (CPM). CPM is difficult to control with existing air pollution control devices, so research is being conducted to understand the characteristics of CPM. Components constituting condensable particulate matter (CPM) are divided into inorganic and organic components. There are many quantitative analysis results for the ionic components, which account for a significant proportion of the CPM inorganic components, but little is known about the organic components. Thus, there is a need for a quantitative analysis of CPM organic components. In this study, aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene, ethyl benzene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene) and n-alkanes with 10 to 30 carbon atoms were quantitatively analyzed to understand the organic components of CPM emitted from a lab-scale coal combustor. Of the aromatic hydrocarbons, toluene accounted for 1.03% of the CPM organic components. On the other hand, the contents of ethyl benzene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene showed low values of 0.11%, 0.18%, and 0.51% on average, respectively. Among the n-alkanes, triacontane (C₃₀) showed a high content of 2.64% and decane (C₁₀) showed a content of 2.05%. The next highest contents were shown with dodecane (C₁₂), tetradecane (C₁₄), and heptacosane (C₂₇), all of which were higher than that of toluene. The n-alkane substances that had detectable concentrations showed higher contents than ethyl benzene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene except for tetracosane (C₂₄).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.237-250
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• 2013

At Gosan ABC superstation in Jeju Island, we measured organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in $PM_{2.5}$ from October 2009 to June 2010 using a Sunset Laboratory Model-4 Semi-Continuous OC/EC Field Analyzer. It employs TOT (Thermal-Optical-Transmittance) method with NIOSH 5040 protocol and enables to continuously monitor OC and EC concentrations with 1-hour time resolution. The mean values of OC and EC for the entire period of measurements were $2.1{\pm}1.4{\mu}g/m^3$ and $0.7{\pm}0.6{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. The OC/EC ratio was 3 and EC accounted $25{\pm}2.1%$ of total carbon (TC, TC=OC+EC). Although OC and EC showed similar trend in seasonal variation, the ratio of OC to EC was the highest in early summer when temperature was the highest and the air was affected by biomass burning in the southern part of China. In winter, the high OC and EC concentrations were likely influenced by increased coal combustion from residential heating. The high OC and EC concentrations were observed during events such as haze, dust, and the combination of the two. During the haze events, OC and EC were enhanced with increase in $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$, $SO_2$, and $NO_2$ with broad maxima. When dust occurred, both OC and EC started decreasing after reaching their maxima a couple of hours before $PM_{10}$ maximum. The peak separation of carbonaceous species and aerosol masses with time was more noticeable when haze event was followed by dust plume. These results confirm that OC and EC are key components of haze occurring in the study region.

• 월간산업보건
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• s.8
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• pp.4-30
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• 1988

Examination of working environments was conducted to get more detailed data about harmful working environments and to make a contribution to more effective management. Study was carried out on 722 factories located in Taegu city and eight counties in Kyungpook Province, Korea, for a period of one year, from February 1 to December 30, 1986. The total number and proportion of workers exposed to harmful material was 37,697, 45.2% among 83,368 workers. The results according to exposed material were as follows: 1. In the case of noise, proportion of exceeding the 8-hour TLV was 59%, Included were nail-cutting in assembly metal manufacturing industry and weaving process in textile. 2. Dust in mill process of coal manufacturing industries exceeded the TLV of second class of dust at all parts and exceeded the TLV at 6% as a whole.: 3. The fields of industry lower than 70 lux of illumination were storage equipment of food, auto-winder of textile, painting of wood wares and coal mixing, and 44% of all cases was lower than standard. 4. As a result of temperature index investigation(WBGT), about 12% of all sujects exceeded limit value. Included parts were rolling machine and reducing room. 5. In the case of organic solvents, TLV was exceeded at about 8%, The parts exceeded TLV according to materials belonged to this category were as follows. 1) Toluene: adhesive work in assembly metal manufacturing 2) Xylene: printing and paint mixing in chemical manufacturing 3) Methyl ethytl ketone: paint mixing in all parts examined and coating machine partially in chemical manufacturing 4) Methyl isobutyl ketone: printing in chemical manufacturing 5) Acetone: vapor polishing in assembly metal manufacturing 6. Among specified chemical materials, the concentration of HC1 in the air in metal assembly manufacturing factory exceeded TLV. in one of three assembly metal manufacturing examined. Others, such as benzene, acetic acid, formic acid, sodium hydroxide, formalin, ammonia, copper, chromate etc. were lower than TLV in its indoor atmospheric concentration. As a whole, the proportion of exceeding TLV was about 0.8% 7. The concentrations of inorganic lead were lower than TLV in all parts examined. The results of this investigation show the fact that current management of working environments is not satisfactory, and so more active management is needed.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2002

Alkali metal compounds existed in original coal or sorbents are exhausted as vapor or small particle at the outlet of combustor when operating PFBC power plant. These compounds can be removed with dust removal equipment, but total generation efficiency will be decreased because of lower operating temperature of dust removal equipment. Alkali metal contained in vapor phase is initially deposited onto turbine blade results in serious corrosion. The concentration of alkali vapor in the PFBC flue gas is 20∼40 ppm which is dependent on mineral characteristics and composition as well as operating condition of PFBC. However, the allowance limit of alkali metal vapor is assigned as less than 50 ppb for gas turbine when coal or oil is used as fuel. Therefore, alkali metal vapor in PFBC or IGCC process should be removed by solid sorbents to prevent corrosion of turbine blade and improve plant efficiency. In the present investigation, powder of Bauxite, Kaolinite and Limestone is used in the preparation of cylinder-type pellet which is inserted into the pressurized alkali removal reactor for the alkali absorption experiment. Experimental results showed that the alkali removal efficiency in the order of Bauxite, Kaolinite and Limestone. Alkali vapor removal efficiency is related with reaction temperature, porosity of pellet and alkali vapor concentration of flue gas.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 2005

A major concern with blasting at surface mines is generation of ground vibration, air blast, flyrock, dust & fume and their impact on nearby structures and environment. A study was conducted at a coal mine in India which produces 10 million tonne of coal and 27 million cubic meter of overburden per annum. Draglines and shovels with dumpers carry out the removal of overburden. Detonation of 100 tonnes of explosives in a blasting round is a common practice of the mine. These large sized blasts often led to complaints from the nearby inhabitants regarding ground vibrations and their affects on their houses. Eighteen dragline blasts were conducted and their impacts on nearby structures were investigated. Extended seismic arrays were used to identify the vibration characteristics within a few tens meters of the blasts and also as modified by the media at distances over 5 km. 10 to 12 seismographs were deployed in an array to gather the time histories of vibrations. A signature blast was conducted to know the fundamental frequency of the particular transmitting media between the blast face and the structures. The faster decay of high frequency components was observed. It was also observed that at distances of 5km, the persistence of vibrations in the structures was substantially increased by more 10 seconds. The proximity of the frequency of the ground vibration to the structure's fundamental frequencies produced the resonance in the structures. On the basis of the fundamental frequency of the structures, the delay interval was optimized, which resulted into lower amplitude and reduced persistence of vibration in the structures.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.27-41
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• 2009

Internally mixed states of submicron particles during transport from the Asian continent to the Pacific Ocean were analyzed using a single-particle time-offlight mass spectrometer. The observation was conducted at Tsukuba in Japan in the spring of 2005 in order to investigate springtime transport of particles from the continent. The sum of ion intensities of sulfate (${HSO_4}^-$) detected in particles originating from the continental air masses counted for 75% of that in all particles during the observation. By analyzing correlations among compounds, origins and internally mixed states of compounds were estimated. It was found that nitrate was mixed with sulfate-rich particles as the air mass approached Japan. It was confirmed that Asian mineral dust particles played significant roles for transport of continental sulfate to Japan. As a result of analysis on internal mixing of chlorine and nitrate, it was implied that the chlorine loss in fine sea salt particles had already proceeded at Tsukuba. It was characteristic that fluoride ions were significantly detected, coal combustion in the Asian Continent can be an important source of fluorides detected in Japan through the westward transportation of fine particles including fluorides.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.260-267
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• 2015

The $PM_{10}$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ mass concentrations were obtained over five years from monitoring stations across Nanchong, a southwest city in China. Changes in urban air quality over time, as well as the factors influencing that change, were evaluated based on air pollutant concentrations, the Air Pollution Index (API), and the Comprehensive Pollution Index (P). The results showed that the total annual mean $PM_{10}$, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ concentrations over the five years studied were $61.1{\pm}1.1$, $45.0{\pm}3.9$ and $34.9{\pm}4.9{\mu}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$, respectively. The annual mean concentrations displayed a generally decreasing trend; lower than the annual mean second-level air quality limit. Meanwhile, the annual mean API values were in a small range of 52-53, the air quality levels were grade II, and P values were 1.06-1.21 less than the slight level ($P{\leq}1.31$). Total monthly mean $PM_{10}$, $SO_2$, $NO_2$ concentrations, and API and P values were consistently higher in winter and spring than during autumn and summer. The results of a correlation analysis showed that temperature and pressure were the major meteorological factors influencing pollution levels. Pollution sources included industrial coal and straw burning, automobiles exhaust and road dust, fireworks, and dust storms.