• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.27.1-27.12
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• 2023

Background: Environmental exposure is characterized by low concentration, chronic, and complex exposure. Traditional epidemiological studies show limitations in reflecting these characteristics since they usually focus on a single or very limited number of exposure factors at a time. In this study, we adopted the methodology of environment-wide association study (EWAS) to figure out the association of human liver function with various environmentally hazardous substances. Methods: We analyzed 2,961 participants from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey Cycle 4 (2018-2020). Using generalized linear model (GLM) analysis, we analyzed the association of 72 variables with 3 liver function indices (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], and gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT]). Finally, we visualized our results with Manhattan plot. Results: In GLM analysis, perfluorooctanesulfonate were positively associated with ALT (odds ratio [OR]: 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-3.46; p_adjusted = 0.0147) and perfluorodecanoic acid showed positive association with GGT (OR: 2.73; 95% CI: 1.36-5.5; p_adjusted = 0.0256). Plasma mercury showed positive association with GGT (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.14-1.84; p_adjusted = 0.0315). Using a plastic container while keeping food in the refrigerator was associated with elevated GGT compared to using a glass container (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.16-1.95; p_adjusted = 0.0153). 2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate, showed a negative trend with all 3 indices, with AST (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.39-0.73; p_adjusted = 0.00357), ALT (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.34-0.75; p_adjusted = 0.036), GGT (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.4-0.76; p_adjusted = 0.00697). Bisphenol S and frequent use of sunblock cream showed negative association with ALT (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.66-0.89), and GGT (OR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.11-0.55), respectively. Conclusions: We conducted an exploratory study on environmental exposure and human liver function. By using EWAS methodology, we identified 7 factors that could have potential association with liver function.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.56-66
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• 2005

The purposes of this study were to test that complex motor training enhance motor function significantly, to test change in cerebellum, and to test the synaptic plasticity into the immunohistochemistry response of synaptophysin. Using an animal model of fetal alcohol syndrome - which equates peak blood alcohol concentrations across developmental period - the effects of alcohol on body weight during periods were examined. The effect of complex motor training on motor function and synaptic plasticity of rat exposed alcohol on postnatal days 4 through 10 were studied. Newborn rats were assigned to one of two groups: (1) normal group (NG), via artificial rearing to milk formula and (2) alcohol groups (AG), via 4.5 g/kg/day of ethanol in a milk solution. After completion of the treatments, the pups were fostered back to lactating dams, where they were raised in standard cages (two-and three animals per cage) until they were postnatal 48 days. Rats from alcohol group of postnatal treatment then spent 10 days in one of two groups: Alcohol-experimental group was had got complex motor training (learning traverse a set of 6 elevated obstacles) for 4 weeks. The alcohol-control group was not trained. Before consider replacing with "the experiment/study", (avoid using "got" in writing) the rats were examined during four behavioral tests and their body weights were measured, then their coronal sections were processed in rabbit polyclonal antibody synaptophysin. The synaptophysin expression in the cerebellar cortex was investigated using a light microscope. The results of this study were as follows: 1. The alcohol groups contained significantly higher alcohol concentrations than the normal group. 2. The alcohol groups had significantly lower body weights than the normal group. 3. In alcohol groups performed significantly lower than the normal group on the motor behavioral test. 4. In alcohol-control group showed significantly decreased immunohistochemistric response of the synaptophysin in the cerebellar cortex compared to the nomal group. These results suggest that improved motor function induced by complex motor training after postnatal exposure is associated with dynamically altered expression of synaptophysin in cerebellar cortex and that is related with synaptic plasticity. Also, these data can potentially serve as a model for therapeutic intervention.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.321-333
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• 2022

In this study, the concentration and distribution characteristics of BTEX (benzene toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) emitted from Daesan Petrochemical Industrial Complex were examined to determine their potential hazards to local residents. Residents living nearby the complex areas may be exposed to the chemicals through various media (air, water, and soil), especially by air. This study evaluated human health risks by inhalation using both deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment approaches. As a result of the deterministic risk assessment, the non-cancer risk was much lower than the regulation limit of hazard index (HI 1.0) for all the points. However, in case of cancer risk evaluation, it was found that the risk of excess cancer for benzene at point A located in the industrial complex was 2.28×10^-6, which slightly exceeded the standard regulatory limit of 1.0×10^-6. In addition, the probabilistic risk assessment revealed that the percentile exceeding the standard of 1.0×10^-6was found to be 45.3%. The sensitivity analysis showed that exposure time (ET) had the greatest impact on the results. Based on the risk assessment study, it implied that ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene had little adverse effects on potential human exposure, but benzene often exceeded the cancer risk standard (1.0×10^-6). Further studies on extensive VOCs monitoring are needed to evaluate the potential risks of industrial complex areas.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.169-174
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• 2013

Sperm capacitation refers to polymerization of filamentous (F)-actin from globular (G)-actin. While the role of actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex in actin polymerization is well appreciated, the underlying mechanism(s) and its relationship with capacitation are poorly understood. Therefore, to evaluate the potential role of Arp2/3 complex on capacitation, bovine spermatozoa were incubated with multiple doses (1, 10 and $100{\mu}M$) of CK-636, an inhibitor of Arp2/3 complex with heparin. The cellular localization of the Arp2/3 complex in spermatozoa was identified by immunohistochemistry, whereas western blot was also applied to detect the protein tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins. Additionally, sperm motility and kinematic parameters were evaluated using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. CK-636 resulted in significant changes in the ratio of Arp2/3 complex localization between acrosome and equatorial region of the spermatozoa. Short-term exposure of spermatozoa to $100{\mu}M$ of CK-636 significantly decreased sperm motility, however a non-detectable effect on protein tyrosine phosphorylation was observed during capacitation. On the basis of these results, we propose that Arp2/3 complex is associated with morphological changes during capacitation and compromised sperm motility.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.147-159
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• 2000

The NIOSH health hazard evaluation program (HHE program) was created in response to the mandate to determine the toxic effect and potential health hazard of workplace exposure, which is found in Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, A primary benefit of HHE program is its ability to provide current health hazard data to employers and employees, which assists them in identifying solutions to occupational health and safety problems in their workplaces, The HHE program also stimulates research in the development and review of sampling methods and diagnostic tests and may prompt additional exposure assesment efforts and toxicological and epidemiological studies. HHE projects also provide human exposure-toxicity data that are used to asses the validity of existing occupational health standards and to support criteria for new standards of recommendation, The HHE request is classified into four categories: 1) category 1: As a administratively invalid, 2) category 2: These are valid requests for which a site visit is not essential to an appropriate response, 3) Category 3 : These are valid requests for which a site visit is necessary for an adequate evaluation, 4) These are valid request which present a complex problem or an opportunity for research, To carry out HHE program one or methods of investigation might be used: 1) direct observation and evaluation of production processes and employee work practices 2) employees exposure level and air contamination level 3) medical test or physical examinations of employees 4) private, confidential interviews with employees 5) review of employer's record of injuries and illness, employee exposure data, medical tests and job histories. After investigation and analysing the data, NIOSH issues a final report, giving finding and recommendation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 1993

The author selected 77 dust emissing processes from 71 types of industries which placed in Sasang Industrial Complex in Pusan. The level of total dust was measured as areal concentration and personal exposure concentration by low volume air sampler and personal air sampler, respectively. Collected samples were classified into 5 groups (chemicals and rubber product, metal product, sawmills and wood, foundries and others). Respirable particulate and total dust of areal and personal exposure were analyzed. The results were as follows; 1. All of the respirable dust concentration and total dust of areal and personal concentration were log-normally distributed. 2. Geometric mean of respirable particulate of personal exposure concentration measured $0.55mg/m^3$ in the first group, $0.86mg/m^3$ in the second group, $0.39mg/m^3$ in the third group, $0.81mg/m^3$ in the forth group and $0.52mg/m^3$ in the fifith group. The exceed rates over TLV (thehold limit values) of total dust were 31.3% in the first group, 31.3% in the second group, 70% in the third group, 80% in the forth group and 13.3% in the fifth group. 3. There were singnificant difference between areal and personal exposure concentration and personal exposure concentration was higher than that of area. 4. In the case of high ratio of respirable particulate to total dust, pneumoconiosis incidence was high even though the workshop was opened and emissing dust concentration was low. These findings suggest that it is desirable to measure respirable particulate in environmental assessment of dust emissing workshops.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.241-256
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to review the characteristics of three-dimensional printing technology focusing on printing types, materials, and health hazards. We discussed the methodologies for exposure assessment on hazardous substances emitted from 3D printing through article reviews. Methods: Previous researches on 3D printing technology and exposure assessment were collected through a literature review of public reports and research articles reported up to July 2018. We mainly focused on introducing the technologies, printing materials, hazardous emissions during 3D printing, and the methodologies for evaluation. Results: 3D printing technologies can be categorized by laminating type. Fused deposition modeling(FDM) is the most widely used, and most studies have conducted exposure assessment using this type. The printing materials involved were diverse, including plastic polymer, metal, resin, and more. In the FDM types, the most commonly used material was polymers, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene(ABS) and polylactic acids(PLA). These materials are operated under high-temperature conditions, so high levels of ultrafine particles(mainly nanoparticle size) and chemical compounds such as organic compounds, aldehydes, and toxic gases were identified as being emitted during 3D printing. Conclusions: Personal desktop 3D printers are widely used and expected to be constantly distributed in the future. In particular, hazardous emissions, including nano sized particles and various thermal byproducts, can be released under operation at high temperatures, so it is important to identify the health effects by emissions from 3D printing. Furthermore, appropriate control strategies should be also considered for 3D printing technology.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2022

Background: Air pollution is increasing together with industrialization and urbanization. In order to reduce air pollution, public transportation is recommended rather than private cars, and the number of passengers using public transportation is increasing accordingly. This study observes the concentration of indoor pollutants in city buses over time. Through this means, we intend to suggest a plan to manage the indoor air quality in city buses. Objectives: The concentration of indoor pollution in public transportation was investigated from April 2021 to January 2022. Based on this, we evaluated the exposure to indoor pollutants. Methods: Six city bus lines in an industrial city were selected for the research, and indoor pollution was measured through IoT (Internet of Things)-based sensor-type measuring devices. The concentration of pollutants was measured every minute, and statistical data were constructed based on the measurement results. Results: In all the city buses studied, the average concentration of pollutants were below the guidelines. However, some measurement results showed cases of exceeding the guidelines. As a result of the analysis by time zone, there were more cases in which pollutants exceeded the standard value during rush hour compared to at other times. A risk assessment for PM₁₀ was performed by evaluating the excess mortality risk from exposure and the risk from inhalation exposure. Conclusions: All measured indoor pollutants in the city buses did not exceed the guidelines. Also, the risk assessment results were found to be within the level of safety. However, if a city bus is used for a long time, there is a possibility that there may be an impact on the human body due to inhalation exposure, so additional management is required.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.28-36
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• 1987

Gaussian plume model is used to assess environmental dose for abnormal radioactive release in nuclear facility, but there has a problem to use it for complex terrain. In this report, MATTEW and WIND04 Codes which had been verified were used to calculate wind field in the complex terrain. Under the base of these codes principle, wind fields were obtained from the calculation of the finite difference approximation for advection-diffusion equations which satisfy the mass-conservative law. Particle concentrations and external doses were calculated by using PIC model which approximate the particle to radioactive cloud, and atmospheric diffusion of the particles from the random walk method. The results show that the adjusted wind fields and the distributions of the exposure dose vary with the topography of the complex terrain.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.297-302
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• 2008

Urbanization has caused population influx into cities, creating housing problems, and housing developmental plans have often resulted in high-rise and high-density housing complexes. Such development have seldom incorporated the environmental factors associated with the complexes and the surroundings, just being busy in increasing the volume of the housing supplies, and as a result, various environmental problems, such as disruption of the air flow, reduction of sunlight exposure amount, and temperature rise, have occurred, deteriorating the living environments. Accordingly, the objectives of this paper are to find out the causes of the problems in the contemporary complex development plans from the urban environmental viewpoint through the investigative analysis of microclimate environment in those complexes, and, further, to present a residential complex planning technique and developmental direction so as to remedy the problems described above. Then a 3-D microclimate model 'Envi-Met' was employed to analyze and predict on the related issues, per the selected planning factors.