• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.393-400
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• 2017

This study was investigated on pH, heavy metals, oils and solvents in 34 surface soil samples and the samples are collected at two times for 17 farmland sites around 7 industrial areas in Northern Gyeonggi Province. As a result of pH for soil contamination monitoring network, the range of pH showed 4.4~8.4 and average was 6.3. The range of pH for Agricultural land around industrial area was 6.7~7.5 and average indicated 7.1 that mostly showed neutral condition in this area. he average concentrations of Cu, Pb, Ni, As and $Cr^{6+}$ are lower than Korea soil contamination worrisome levels at region 1 and the mean levels of farmland from the soil quality monitoring network. The average concentrations of Zn, Cd and Hg didn't exceed the soil contamination worrisome levels at region 1 but slightly higher than the mean levels of farmland from the soil quality monitoring network. The heavy metal levels of all samples are within Korea soil contamination worrisome levels at region 1. The results showed that the detected heavy metal concentrations ranged from N.D. to ~32.7% of Korea soil contamination worrisome levels at region 1. BTEX, TPH, TCE and PCE were not detected in all samples and thus the farmland around the industrial areas were free from oils and solvents contamination.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.227-235
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• 2022

Background: Abandoned metal mines are classified as vulnerable areas with the highest level of soil contamination among risk regions. People living near abandoned metal mines are at increased risk of exposure to toxic metals. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between soil contamination levels in areas around abandoned metal mine and the blood lead levels of local residents. Moreover, we assess the possibility of using soil contamination levels as a predictive indicator for human exposure level. Methods: Data from the Survey of Residents around Abandoned Metal Mines (2013~2017, n=4,421) and Investigation of Soil Pollution in Abandoned Metal Mines (2000~2011) were used. A random coefficient model was conducted for estimation of the lower level (micro data) of the local resident unit and the upper level (macro data) of the abandoned metal mine unit. Through a fitted model, the variation of blood lead levels among abandoned metal mines was confirmed and the effect of the operationally defined soil contamination level was estimated. Results: Among the total variation in blood lead levels, the variation between abandoned mines was 18.6%, and the variation determined by the upper-level factors such as soil contamination and water contamination was 8.1%, which was statistically significant respectively. There was also a statistically significant difference in the least square mean of blood lead concentration according to the level of soil contamination (p=0.047, low: 2.32 ㎍/dL, middle: 2.38 ㎍/dL, high: 2.59 ㎍/dL). Conclusions: The blood lead concentration of residents living near abandoned metal mines was significantly correlated with the level of soil contamination. Therefore, in biomonitoring for vulnerable areas, operationally defined soil contamination can be used as a predictor for human exposure level to hazardous substances and discrimination of high-risk abandoned metal mines.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.15-25
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• 2008

Contamination level assessment of harbor dredged materials is carried out for beneficial use, which generated annually due to port construction and maintenance of harbor channel. The basic purpose of environmental risk assessment was a scientific approach to susceptibility of hazard risk to human's health from different dredged materials. And this paper proposes a guideline of safely beneficial use of dredged materials at both industrial area and residental area, generated from major port execution throughout a sound investigation of their contamination levels. Newly proposed guidelines were in general higher levels compared to both current guidelines of treatment and use of dredged materials and soil environment protection levels. Finally, environmental assessment results of dredged material contamination generated in major ports of Korea for beneficial use based on pre-assessment environmental levels show that some port's dredged materials contain heavy metals such as Cd, As, Cr and Zn, more than base levels which requires more precise contamination investigation. Others were found to be very appropriate for beneficial use.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.323-331
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• 2011

Objective: This study aimed to examine the level of risk perception related to pesticide contamination of food products and associated sociodemographic factors, as well as investigate the association with environmental pollution preventive behaviors. Methods: Based on data from Social Survey conducted in 2008 among a nationally representative sample of the population 15 years or older, we estimated proportions and 95% confidence intervals of the risk perception of pesticide contamination of food products. Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the effects of sociodemographic status on risk perception. Results: Among respondents, those who feel anxious about the risks of pesticide contamination of domestic food products accounted for 40.4%, whereas the proportion rose to 87.0% with imported food products. These numbers showed that levels of anxiety about the pesticide contamination of imported food products were ranked at the top, and those for domestic products were at the bottom of the list of all environmental pollutants examined in the survey. Significantly related factors to anxiety about pesticide contamination of food products included women, the 40-50 age group, university graduates, married, non-manual employment, having school-aged children, and owning one's own home. The population attempting to prevent environmental pollution showed higher levels of anxiety about pesticide contamination of food products than did those who were not taking such steps. Conclusion: Compared to other forms of environmental pollution, Koreans show the highest levels of anxiety about pesticide contamination of imported food products. Therefore, it is necessary to establish appropriate regulations and transparent risk communication with the public about the safety of imported food.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.23 no.3 s.99
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• pp.321-326
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• 2007

The microbial contamination levels of school classrooms were assessed as foodservice environments for elementary students. Two elementary schools located in Kyunggi-do were selected, and the total plate counts (TPC) and coliforms were measured from the classroom facilities, including the tables, chairs, floors, shelves, doors, as well as the hands of students, and the air of classrooms. The TPC of the classroom facilities were relatively low ranging from 2.30 to 3.79 log CFU/100 cm$^2$. The TPC counts from the hands of serving students and served students, were 6.39 and 5.33 log CFU, respectively, and the TPC counts of the foodservice utensils were <3.00 log CFU/ea before use and 4.77 CFU/ea after use. The air samples of 'empty classrooms during physical education', 'after physical education class', and 'during lunch' showed the contamination levels of 26 CFU/m$^3$,392 CFU/m$^3$, 364 CFU/m$^3$, respectively, suggesting that the microbial levels in the air varies greatly depending on the class activity before foodservice. When the TPCs of the air during lunch were measured from 18 classrooms, the levels ranged from 76 to >2228 CFU/m$^3$. Coliforms were not detected in the classroom facilities; however, air samples of the classrooms showed 1${\sim}$2 CFU/m$^3$. The above results show that classroom air and the hands of students, can have high levels of microbial contamination, which must to be controlled for safer school foodservice.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.51-55
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• 2003

Benzo(a)pyrene and bisphenol A have been classified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which have been of concern in toxicology and environmental sciences. Benzo(a)pyrene and bisphenol A were monitored by HPLC or GC-MS in Baekwoon and Ilwirl lakes of Kyonggi-Do province to investigate contamination levels of EDCs. During the period between June, 2000 and August, 2000, water samples were collected from four different sites of each lake once per month. Contamination levels of benzo(a)pyrene were 3.27~4.25 ppb in Ilwirl lake and 2.00~2.33 ppb in Baekwoon lake, respectively. Bisphenol A levels were detected with the range of 0.33~7.94 and 0.43~4.71 for Baekwoon lake and Ilwirl lake, respectively. pH levels were higher in Ilwirl lake than in Baekwoon lake, where the contamination was relatively lower. These data suggest that lakes in Kyonggi-Do province could be contaminated with EDCs and be subjected to the routine monitoring and water quality control.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.491-495
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• 1999

In this study, we focus on Ca contaminant which affects on the roughness Si substrate after thermal process. The initial Si substrates were contaminated intentionally by using a standard Ca solution. The contamination levels of Ca impurity were measured by TXRF and the chemical composition of that was analyzed by AES. Then we gre the thermal oxide to investigate the effect of Ca contaminants. The microroughness of the Si surface, the thermal oxide surface, and the surface after removing the thermal oxide were measured to examine the electrical characteristics. The initial substrates that were contaminated with the standard solution of Ca exhibited the contamination levels of 10\ulcorner~10\ulcorneratoms/$\textrm{cm}^2$ which was measured by TXRF. The Ca contaminants were detected by AES and exhibited the peaks of Ca, SI, C and O.After intentional contamination, the surface microroughness of this initial substrate was increased from $1.5\AA$ to 4$\AA$ as contamination levels became higher. The microroughness of the thermal oxide surfaces of both contaminated and bare Si substrates exhibits similar values. But the microroughness of the contaminated$ Si/SiO_2$ interface was increased as contamination increased. The thermal oxide of contaminated substrate exhibited the small minority carrier diffusion length, low breakdown voltage, and slightly high leakage current.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

This study investigated the change of metal contamination levels according to amendment of enforcement regulation of the Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. As an analytical result of 87 samples in abandoned metallic mine area, the extracted amount of As, Pb and Cu with aqua regia was 4.3~29.6 times higher than that with hydrochloric acid extraction and the number of samples, which contamination levels were found to exceed soil contamination standards, was also increased. On the other hand, in case of Cd, Zn, and Ni, the number of samples, which contamination levels were found to exceed soil contamination standards, was decreased or similar. These results can be used as a preliminary material in comparison between the soil pollution data accumulated previously and the data obtained by the revised standard method for the examination of soil pollution.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the change of microbial contamination levels in the different areas and at the different time points after application of a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) that has mechanical antimicrobial effect. The microbial contamination levels were measured in three different areas; unit chair handle, spit sink area and hand piece holder at different time points using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) monitoring system and ATP surface test kit. Hand piece holder showed the highest level of microbial contamination. In most of the clinics, QAC significantly reduced the levels of microbial contamination, and maintained antimicrobial activity for 4 to 6 months. QAC may be used effectively in dental clinics due to the duration of antimicrobial effect and the minimal exposure of chemicals and further studies are needed with large sample size.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2005

Variations in species diversity and abundance of polychaete taxocenes that occurred in 1980-1989 under different contamination levels of bottom sediments were studied in three areas of Peter the Great Bay. The most polluted area was shown to be the Golden Horn Inlet where contaminant contents in the bottom sediments exceed the threshold values of negative biota alterations. Amursky Bay is characterized by a moderate level of contamination, while Ussuriysky Bay has the lowest level of contamination. Pollutant contents vary considerably within the same areas and their separate patches are polluted differently. An integral index characterizing the contamination of bottom sediments is proposed. This index is an average grade of the rank value of contaminant contents in sediments. The index was used to compare the contamination level and data on polychaete species diversity and abundance. The highest species diversity of polychaetes is found in the least affected zones. Monotonous decrease of the species number, as well as decrease in the indices of diversity and evenness, is correlated with pollution level increases. Significant growth of the average polychaete biomass and polychaete density is observed in the case of an increase of contamination from low to moderate levels. Conversely, the biomass and abundance of polychaetes decline following an increase in contamination.