• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.617-629
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• 2007

To ensure the microbiological safety of food items prepared after cooking process, this study was aimed to identify the hazards related with cooked foods donated to foodbanks through quantitative microbial analysis. Five foodbanks located in Incheon and Gyeonggi area among government-dominant foodbanks were surveyed from February to June, 2007. Manager, recipient, donator, type and quantity of donated foot and facility and equipment were examined for the general characteristics of foodbank. The time and temperature of food md environment were measured at steps from after-production to before-distribution, and the microbial analysis was performed mainly with indicator organism and major pathogens. The amount of cooked foods donated to each foodbank was about 20 to 30 servings and consisted of 80% of total donated foods. Only three foodbanks had separate offices for foodbank operation and four institutions had at least one temperature-controlled vehicle. The flow of donated foods was gone through the steps; production, meal service and holding at donator, collection by foodbank, transport (or holding after transport) and distribution to recipients. It took about 3.8 to 6.5 hours at room temperature from after-production to before-distribution. Only aerobic plate counts (APC) and coliforms were found in microbial analysis. The APC after production were relatively high in $8.2{\times}10^5,\;7.4{\times}10^5,\;6.9{\times}10^5$ and $4.2{\times}10^5 CFU/g$ while $2.8{\times}10^6, \;9.4{\times}10^5,\;1.0{\times}10^6$ and $5.4{\times}10^5CFU/g$ before distribution in mixed Pimpinella brachycarpa, mixed chard mixed amaranth and mixed spinach, respectively. The levels of coliforms in mixed chard and mixed spinach were complied with the standards of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Management The level of APC in boiled pork was increased from $< 1.0{\times}10 CFU/g$ to $4.0{\times}10^2 CFU/g$. One of delivery vessels was shown $6.2{\times}10^3 CFU/100 cm^2$ in APC, which was over the standards for environment. One of serving tables also showed the high level of $1.2{\times}10^3 CFU/100 cm^2$ in APC and $6.6{\times}10^2 CFU/100 cm^2$ in coliforms. These results suggest the sanitary management of holding at donator and the time-temperature control are key factors to ensure the safety of cooked foods donated to foodbank.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.183-192
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• 2016

Silver nanomaterials have been intensively applied in consumer products of diverse industrial sectors because of their strong biocidal properties and reported to be hazardous to aquatic organisms once released in the environment. Nanomaterials including sliver, are known to be different in toxicity according to their physicochemical characteristics such as size, shape, length etc. However studies comparing toxicity among silver nanomaterials with different physicochemical characteristics are very limited. Here, toxicities of silver nanomaterials with different size (50, 100, 150 nm), length (10, $20{\mu}m$), shape (wire, sphere), and coating material (polyvinylpyrrolidone, citrate) using OECD test guidelines were evaluated in aquatic species (zebrafish, daphnia, algae) and compared. On a size property, the smaller of silver nanomaterials, the more toxic to tested organisms. Sphered type of silver nanomaterials was less toxic to organisms than wired type, and shorter nanowires were less toxic than longer ones. Meanwhile the toxic effects of materials coated on silver nanomaterials were slightly different in each tested species, but not statistically significant. To the best of our knowledge, it is first investigation to evaluate and compare ecotoxicity of silver nanomaterials having different physicochemical characteristics using same test species and test guidelines. This study can provide valuable information for human and environmental risk assessment of silver nanomaterials and guide material manufacturers to synthesize silver nanomaterials more safely to human and environment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.353-363
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigated the ELF-MF emission level of various environments such as 258 facilities near located to high voltage transmission lines and 120 high voltage transmission lines, 17 underground cable lines. In addition, ELF-MF reduction rate according to separation distance was calculated by using simulations. An appropriate separation distance showing below 4mG was at least 70m. In the case of the appropriate separation distance for 120 high voltage transmission lines, 154kV required 20m of separation distance and 345kV required 60m of separation distance. The simulation results showed that the appropriate separation distance showing below 4mG was 40m and 60m for overhead 154kV and 345kV respectively. To adjust the worst conditions considering the aspects of environmental impact assessment study and the electric power currents that will increase in the future, the appropriate minimum separation distance for HVTL is judged to be above 70m in this study. Thus, there is a need to establish the greenbelt or buffer zone within 70m so as to create an environment in which the receptors are not exposed and thereby eliminate the risk factors of ELF-MF against humans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.51-56
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• 2009

Safety and quality assessment systems are very important in manufacture, storage, transportation, and handling of hazardous materials(hazmat) to prevent hazmat disasters. At present, hazardous materials exist everywhere in our daily lives with various forms of plastics, household products of cleaning and washing detergents, fertilizers or petroleum-related products. However, hazardous materials are dangerous substances when they are released to human or environment. Hazardous materials become very widely used substances in the age of oil-based industrial economy. The Korean Ministry of Environment (KMOE) describes about one hundred thousand types of chemicals are produced and used worldwide. Over four hundred new chemicals are introduced in every year. A crucial question for the Korean hazardous material management may have been raised: Will you be safe from hazardous material incidents? The gas leak disaster at Union Carbide's Bhopal, India in 1984 that made over 6,400 people killed and 30,000 to 40,000 people seriously injured is the representative case for the safety of hazmat. Korea becomes vulnerable to hazmat disaster due to the development of high-tech industry. Thus, the risk assessment system is required to Korea for transferring abandoned hazmat management systems to self-correcting safety systems. This research analyzed characteristics of various hazmat incidents applying statistical analysis methods including frequency analysis or analysis of category data to hazmat incidents for ten years. All of three analyses of category data indicate the significance of causality between hazmat incident site groups and seasons, regional groups, and incident casualty groups.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.192-199
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• 2015

Under the economic banner of "self-reliance," North Korea has focused on hydro and thermal power as its main energy supply sources. However, in the face of extreme energy penury caused by machinery and material supply instability in the wake of the collapse of the former communist block as well as equipment aging and deterioration due to floods and other disasters, North Korea and international aid organizations are increasingly turning their attention toward energy source diversification. In particular, renewable energy is recognized as the best strategic energy source for North Korea and it is a decentralized energy option that is suitable in light of North Korea's power distribution networks and its pursuit of self-reliance. Biogas can contribute to improving the human rights situation of North Koreans in conjunction with an increase in food production. For this reason, renewable energy is the most promising option for an energy source that is likely to secure humanitarian aid from international organizations such as the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). However, the implementation of such humanitarian aid has been hampered by rising concerns about the diversion of provided energy materials for military purposes and the disguised introduction of dual use items strategic materials as well as UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions of the international community against North Korea's military provocation, including nuclear tests and missile launches. This paper explores the possibility of solving this dilemma and proceeding with the humanitarian aid to North Korea by evaluating the potential for sanction and the risk of diversion of the possible products for biogas-related aid on the basis of the list of UN-sanctioned items.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2003

Microalgae are a diverse group of photosynthetic organisms and abundant in every ecosystem in the biosphere. They are common in aqueous environments including marine, brackish and fresh waters and in some habitats that lack eukaryotic life such as some hot springs and highly alkaline lakes. Microalgal biotechnology that is focused on the microalgae-based production of a variety of useful materials such as pharmaceutical comfounds, health foods, natural pigments, and biofuels is considered as an important discipline with the development of biotechnology. In addition, the mass cultivation of microalgae can also contribute to improving the environmental quality by reducing the concentration of $CO_2$ which is one of major gases lead to global warming. Consequently, it seems that the microalgae can be used as an efficient, renewable, environmentally friendly source of high-value biomaterials such as chemicals, pigments, energy, etc. and the microalgal biotechnology will most likely represent a larger portion of modern biotechnology.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.689-695
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• 2015

The offshore plant crews that were commissioned in the commercial startup phase boarded the offshore plant in two shifts until the end of the project. The crews who were hired by the owner side stayed in the original offshore plant during the project. However, most of the offshore plant commissioned members who were dispatched from the shipyard were accommodated in the offshore accommodation barge. For this reason, they were exposed to many accidents since there are a lot of people staying in a small space. This study suggested a method for improving survival rate at offshore accommodation barge in terms of life safety. It is assumed that the fire accident among unfortunate events which take place in the offshore accommodation barge mainly occurred. So, this study analyzed the safety evacuation for offshore plant employees using fire simulation model based on both domestic and international law criteria. In particular, When fire occurs in the offshore accommodation barge, the periodically well trained crews are followed safety evacuation procedure. whereas many employees who have different background such as various occupations, cultural differences, races and nationality can be commissioned with improper evacuation behaviors. As a result, the risk will be greater than normal situation due to these inappropriate behaviors. Therefore, This study analyzed the Required Safe Escape Time (RSET) and Available Safe Escape Time (ASET). Also it was suggested the improvement of structure design and additional arrangement of safety equipment to improve the survival rate of the residents in offshore accommodation barge.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2018

The increase of risk in port due to the increase in ship size and sea level rises, the standard crown height will increase. In this study, cruise and container ships will need to raise their crown height due to the projected wind pressure areas becoming larger due to the ships' size increase. The mooring assessment was evaluated with the rise of the crown height. The cruise ship of GT 100,000 tons exceeded the permissible breaking force of the mooring line under the crown height conditions of wind speed of 30 kts when the wind direction was $45^{\circ}$ to the direction of the bow. Also, the elevation angle of the pier and mooring line was analyzed and exceeded the crown height, and it was determined that it is necessary to adjust the crown height. Container ships of DWT 100,000 tons were analyzed to exceed the limit of sway motion at the crown height and it was determined that they need to be adjusted to the minimum crown height standard.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.178-185
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to verify the effectiveness of the biotope model in applying and developing Korean urban forests. We found that there are 17 biotope assessment indicators, including forest layer structure, site conditions, ratio of broad-leaved trees, species richness, etc. In terms of correlation analysis between indicators, the stand ages and the period of space formation have the highest relativity(coefficient 0.684). On the other hand, indicators that have negative relativity are layer structure and risk, with a coefficient of -0.412. Ten models were developed for the multiple regression analysis. 10 variables(site conditions(X2), ratio of broad-leaved trees(X3) and so forth except layer structure(X1), species richness(X4)) were found to have a 95% significance level The results from comparing the regression model and adding-up estimation matrix, the most accurate one was Model 3, which has a 91.7% out of the 10 models. However more monitoring will be needed to improve the accuracy of models for the Korean urban forests in future.