• Title/Summary/Keyword: Environment risk

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Lead Pollution and Lead Poisoning among Children in China

  • Zheng, Yuxin
    • Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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    • 2003.06a
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    • pp.24-25
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    • 2003
  • Lead is ubiquitous in the human environment as a result of industrialization. China's rapid industrialization and traffic growth have increased the potential for lead emissions. Lead poisoning in children is one of the most common public health problems today, and it is entirely preventable. Children are more vulnerable to lead pollution and lead in their bodies can affect their nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems. Children are exposed to lead from different sources (such as paint, gasoline, and solder) and through different pathways (such as air, food, water, dust, and soil). Although all children are exposed to some lead from food, air, dust, and soil, some children are exposed to high dose sources of lead. Significant sources of lead for China's children include industrial emissions (often close to housing and schools), leaded gasoline, and occupational exposure that occurs when parents wear lead-contaminated clothing home from work, burning of coal for home heat and cooking, contaminated food, and some traditional medicines. To assess the blood lead level in children in China, a large-scale study was conducted in 19 cities among 9 provinces during 1997 to 2000. There were 6502 children, aged 3-5 years, were recruited in the study The result indicates that the mean blood lead level was 8.83ug/dl 3-5 year old living in city area. The mean blood lead level of boys was higher than that of girls (9.1l ug/dl vs 8.73ug/dl). Almost 30 percent childrens blood lead level exceeded 10ug/dl. The average blood lead level was higher than that of in 1985 (8.83ug/dl vs 8.lug/dl). An epidemiological study was carried on the children living around the cottage industries recycling the lead from battery. Nine hundreds fifty nine children, aged 5-12 years, living in lead polluted villages where the lead smelters located near the residential area and 207 control children live in unpolluted area were recruited in the study. The lead levels in air, soil, drinking water and crops were measured. The blood lead and ZnPP level were tested for all subjects. The results show that the local environment was polluted. The lead levels both in the air and crops were much higher than that of in control area. In the polluted area, the average blood level was 49.6ug/dl (rang 19.5-89.3ug/dl). Whereas, in the unpolluted area, the average blood level was 12.4ug/dl (rang 4.6-24.8ug/dl). This study indicates that in some countryside area, some cottage industries induce seriously lead pollution and cause children health problem. For the introducing of unleaded gasoline in some large cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, the blood lead level showed a declined trend since 1997. By 2000, the use of leaded gasoline in motor vehicles has been prohibited in China. The most recent data available show that levels of lead in blood among children in Shanghai decreased from 8.3ug/dl in 1997 to 7.6ug/dl in 1999. The prevalence rate of children lead poisoning (blood lead >10ug/dl) was also decreased from 37.8% to 24.8%. In children living in downtown area, the blood lead level reduced dramatically. To explore the relationship between gene polymorphisms and individual susceptibility of lead poisoning, a molecular epidemiological study was conducted among children living in lead polluted environment. The result showed that the subjects with ALAD2 allele has higher ZPP level, and the subjects with VDR B allele has larger head circumference than only with b allele. In the present study, we demonstrated that ALAD genotypes modify lead effects on heme metabolism and VDR gene variants influence the skull development in highly exposed children. The polymorphism of ALAD and VDR genes might be the molecular inherited factor modifying the susceptibility of lead poisoning. Recently, Chinese government pays more attention to lead pollution and lead poisoning in children problem. The leaded gasoline was prohibited used in motor vehicles since 2000. The government has decided to have a clampdown on the high-polluted lead smelters for recycling the lead from battery in countryside. It is hopeful that the risk of lead poisoning in children will be decreased in the further

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Impacts of Introduced Fishes (Carassius cuvieri, Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis macrochirus) on Stream Fish Communities in South Korea (외래어류가 우리나라 하천생태계 어류 군집에 미치는 영향: 떡붕어(Carassius cuvieri), 배스(Micropterus salmoides), 블루길(Lepomis macrochirus)을 대상으로)

  • Lee, Dae-Seong;Lee, Da-Yeong;Ji, Chang Woo;Kwak, Ihn-Sil;Hwang, Soon-Jin;Lee, Hae-Jin;Park, Young-Seuk
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.53 no.3
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    • pp.241-254
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    • 2020
  • Three introduced fish species, Japanese white crucian carp (Carassius cuvieri Temminck and Schlegel, 1846), bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepède, 1802) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819), are dominant fishes in Korean freshwater ecosystem. In this study, we analyzed habitat environment conditions of these three species and their impacts to fish communities in streams across South Korea. Fish community data were obtained from the database of the Stream/River Ecosystem Survey and Health Assessment program maintained by the Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Research, Korea. Our results showed that species richness and Shannon diversity of fish were higher at the presence sites of introduced fish than at the absence sites. However, when the abundance of these introduced fish species was increased, the species richness and abundance of fish were decreased. An association analysis showed that the introduced fish species had a low similarity in their appearance with some indigenous fishes such as Siniperca scherzeri and Channa argus and some endemic fishes of Korea such as Zacco koreanus, Sarcocheilichthys variegatus wakiyae, and Acheilognathus yamatsutae. In addition, the introduced fish species had a low appearance similarity with a large number of fishes in their association networks. Finally, our results presented that these introduced fish species influenced the negative impacts to the stream fish communities, and they were potential risk factors for fish community in Korean freshwater ecosystem. Therefore, it is necessary that continuous monitoring and establishment of management strategy for introduced fish species to preserve fish resource and biodiversity in the Korean streams.

Interpersonal and Community Factors Related to Food Sufficiency and Variety: Analysis of Data from the 2017 Community Health Survey (식품충분성과 다양성의 개인간 및 지역사회 관련 요인: 2017년 지역사회건강조사 자료 분석)

  • Hong, Jiyoun;Hyun, Taisun
    • Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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    • v.25 no.5
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    • pp.416-429
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    • 2020
  • Objectives: This study examined the personal, interpersonal and community factors related to food sufficiency and variety among Korean adults using data from the 2017 Community Health Survey. Methods: A total of 228,310 adults aged ≥ 19 years were classified into three groups: food sufficiency with variety, food sufficiency without variety and food insufficiency. Personal factors included sociodemographic characteristics, health behavior and health status. Interpersonal factors included social networking and social activities, and community factors included safety, natural environment, living environment, availability of public transportation and health care services. The association of food sufficiency and variety with interpersonal and community factors was assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the total sample, the food-sufficiency-without-variety group and food insufficiency group accounted for 31.5% and 3.2%, respectively. The sociodemographic factors associated with food insufficiency and non-variety were women, ≥ 65 years of age, with low education level, low household income, unemployed, single, and living in areas of small population sizes. There were significant differences in health behavior and health status, interpersonal and community factors among the three groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses conducted after adjusting for confounding factors showed that lack of social networking and social activities and lower satisfaction derived from community environments were associated with the risk of food insufficiency and non-variety. Conclusions: Our results showed that interpersonal and community factors as well as personal factors were related to food sufficiency and variety. Therefore, public policies to help build social networks and participation in social activities, and improve community environment are needed together with food assistance to overcome the problems of food insufficiency and non-variety.

Influence of the Increase of Dissolved $CO_2$ Concentration on the Marine Organisms and Ecosystems (해수중 용존 $CO_2$ 농도 증가가 해양생물 및 해양생태계에 미치는 영향: 국내외 사례 연구)

  • Lee, Jung-Suk;Lee, Kyu-Tae;Kim, Chan-Kook;Park, Gun-Ho;Lee, Jong-Hyeon;Park, Young-Gyu;Gang, Seong-Gil
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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    • v.9 no.4
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    • pp.243-252
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    • 2006
  • Influence of the increasing carbon dioxide concentration in seawater on various marine organisms is assessed in this article with regard to the impacts of anthropogenic $CO_2$ introduced into surface or deep oceans. Recent proposals to sequester $CO_2$ in deep oceans arouse the concerns of adverse effects of increased $CO_2$ concentration on deep-sea organisms. Atmospheric introduction of $CO_2$ into the ocean can also acidify the surface water, thereby the population of some sensitive organisms including coral reefs, cocolithophorids and sea urchins will be reduced considerably in near future (e.g. in 2100 unless the increasing trend of $CO_2$ emission is actively regulated). We exposed bioluminescent bacteria and benthic amphipods to varying concentrations of $CO_2$ and also pH for a short period. The ${\sim}l.5$ unit decrease of pH adversely affected test organisms. However, amphipods were not influenced by decreasing pH when HCl was used for the seawater acidification. In this article, we reviewed the biological adverse effects of $CO_2$ on various marine organisms studied so for. Theses results will be useful to predict the potential risks of the increase of $CO_2$ concentrations in seawater due to the increase of atmospheric $CO_2$ emission and/or sequestration of $CO_2$ in deep oceans.

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The Influence of the Restrictions in Chinese economic growth on Korean commercial environment (중국 경제성장의 제약요인이 한국 통상환경에 미치는 영향)

  • Shong, Il-Ho;Lee, Gye-Young
    • International Commerce and Information Review
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.457-479
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    • 2013
  • Through a Chinese rise, Chinese dream is actualizing as the world's great power. According to outlook of World Bank and IMF, Around 2030 China will be a great power bigger than America's economic power. The rise of China will give a huge impact to the whole world. China expands her influence through a global manufacturing base and a global market. To actualize 'Peaceful Rise' Strategy, China has many constraints. Chinese society is facing many difficult social problem due to side effects of a rapid development. Such as the spread of corruption, the severity of wealth gap, environmental degradation and energy shortage. Internationally there are containment from hegemon so-called 'China threat' dispute, Taiwan issue and territorial disputes. Western countries are hostile to China for two reasons. Based on expectations, one is China's socialist system and the other is the rising China which will compete for supremacy with Europe and America. Recent emergence of Chinese nationalism and the containment of the neighboring countries are also serious limiting factors. Domestically they have the rampant corruption in the bureaucracy, weakened capacity of Communist rule, wealth disparity due to the discriminatory economic development strategy, seriousness of rural problem, social instability, lack of social security systems and the development gap between the eastern coastal areas and western inland areas, ethnic minorities problems, the constraint of sustainable development issues due to lack of resources, environmental pollution and energy constraints. Like the former Soviet Union, China may face a dismantlement. After the rise, China may encounter possibilities of a war between great powers or a collapse of Chinese society caused by deepening internal conflict. Serious economic polarization would make peasants and urban workers, who are social vulnerable people, to turn their back to communist party and threaten the justification and the appropriateness of the ruling communist party. Chinese government will think internal system security threat is more formidable risk factor than a system security threat from the hegemon. The decline of great country comes from internal reasons rather than external reasons. To achieve peaceful rise, unification with Taiwan is an essential prerequisite. Taiwan issues are complex problems which equipped with international and domestic factors. Lack of energy resources, environmental pollution in China will bring economic crisis to Korean enterprises. Important influence to Korean economy will be a changeover of the method in economic development. It will turn the balance of investment and consumption, GDP-centered growth to consumption and environment-centered growth. Services industries including finance, environment, culture, education, health care and social welfare will grow. Change in China's growth model will give a great challenge upon the intermediate goods industry in Korea. Korea should reduce the portion of machinery, automotive, semiconductor, steel and chemical-centered export industry to China, and should increase the proportion of the service industry.

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Particulate Matter and CO2 Improvement Effects by Vegetation-based Bio-filters and the Indoor Comfort Index Analysis (식생기반 바이오필터의 미세먼지, 이산화탄소 개선효과와 실내쾌적지수 분석)

  • Kim, Tae-Han;Choi, Boo-Hun;Choi, Na-Hyun;Jang, Eun-Suk
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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    • v.37 no.4
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    • pp.268-276
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    • 2018
  • BACKGROUND: In the month of January 2018, fine dust alerts and warnings were issued 36 times for $PM_{10}$ and 81 times for PM2.5. Air quality is becoming a serious issue nation-wide. Although interest in air-purifying plants is growing due to the controversy over the risk of chemical substances of regular air-purifying solutions, industrial spread of the plants has been limited due to their efficiency in air-conditioning perspective. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study aims to propose a vegetation-based bio-filter system that can assure total indoor air volume for the efficient application of air-purifying plants. In order to evaluate the quantitative performance of the system, time-series analysis was conducted on air-conditioning performance, indoor air quality, and comfort index improvement effects in a lecture room-style laboratory with 16 persons present in the room. The system provided 4.24 ACH ventilation rate and reduced indoor temperature by $1.6^{\circ}C$ and black bulb temperature by $1.0^{\circ}C$. Relative humidity increased by 24.4% and deteriorated comfort index. However, this seemed to be offset by turbulent flow created from the operation of air blowers. While $PM_{10}$ was reduced by 39.5% to $22.11{\mu}g/m^3$, $CO_2$ increased up to 1,329ppm. It is interpreted that released $CO_2$ could not be processed because light compensation point was not reached. As for the indoor comfort index, PMV was reduced by 83.6 % and PPD was reduced by 47.0% on average, indicating that indoor space in a comfort range could be created by operating vegetation-based bio-filters. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that the vegetation-based bio-filter system is effective in lowering indoor temperature and $PM_{10}$ and has positive effects on creating comfortable indoor space in terms of PMV and PPD.

Biological Toxicity Assessment of Sediment at an Ocean Dumping Site in Korea (폐기물 배출해역 퇴적물의 생물학적 독성평가 연구)

  • Seok, Hyeong Ju;Kim, Young Ryun;Kim, Tae Won;Hwang, Choul-Hee;Son, Min Ho;Choi, Ki-young;Kim, Chang-joon
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.1-9
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    • 2022
  • The effect of sediments in a waste dumping area on marine organisms was evaluated using sediment toxicity tests with a benthic amphipod (Monocorophium acherusicum) and bioluminescent bacterium (Vibrio fischeri) in accordance with the Korean Standard Method for Marine Wastes (KSMMW). Nine sites in the East Sea-Byeong, East Sea-Jeong, and Yellow Sea-Byeong areas were sampled from 2016 to 2019. The test results showed that the relative average survival rate (benthic amphipods) and relative luminescence inhibition rate (luminescent bacteria) were below 30%, which were judged to be "non-toxic." However, in the t-test, a total of 12 benthic amphipod samples (6, 1, 1, and 4 in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively) were significantly different (p<0.05) from the control samples. To identify the source of toxicity on benthic amphipods, a simple linear regression analysis was performed between the levels of eight heavy metals (Cr, As, Ni, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg) in sediments and the relative average survival rate. The results indicated that Cr had the highest contribution to the toxicity of benthic amphipods (p = 0.000, R2 = 0.355). In addition, Cr was detected at the highest concentration at the DB-85 station and exceeded the Marine Environment Standards every year. Although the sediments were determined as "not toxic" according to the ecotoxicity criteria of the KSMMW, the results of the statistical significance tests and toxicity identification evaluation indicated that the toxic effect was not acceptable. Therefore, revising the criteria for determining the toxic effect by deriving a reference value through quantitative risk assessment using species sensitivity distribution curves is necessary in the future.

A Study on the Factors that Affect the Investment Behavior in Financial Investment Products : Focused on the Effect of Adjustment in Investment Consulting Service (금융투자상품 투자행동에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구: 투자상담서비스의 조절효과를 중심으로)

  • Lee, Kye Woung;Ha, Kyu Soo
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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    • v.9 no.5
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    • pp.53-68
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    • 2014
  • This study is aimed at analyzing the factors that affect the behaviors of employee's investment, such as a decision making process in a variety of views and proving the extent of how those factors influence on their investment. The basic assumption is that the preceding factors that can be determined by the personal investment propensity, a psychological factor asserted by Behavior Financial Theory and financial-economic and social environment. This study uses Hershey's Investment Behavior Model(2007) as the main analysis tool to explain the investment behavior of individuals and deals with personal investment inclination in the psychological perspective of overconfidence, self-control and the risk tolerance propensity and add the financial and economic factors in terms of financial literacy and economic distress. Also the new preceding social environmental factors like social interaction and the effect of reference group are added to make this research to be more precise. This study analyze the adjustment effect of professional invest-consulting service that affect the fluctuation influence between the individual variables(those factors) and subordination variable(the level of investment satisfaction). The study reveals that overconfidence and self-control in direct ways have a positive effect on the level of investment satisfaction in terms of investment behavior and economic distress has a negative effect on the level of investment satisfaction. The adjustment effect provided by financial experts in investment consulting service is affirmed as the critical factor that increase the influence between self-control and the level of investment satisfaction. To conclude, the research reveals that the psychological factors are the main criteria when the workers as employees have to make investment decisions. To make investors be reasonable, a systematic financial education system provided by experts is needed from the early adolescent stages and financial companies should develop the relevant services of consulting service department as a key financial sector and financial investment products and consulting program and marketing tool pertinent to investors ages, vocational traits and their inclinations.

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A Study on the Factors of Satisfaction with Stock Investment : Focusing on the Moderating Effect of the Stock Message Framing (주식 투자 만족도 형성 요인에 관한 연구 : 주식 메시지 프레이밍에 대한 조절효과를 중심으로)

  • Kim, Hae-young
    • Journal of Venture Innovation
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    • v.1 no.2
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    • pp.47-59
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    • 2018
  • With the recent, rapid changes in the socio-economic environment, organizations of today are now required to present a framework of realistic consumer behaviors based on psychology, economy, and finance, in order to understand their investing customers. Stock investors show differences in terms of their decisions or evaluations in the process of investing. This is due to what is called the 'framing effect.' The decision frames of the investors are defined differently, and, as a result, this affects the decisions made by the investors. Preceding studies on stock investment rarely touched the topic of the effect of message framing on market participants in their stock investment, especially regarding the differences in terms of their risk management behaviors based on the message framing in stock investment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of stock investment message framing on market participants in their investment decision making and empirically validate whether this message framing effect has a moderating effect on the factors of investment satisfaction. For this, 494 participants with stock investment experiences were interviewed from May 1 to 26, 2018, and the results were used as the data for the empirical analysis. The analysis of the data was conducted using SPSS 22.0 statistical analysis software. The results of this study were as follows; First, of the stock investment behavioral factors, the stock comprehension, recommendation by others for a stock, and the degree of risks of a stock affected stock investment satisfaction in a positive manner. And, of the behavioral factors of stock investment, stock comprehension, stock brand, recommendation on the stocks from others, past performances, and risk levels of stocks affected the intent of continued stock investment in a positive manner. Second, message framing turned out to affect stock investment satisfaction in a positive manner, and it also had a significant moderating effect to the relationship between the stock investment behavior and stock investment satisfaction. Third, message framing was found to affect continued stock investment intent significantly, with a significant moderating effect in the relationship between stock investment behavioral factor and continued stock investment intent.

Acute toxicity of some pesticides on five Korean native Cladocerans (한국산 물벼룩에 대한 수종 농약의 급성독성)

  • Kim, Byung-Seok;Park, Yoen-Ki;Park, Kyung-Hun;Jeong, Mi-Hye;You, Are-Sun;Yang, Yu-Jung;Shin, Jin-Sup;Kim, Jin-Hwa;Yoon, Seong-Myeong;Ahn, Young-Joon
    • The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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    • v.11 no.4
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    • pp.261-267
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    • 2007
  • The acute toxicity of several pesticides on 4 Korean water flea was investigated to develop a new standard species used for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. Four Korean freshwater cladocerans, Daphnia obtusa, Daphnia sp., Moina macrocopa and Simocepholus vetulus were exposed to five different pesticides during 48 hours to compare their sensitivity with a standard test species, Daphnia magna, endorsed formally by the major international organizations. The synthetic pyrethroid, fenpropathrin was the most toxic pesticide to cladocerans. Diazinon, carbofuran, iprodione and myclobutanil were in the order of their toxicity to cladocerans tested. There was no consistent difference in sensitivity to five pesticides for four Korean cladocerans tested. In conclusion, the ecological risk assessment using single species toxicity referred to base set data should not be enough to protect to every species in the field environment.