• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.258-266
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• 2017

Background: Welders are exposed to many known and suspected carcinogens. An excess lung cancer risk among welders is well established, but whether this is attributable to welding fumes is unclear. Excess risks of other cancers have been suggested, but not established. We investigated welding cancer risks in the population-based Canadian Census Health and Environmental Cohort. Methods: Among 1.1 million male workers, 12,845 welders were identified using Standard Occupational Classification codes and followed through retrospective linkage of 1991 Canadian Long Form Census and Canadian Cancer Registry (1992-2010) records. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models based on estimated risks of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and nasal, brain, stomach, kidney, and bladder cancers, and ocular melanoma. Lung cancer histological subtypes and risks by industry group and for occasional welders were examined. Some analyses restricted comparisons to blue-collar workers to minimize effects of potential confounders. Results: Among welders, elevated risks were observed for lung cancer [HR: 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.31], mesothelioma (HR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01-3.18), bladder cancer (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15-1.70), and kidney cancer (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01-1.67). When restricted to blue-collar workers, lung cancer and mesothelioma risks were attenuated, while bladder and kidney cancer risks increased. Conclusion: Excess risks of lung cancer and mesothelioma may be partly attributable to factors including smoking and asbestos. Welding-specific exposures may increase bladder and kidney cancer risks, and particular sources of exposure should be investigated. Studies that are able to disentangle welding effects from smoking and asbestos exposure are needed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.385-393
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• 2016

In this study, we analyzed th Cheonggyecheon watershed for urban flood risk index. SWMM model configuration based on each watershed data. And it was set as the final index calculated indicators related to the humanities, social and environmental. Each indicator was standardized and weighted using the Delphi method. Finally, select the danger area through urban flood risk index. Determined 12 indices according to the hazard and vulnerability. Vulnerability is selected the index divided by three factors. 21 watersheds were analyzed through urban flood risk index. The top of three areas of index is Jeongneung 1, Majang, Pil-dong, each index is 0.533, 0.494, 0.381. The lowest index is soongin 0.216. Urban flood risk index developed in this study can be applied to other regions in Korea for establishing national water resources management plan.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2012

This study was performed to survey the school supplies such as pencil, eraser, notebook and color paper. Twenty-two kinds of samples were collected near the school zone, and eight kinds of phthalate which is one of the environmental hazard factors analyzed to estimate the contents characteristics of products. As the results of these research, three kinds of phthalates (BBP, DNOP and DIDP) were not detected in the selected samples. In the A group, DEHP and DINP were detected in the rage of 22%~28%, and DINP was selected 28%, 24% and 28% in the A-1, A-3 and A-4 samples, respectively. But the selected samples in the B group were detected less than 1,000 ppm as regulated level. Also, The DBP was detected 1% in the C-2 sample, and DEHP was detected 0.3% in the C-1 and C-6 samples. The DEHA was detected 0.3% in the D-3 sample. In this study, the DINP was mainly detected the eraser, therefore this kind of phthalate can be exposed through dermal exposure.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2019

This study aims at deriving the implications for adaptation policy and research target regarding climate change risk assessment in ecosystem sector in Korea. The common ground of exemplary cases of "world leaders" in terms of adaptation policies and researches was that they emphasize nationwide study on climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem in target of establishing scientific evidence-bases and reducing uncertainty for their national adaptation policies and plans. In light of this trend, Korean government should settle down more successful adaptation structure by leading adaptation system in further national policy-settings to observe UNFCCC and CBD integratedly and effectively, considering the economic value of adaptation in policy, and strengthening scientific research programs and technology developments. Moreover, risks assessment based on diagnoses and analysis on the risk factors (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability) for climate change in nationwide habitats and species and consolidations with subsequent adaptation strategies could make adaptations in ecosystem sector more effective and successful.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.2
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• pp.233-239
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• 2014

This study was carried out to propose the criteria for the prediction of landslide occurrence through analysis the influence of each factor by using the quantification theory. The results obtained from this study are summarized as follows. From a stepwise regression analysis between the landslide area($m^2$) and environmental factors, the factors strongly affecting the landslide sediment($m^2$) were the Parents rock (igneous), cross slope(complex), coniferous forests (forest type) and slope gradient ($21{\sim}30^{\circ}$). According to the range, it was shown in order of Cross slope (0.2922), Parents rock (0.2691), Forest type (0.2631) and Slope gradient (0.2312). The range of prediction score of landslide occurrence has been distributed between score 0 and score 1.0556, the median value was score 0.5278. The prediction for class I was over 0.7818, for class II was 0.5279 to 0.7917, for class III 0.2694 to 0.5278 and for class IV was below 0.2693. The prediction on landslide occurrence appeared relatively high accuracy rate as 72% for class I and II. Therefore, this score table for landslide will be very useful for judgement of dangerous slope.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.332-339
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• 2016

This study examined the intensity of the association of factors affecting major burns by statistical analysis for patients injured by the release of chemical hazards. A total of 446 patients were evaluated as chemical injury patients, who had visited the emergency room from 1/Jan/2010 to 31/Dec/2014. The major burn was used as a dependent variable representing the severity of chemical injury. A chi-square test (CST) and binary logistic regression test (BLRA) were used as the statistical analysis method for determining the association between major burns and the independent variables. In CST, female and their presence at an incident scene, multiple site injury were associated with major burn (p<0.05). In BLRA, the presence at an incident scene and spills (comparing explosion), discharge (comparing admission) were associated with major burns (p<0.05). In this study, the presence at an incident scene was the most significant factor concerning major burns. Furthermore, gender and injury number, exposure mechanism (spill comparing explosion), and disposition (discharge comparing admission) were also associated with major burns.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.5_2
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• pp.781-791
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• 2022

It is crucial to provide forest fire risk forecast information to minimize forest fire-related losses. In this research, forecast models of forest fire risk at a mid-range (with lead times up to 7 days) scale were developed considering past, present and future conditions (i.e., forest fire risk, drought, and weather) through random forest machine learning over South Korea. The models were developed using weather forecast data from the Global Data Assessment and Prediction System, historical and current Fire Risk Index (FRI) information, and environmental factors (i.e., elevation, forest fire hazard index, and drought index). Three schemes were examined: scheme 1 using historical values of FRI and drought index, scheme 2 using historical values of FRI only, and scheme 3 using the temporal patterns of FRI and drought index. The models showed high accuracy (Pearson correlation coefficient >0.8, relative root mean square error <10%), regardless of the lead times, resulting in a good agreement with actual forest fire events. The use of the historical FRI itself as an input variable rather than the trend of the historical FRI produced more accurate results, regardless of the drought index used.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the raise of cigarette prices by KRW 2,000 at the beginning of 2015 on the change in smoking behavior among male office workers, and to analyze the correlation of various factors including their work behaviors and socio-economic factors with their smoking rate. Methods: In this research, a follow-up observation panel was constituted with 420 smokers as targets from among male office workers at a bank located in Daegu, South Korea. A cross-analysis and ANOVA analysis were carried out in order to examine whether changes in smoking status, amount of smoking, stop-smoking motivation, and reasons for smoking cessation failure after the passage of time since the cigarette price hike were statistically significant. The level of statistical significance was P < 0.05. Results: After the cigarette price hike, among the 420 smokers who were the target of the panel the rate of smoking cessation declined at the time-point of the survey to 15.5%, 12.4%, 8.5%, and 5.7% after one month, three months, six months, and 12 months, respectively. As a result of a follow-up observation of 65 smokers who stopped smoking immediately after the price hike, the actual non-smoking rate declined to 15.5%, 8.3%, 4.4%, and 3.1% after one month, three months, six months, and 12 months, respectively. One (1) year after the cigarette price hike, the non-smoking rate among the 420 smokers reached as low as 3.1% (13 persons). The most important reason for the failure of the attempts to quit smoking was stress for more than 60% of the smokers who attempted to stop. Conclusions: It seems that a powerful anti-smoking policy by the state targeting the nation's workers is necessary. For companies, mediation for workers' job stress can become a strategy for the success of non-smoking attempts. The government seems to require a practical policy to reduce the smoking rate by actively carrying out social, economic, and scientific research to come up with a reduction method for the cigarette hazard, an effective price hike policy, and other non-price policies.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.299-316
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze landslide susceptibility in the Pyeongchang area using Weight of Evidence (WOE) and Evidential Belief Function (EBF) as probability models and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as a machine learning model in a geographic information system (GIS). This study examined the widespread shallow landslides triggered by heavy rainfall during Typhoon Ewiniar in 2006, which caused serious property damage and significant loss of life. For the landslide susceptibility mapping, 3,955 landslide occurrences were detected using aerial photographs, and environmental spatial data such as terrain, geology, soil, forest, and land use were collected and constructed in a spatial database. Seventeen factors that could affect landsliding were extracted from the spatial database. All landslides were randomly separated into two datasets, a training set (50%) and validation set (50%), to establish and validate the EBF, WOE, and ANN models. According to the validation results of the area under the curve (AUC) method, the accuracy was 74.73%, 75.03%, and 70.87% for WOE, EBF, and ANN, respectively. The EBF model had the highest accuracy. However, all models had predictive accuracy exceeding 70%, the level that is effective for landslide susceptibility mapping. These models can be applied to predict landslide susceptibility in an area where landslides have not occurred previously based on the relationships between landslide and environmental factors. This susceptibility map can help reduce landslide risk, provide guidance for policy and land use development, and save time and expense for landslide hazard prevention. In the future, more generalized models should be developed by applying landslide susceptibility mapping in various areas.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.37-49
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• 2021

There is domestic Soil Contamination Warning Standard (SCWS) as remediation standard concentration of contaminated soils. No risk should be observed at soil concentration less than SCWS. Therefore, SCWS was evaluated to confirm the risk assessment. Background Concentration of Soil (BGC) and target remediation concentration were also assessed. The results show that Excess Cancer Risk (ECR) of SCWS was the highest in the groundwater intake pathway (Adult: 6.27E-04, Child: 2.81E-04). Total Cancer Risk (TCR) was 7.76E-04 and 4.30E-04 for adult and child, exceeding reference value (10^-6). Hazard Quotient (Non-Carcinogenic Risk, HQ) was the highest in the indoor air inhalation pathway (Adult: 3.64E+03, Child: 8.74E+02). Hazard Index (Total Non-Carcinogenic Risk, HI) exceeded reference value 1. ECR of the BGC was the highest in the groundwater intake pathway (Adult: 1.71E-04, Child: 7.67E-05). TCR was 2.12E-04 for adults and 1.17E-04 for children, exceeding the reference value (10^-6). HQ was the highest in groundwater intake pathway (Adult: 4.10E-01, Child: 1.84E-01). HI was lower than reference value 1 (Adult: 4.78E-01, Child: 2.50E-01). The heavy metal affecting ECR was Arsenic (As). The remediation-concentration of As was 7.14 mg/kg which is higher than BGC (6.83 mg/kg). TCR of As should be less than reference value (10^-6), but it was higher for all of SCWS, BGC and target remediation concentration. Therefore, it is suggested that risk assessment factors should be re-evaluated to fit domestic environmental settings and SCWS should be induced to satisfy the risk assessment.