• Title/Summary/Keyword: Exposure Rates

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Study on the Short Term Exposure Level (STEL) of the Benzene for the Tank Lorry Truck Drivers during Loading Process

  • Park Doo Yong
    • International Journal of Safety
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.27-31
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    • 2004
  • Some of the petroleum products contain benzene which is well known as a confirmed human carcinogen. For example, gasoline products contain benzene ranging up to several percents by weight. High exposures to the benzene and other organic solvents would be likely to occur during intermittent tasks and or processes rather than continuous jobs such as sampling, repair, inspection, and loading/unloading jobs. The work time for these jobs is various. However, most of work time is very short and the representative time interval is 15 minutes. Thus, it is preferable to do exposure assessment for 15 minute time weighted average which is known as a short time exposure level(STEL) by ACGIH rather than for 8-hours TWA. It is particularly significant to the exposure monitoring for benzene since it has been known that the exposure rate plays an important role to provoke the leukemia. Due to the large variations, a number of processes/tasks, the traditional sampling technique for organic solvents with the use of the charcoal and sampling pumps is not appropriate. Limited number of samples can be obtained due to the shortage of sampling pumps. Passive samplers can eliminate these limitations. However, low sampling rates resulted in collection of small amount of the target analysts in the passive samplers. This is originated the nature of passive samplers. Field applications were made with use of passive samplers to compare with the charcoal tube methods for 15 minutes. Gasoline loading processes to the tank lorry trucks at the loading stations in the petroleum products storage area. Good agreements between the results of passive samplers and those of the charcoal tubes were achieved. However, it was found that special cautions were necessary during the analysis at very low concentration levels.

Study on the level of dust concentration with affecting factors at a dust emissing workshops (분진 발생 작업장의 분진 발생 실태 및 영향인자에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Hee-Man;Kim, Don-Kyoun
    • 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.

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Health Vulnerability Assessment for PM10 in Busan (부산지역 미세먼지에 대한 건강 취약성 평가)

  • Lee, Won-Jung;Hwang, Mi-Kyoung;Kim, Yoo-Keun
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.40 no.5
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    • pp.355-366
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    • 2014
  • Objectives: This study seeks to evaluate the vulnerability assessment of the human health sector for $PM_{10}$, which is reflected in the regional characteristics and related disease mortality rates for $PM_{10}$ in Busan over the period of 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ is comprised of the categories of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indexes of the exposure and sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on vulnerability to $PM_{10}$. Variables of each category were standardized by the rescaling method, and each regional relative vulnerability was computed through the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The regions with a high exposure index are Jung-Gu (transportation region) and Saha-Gu (industrial region). Major factors determining the exposure index are the $PM_{10}$ concentration, days of $PM_{10}{\geq}50$, ${\mu}g/m^3$, and $PM_{10}$ emissions. The regions that show a high sensitivity index are urban and rural regions; these commonly have a high mortality rate for related disease and vulnerable populations. The regions that have a high adaptive capacity index are Jung-Gu, Gangseo-Gu, and Busanjin-Gu, all of which have a high level of economic/welfare/health care factors. The high-vulnerability synthesis of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indexes show that Dong-Gu and Seo-Gu have a risk for $PM_{10}$ potential effects and a low adaptive capacity. Conclusions: This study presents the vulnerability index to $PM_{10}$ through a relative comparison using quantitative evaluation to draw regional priorities. Therefore, it provides basic data to reflect environmental health influences in favor of an adaptive policy limiting damage to human health caused by vulnerability to $PM_{10}$.

Determination of Spectrum-Exposure Rate Conversion Factor for a Portable High Purity Germanium Detector (휴대형 고순도 게르마늄검출기에 대한 스펙트럼-조사선량율 변환연산자의 결정)

  • Kwak, Sang-Soo;Park, Chong-Mook;Ro, Seung-Gy
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.29-40
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    • 1988
  • A spectrum-exposure rate conversion operator G(E) for a portable HPGe detector used for field environmental radiation survey was theoretically developed on the basis of a space distribution function of gamma flux emitted from a disk source and an areal efficiency of the detector. The radiation exposure rates measured using this G(E) and the portable HPGe. detector connected to a portable multichannel analyzer were compared with those measured by a 3' ${\phi}\;{\times}$3' NaI(Tl) scintillation detector with the reported G(E) and a pressurized ionization chamber. A comparison of the three results showed that the result obtained using the HPGe detector was lower than those determined using the NaI(Tl) detector and ionization chamber by 17% to 29%, The difference obtained is close to that reported in literature. The method developed here can be easily applicable to obtain a G(E) factor suitable to any detector for detecting the exposure rate of environmental gamma radiation, since the spectrum-exposure rate conversion operator can be calculated by a hand calculator.

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Applicability of hiding-exposure effect to suspension simulation of fine sand bed (가는 모래의 부유 모의시 차폐효과 고려의 영향)

  • Byun, Jisun;Son, Minwoo
    • Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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    • v.54 no.8
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    • pp.607-616
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    • 2021
  • The purpose of this study is to simulate the transport of nonuniform sediment considering the hiding-exposure effect numerically. In order to calculate the transport of multi-disperse suspended sediment mixtures, the set of advection-diffusion equations for each particle class is solved. The applicability of the numerical model is examined by comparing the simulation results with experimental data. In this study, we calculate the vertical distribution of total concentration of sediment particles using two approaches: (1) by considering the mixture as represented by a single size; and (2) by combining the concentration of the sediment corresponding to several particle size classes; From the simulation results, it is shown that both approaches calculate reasonable results due to the narrow range of size distribution. Under the condition of nonuniform sediment, the critical shear stress of the sediment particle is influenced by the size-selective entrainment, i.e., hiding-exposure effect. It is shown in this study that the effect of hiding-exposure effect on the erosion rates of fine sand is negligibly small.

SUMRAY: R and Python Codes for Calculating Cancer Risk Due to Radiation Exposure of a Population

  • Michiya Sasaki;Kyoji Furukawa;Daiki Satoh;Kazumasa Shimada;Shin'ichi Kudo;Shunji Takagi;Shogo Takahara;Michiaki Kai
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.90-99
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    • 2023
  • Background: Quantitative risk assessments should be accompanied by uncertainty analyses of the risk models employed in the calculations. In this study, we aim to develop a computational code named SUMRAY for use in cancer risk projections from radiation exposure taking into account uncertainties. We also aim to make SUMRAY publicly available as a resource for further improvement of risk projection. Materials and Methods: SUMRAY has two versions of code written in R and Python. The risk models used in SUMRAY for all-solid-cancer mortality and incidence were those published in the Life Span Study of a cohort of the atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The confidence intervals associated with the evaluated risks were derived by propagating the statistical uncertainties in the risk model parameter estimates by the Monte Carlo method. Results and Discussion: SUMRAY was used to calculate the lifetime or time-integrated attributable risks of cancer under an exposure scenario (baseline rates, dose[s], age[s] at exposure, age at the end of follow-up, sex) specified by the user. The results were compared with those calculated using another well-known web-based tool, Radiation Risk Assessment Tool (RadRAT; National Institutes of Health), and showed a reasonable agreement within the estimated confidential interval. Compared with RadRAT, SUMRAY can be used for a wide range of applications, as it allows the risk projection with arbitrarily specified risk models and/or population reference data. Conclusion: The reliabilities of SUMRAY with the present risk-model parameters and their variance-covariance matrices were verified by comparing them with those of the other codes. The SUMRAY code is distributed to the public as an open-source code under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology license.

Development of Copper Corrosion Products and Relation between Surface Appearance and Corrosion Rate

  • Tran, Thi Ngoc Lan;Nguyen, Thi Thanh Binh;Nguyen, Nhi Tru;Yoshino, Tsujino;Yasuki, Maeda
    • Corrosion Science and Technology
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.99-111
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    • 2008
  • Copper was exposed unsheltered and sheltered in four humid tropical sites, representing urban, urban-industrial, urban-marine and rural environments. The corrosion rates and the sequence of corrosion product formation are presented and discussed in relation with climatic and atmospheric pollution parameters. Chemical compositions of corrosion products were found to depend on environments and duration of exposure. In all environments, cuprite was the predominating corrosion product that formed first and continuously increased during the exposure. Among the sulphur-containing corrosion products, posnjakite and brochantite were more frequently found and the first formed earlier. Nantokite was the most common chlorine-containing products for most cases, except the high-chloride environment, where atacamite was detected instead. The corrosion rate of copper was well indicated by the colour of patina. The red-purple colour corresponded to the high corrosion rate and the greenish grey colour corresponded to the low corrosion rate. Corrosion rate of sheltered copper in urban-marine environment increased with the exposure time.

Selection of Priority Areas Based on Human and Economic Risk from Exposure to Fine Particles in Seoul (서울 대기 중 미세 먼지 노출로 인한 위해도에 근거한 우선 관리 지역 선정 -이론적 사망 위해도 및 손실비용을 근거로-)

  • Kim Ye-Shin;Lee Yong-Jin;Shin Dong-Chun
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.49-58
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    • 2004
  • It is important to select a risk based priority area for environmental policy formation and decision-making. We estimated the health risks and associated damage costs from exposure to fine particles and assigned priority areas for twenty -five districts in Seoul. In order to estimate the theoretical mortality incidence of the health risk, baseline risks were estimated from mortality rates in two low level areas of fine particles, Seocho Gu and Cheju city To estimate the damage cost from the risk estimates, we investigated and estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for specific risk reduction. We assumed two different locations as the reference area, Cheju city as Scenario I and Seocho gu as Scenario II. From the results, the five districts, Kwangjin, Chungnang, Kangbuk, Nowon, and Kangnam, ranked high in the categories of both health risk and economic risk. Damage costs were over twenty billion won in each of these districts. As there are uncertainties in these results, the parameter values such as PM$_{2.5}$ level, dose -response slope factor, baseline risk, exposure population and WTP should be continuously validated and refined.d.

Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygenation on Pulmonary Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Neonatal and Adult Rats (고압산소환경이 신생 및 성숙백서의 폐 superoxide dismutase 활성도에 미치는 영향에 관한 실험적 연구)

  • Ahn, Hyeong-Sik;Cho, Soo-Hun;Yun, Dork-Ro;Lee, Dong-Ryool;Kim, Yong-Sik
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.22 no.1 s.25
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    • pp.51-56
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    • 1989
  • To investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on superoxide dismutase activity, neonatal rats (7-10 days old) and adult rats (approximately 100 days old) were continuously exposed to hyperbaric oxygen environment of 2.4ATA for 8 hours and their superoxide dismutase activity were measured. Neonatal rats, all survived through exposure, showed significant increases in the pulmonary superoxide dismutase activity at immediately and 24 hours after exposure. Adult rats, whose 8 hour survival rates were 14%, did not show any significant increase in the activity of pulmonary superoxide dismutase as compared to the control adult rats. These findings are indicating that increased tolerance to oxygen toxicity in neonatal animals during exposure may be attributed to the increase in activity of superoxide dismutase in neonatal rats.

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An Effect of Cold Environment on Human's Physiological Responses and Task Performances (저온 작업환경이 인간의 생리적 반응 및 작업 수행도에 미치는 영향)

  • Ku, Hak-Keun;Kwak, Hyo-Yean
    • Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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    • v.31 no.5
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    • pp.622-629
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    • 2007
  • Some worker is occupationally exposed to cold and freezing environment. The cold stimuli in the working environment impose physiological and psychological loads on workers to decrease the task performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cold stimuli of cold and freezing stores widely used in Busan can make an effect on human's physiological responses and task performance, experimentally and analytically. In the experiment, 5 workers are selected as subjects, and then their skin temperatures of hand and ear, heart rates, blood pressure, and ring test performances in cold($3^{\circ}C$) and freezing($-22^{\circ}C$) stores were measured for 21 minutes and analyzed by using statistical method. It is observed that a physiological variation and the task performance are significantly influenced by an exposure time as well as a strength of cold stimuli. Also, it is suggested the exposure limiting times for the useful manual work and the performance predict model of the ring tasks. The result of this study will be useful for a fundamental data of which design the standard task time of manual tasks and solve the job placement problem of worker selection and placement in cold environment.