• Title/Summary/Keyword: Exposure scenarios

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Total human exposure assessment for environmental pollutants using multimedia and multiroute scenarios in Korea

  • Yang, J-Y;Lim, Y-W;Kim, Y-S;Ho, M-K;Kim, Y-S;Shin, D-C
    • Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.145-145
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    • 2003
  • In the case of POPs (persistence organic. compounds) that have been release into environment, the goal of exposure assessment is to estimate the individual's total intake through various contact media and exposure pathways. The objective of this study was to estimate human exposure to environmental pollutants using a multimedia/multiroute scenario in an urban area of Korea.

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Cadmium Exposure and Potential Health Risk from Foods in Contaminated Area, Thailand

  • Chunhabundit, Rodjana
    • Toxicological Research
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    • v.32 no.1
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    • pp.65-72
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    • 2016
  • Man-made cadmium (Cd) emissions can be transported between environmental matrices and the food chain. Food is the primary source of Cd exposure among general population as a consequence of the bioconcentration of Cd from soil. Chronic Cd exposure has been reported to be associated with chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established the safe level of Cd intake as provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) of $25{\mu}g/kg\;bw$ in 2010. The major food groups that contribute to the most Cd exposure are rice and grains, shellfish and sea food, meat including edible offal, and vegetables. A number of studies reported the high Cd contaminated levels in foods from polluted areas in Thailand. The results are of high concern since the contaminations occur in foods that are major Cd contributors. Thus, in this review, the current situations of Cd contaminated foods in polluted areas of Thailand are summarized. In addition, the Cd intakes from selected scenarios are estimated to assess the potential health risk to consumers and the suggestions are also included.

Evaluation Method of Urban Development Location by APEI (Air Pollution Exposure Index) (대기오염 노출지표에 의한 도시개발 입지의 평가에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Ki-Bum;Kwon, Woo-Taeg;Kim, Hyung-Chul
    • Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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    • v.16 no.4
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    • pp.267-275
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    • 2007
  • In this study, relationship between the air pollution of Siheung city and the relative contribution of automobiles to the city's pollution was evaluated for the first time. Then, new air pollution exposure index was developed through simulation. Using the newly developed index, two different urban development scenarios were compared to present a sustainable urban development plan to reduce air pollution from the land utilization point of view. According to the result of this simulation, air quality of the city was found to be affected significantly by human activities. More populated area showed worse level of air quality. Any development in the city resulted in more automobile activity and deterioration of air quality. This simulation result thus explains that a rapid increase of automobiles accompanied by the land development near local roadsides in the city is the major cause of air pollution in Siheung city. In this study, if urban activities are vigorous in an area with high air pollution, people are more likely to be exposed to air pollutant under the bad environmental conditions. On the other hand, if urban activities are less vigorous in an area with high pollution or if urban activities are vigorous in an area with less pollution, the environmental condition was positive. The APEI (Air Pollution Exposure Index) was developed based on these considerations. Scenarios 1 and 2 were compared and analyzed using APEI. In result, scenario 1 is the case in which land is developed and used in an environmentally favorable manner. From this study, it was proved that the impact of air pollution on human health can be minimized with proper land use. The result form the current study can be used as the basic information to solve problems from improper land utilization and air pollution (by road traffic). It also can be utilized to evaluate air pollution level according to land use and road characteristics and to help to choose the best location of land use to comply with the road function and status.

The Status of Soil and Groundwater Contamination in Japan and Case Studies of their Remediation (일본의 토양지하수오염 및 복원사례)

  • Komai, Takeshi;Kawabe, Yoshishige
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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    • 2003.04a
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    • pp.25-39
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    • 2003
  • Risk and exposure assessment for subsurface environment is very important for both aspects of health and environmental protection as well as making decision of remedial goal for engineering activities. Exposure due to hazardous chemicals in the subsurface environment is essential to assess risk lev121 to individual person, especially from soil and groundwater environmental media. In this paper, the status of soil and groundwater contamination is presented to discuss on the problem for environmental risk assessment. The methodologies of fate and exposure models are also discussed by conducting the case studies of exposure assessment for heavy metals, organic compounds, and dioxin compounds. In addition, the structure of exposure models and available data for model calculation are examined to make clear more realistic exposure scenarios and the application to the practical environmental issues. Three kinds of advanced remediation techniques for soil and groundwater contamination are described in this paper, The most practical method for VOCs is the bio-remediation technique in which biological process due to consortium of microorganisms can be applied. For more effective remediation of soil contaminated by heavy metals we have adopted the soil flushing technique and clean-up system using electro-kinetic method. We have also developed the advanced techniques of geo-melting method for soil contaminated by DXNs and PCB compounds. These techniques are planed to introduce and to apply for a lot of contaminated sites in Japan.

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Indoor Radon and Lung Cancer: Estimation of Attributable Risk, Disease Burden, and Effects of Mitigation

  • Kim, Si-Heon;Koh, Sang-Baek;Lee, Cheol-Min;Kim, Changsoo;Kang, Dae Ryong
    • Yonsei Medical Journal
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    • v.59 no.9
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    • pp.1123-1130
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    • 2018
  • Purpose: Exposure to indoor radon is associated with lung cancer. This study aimed to estimate the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to indoor radon exposure, its burden of disease, and the effects of radon mitigation in Korea in 2010. Materials and Methods: Lung cancer deaths due to indoor radon exposure were estimated using exposure-response relations reported in previous studies. Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated to quantify disease burden in relation to premature deaths. Mitigation effects were examined under scenarios in which all homes with indoor radon concentrations above a specified level were remediated below the level. Results: The estimated number of lung cancer deaths attributable to indoor radon exposure ranged from 1946 to 3863, accounting for 12.5-24.7% of 15623 total lung cancer deaths in 2010. YLLs due to premature deaths were estimated at 43140-101855 years (90-212 years per 100000 population). If all homes with radon levels above $148Bq/m^3$ are effectively remediated, 502-732 lung cancer deaths and 10972-18479 YLLs could be prevented. Conclusion: These findings suggest that indoor radon exposure contributes considerably to lung cancer, and that reducing indoor radon concentration would be helpful for decreasing the disease burden from lung cancer deaths.

Radiological Safety Assessment for a Near-Surface Disposal Facility Using RESRAD-ONSITE Code

  • Jang, Jiseon;Kim, Tae-Man;Cho, Chun-Hyung;Lee, Dae Sung
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.123-132
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    • 2021
  • Radiological impact analyses were carried out for a near-surface radioactive waste repository at Gyeongju in South Korea. The RESRAD-ONSITE code was applied for the estimation of maximum exposure doses by considering various exposure pathways based on a land area of 2,500 ㎡ with a 0.15 m thick contamination zone. Typical influencing input parameters such as shield depth, shield materials' density, and shield erosion rate were examined for a sensitivity analysis. Then both residential farmer and industrial worker scenarios were used for the estimation of maximum exposure doses depending on exposure duration. The radiation dose evaluation results showed that 60Co, 137Cs, and 63Ni were major contributors to the total exposure dose compared with other radionuclides. Furthermore, the total exposure dose from ingestion (plant, meat, and milk) of the contaminated plants was more significant than those assessed for inhalation, with maximum values of 5.5×10-4 mSv·yr-1 for the plant ingestion. Thus the results of this study can be applied for determining near-surface radioactive waste repository conditions and providing quantitative analysis methods using RESRAD-ONSITE code for the safety assessment of disposing radioactive materials including decommissioning wastes to protect human health and the environment.

Numerical Investigation of Residual Strength of Steel Stiffened Panel Exposed to Hydrocarbon Fire

  • Kim, Jeong Hwan;Baeg, Dae Yu;Seo, Jung Kwan
    • Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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    • v.35 no.3
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    • pp.203-215
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    • 2021
  • Current industrial practices and approaches are simplified and do not describe the actual behavior of plated elements of offshore topside structures for safety design due to fires. Therefore, it is better to make up for the defective methods with integrated fire safety design methods based on fire resistance characteristics such as residual strength capacity. This study numerically investigates the residual strength of steel stiffened panels exposed to hydrocarbon jet fire. A series of nonlinear finite element analyses (FEAs) were carried out with varying probabilistic selected exposures in terms of the jet fire location, side, area, and duration. These were used to assess the effects of exposed fire on the residual strength of a steel stiffened panel on a ship-shaped offshore structure. A probabilistic approach with a feasible fire location was used to determine credible fire scenarios in association with thermal structural responses. Heat transfer analysis was performed to obtain the steel temperature, and then the residual strength was obtained for the credible fire scenarios under compressive axial loading using nonlinear FEA code. The results were used to derive closed-form expressions to predict the residual strength of steel stiffened panels with various exposure to jet fire characteristics. The results could be used to assess the sustainability of structures at risk of exposure to fire accidents in offshore installations.

Comparative Evaluation of Egg Quality in Response to Temperature Variability: From Farm to Table Exposure Scenarios

  • Ji-Hoon An;Youngmin Hwang;Sumin Hwang;Hyojin Kwon;Hyelim Gu;Kihwan Park;Changsun Choi
    • Food Science of Animal Resources
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    • v.43 no.6
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    • pp.1002-1016
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    • 2023
  • This study aimed to develop appropriate temperature management practices and provide scientific evidence to support the development of sell-by-date guidance for eggs. Washed and unwashed eggs were subjected to storage under six different scenarios, and both types of eggs were stored at temperatures up to 35℃ to evaluate the sell-by-date. Despite temperature fluctuations or continuous storage at 30℃ for 5 days, subsequent storage at 10℃ resulted in significantly higher Haugh unit and yolk index on day 15. These results indicate that refrigerating eggs from retail sales until consumption is effective for egg quality management, despite the exposure of up to 35℃ during distribution. In terms of sell-by-date evaluation, washed eggs retained class B quality for an additional 37 days beyond the recommended sell-by-date at 15℃, which is above the regulated storage temperature. However, unwashed eggs maintained class B quality for approximately 20 days at 30℃-35℃, emphasizing the need for sell-by-date guidelines for unwashed eggs. This study is the first to provide appropriate egg-handling practices based on the actual distribution environment in Korea.

Asbestos Exposure and Risk Assessment by ABS(Activity Based Sampling) for Former Asbestos Mining Areas in Korea (우리나라 일부 석면광산 지역에서 ABS를 이용한 석면노출 및 위해성 평가)

  • Lee, Junhyeok;Kim, Daejong;Choi, Sungwon;Kim, Hyunwook
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.72-81
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    • 2015
  • Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure and risk assessment of residents near asbestos mines in Korea. Methods: To assess asbestos types and airborne concentrations, air monitoring was performed in the neighborhoods of Kwangcheon (KC) and Sinsuk (SS) mines, which were leading South Korean mines in the past. In addition, activity-based-sampling (ABS) of residents' particular activities were conducted in order to estimate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risks (ELCRs) for the residents. Conclusions: The average concentration of airborne asbestos in KC was 0.0014 f/cc and 0.0015 f/cc by PCM and TEM, respectively. In SS it was equal at 0.0012 f/cc by PCM and TEM. No statistically significant difference was found in the average concentration of airborne asbestos between the two mines. The average asbestos concentration of ABS was 0.0048 f/cc (PCM) and 0.0042 f/cc (TEM) in KC, while it was 0.0137 f/cc (PCM) and 0.0125 f/cc (TEM) in SS. It was found that the average asbestos concentration of ABS in SS was statistically significantly higher than that of KC (p<0.01). The results of ELCRs by scenario in KC showed that the scenarios of bicycle, car, weed control, weed whacking, child playing in the dirt, and physical training fell within $1{\times}0^{-6}-1{\times}10^{-4}$, which is the acceptable range of ELCR. The scenarios of motorcycle, walker, digging, and field sweeping, however, exceeded the acceptable range. In SS, only the scenario of car fell within the acceptable range, while all of the other scenarios exceeded the acceptable range.