• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.239-248
• /
• 2009

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science in the United States concluded in its 2004 report that excessive indoor dampness is a public health hazard and that its prevention should be a public health goal. Water damage in buildings, such as leaks from roofs, walls, or windows, may increase indoor moisture levels. Excessive dampness may promote microbial proliferation in indoor environments, increase occupants' exposure to microbial agents, and eventually produce adverse health effects in building occupants. Epidemiological studies to demonstrate the causal association between exposure to indoor microbial agents and health effects require reliable exposure assessment tools. In this review, I discuss various sampling and analytical methods to assess human exposure to biological agents in indoor environments, their strengths and weaknesses, and recent trends in research and practice in the USA.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.310-322
• /
• 1997

New limits of comfort boundary, psychological damage boundary and exposure limit for building residents by continuous and vibration are suggested. These limits are derived from the ISO 2631 and DIN 4150 regulations. A reasonable method to evaluate damages by vibrations is also suggested using the "total over-exposure of vibration" concept.; concept.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.176-177
• /
• 2005

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.195-200
• /
• 2014

The chances of accidental exposure are augmented as the application of ionizing radiation increases in various fields. Such accidental exposures may occur at nuclear power plants, laboratories, and hospitals. Cytogenetic assays have been used for estimating radiation dose in the situation of the accidents. The micronucleus assay has several advantages over the other cytogenetic methods as it is simple and fast. The present study aimed at investigation of the micronuclei frequencies in cytokinesis-block cells in human blood lymphocytes after ${\gamma}$-irradiation and at establishment of a standard dose response relationship. The samples of peripheral blood were obtained from 6 different donors aged between 24 and 30 years old. The bloods were irradiated in vitro with 0-5 Gy. A linear quadratic dose-response equation was obtained by scoring the micronuclei in binucleated cells; $y=27.87x^2+46.13x+2.08$ ($r^2=0.99$). Irradiation caused a significant decrease in the nuclear division index. Necrotic and apoptotic cells increased in number after irradiation in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the conventional cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay has proven to be the great technique in biological dosimetry. Dose-response calibration curve derived from CMBN assay could be used to estimate the exposure dose during a radiological emergency.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.606-615
• /
• 2003

This study examined the effects of exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phone on human cognitive function. Total volunteers were twenty and volunteers were separated in two groups. One is teenager group, and the other is adult group. Test was performed in the counterbalanced order(sham-real, real-sham). Subject remained blind to mobile phone status during the exam. The result showed that the exposure to the electromagnetic field significantly speeded up response time fur teenager group. This results suggest that exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by cellular phones may have a mild facilitating effect on cognitive function in teenager group.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2012

Differentially expressed genes by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were identified in order to evaluate them as dioxin-sensitive markers and crucial signaling molecules to understand dioxin-induced toxic mechanisms in human bronchial cells. Gene expression profiling was analyzed by cDNA microarray and ten genes were selected for further study. They were cytochrome P450, family 1, subfamily B, polypeptide 1 (CYP1B1), S100 calcium binding protein A8 (calgranulin A), S100 calcium binding protein A9 (calgranulin B), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member A3 (ALDH6) and peroxiredoxin 5 (PRDX5) in up-regulated group. Among them, CYP1B1 was used as a hallmark for dioxin and sharply increased by TCDD exposure. Down-regulated genes were IK cytokine, interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1), nuclease sensitive element binding protein 1 (NSEP1), protein tyrosine phosphatase type VI A, member 1 (PTP4A1), ras oncogene family 32 (RAB32). Although up-regulated 4 genes in microarray were coincided with northern hybridization, down-regulated 5 genes showed U-shaped expression pattern which is sharply decreased at lower doses and gradually increased at higher doses. These results introduce some of TCDD-responsive genes can be sensitive markers against TCDD exposure and used as signaling cues to understand toxicity initiated by TCDD inhalation in pulmonary tissues.

• Journal of Smart Tourism
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.5-10
• /
• 2022

CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) is everywhere. This research explores whether and how travelers' upfront exposure to a CAPTCHA influences their subsequent behaviors. In the travel decision-making context, we investigated the relationship between CAPTCHA and travelers' hotel preferences and intent to use cryptocurrency during the trip. In two experimental studies, we found that travelers exposed to a CAPTCHA (vs. not) preferred a robot-staffed to a human-staffed hotel (Study 1) and a pro-environmental to a quality hotel (Study 2). Exposure to a CAPTCHA also influences travelers' intent to use cryptocurrency during travel (Study 2). Preference for a pro-environmental hotel does not depend on the formats of CAPTCHA ("I am not a robot" or "I am human") while intent to use cryptocurrency is higher when travelers were exposed to the "I am not a robot" than "I am human" CAPTCHA. The results of two exploratory studies suggest several potential mechanisms by which CAPTCHAs affect travelers' behaviors and call for more research on this topic.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
• /
• 2001.11a
• /
• pp.433-438
• /
• 2001

This study is performed to evaluate hand-arm vibration syndrome(HA VS) of the workers in swaging process. Vibration measurement and assessment of human exposure are based on the international standard(ISO 5349). Triaxial acceleration of each operation and exposure time are measured to predict the periods before finger blanching, As results, it is found that acceleration is concerned with the diameter of pipes in swaging process, and also found that combined work is more harmful than a single operation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2024

Exponential growth has been observed in nuclear medicine procedures worldwide in the past decades. The considerable increase is attributed to the advance of positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography, as well as the introduction of new radiopharmaceuticals. Although nuclear medicine procedures provide undisputable diagnostic and therapeutic benefits to patients, the substantial increase in radiation exposure to nuclear medicine patients raises concerns about potential adverse health effects and calls for the urgent need to monitor exposure levels. In the current article, model-based internal dosimetry methods were reviewed, focusing on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) formalism, biokinetic data, human anatomy models (stylized, voxel, and hybrid computational human phantoms), and energy spectrum data of radionuclides. Key results from many articles on nuclear medicine dosimetry and comparisons of dosimetry quantities based on different types of human anatomy models were summarized. Key characteristics of seven model-based dose calculation tools were tabulated and discussed, including dose quantities, computational human phantoms used for dose calculations, decay data for radionuclides, biokinetic data, and user interface. Lastly, future research needs in nuclear medicine dosimetry were discussed. Model-based internal dosimetry methods were reviewed focusing on MIRD formalism, biokinetic data, human anatomy models, and energy spectrum data of radionuclides. Future research should focus on updating biokinetic data, revising energy transfer quantities for alimentary and gastrointestinal tracts, accounting for body size in nuclear medicine dosimetry, and recalculating dose coefficients based on the latest biokinetic and energy transfer data.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.11 no.1_2
• /
• pp.19-29
• /
• 1996

Human exposure to volatile compounds in tap water can occur from inhalation and dermal absorption as well as direct ingestion. The relative contribution to total human exposure from these pathways has been considered to be important especially for VOC's (volatile organic compounds). In an attempt to reduce the uncertainty of the risk assessment, it has been suggested that the exposure assessment process could be significantly improved by adopting Monte-Carlo simulation. However, there is no actual data in Korea for each exposure parameter to determine the level of exposure, and the distributional pattern. Therefore, we surveyed water use patterns and behavior related to multi-route exposure to VOC's in household tap water in Korea, and compared these values to the those in western countries. In the first survey, we calculated daily water intake using data from a sample of 1322 persons of several cities in Korea. In the second survey, we obtained questionnaire data on exposure time for showering, bathing and household activities, and tap water intake from 851households in Korea. In the last survey, we measured the exposure parameters (exposure time, water use rate etc.) related to showers, baths, toilets, dish washing, washing and cooking, and tap water intake was surveyed. Also, the subjects were measured their body weight, height and tidal volume, etc. A diary, a flow meter and a measuring cup were used to measure these values as precisely as possible. Average daily water intake was ranged 0.79-1.71 L/day for adults in three surveys. Tap water intake measured by log-sheet during one week in third survey was 1.26 (average), 1.98 L/day (90 percentlie), respectively. These results were comparable with results from EPA (1.4, 2L/day). The average amount of water used by housewives in the third survey was 515.0 $\pm$ 564.6L/day. In usual activity, the amount of water used in the bathroom, the laundry and the kitchen was 140.0 $\pm$ 538.9, 148.0 $\pm$ 174.5, 229.3 $\pm$ 205.4 L/day, respectively. Exposure parameters such as water intake rate, exposure duration, body weight, inhalation rates in surveyed data of Korean people differed from those published from western countries. This could be attributed to variations in lifestyle, dietary habits and physiological characteristics.