• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.426-437
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• 2013

Objective: Gotjawal refers to a special geographical designation found in Jeju Province, Korea, where vegetation forms over a rocky area. Due to the important ecological value of Gotjawal, international concern about such areas is growing. However, only limited information is available regarding environmental contamination of Gotjawal. This study was conducted in order to investigate the levels of contamination and associated ecotoxicological effects of surface water bodies in Gotjawal. Methods: Surface water samples were collected at three sampling sites in two Gotjawal areas and were analyzed for several pharmaceuticals and pesticides in consideration of the potential sources of contamination. The ecotoxicity of the samples was measured using water fleas (Daphnia magna and Moina macrocopa) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). In addition, effects on the gene transcription of zebrafish were investigated following exposure to the samples. Results: Nine pharmaceuticals were detected in the samples, but none of the target pesticides were detected. Following acute exposure to two surface water samples, the survival of waterfleas was significantly reduced, but reproduction was not affected. In zebrafish, time-to-hatch was delayed and fry survival was decreased in some samples. On the other hand, at the transcriptional level, there were no genes significantly influenced by exposure to the samples. Conclusion: This is the first study investigating environmental contamination in Gotjawal areas and associated ecotoxicities. Further studies are warranted to identify the cause of acute Daphnia toxicity and to determine potential consequences of longer-term exposure in Gotjawal areas.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.158-164
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• 2017

Objectives: To identify bacterial contamination rates of laryngoscope blades and handles stored in emergency crash carts by hospital and area according to the frequency of intubation attempts. Methods: One hundred forty-eight handles and 71 blades deemed ready for patient use from two tertiary hospitals were sampled with sterile swabs using a standardized rolling technique. Samples were considered negative (not contaminated) if no colonies were present on the blood agar plate after an 18-hour incubation period. Samples were stratified by hospital and according to the frequency of intubation attempts (10 attempts per year) using the ${\chi}^2-test$ and Fisher exact test. Results: One or more species of bacteria were isolated from 4 (5.6%) handle tops, 20 (28.2%) handles with knurled surfaces, and 27 (18.2%) blades. No significant differences were found in microbial contamination levels on the handle tops and blades between the two hospitals and two areas according to the frequency of intubation attempts. However, significant differences were found between the two hospitals and two areas in the level of microbial contamination on the handles with knurled surfaces (p<0.05). Conclusions: Protocols and policies must be reviewed to standardize procedures to clean and disinfect laryngoscope blades and handles; handles should be re-designed to eliminate points of contact with the blade; and single-use, one-piece laryngoscopes should be introduced.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.102-112
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• 2024

Background: Despite the rise in the number of domestic indoor climbing gyms, there is a lack of specific hygiene standards and research on the holds installed in them. Holds can act as vectors for microbial transmission through the hands, posing a risk of infectious diseases, especially with damaged skin. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the contamination level and species of microorganisms on holds according to the management methods practiced in indoor climbing gyms and identify effective strategies for reducing microbial contamination. Methods: We investigated factors that may influence microbial contamination of holds, including hold management methods, user information, and hygiene management at three climbing gyms in Seoul. A total of 72 holds were sampled, 18 for each management method of brushing, high-pressure washing, and ethanol disinfection. Samples were cultured on LB and blood agar at 37℃ for 48 hours to calculate CFUs. PCR assay targeting 16S rRNA was carried out to identify microorganisms. Dunn-Bonferroni was employed to see the microbial reduction effect of the management method and the difference in microbial contamination by management method and climbing gym. Results: As a result of microbial identification, microorganisms such as Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Micrococcus, which were derived from various environments such as skin and soil, were discovered on the surface of the climbing hold. Among the discovered microorganisms, some species had potential pathogenic properties that could cause food poisoning, gastrointestinal disease, bacteremia, and sepsis. All hold management methods were effective in reducing microorganisms (p<0.05), with ethanol disinfection being the most effective (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our results indicate that there are potential pathogens on holds that demand thorough management for microbial prevention. Proposed methods include regular brushing and ethanol disinfection in addition to high-pressure washing with long cycles, which are the existing forms of hold management. Further studies on shoe management are advised to curb soil-derived microorganisms.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.1 s.88
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• pp.46-52
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• 2006

Results for the concentrations of total polychlorinated biphenyls (total PCBs) and the PCB profile with different types of leaves from four coniferous trees (pine needles) at the same sampling site are presented. Concentrations of total PCBs detected in pine needles were very similar among them regardless of their different types of leaves, which means a possibility for bio-monitoring regional contamination of PCBs. Correlation coefficients(r) of PCB congeners between pine needles were very significant (r>0.97, p<0.001), which showed that PCB congener's patterns of each pine needle were similar. Profiles of PCBs detected in pine needles showed correlation with gaseous phase PCBs in air, otherwise not with particle phase PCBs in air. Therefore, it was estimated that dry gaseous deposition was a principal pathway of PCBs accumulation in pine needles. In addition, although we analyse a different types of leaves in pine needles at the same region, they can be used to identify regional contamination patterns of PCBs for larger regions.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2006

Recently, diagnosis techniques have been investigated to detect a Partial Discharge associated with a dielectric material defect in a high voltage electrical apparatus, However, the properties of detection technique of Partial Discharge aren't completely understood because the physical process of Partial Discharge. Therefore, this paper analyzes the process on surface discharge of polymer insulator using wavelet transform. Wavelet transform provides a direct quantitative measure of spectral content in the time~frequency domain. As it is important to develop a non-contact method for detecting the kaolin contamination degree, this research analyzes the electromagnetic waves emitted from Partial Discharge using wavelet transform. This result experimentally shows the process of Partial Discharge as a two-dimensional distribution in the time-frequency domain. Feature extraction parameter namely, maximum and average of wavelet coefficients values, wavelet coefficients value at the point of $95\%$ in a histogram and number of maximum wavelet coefficient have used electromagnetic wave signals as input signals in the preprocessing process of neural networks in order to identify kaolin contamination rates. As result, root sum square error was produced by the test with a learning of neural networks obtained 0.00828.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2004

Since dioxins became a serious concern in Korea, a significant number of investigations have been conducted to address diverse issues related to dioxins. However, the results have not been organized for ready access and use. The principal purposes of the work were to ⅰ) provide an archive of dioxin researches in Korea and ⅱ) give an overview of dioxin contamination. The focus of this work was placed on the contamination levels and characteristics concerning the waste incinerators emissions, environmental media, and biological samples(fishes/shellfishes, foods, and human body). Principal component analysis was conducted to identify common and/or unique features and the important variables associated with the congener patterns. From a comprehensive search of academic journals, research and monitoring project reports, dissertations, and periodicals of other forms, a total of 115 counts were found that met the purposes of this study. The contamination levels of various samples were summarized and compared to those reported in foreign literatures. The congener patterns varied largely with environmental media and distinguished particularly by OCDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF, and OCDF for the samples within the same media. The proximity to emission sources differentiated the congener patterns in air and soil samples by the fraction of OCDD.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2000

The aerodynamic characteristics of large transport vehicle has become more and more important in recent vehicle design to improve driving performance in high speed cruising and raise the product valve with regard to a comfortable driving condition. Hence, detailed knowledge of the flow field around truck coner vane is essential to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the dirt contamination on vehicle body surface. In this study, three-dimensional flow characteristics around corner vane attached to truck cabin were computed for the steady, incompressible, and high speed viscous flow, adopting the RNG k-$\varepsilon$ turbulence model. In order to investigate the influence of configuration and structure of corner vane, computations were carried out for four cases at a high Reynolds number, Re=4.1$\times$106 (based on the cabin height). The global flow patterns, drag coefficient and the distributions such as velocity magnitude, turbulent kinetic energy around the corner vane, were examined. As a result of this study, we could identify the flow characteristics around corner vane for the variation of corner vane length and width. Also, suggest the improved structure to reduce the dirt contamination in cabin side.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.169-174
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• 2014

We have been examining the issue of healthcare workers' exposure to antineoplastic drugs for nearly a decade and have observed that there appears to be more publications on the subject matter originating from Europe than from North America. The concern is that findings from Europe may not be generalizable to North America because of differences in handling practices, regulatory requirements, and training. Our objective was to perform a literature review to confirm our observation and, in turn, identify gaps in knowledge that warrants addressing in North America. Using select keywords, we searched for publications in PubMed and Web of Science. All papers were initially classified according to the originating continent and then categorized into one or more subject categories (analytical methods, biological monitoring, occupational exposure, surface contamination, and probability of risk/exposure). Our review identified 16 papers originating from North America and 55 papers from Europe with surface contamination being the subject matter most often studied overall. Based on our results, we are of the opinion that North American researchers need to further conduct dermal and/or urinary drug contamination studies as well as assess the exposure risk faced by healthcare workers who handle antineoplastic drugs. Trends in exposure levels should also be explored.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.53-58
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• 2023

The storage capacity of 3D-NAND flash memory has been enhanced by the multi-layer dielectrics. The deposition process has become more challenging due to the tight process margin and the demand for accurate process control. To reduce product costs and ensure successful processes, process diagnosis techniques incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) have been adopted in semiconductor manufacturing. Recently there is a growing interest in process diagnosis, and numerous studies have been conducted in this field. For higher model accuracy, various process and sensor data are required, such as optical emission spectroscopy (OES), quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), and equipment control state. Among them, OES is usually used for plasma diagnostic. However, OES data can be distorted by viewport contamination, leading to misunderstandings in plasma diagnosis. This issue is particularly emphasized in multi-dielectric deposition processes, such as oxide and nitride (ON) stack. Thus, it is crucial to understand the potential misunderstandings related to OES data distortion due to viewport contamination. This paper explores the potential for misunderstanding OES data due to data distortion in the ON stack process. It suggests the possibility of excessively evaluating process drift through comparisons with a QMS. This understanding can be utilized to develop diagnostic models and identify the effects of viewport contamination in ON stack processes.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.195-206
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• 2014

In this study, soil contamination maps related to Cu and Pb were created at the Busan abandoned mine in Korea using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence(XRF) and Geographic Information Systems(GIS). Hydrological analysis was performed using the Digital Elevation Model(DEM) of the study area to identify the flow directions of surface runoff where pollutants can be dispersed from the soil contamination sources. 24 locations for measuring the soil contamination related to Cu and Pb were selected by considering the result of hydrological analysis. The results measured at the 24 locations using the handheld XRF showed that the highest value of Cu contamination is 8,255ppm and that of Pb is 2,146ppm. The field investigation data were entered into ArcGIS software, and then soil contamination maps regarding Cu and Pb with a 5m grid-spacing were created after performing spatial interpolations using the ordinary kriging method. As a result, we could know that high concentrations of Cu and Pb are presented at the waste and tailings dumps around the abandoned mine openings. This study also showed that the handheld XRF and GIS can be utilized to create soil contamination maps related to Cu and Pb in the field.