• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제31권
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• pp.11.1-11.6
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• 2016

Objectives A hazard assessment of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a commonly used workplace chemical, was conducted in order to protect the occupational health of workers. A literature review, consisting of both domestic and international references, examined the chemical management system, working environment, level of exposure, and possible associated risks. This information may be utilized in the future to determine appropriate exposure levels in working environments. Methods Hazard assessment was performed using chemical hazard information obtained from international agencies, such as Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-generated Screening Information Data Set and International Program on Chemical Safety. Information was obtained from surveys conducted by the Minister of Employment and Labor ("Survey on the work environment") and by the Ministry of Environment ("Survey on the circulation amount of chemicals"). Risk was determined according to exposure in workplaces and chemical hazard. Results In 229 workplaces over the country, 831 tons of DEHP have been used as plasticizers, insecticides, and ink solvent. Calculated 50% lethal dose values ranged from 14.2 to 50 g/kg, as determined via acute toxicity testing in rodents. Chronic carcinogenicity tests revealed cases of lung and liver degeneration, shrinkage of the testes, and liver cancer. The no-observed-adverse-effect level and the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level were determined to be 28.9 g/kg and 146.6 g/kg, respectively. The working environment assessment revealed the maximum exposure level to be $0.990mg/m^3$, as compared to the threshold exposure level of $5mg/m^3$. The relative risk of chronic toxicity and reproductive toxicity were 0.264 and 0.330, respectively, while the risk of carcinogenicity was 1.3, which is higher than the accepted safety value of one. Conclusions DEHP was identified as a carcinogen, and may be dangerous even at concentrations lower than the occupational exposure limit. Therefore, we suggest management of working environments, with exposure levels below $5mg/m^3$ and all workers utilizing local exhaust ventilation and respiratory protection when handling DEHP.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.26-33
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• 2001

The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ambient hexavalent chromium concentration and the concentration of the chromium in whole blood, plasma, erythrocytes, and its urinary excretion of male rats after inhalation exposure of sodium chromate during 1, 2, and 3 weeks. 1. Differences of mean chromium concentration in urine, whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma of male rats exposed to sodium chromate by exposure level were statistically significance, respectively. 2. At low and high exposure groups, differences of mean chromium concentration in urine, whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma of male rats by duration of inhalation exposure were statistically significance, respectively. 3. Ratio of whole blood chromium to plasma chromium increased with the increased duration of inhalation exposure of sodium chromate. 4. Ambient hexavalent chromium was positively and strongly correlated with in erythrocyte chromium, and also erythrocyte chromium was strongly correlated with in whole blood chromium. In conclusion, this study showed that chromium in erythrocyte increased with the increased exposure level and exposure duration, therefore this study suggests that chromium in erythrocytes is a good biological exposure index of the internal dose from exposure to soluble hexavalent chromium compound.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.110-122
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• 2006

Objective : This study was conducted to quantify chronic lead exposure from various media(ie. working environment, food, ambient air), and to certify the usefulness of exposure assessment using Monte-Carlo simulation in the fields of occupational health. Methods : Data were obtained from Korean Industrial Health Association, Korea Food and Drug Administration, and the Ministry of Environment. Then lead worker's exposure was estimated indirectly from various media and parameters (ie. volume inhaled, body weight, dietary intake, etc.). Uncertainty was analyzed by Monte Carlo simulation with Crystal Ball software. Exposure doses and hazard indices were simulated with various hypothetical scenarios including weekly working hours and respiratory protective equipment. Results : Without respiratory protective equipment, the total exposure dose per kilogram of body weight of lead workers was estimated as $5.45{\times}10^{-3}mg/kg/day$, and hazard index was estimated as 2.26, and exposure contributions were calculated as follows : working environment(82.42 %); foods(17.57 %); and ambient air(0.01 %). But, if working condition has changed - reduction of working hours and using respiratory protective equipment, the total exposure dose per kilogram of body weight was estimated between $1.34{\times}10^{-3}-1.49{\times}10^{-3}mg/kg/day$, and hazard index was estimated between 0.56 - 0.62. Conclusions : This study suggested that occurrence of hazardous impact(ie. increased blood pressure) through lifetime lead exposure would be expected, and that the Monte-Carlo simulation was useful for the fields of occupational health.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.208-212
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• 2024

Background: Traffic accidents involving professional drivers have serious societal repercussions. Unique occupational stressors and health risks exacerbate the likelihood of traffic accidents among professional drivers. This study explores the association between presenteeism-impaired work performance due to working while unwell-and traffic accident risk among professional taxi drivers in Japan. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from June 2022 to February 2023, involving taxi drivers from a single company in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Presenteeism was assessed using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun). Primary outcome involved the number of self-reported minor traffic accidents. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of minor traffic accident occurrences was estimated using a Poisson regression analysis, adjusted for confounders including sex, age, and driving experience. Results: Of 838 targeted drivers, 435 were included in the analysis. Higher baseline work functioning impairment was associated with a significant trend of increasing IRR of minor traffic accidents (p for trend = 0.045). A dose-response relationship was seen between the degree of presenteeism and incidence rate of minor traffic accidents. Conclusion: Higher levels of presenteeism were associated with an increased risk of traffic accidents among taxi drivers. The findings underscore the need for socio-economic support and prioritized health management to mitigate traffic accident risk among professional drivers. This study highlights the importance of managing non-critical health issues alongside serious health conditions for safer driving practices among professional drivers in Japan.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.330-335
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• 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the mutagenicity of lithium carbonate, a bacterial reverse mutation(Ames) test was carried out using four strains of S. typhimurium(TA1535; TA1537; TA98; and TA100) and one strain of E. coli(WP2uvrA). Materials: This was carried out in a dose range from 312.5 to $5,000{\mu}g/plate$ in triplicate with and without S9 activation, which is the most commonly used metabolic activation system supplemented by a post-mitochondrial fraction prepared from the livers of rodents treated with enzyme-inducing agents such as Aroclor 1254 or a combination of phenobarbitone and ${\beta}$-naphthoflavone. Results: No significant increases in the number of revertants were observed under the conditions examined in this study. Conclusions: Based on the above observations, it can be concluded that lithium carbonate has no mutagenic activity. Despite the results, it can have an effect by inducing acute oral toxicity, eye irritation and acute aquatic toxicity. Based on this study, we suggest that future studies should be directed toward chronic, carcinogenic testing and other related areas.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.129-140
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• 2009

전산화 단층촬영은 폐질환의 정밀진단 방법으로 사용이 증가되고 있다. 통상적으로 시행되는 CT촬영은 조기 진단을 위한 선별검사로써는 높은 방사선 노출과 고비용, 조영제 사용으로 인한 부작용 등으로 적당하지 않다. 영상의학분야에서 방사선을 이용한 CT촬영은 진단 능력이 우수한 반면 피폭선량 또한 매우 높아 선량 감축을 위한 노력이 절실하다. 그동안 많은 연구들에서 무증상기의 폐암 및 폐질환을 조기 발견하기 위한 선별검사로써 저선량 CT의 유용성에 대해 이루어져 왔고, 의미있는 결과를 보고하였다. 선량 감소에 많은 인자가 관여하고 있지만 조사선량(mAs)의 감소가 가장 많이 사용되고 있다. 이미 보고 된 많은 연구에서 저선량 CT는 폐질환을 조기 발견하기 위한 선별검사로써 임상에서 사용하기에 유용하지만, 일부 연구에서 조기 폐암을 예측할 수 있는 작은 결절을 발견하는데 낮은 민감도와 특이도를 보였고, 실제 생존율 증가에는 기여하지 못한 보고도 있었다. 따라서, 지금까지의 저선량 CT에 대한 연구결과를 토대로 다양한 위험에 노출된 집단을 대상으로 선량을 감소시키기 위한 연구가 계속적으로 이루어진다면, 향후 저선량 CT촬영은 폐암을 비롯한 폐질환의 조기진단 방법으로써 통상적으로 사용되고 있는 표준 CT촬영을 충분히 대체할 수 있을 것으로 전망한다.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1998년도 춘계학술발표회논문집(2)
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• pp.577-582
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• 1998

In nuclear power plant, it has been the important object to reduce the occupational radiation exposure (ORE). Recently, the optimization concept of management science has been studied to reduce the ORE in nuclear power plant. In optimization of the worker allocation, the collective dose, working time, individual dose, an total number of worker must be considered and their priority orders must be thought because the main constraint is necessary for determining the constraints variable of the radiological worker allocation problem. The ultimate object of this study s to look into the change of the optimal allocation of the radiological worker as priority order changes. In this study, the priority order is the characteristic of goal programming that is a kind of multi-objective linear programming. From a result of study using goal programming, the total number of worker and collective dose of worker have changed as the priority order has changed and the collective dose limit have played an important role in reducing the ORE.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한예방의학회 1994년도 교수 연수회(환경)
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• pp.545-548
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• 1994

Eletrophysiological methods revealed subclinical neuropathy in 26 workers, exposed from 1 to 17 years to lead and whose blood lead (PbB) values had never exceeded $70{\mu}g/100\;ml$, as ascertained by checking the monitor reports of the factory and by careful exposure history. The PbB determinations had been tested repostedly and had been found valid. The main findings were slowing of the maximal motor conduction velocities of the median and ulnar nerves and particularly the conduction velocity of the slower fibers of the ulnar nerve. Eletrophysiological abnormalities comprised fibriliations, diminution of the number of motor units on maximal contraction, and an abnormal. Thus, a dose-response relationship exlets on a group basis. Since the regular monitoring of PbBs in most workers during their entire period of exposure excludes the possibility of a body burden out of proportion to the PbBs silght neuro-logical damage is produced at exposures hitherto regarded as quite sale.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.11-16
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• 2005

Chemical mixtures of components, each of which are present at less than guidance concentrations, may be hazardous due to additivity, interactions, or both. Toxicological interactions may increase the health hazard above what would be expected from an assessment of each component singly, or all components additively. So chemical mixture are a particular issue in public health. There are several approach to assess whether there are additivity or interaction in assessing toxicological effects, such as, components-based approach, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic /pharmacodynamic(PBPK/PD) models, hazard index method, and weight-of evidence method. If we consider interaction or additivity effects in assessing the health effects of chemcial mixtures, we can get more accurate information about toxicological effects and dose-response relationship in chemical mixtures.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.127-133
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• 2011

국제방사선방호위원회에서는 2007년에 방사선방호에 관한 권고(ICRP 103)를 개정하였다. 이에 따라 국제원자력기구에서도 전리방사선 방호에 관한 국제기본안전기준을 개정하고 있으며 국내에서도 신권고의 내용을 국내요건에 반영하기 위한 연구가 진행 중이다. 신권고가 기존 권고에서 크게 변화되지 않았지만 방사선산업의 성장으로 인해 작은 변화에도 큰 영향을 가져올 수 있기 때문에 신권고의 내용을 국내 반영하기 위한 준비가 필요하다. ICRP 103의 주요 특징중 하나는 기존 권고에 비해 방호최적화를 한 단계 더 강조한 것이다. 이를 위해 계획피폭상황에서 선량제약치를, 기존 및 비상피폭상황에서 참조준위를 사용할 것을 권고하였다. 선량제약치는 전망적이고 선원중심적 제한값으로서 개인에 대한 방호의 기본 수준을 제공하며, 그 선원에 대한 방사선방호 최적화에 상한 선량 역할을 하게 된다. 이에 따라 국내에서도 원자력 및 방사선이용시설에 대해 선량제약치 운영이 요구될 것이다. 규제기관과의 협력과 더불어 직무피폭에 관한 선량제약치를 사업자가 설정하고 운영함으로써 최적화가 더 강조될 수 있을 것으로 예상된다. 선량제약치가 규제도구가 아닌 방사선방호최적화를 위한 절차로 국내 적용되기 위한 방안을 도출하였다.