• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.38-42
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• 2012

Major industrial accidents such as fires, explosions and toxic releases have occurred in Ulsan, Yeosu petrochemical complex area every year. In this study, we analyzed the causes of the previous major accidents in order to provide reasonable measures for safety regulations and process safety management. Consequently, It is necessary to make constant revisions of safety regulations and to improve process safety management in other to prevent major industrial accidents in the petrochemical complex areas.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.137-155
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is concerned with the relationship between the location of industrial complex and regional changes. Yeochon National Industrial Complex(YNIC) was dedicated as an industrial site in 1967 according to a part of the Korean government's plan of developing for heavey chemical industry. Yeochun city has been changed with location and establishment of YNIC since 1969. The establishment of YNIC have influence upon the increase of population and employment, urban development, and growth of regional economy within research areas including of Yeochun city, Yeochun county, and Yeosu city. In addition, with the establishment of YNIC, the regional economical structure was progressed from farm and fishery oriented sector to manufacturing oriented sector, thus the petrochemical business related companies hold a majority among regional manufacturing structure. We used the shift-share analysis and regional growth rate differential analysis in order to examine the characteristics revealed in the transformation of employment and industrial structure. The petrochemical related manufacturing and construction industries provided a great influence on the growth of regional employment.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.83-96
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• 2005

The purposes of this study were to characterize the local levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), to develop source profiles of VOCs, and to quantify the source contribution of VOCs using the CMB (chemical mass balance) model. The concentration of VOCs had been measured every 6-day duration in the SRO monitoring site in the Yeosu Petrochemical Industrial Complex from September 2000 to August 2002. The total of 35 target VOCs, which were included in the TO-14 designated from the U.S. EPA, was selected to be monitored in the study area. During a 24-h period, the ambient VOCs were sampled by using canisters placing about 10 ～ 15 m above the ground level. The collected canisters were then analyzed by a GC-MS in the laboratory. Aside from ambient sampling at the SRO site, the VOCs had been intensively and massively measured from 8 direct sources and 4 general sources in the study area. The results obtained in the study were as follows; first, the annual mean concentrations of the target VOCs were widely distributed regardless of monitoring sites in the Yeosu Petrochemical Industrial Complex. In particular, the concentrations of BTX (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene), vinyl chloride were higher than other target compounds. Second, based on these source sample data, source profiles for VOCs were developed to apply a receptor model, the CMB model. Third, the results of source apportionment study for the VOCs in the SRO Site were as follows; The source of petrochemical plant was apportioned by 31.3% in terms of VOCs mass. The site was also affected by 16.7% from wastewater treatment plant, 14.0% from iron mills, 8.4% from refineries, 4.4% from oil storage, 3.8% from automobiles, 2.3% from fertilizer, 2.3% from painting, 2.2% from waste incinerator, 0.6% from graphic art, and 0.4% from gasoline vapor sources.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.310-321
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• 2007

Status of benzene exposure was evaluated upon petrochemical workers in the Yeosu Industrial Complex, based on questionnaire responses by workers, review of previous work environment assessment reports between 1996 and 2004, in addition to short-term exposure measurements for unit tasks in the field. Questionnaire results showed that workers in the field were suffering concern on and symptoms of respiratory diseases, cancers or other illnesses of unknown causes. In particular, workers were highly worried about the risk of exposure to chemical hazards including benzene, while conducting specific tasks (e.g. sampling, draining, gauging) among normal operations during which equipments are opened and contents are exposedin the air, as well as periodic turnaround (TA) task. However, the review of previous work environment assessment reports found out that short-term exposure assessment data for unit tasks accounted for less than 1% of total data, and most of them were on 8-hr average exposure level. It also turned out that benzene was not detected in 83% of total samples, suggesting routine but pointless sampling has been repeated. Short-term exposure level was assessed focusing on tasks with high level of complaints on the exposure risk, based on the questionnaire responses. As predicted, a maximum of 741 ppm benzene exposure was reached depending on types and conditions of operations involved. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the evaluation and management on the short-term high exposure tasks including turnaround are crucial in reducing benzene exposure and preventing haematopoietic cancer in workers in the petrochemical industry.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.61-62
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.269-271
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• 2004

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.213-223
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the level of physical exposure to heavy metals among residents who live around a Chungcheongnam-do Province industrial complex and to provide baseline data on the effects and harms of heavy metals on the human body by comparing their exposure levels to those of people from control regions. Methods: We measured blood lead and cadmium levels and urine mercury and chromium levels and conducted a survey among 559 residents from the affected area and 347 residents of other areas. Results: Blood lead and cadmium levels and urine mercury levels were significantly higher in the case region than among those in the control region (p=0.013, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). In the thermoelectric power plant area, blood cadmium and urine mercury levels were significantly higher than in the control region (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). In the steel mill and petrochemical industry areas, blood cadmium level was significantly higher than that in the control region (p<0.001). Dividing groups by the reference level of blood cadmium ($2{\mu}g/L$), the odds ratios between the case and control regions were 2.56 (95% CI=1.83-3.58), 3.11 (95% CI=2.06-4.71) for the thermoelectric power plant area, 1.78 (95% CI=1.19-2.65) for the steel mill area and 4.07 (95% CI=2.40-6.89) for petrochemical industry area. Conclusion: This study showed that the levels of exposure to heavy metals among residents living near a Chungcheongnam-do Province industrial complex were significantly higher than those in the control region. This seems to be attributable to exposure to heavy metals emissions from the industrial complex. Further research and safety measures are required to protect residents' health.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.321-333
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• 2022

In this study, the concentration and distribution characteristics of BTEX (benzene toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) emitted from Daesan Petrochemical Industrial Complex were examined to determine their potential hazards to local residents. Residents living nearby the complex areas may be exposed to the chemicals through various media (air, water, and soil), especially by air. This study evaluated human health risks by inhalation using both deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment approaches. As a result of the deterministic risk assessment, the non-cancer risk was much lower than the regulation limit of hazard index (HI 1.0) for all the points. However, in case of cancer risk evaluation, it was found that the risk of excess cancer for benzene at point A located in the industrial complex was 2.28×10^-6, which slightly exceeded the standard regulatory limit of 1.0×10^-6. In addition, the probabilistic risk assessment revealed that the percentile exceeding the standard of 1.0×10^-6was found to be 45.3%. The sensitivity analysis showed that exposure time (ET) had the greatest impact on the results. Based on the risk assessment study, it implied that ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene had little adverse effects on potential human exposure, but benzene often exceeded the cancer risk standard (1.0×10^-6). Further studies on extensive VOCs monitoring are needed to evaluate the potential risks of industrial complex areas.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2000

PM10, which is below 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in a diameter, has a high deposition in the lung or the bronchus by breathing and is generally composed of a lot of organic matters, viruses, algae, mold, and metallic elements that are very toxic to people. This study identified the characteristics of concentration of PM10 and air-borne jmetallic elements produced in the industrial city, Ulsan, and analyzed the correlatuion between sources and generation patterns of PM10 and metallic elements. We classified the five areas(green, residential, heavy traffic, mechanic, and petrochemcal and non-ferrous metal) which might have different characteristics of sources of PM10 and metallic elements. The average concentrations of PM10 in the five areas were as follows(petrochemical and non-ferrous metal(99.9$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥)>mechanic(77.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥)>heavy traffic(47.1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥)>residential(39.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥)>green(32.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥)). Those of petrochemical and non-ferrous metal areas were higher than other areas. In this study, the average concentration trend of metallic elements contained in PM10 are shown as follows: Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu>Mn>Cr>As>Cd>Sn>Hg, respectively. The metallic elements identified in PM10 showed the highest concentration in the petrochemical and non-ferrous areas. Metal combinations showed that a high correlation among concentrations of heavy metals were as follows: As, Cd and Fe in the residential area; Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb in the mechanical area; and Zn, Cu, As, Pb in the petrochemical and non-ferrous industrial area.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.17.1-17.7
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• 2016

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between residential district of people, such as power plant, steel-mill and petrochemical industries, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, we randomly recruited participants for our study from industrial areas (thermoelectric power plant, steel-mill, petrochemical industry) and rural areas. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the relationships between Euro quality of life-5 dimension (EQ-5D) scores and living region, while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results In adjusted model, quality of life decreased with increasing category of age and were lower for females than males. EQ-5D scores of people living in the vicinity of thermoelectric power plant were significant lower than those of people living the vicinity of comparison region (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 2.53). Conclusions Living region of thermoelectric power plant, was strongly associated with scores on the EQ-5D. More research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms which makes the relationship with the living regions and HRQoL.