• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 1988

The exposure level of respirable dust and silica for the coal workers of underground coal mines in Taebaek area was evaluated. Personal air samplers were attached to the coal workers-drillers, coal cutters, their helpers, haulers, and separators. Normality and lognormality of respirable dust and silica concentrations were tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov one-sample test, differences of means of respirable dust and silica concentration were tested by group-t-test and paired t-test, and relation between respirable dust and silica concentration were tested by regression test.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 1991

Exposure level of respirable coal dust of underground coal mines in Taebaek area was evaluated. Personal air samplers with 10-mm nylone cyclones were attached to the coal workers including drillers, coal cutters, their assistants, haulers, and separators. Log-normality of respirable dust exposure concentration were tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov one-sample test. Differences of means of respirable dust exposure concentration between work sites were tested by one-way ANOVA test and multiple comparison(Scheffe) test. And differences of respirable dust exposure concentration of principal and assistant workers in drilling sites and in coal faces were tested by paired t-test. Relation of respirable dust exposure concentration for the principal workers and their assistants in drilling sites and in coal faces were tested by regression analysis. The results were as follows : 1. All of the respirable dust concentration were log-normally distributed. 2. There were not only significantly different means of exposure concentration between drillers and coal cutters but between coal cutters and haulers. 3. Means of exposure concentration of drillers and drilling assistants were not significantly different. And means of exposure concentration of coal cutters and coal cutting assistants were not different.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.390-397
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate concentrations in airborne total and respirable dusts in the cement manufacturing and handling industries. Methods: Fifty-three total dust and 42 respirable dustsamples were collected from 24 work places. Total dust samples were collected using a three-stage cassette. Respirable dust samples were collected using a cyclone equipped with a 37 mm, $5{\mu}m$ pore size PVC filter. Results: The geometric means of the dust concentrations were $0.10mg/m^3$ and $0.08mg/m^3$ in total dust and respirable dust, respectively. The Korean Occupational Exposure Limit($10mg/m^3$) was not exceeded, but the rate of exceeding the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist(ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value($1mg/m^3$) was 16.7%. Conclusion: When measuring the level of dust at cement manufacturers, the airborne concentration of respirable dust should be evaluated. In order to protect the health of workers exposed to cement dust, it is necessary to actively consider strengthening the Korean Occupational Exposure Limit.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.103-107
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• 2013

Objectives: The principal purpose of this study is to statistically compare dust levels among farmers with and without feeding in a nursery pig building. Methods: Total dust and respirable dust were measured by personal sampling method, and TSP and PM10 were monitored by the direct recording method in the pig building. Results: IIn the personal samples, mean exposure levels of total and respirable dust were higher among the farmers who conducted feeding compared to farmers who did not. A significant difference between farmers with feeding and farmers without feeding was found in total dust concentration(p<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in respirable dust concentrations. In real-time monitoring of dust based on area sampling, the highest levels of total and respirable dust were detected in the feeding time periods; $4.33{\pm}2.57mg/m^3$ for TSP and $2.53{\pm}1.02mg/m^3$ for PM10, respectively. During time periods without feeding, the levels of total and respirable dust ranged from 1 to $2mg/m^3$ and from 0.5 to $1.5mg/m^3$, respectively. Conclusions: In terms of association of feeding work and air sampling location, the mean concentrations of total and respirable dust were highest in area sampling with feeding and lowest in personal sampling without feeding. However, a significant difference among groups investigated according to air sampling condition was found in total dust.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 1992

This study was carried out to investigate exposure level, size distribution, and respirable mass fraction of airborne coal dust and heavy metal concentration of respirable coal dust at each work site in coal briquet factory from July 1991 to September 1991. Geometric mean of total dust concentration was 10.88mg/m$^{3}$ at storage shop, 8.22mg/m$^{3}$ at pulverize shop, and 3.79mg/m$^{3}$ at rotary press shop, respectively, but those at storage and pulverize shop were higher than TLV. Geometric mean of respirable coal dust concentration wat 1.03mg/m$^{3}$ at storage shop, 0.78mg/m$^{3}$ at pulverize shop, and 0.55mg/m$^{3}$ at rotary press shop, respectively, which were lower than TLV Aerodynamic 50% cutoff diameter of the suspended coal dust was 5$\mu$m at rotary press shop and 6.8$\mu$m at storage shop, ranged to thoracic particulate defined by ACGIH, and deposited in the region of repiratory system. The mass fraction rate of respirable dust to the total coal dust was 26.2% at rotary press shop, 18.8% at storage shop, and 13.8% at pulverize shop, respectively. Heavy metal concentrations of the respirable coal dust were 0.028mg/m$^{3}$ ib Fe, 0.0081mg/m$^{3}$ in Cu, and 0.0039mg/m$^{3}$ in Pb.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.462-470
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate quartz concentrations in airborne respirable dust and particle size-related quartz concentrations. Methods: Respirable dust samples were collected using a 10 mm Dorr-Oliver nylon cyclone equipped with a 37 mm, $5{\mu}m$ pore size PVC filter. Dust samples were collected with a Marple's personal cascade impactor from stone grinding operations in five stone-related business located in the Gyeongsangbuk-do area. Results: The geometric mean of quartz concentration in the respirable dust was $0.170mg/m^3$, and the rate of exceeding the Korean Occupational Exposure Limit(KOEL) was 93.3%. The quartz concentration by particle size shows that it was the highest($0.115mg/m^3$) in stage 5($3.50-6.00{\mu}m$), which corresponds with the size of respirable particle. The smaller the particle sizes were, the higher quartz the content became. The mass fractions of inhalable, thoracic, and respirable dust were 72.1%, 36.0%, and 14.4%. Conclusions: The rate of the quartz concentration in respirable dust from stone grinding operations exceeding the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values was 100%, which means proper work environmental management is required through regular working environmental measurements. Given that the stone grinding operations had a higher small size dust concentrations, there is a need to reduce respirable dust, such as through wet operation and local exhaust ventilation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.177-183
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• 2011

Occupational exposure to silicon carbide dust of manufacturing industries has seldom been evaluated in Korea. Accordingly, we evaluated various silicon carbide dust concentrations in the breathing zone of workers between May 2010 and July 2010. To compare silicon carbide dust concentrations, three dust samplers including the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler, 37mm cassette sampler, and Aluminum cyclone sampler were used. A total of 5 manufacturing industries producing abrasive and refractory materials using silicon carbide were investigated. The geometric mean concentrations were 2.04, 0.97, and $0.48mg/m^3$ in inhalable, total and respirable silicon carbide dust, respectively. The geometric mean concentrations of silicon carbide in abrasive material manufacturing industries were slightly higher than that of refractory manufacturing industries, and finishing operations were higher than that of other operations. It was found that the results of exposure assessment in airborne dust at manufacturing industries using silicon carbide in Korea showed exceeding rate to American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value ($3mg/m^3$) was 10% in respirable dust samples. Therefore, with the consideration of the close relationship between smaller dust size and the occurrence of occupational respiratory diseases, it is suggested to promulgate the new occupational exposure limit for respirable silicon carbide dust.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.630-637
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• 2019

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the secular changes in indoor airborne dust or endotoxin levels in the dust from swine confinement buildings. Indoor levels were compared with the level at the exhaust outlet in order to examine the contribution potential of indoor dust to nearby ambient air dust. Methods: Comparisons were made on inhalable and respirable dust levels reported in 2002, 2012, and 2017 from 14, 10, and 36 swine fattening confinement buildings in Korea, respectively. This data was produced by the same research group. Levels of endotoxin adsorbed into inhalable or respirable dust were also compared. Samples of inhalable or respirable dust were collected indoors and at exhaust outlets from 17 swine fattening confinement buildings in 2019, and dust levels were compared between the indoor and the outlet. Results: The outlet inhalable dust level (0.111 mg/㎥) was approximately 19% of that from indoors, and the respirable dust level (0.033 mg/㎥) was approximately 74% of that from indoors. The outlet respirable dust levels were lower than the airborne fine dust levels in the towns where those farms are located. No significant difference was observed in the inhalable dust levels among the years examined, but the respirable dust level in 2017 (0.143 mg/㎥) was significantly lower than in 2002 (0.328 mg/㎥). The level of endotoxin in inhalable dust was significantly higher in 2017 (722 EU/㎥) than in both 2002 (75 EU/㎥) and 2012 (171 EU/㎥). Conclusion: Even though no apparent contribution from swine farm indoor dust to nearby ambient air dust was observed in terms of amount, a certain control strategy to reduce the production of airborne dust and endotoxin from swine farms is merited.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.584-590
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate quartz concentrations in airborne total and respirable dusts. Materials: Respirable dust samples were collected using a 10 mm aluminum cyclone equipped with a 37 mm$5{\mu}m$ pore size PVC filter. Total dust samples were collected with a three stage cassette from three work sections at earthwork sites located in the South Chungcheong-do Province area. Results: The geometric means of quartz concentrations were $0.008mg/m^3$ and $0.004mg/m^3$ in total dust and respirable dust, respectively. The geometric means of quartz contents analyzed by FTIR were 3.74% in total dust and 3.16% in respirable dust. The geometric mean of quartz concentrations and contents in secondary blasting operations were higher than those in other operations. Conclusions: Given that secondary blasting operations had higher quartz concentrations, there is a need to reduce respirable dust, such as through wet operations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.212-225
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• 1995

This study was performed in a diatomite factory located at Pohang City, Kyeongsangbuk-Do. The major objectives were to evaluate sampling and analytical methods of diatomaceous earth dust. Concentrations of total and respirable diatomaceous earth dust were measured. Size distribution of dust was analyzed by a personal cascade impactor and the particle size analyzer which is an application of multiple diffraction method. Also crystalline silica in respirable and total dust samples was analyzed quantitatively by X-ray diffraction and Fourie Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR). The results were as follows: The airborne total and respirable dust concentrations, particle size distribution, and cristalline silica(quartz) concentrations showed approximately a log-normal distribution. The means of totaldust concentrations at flour maufacturing, fire brick grinding and packaging processes exceeded the Korean and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists standards, $10mg/m^3$. The size distribution of diatomaceous earth dust was log-normal and identified as the rspirable particle mass and thoracic particle mass. The crystalline silica in respirable and total dust samples was identified to quartz and contained about 10 % in those samples. Finally, it is necessary to study the applicability of multiple diffraction for particle size distribution to compare the ACGIH's size selective sampling with other materials containing crystalline silica. Also, advanced quantitative study to X-ray diffraction and FTIR methods shoud be carried out 10 verify general and specific characteristics for respirable crystalline silica.