• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.145-157
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• 1999

Wood dust is created when machines are used to cut or shape wood materials. Industries of high risk of wood dust exposure are sawmills, dimension mills, furniture industries, and carpenters, etc. Health effects associated with wood dust exposure includes dermatitis, allergic respiratory effects and cancer. Health effects of wood dus t are mainly depend on the concentration, dust size and exposure time. This study were carried out to evaluate the concentration and particle size distribution of wood dust during working processes. The subjects of this study were 53 workers exposed to wood dust in 7 furniture factories and 5 musical instruments, and 5 sawmill factories. The average total wood dust concentrations measured by personal cascade impactor were $1.82{\pm}2.31mg/m^3$ in primary manufacture, $3.59{\pm}1.72mg/m^3$ in s econdary manufacture, $5.09{\pm}1.46mg/m^3$ in sanding operation. Mass median diameters of hardwoods dust were $3.36{\mu}m$ in primary manufacture, $4.25{\mu}m$ in secondary manufacture, $4.21{\mu}m$ in sanding operation. softwoods dust were $3.39{\mu}m$ in primary manufacture, $4.34{\mu}m$ in secondary manufacture. Particle size distributions showed a nearly the same pattern in each working processes. The sample concentration of all hardwood dust exceeded the Threshold Limit Value(TLV) and 20.8% of the softwood dust exceeded the Threshold Limit Value. The range of size distribution were $0.5-10{\mu}m$ in the soft and hardwood dust. The respirable dust of soft and hardwood took up 59% and above. Therefore new threshold limit value for wood dust should be needed in Korea. Also, it should be done for various studies on health effects related to occupational exposure of wood dust.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.139-146
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• 1999

Combustion Characteristics of the wood chips(balsa chips) were experimental studied as fundamental investigation of the thermal recycle system of the urban dust. The urban dust contains plastics vegetable and lot of wood material. Then, a wood was chosen as an example of the component of urban dust. A small wood chip was burned in a electric furnace and mass reduction rate during volatile and combustion states were recorded by the micro-electric balance and the combustion flame shape took a photograph by video camera at the mass of wood chips and ambient temperature in the furance. Ignition delay took the minimum value when the mass of the test chip was 0.3g. When a mass of the test chip was smaller then 0.001g, combustion with flame did not burnt.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• 제35권
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• pp.39.1-39.14
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• 2023

Background: Diseases affecting the lungs and airways contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. The problem in low- and middle-income countries appears to be exacerbated by a shift in global manufacturing base to these countries and inadequate enforcement of environmental and safety standards. In Ghana, the potential adverse effects on respiratory function associated with occupational wood dust exposure have not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: Sixty-four male sawmill workers and 64 non-woodworkers participated in this study. The concentration of wood dust exposure, prevalence and likelihood of association of respiratory symptoms with wood dust exposure and changes in pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters in association with wood dust exposure were determined from dust concentration measurements, symptoms questionnaire and lung function test parameters. Results: Sawmill workers were exposed to inhalable dust concentration of 3.09 ± 0.04 mg/m³ but did not use respirators and engaged in personal grooming habits that are known to increase dust inhalation. The sawmill operators also showed higher prevalence and likelihoods of association with respiratory symptoms, a significant cross-shift decline in some PFT parameters and a shift towards a restrictive pattern of lung dysfunction by end of daily shift. The before-shift PFT parameters of woodworkers were comparable to those of non-woodworkers, indicating a lack of chronic effects of wood dust exposure. Conclusions: Wood dust exposure at the study site was associated with acute respiratory symptoms and acute changes in some PFT parameters. This calls for institution and enforcement of workplace and environmental safety policies to minimise exposure at sawmill operating sites, and ultimately, decrease the burden of respiratory diseases.

• 한국가스학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.62-69
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• 2023

화력발전소용 석탄에 대한 연소기술의 발전과 원가절감을 위해 저급탄의 사용량이 지속적으로 증가하고 있다. 연소 시 수분에 의한 증발잠열 손실이 크고 탄을 저장하고 미분화하는 과정에서 자연발화와 분진의 폭발위험이 있다. 본 연구는 국내 D 발전사에서 채취한 석탄분진(coal powder)으로 Coal dust-fine, Coal dust-coarse, Wood pallet+organic dust 및 Wood chip 4종에 대한 최소폭발농도와 폭발강도를 비교 평가하였다. 석탄 분진의 최소폭발농도는 JIS Z 8818:2002에 따라 측정하였으며, 폭발강도는 Siwek 20 L Chamber Apparatus를 이용하여 ASTM E1226에 따라 실험을 실시하였다. 최소폭발농도 시험결과 coal dust-fine가 분진폭발 위험이 있는 것으로 나타났으며, wood chip의 분진농도 130 g/m³에서 폭발이 일어나므로 가장 낮은 분진농도에서 폭발의 위험이 있는 것을 알 수 있었다. 분진폭발 등급 기준에 따르면 Kst가 200 bar m/s 이하로 모든 시료가 폭발등급 St 1등급에 해당되며, 폭발의 위험성이 약한 분진으로 평가되었다.

• 한국가스학회지
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.81-86
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• 2013

분진폭발은 플라스틱류, 제약, 목재, 곡물 저장고, 고체연료 및 화학약품의 제조와 같은 다양한 산업에서 발생되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 폐목재를 재활용하여 Particle board를 생산하는 공정의 사이로 분진, 함머밀 분진 및 뉴송 분진을 선택하여 분진폭발 특성을 평가하였다. 실험은 20 L 구형 폭발용기를 이용하여 목재 부유분진의 최대폭발압력, 분진폭발지수, 폭발한하계, 및 최소 점화에너지를 측정하고, 평가하였다. 이들 연구결과는 Particle board를 생산하는 제조공정의 화재 폭발사고 예방을 위한 공정안전 정보로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권10호
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• pp.4339-4345
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• 2015

Occupational exposure to wood dust is one cause of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC); however, assessing this exposure remains problematic. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a semi-quantitative exposure assessment method and then utilize it to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to wood dust and the development of NPC. In addition, variations in risk by histology were examined. A case-control study was conducted with 327 newly diagnosed cases of NPC at the National Cancer Institute and regional cancer centers in Thailand with 1:1 controls matched for age, gender and geographical residence. Occupational information was obtained through personal interviews. The potential probability, frequency and intensity of exposure to wood dust were assessed on a job-by-job basis by experienced experts. Analysis was performed by conditional logistic regression and presented in odds ratio (ORs) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Overall, a non significant relationship between occupational wood dust exposure and NPC risk for all subjects was observed (ORs=1.61, 95%CI 0.99-2.59); however, the risk became significant when analyses focused on types 2 and 3 of NPC (ORs=1.62, 95%CI 1.03-2.74). The significant association was stronger for those exposed to wood dust for > 10 year (ORs=2.26, 95%CI 1.10-4.63), for those with first-time exposure at age > 25 year (ORs=2.07, 95%CI 1.08-3.94), and for those who had a high cumulative exposure (ORs=2.17, 95%CI 1.03-4.58) when compared with those considered unexposed. In conclusion, wood dust is likely to be associated with an increased risk of type 2 or 3 NPC in the Thai population. The results of this study show that semi-quantitative exposure assessment is suitable for occupational exposure assessment in a case control study and complements the information from self-reporting.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.317-326
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• 2024

Background: Dust generated during various wood-related activities, such as cutting, sanding, or processing wood materials, can pose significant health and environmental risks due to its potential to cause respiratory problems and contribute to air pollution. Understanding the factors influencing dust emission is important for devising effective mitigation strategies, ensuring a safer working environment, and minimizing environmental impact. This study focuses on developing an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict dust emission values in the machining of black poplar (Populus nigra L.), oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.), and medium-density fiberboards. Methods: The multilayer feed-forward ANN model is developed using a customized application built with MATLAB code. The inputs to the ANN model include material type, cutting width, number of blades, and cutting depth, whereas the output is the dust emission. Model performance is assessed through graphical and statistical comparisons. Results: The results reveal that the developed ANN model can provide adequate predictions for dust emission with an acceptable level of accuracy. Through the implementation of the ANN model, the study predicts intermediate dust emission values for different cutting widths and cutting depths, which are not considered in the experimental work. It is observed that dust emission tends to decrease with reductions in cutting width and cutting depth. Conclusion: This study introduces an alternative approach to optimize machining-process conditions for minimizing dust emissions. The findings of this research will assist industries in obtaining dust emission values without the need for additional experimental activities, thereby reducing experimental time and costs.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.917-925
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• 2023

Efforts for developing the domestic horse industry in South Korea are evident through the various national policies. Proper management of stables for ensuring the health of horses is essential to sustain the growing equine industry. This study aimed to measure the fine dust emissions in stables based on the type and quantity of bedding used for horses, for establishing guidelines pertaining to bedding use in stables. The stables accommodated 12 horses. Sawdust, wood shavings, wood pellet, and straw were chosen as treatments. Three different quantities (approximately 3, 6, and 9 cm in height) were applied for each type. Fine dust measurements were carried out at three time points, with each measuring period lasting for approximately three weeks. Measurements included PM2.5 and PM10 fine dust levels. The initial analysis revealed that, sawdust with 9 cm bedding had the highest dust levels; approximately 54.6 ㎍/m³, for PM2.5 and 95.3 ㎍/m³, for PM10. Sawdust bedding at the highest quantity (9 cm) exhibited significantly higher initial fine dust emissions. These findings suggest that bedding materials with smaller particle size, such as sawdust and wood shavings, tend to produce finer dust. Initially, the fine dust emissions decreased in all bedding types and quantities, possibly due to the increased moisture content of bedding owing to horse manure production. However, emissions increased subsequently due to ammonia production.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.10-21
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• 2006

Recycled polypropylene (RPP) - Wood Saw Dust (WSD) composites with and without acetylation of filler were produced at different filler loading (15%, 25%, 35% and 45% w/w) and filler size (300, 212 and $100{\mu}m$). The RPP-WSD was compounded using a Haake Rheodrive 500 twin screw compounder at $190^{\circ}C$ at 8 MPa for 30 minutes. The mechanical properties and water absorption properties of modified and unmodified WSD-PP composites were investigated. Acetylation of WSD improved the mechanical and water absorption characteristic of composites. The decrease of filler size (300 to $100{\mu}m$) of the unmodified and acetylated WSD showed increase of tensile strength and impact properties. The composites exhibited higher tensile modulus properties as the filler loading increased (15% to 45%). However tensile strength, elongation at break and impact strength showed the opposite phenomenon. Water absorption increased as the mesh number and filler loading increased. With acetylation, lower moisture absorption was observed as compared to unmodified WSD. The failure mechanism from impact fracture of the filler-matrix interface with and without acetylation was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.13-21
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• 2007

Personal and static sampling for formaldehyde, wood dust and noise monitoring, in accordance to the equipment running on the day, were carried out throughout wood panel manufacturing process. Even though the exposure level of formaldehyde and wood dust were below than exposure criteria, but the personal protective equipment(PPE) for those should be worn to everyone in the process because of its potential characteristics like carcinogenicity. Also a few local air extraction system above the cutting, grinding sections and organic blending room should be required. Most of the exposures of noise exposure were exceeded permitted exposure criteria, in case of Hopper operators, exposed to maximally 94dB(A) as LAeq 8hr, therefore active controls like PPE, monitoring, isolation etc. are necessary. The main sources of noise were caused on compressed air of the machinery, radio sound and operation noise like running machines, conveying, cutting, sawing, moving vehicles, storing and so on. For the comparison of control criteria in each country, the permitted exposure standards for above hazardous materials and noise in Korea, ACGIH and Australia were discussed. We have recognized that the Korean criteria should be discussed urgently to give the right information to employee and modified, if it is necessary.