• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.307-320
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• 2009

This study was conducted not only to review airborne asbestos levels reported in workplaces in Korea, but also to analyze their levels according to various characteristics All asbestos concentration reported as either geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) or ranges were transformed to arithmetic mean to estimate exposure level. In addition, weighted arithmetic means (WAMs) were calculated to weigh asbestos levels based on the different number of samples. Differences of asbestos levels among several characteristics such as industry type, decade, operation and sampling and analytical methods were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The number of articles studying asbestos levels from workplaces was found to be 9 including two report types. Five of those were reported prior to 1990s and rest of them after 1990s. Only several industries such as asbestos textile, asbestos cement, brake-lining repair shops were studied, while various industries using asbestos or asbestos containing materials (ACMs) were not studied. ANOVA found that asbestos exposure levels (WAM = 5.26f/cc) reported from textile industry were significantly higher than those from other industries (cement = 0.63f/cc, brake-lining = 0.2f/cc - 0.47f/cc) (p < 0.0001). Average exposure levels studied prior to the 1990s (3.13f/cc) were found to be significantly higher than that (0.86f/cc) after the 1990s (p<0.0001). All WAMs reported until the 1994 were found to be higher than the current occupational exposure limits (0.1f/cc). This study recommends that retrospective exposure to asbestos based on various industry types and operations should be assessed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.9-14
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• 2020

This study was to compare the sampling efficiencies for monitoring of diesel particulate matter (DPM) using two different sampling methods; In-House PVC cyclone sampling heads and commercial airborne DPM (EC) sampling heads mounted on Dorr-Oliver cyclone heads. Personal exposure levels of DPM, analysed for elemental carbon (EC) were 0.004 - 0.2 mg/m³ for the loader drivers and 0.005 - 0.34 mg/m³ for the specialised mining vehicle (SMV) drivers were similar to previous study results. The highest result (0.34 mg/m³) might be from an irregular production schedule and multiple job tasks requested. The results using the two sampling heads were not significantly different and it is thought that the In-House PVC cyclone with 37 mm quartz filter could be used in place of the commercial sampler as a preliminary screen in place of using the commercial sampler.

• 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.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.241-246
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• 2017

The comparative results of corrosion testing in humid tropical atmosphere in rural and coastal areas for hot dipped zinc coatings are presented below. The test was conducted in outdoor conditions over a period of five years. The mass loss and other performance characteristics of two types of zinc coatings were evaluated, analysed and discussed in relation to the climatic and environmental parameters. The corrosion rates of the coatings exposed to coastal conditions were about three times higher than the corrosion rates appreciated in rural conditions. The data demonstrates that the corrosion process obeys an equation of the form $M=At^n$, where M is the loss of metal and t is the time of exposure. A and n are constants which values depend on the environmental characteristics and the physicochemical behavior of the corrosion products respectively. Corrosion is strongly influenced by atmospheric time of wetness (TOW) and airborne salinity. The nature and composition of corrosion products are also considered. Simonkolleite, a major crystalline phase, was found in the zinc corrosion products exposed to coastal conditions, while zinc hydroxide and zinc hydrosulfate are easily found in rural settings.

• 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.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.479-485
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to validate an integrated air monitoring approach for assessing airborne formaldehyde (FA) in the workplace. An active sampling by silica gel impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, a passive solid phase microextraction technique using O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine as on-fiber derivatization reagent, an electrochemical direct-reading monitor, and an enzyme-based badge were evaluated and tested over a range of 0.020-5.12 ppm, using dynamically generated FA air concentrations. Simple linear regression analysis showed the four methods were suitable for evaluating airborne FA. Personal and area samplings in 12 anatomy pathology departments showed that the international occupational exposure limits in the GESTIS database were frequently exceeded. This monitoring approach would allow a fast, easy-to-use, and economical evaluation of both current work practices and eventual changes made to reduce FA vapor concentrations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to assess the ambient level of Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs), oil mist of the metalworking fluids(MWFs), especially in heat treat industry and non heat treat industry. And we assessed the relationship of the pattern of exposed PAHs with oil mist during survey day. The study population of heat treat industries contained 98 workers, non-heat treat industry contained 40 workers. Personal samples were taken for ambient monitoring of PAHs and oil mist. PAHs was to analyze the relationship of airborne oil mist. The geometric mean of airborne total PAHs was $3.44{\mu}g/m^3$ in heat treat industry and $0.13{\mu}g/m^3$ in non heat treat industry, Pyrene and Benzo(a)pyrene was detected from heat treat industry and Naphthalene in heat treat industry was significantly detected higher than in non heat treat industry. The geometric mean of airborne oil mist was $0.19{\mu}g/m^3$ in heat treat industry and $0.70{\mu}g/m^3$ in non-heat treat industry. The correlation between oil mist and total PAHs was shown below, total PAHs in workers of non heat treat industry and heat treat industry were not significantly correlated with oil mist

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.355-361
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• 2009

This study evaluated the bacterial concentrations and affecting factors at the laboratories of a university in Seoul, Korea. Thirty-three samples of total airborne bacteria (TAB) and eighteen samples of gram negative bacteria (GNB) were collected from both microbiology laboratories (7) and chemistry laboratories (6). GM (GSD) of TAB and GNB concentrations were 194 (2.52) $cfu/m^3$, 24 (4.1) $cfu/m^3$, respectively. TAB concentrations in the chemical laboratories (GM (GSD): 193 (2.0) $cfu/m^3$) were not significantly different from those in microbial laboratories (GM (GSD): 202 (2.7) $cfu/m^3$, (p>0.05)). GM (GSD) of TAB concentrationsat the top of sink, the center of laboratory, and the front of ventilation ventilation device within laboratories, 182 (3.2) $cfu/m^3$, 217 (2.2) $cfu/m^3$, 176 (2.4) $cfu/m^3$, respectively, were not significantly different (p=0.48). Related factors were measured such as temperature, relative humidity, floor of laboratory, number of persons and laboratory area. TAB concentrations were significantly related to temperature (r=0.36, p<0.05), and the floor of laboratory and temperature were also significantly related (r=0.49, p<0.001). However, other factors such as relative humidity, number of persons and laboratory area did not show any significant relationship with TAB concentrations (p>0.05). TAB concentrations were affected significantly by cleaning frequency (p<0.001) and floor of laboratory (p<0.05). There was also a significant difference (p<0.01) between TAB indoor concentrations and TAB outdoor concentrations. However, other factors such as general ventilation did not affect TAB concentrations (p>0.05) in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.37-39
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• 2002

Geometric mean of airborne welding fume concentration at technical high schools was 4.80mg/㎥(N.D∼35.39mg/㎥) and the percentage of samples exceeded TLV of the Korean ministry of labor was 43.6％, Geometric mean of airborne Mn concentration was 0.06mg/㎥(N.D∼0.42mg/㎥) and the percentage of samples exceeded TLV of ACGIH was 15.4％. In case of airborne Mn concentration, there is a significant difference among schools (P＜0.05). Mn concentrations in blood of the exposed and control groups were 1.84$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎗ and 1.91$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎗, respectively. Mn concentrations in urine of the exposed and control groups were 1.36$\mu\textrm{g}$/$\ell$ and 0.57$\mu\textrm{g}$/$\ell$, respectively. In case of Mn concentrations in urine, there is a significant difference between both groups(P＜0.001) and among schools(P＜0.05). Mn concentrations in blood and urine of exposed group were not over BEIs of the Korean ministry of labor. Mn levels in blood and urine were not significantly affected by smoking, drinking and residence. There was no correlation between Mn concentration in air and blood, but there was a statistically significant correlation between Mn concentration in air and urine(r=0.323). There was no a Statistically significant correlation between Mn concentration in blood and urine.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.403-411
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• 2023

Objectives: Formalin is used as an anthelmintic in farms where flounder are raised. In this study, we aim to identify formaldehyde exposure levels for aquaculture industry workers and provide basic data for managing formaldehyde exposure. Methods: Exposure levels of formaldehyde in the air, including formalin spraying operations, were assessed separately for personal and area samples. In addition, considering the formalin administration method, dermal exposure to the hands was estimated when administering the chemical, and dermal exposure to the legs during water tank work was estimated by collecting water in the water tank and evaluating the amount of formaldehyde remaining. Finally, the respiratory exposure level and the estimated dermal exposure level were added to derive the total exposure level and compared with the maximum allowable human dose. Results: As a result of the airborne evaluation, the formaldehyde concentration of the worker (1 person) who performed the formalin spraying and flounder sorting was 33.61 ppb, and the arithmetic mean of formaldehyde concentrations of the workers (3 people) who only performed the flounder sorting was 3.28 ppb (range: 2.25-4.89 ppb). In the case of dermal exposure, when spraying formalin once, the amount was estimated to be 0.33-2.62 mg when wearing protective gear and 3.27-26.12 mg when not wearing it. Conclusions: There was a difference in the formaldehyde exposure level of workers depending on their operation of handling formalin and whether or not protective gear was worn. In particular, because the level of formaldehyde exposure due to dermal exposure can be significant, there is a need to improve formalin administration methods in a way that avoids skin contact as much as possible.