• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.21-29
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• 2015

Safety of reclaimed wastewater irrigation needs to be evaluated to promote public health. Quantitative microbial and toxic risk assessment was conducted to identify the level of risk for farmland workers who use reclaimed wastewater and groundwater in Jeju island. Microbial risk through inhalation and ingestion exposure was below acceptable level (less than $10^{-3}$) of $7.07{\times}10^{-6}$ for reclaimed wastewater and $9.99{\times}10^{-8}$ for groundwater irrigation worker. Aggregate exposure risk of Ni, As and Cu was most contributable to overall risk in both reclaimed wastewater and groundwater irrigation plot. High cumulative exposure risk was estimated through non-dietary soil ingestion and dermal contact of soil, due to the high concentration of As, Cu and Ni in farmland soil. Overall toxic risk was $2.68{\times}10^{-4}$ for reclaimed water and $2.39{\times}10^{-4}$ for groundwater irrigation, which could not meet acceptable toxic risk level of $10^{-6}$. Further efforts, such as provide personal protective equipments or public health education, need to be implicated to reduce adverse health risk.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.368-375
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• 2020

Objectives: Some animal studies have reported that methyl mercury causes developmental toxicities such as placental and fetal weight loss, but the mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the developmental toxicities of methyl mercury, focusing on placental endocrine function and fetal growth retardation in rats. Methods: Positively same-time-mated female Sprague-Dawley rats were purchased on gestational day (GD) eight and treated with 0, 5, 10 and 20 ppm of methyl mercury (n=5) dissolved in tap water from GD eight through 19. During treatment, the drinking water (methyl mercury) intake and body weight of each pregnant rat was measured daily. On day 19, caesarean sections were performed and blood samples were collected. Developmental data such as placental and fetal weights, fetus numbers, and placental efficiency (fetal weight/placental weight) were also collected. Placental prolactin-growth hormone (PRL-GH) family, such as placental lactogen (PL) -Iv, II, and prolactin-like protein (PLP) -B, levels in serum were analyzed by ELISA. Also, placental tissues were assigned to histochemistry. Results: The mean cumulative methyl mercury exposure for the 5, 10, and 20 ppm groups were 2.37, 4.63, and 9.66 mg, respectively. The mean daily exposure of the 5, 10, and 20 ppm groups were 0.24, 0.47, and 0.97 mg, respectively. Maternal body weight increased in accordance with GD. There was no significant difference in weight gain among the experimental groups. Histopathologic changes were not observed in placental tissues among the experimental groups. However, mean placental and fetal weights were lower in the 10 and 20 ppm exposed groups compared to the control. Placental efficiency was also lower in the 10 and 20 ppm exposed groups compared to the control. Serum PL-Iv and II levels were lower in the 10 and 20 ppm exposed groups than the control, in accordance with the changing pattern of placental and fetal weights and placental efficiency. Conclusion: The inhibitory effects of methyl mercury on the serum levels of placental PRL-GH family such as PL-Iv and II may be secondary leads to the reduction of placental efficiency and fetal growth retardation in rats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.244-249
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• 2004

The effects of supplemental betaine ($Betafin^{(R)}$) in the drinking water (50 g/kg) (WB) or feed (100 g/kg) (FB) were investigated on male broiler chickens ($Cobb{\times}Cobb$) exposed to 4 h episodes of heat stress at $34{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ on day (d) 35 and $36{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ from d 36 to 41. Prior to (d 1 to 34) and following heat exposure (d 35 to 41), betaine supplementation had no significant effect on body weight, total feed intake and cumulative feed conversion ratios of broilers. The total water intake of WB chicks was lower compared to controls. Prior to heat exposure, there was no difference in percentage of mortality among the three dietary groups. Following the heat challenge period, although higher percentage of control chicks succumbed to the heat challenge as compared to those of WB, it was not significantly different. The WB and FB chicks were less hyperthermic than controls in response to the heat challenge. Irrespective of treatment groups, the heat treatment resulted in a marked elevation in heterophil/lymphocyte ratios (HLR). The WB birds, however, had smaller increase in HLR than those of controls during heat exposure. Antibody production against Newcastle disease vaccine on day 35 was not affected by betaine supplementation. On d 42, WB birds had higher antibody production than those of FB. It is concluded that the WB treatment, as measured by HLR, antibody production and mortality rate, has advantages over the FB group under heat stress conditions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.1 s.52
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• pp.27-41
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• 1996

This study described methods to predict human health risk associated with exposure to environmental carcinogens using animal bioassay data. Also, biological assumption for various dose-response models were reviewed. To illustrate the process of risk estimate using relevant dose-response models such as Log-normal, Mantel-Bryan, Weibull and Multistage model, we used four animal carcinogenesis bioassy data of chloroform and chloroform concentrations of tap water measured in large cities of Korea from 1987 to 1995. As a result, in the case of using average concentration in exposure data and 95% upper boud unit risk of Multistge model, excess cancer risk(RISK I) was about $1.9\times10^{-6}$, in the case of using probability distribution of cumulative exposure data and unit risks, those risks(RISK II) which were simulated by Monte-Carlo analysis were about $2.4\times10^{-6}\;and\;7.9\times10^{-5}$ at 50 and 95 percentile, respectively. Therefore risk estimated by Monte-Carlo analysis using probability distribution of input variables may be more conservative.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2023

We attempted to provide an overview of the laws and current state of the 3D printing industry in South Korea and around the world, using the annual industry surveys and the Wohler report. Additionally, we reviewed articles relating to the potential exposure to hazards associated with 3D printing using metal materials. In South Korea, there were 406 3D printing-related businesses, employing 2,365 workers, and the market size was estimated at 455.9 billion won in 2021. Globally, the average growth rate of the 3D printing industry market over the past 10 years was 27.4%, and the market size was estimated at $11.8 billion in 2019. The United States had the highest cumulative installation ratio of industrial 3D printers, followed by China, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. A total of 6,168 patents related to 3D printing were registered in the US between 2010 and 2019. Harmful factors during metal 3D printing was mainly evaluated in the powder bed fusion and direct energy deposition printing types, and there is a case of material extrusion type with metal additive filaments. The number, mass, size distribution, and chemical composition of particles were mainly evaluated. Particle concentration increases during the opening of the chamber or post-processing. However, operating the 3D printer in a ventilated chamber can reduce particle concentration to the background level. In order to have a safe and healthy environment for 3D printing, it is necessary to accumulate and apply knowledge through various studies.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2012

Purpose: Unlike the existing linear accelerator with photon, proton therapy produces a number of second radiation due to the kinds of nuclide including neutron that is produced from the interaction with matter, and more attention must be paid on the exposure level of radiation workers for this reason. Therefore, thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD) that is being widely used to measure radiation was utilized to analyze the exposure level of the radiation workers and propose a basic data about the radiation exposure level during the proton therapy. Materials and Methods: The subjects were radiation workers who worked at the proton therapy center of National Cancer Center and TLD Badge was used to compare the measured data of exposure level. In order to check the dispersion of exposure dose on body parts from the second radiation coming out surrounding the beam line of proton, TLD (width and length: 3 mm each) was attached to on the body spots (lateral canthi, neck, nipples, umbilicus, back, wrists) and retained them for 8 working hours, and the average data was obtained after measuring them for 80 hours. Moreover, in order to look into the dispersion of spatial exposure in the treatment room, TLD was attached on the snout, PPS (Patient Positioning System), Pendant, block closet, DIPS (Digital Image Positioning System), Console, doors and measured its exposure dose level during the working hours per day. Results: As a result of measuring exposure level of TLD Badge of radiation workers, quarterly average was 0.174 mSv, yearly average was 0.543 mSv, and after measuring the exposure level of body spots, it showed that the highest exposed body spot was neck and the lowest exposed body spot was back (the middle point of a line connecting both scapula superior angles). Investigation into the spatial exposure according to the workers' movement revealed that the exposure level was highest near the snout and as the distance becomes distant, it went lower. Conclusion: Even a small amount of exposure will eventually increase cumulative dose and exposure dose on a specific body part can bring health risks if one works in a same location for a long period. Therefore, radiation workers must thoroughly manage exposure dose and try their best to minimize it according to ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) as the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2000

Recently, many landfills are constructed by using geosynthetics with earth materials. Geotextiles in geosynthetics are applied for the various purposes such as filters of the leachate collection and removal system and protectors of geomembrane liner. However geotextiles can be exposed to direct sunlight during the construction of landfill for several months. As you know the exposure of polymers to sunlight can be a major source of degradation of them. This study is to suggest a criteria on the installation of heavy weight geotextiles at the landfill. For this purpose, several different geotextiles were evaluated by outdoor exposure at two different locations and under the different seasons for one and half years. As the results of outdoor exposure, polypropylene geotextiles with 500g/$m^2$ and 700g/$\textrm{m}^2$were maintained around 40% of the initial strength during for one and half years. However, the polypropylene geotextile of 1000g/$\textrm{m}^2$showed 65% of the retained strength for the same duration of exposure. The retained strength of all polypropylene geotextile reduced dramatically with the cumulative sunshine radiation on a horizontal surface of around 1500MJ/$\textrm{m}^2$.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 1995

We consider a step-stress life testing which is devised for a two-component parallel system with considerably long life time. To describe such a system, we use an exponential distribution as the survival function. The lift distribution is assumed between the log mean life time and the stress with the cumulative exposure model. The criterion for optimality is to minimize the sum of the variances of the maximum likelihood estimators of the mean life times of each part under the normal stress.

• Journal of the Korean Statistical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.415-433
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• 1999

This paper considers the design of step-stress accelerated life tests for the Weibull distribution with a nonconstant shape parameter under Type I censoring. It is assumed that scale and shape parameters are log-linear functions of (possibly transformed) stress and that a cumulative exposure model holds for the effect of changing stress. The asymptotic variance of the maximum likelihood estimator of a stated quantile at design stress is used as an optimality criterion. The optimum three step-stress plans are presented for selected values of design parameters and the effects of errors in pre- estimates of the design parameters are investigated.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.208-219
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• 2004

This paper considers a nonparametric estimation of lifetime distribution for ramp stress tests with stress bound under intermittent inspection. The test items are inspected only at specified time points an⊂1 so the collected observations are grouped data. Under the cumulative exposure model, two nonparametric estimation methods of estimating the lifetime distribution at use condition stress are proposed for the situation which the time transformation function relating stress to lifetime is a type of the inverse power law. Each of items is initially put on test under ramp stress and then survivors are put on test under constant stress, where all failures in the Inspection interval are assumed to occur at the midi)oint or the endpoint of that interval. Two proposed estimators of quantile from grouped data consisting of the number of items failed in each inspection interval are numerically compared with the maximum likelihood estimator(MLE) based on Weibull distribution.