• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the fall risk factors. Method: The subjects were 87 persons who were older than 65 years living at 28 nursing home in Seoul and Gyunggi province. Subjects were interviewed using RAFS II for intrinsic factor and the environmental factor were assessed using a structured questionnaire from Oct. to Dec. in 2004. The data were analyzed by SPSS(ver. 12.0) programs, using descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test, and t-test. Result: The 37.9% of the subjects experienced the fall, and its average number is $1.94\pm1.75$. The Women's experience of the fall was higher than that of the men, but it was no significant difference with gender. There was no significant difference with the age and duration of living. The mean of the intrinsic risk factor was 13.38 in total score 39 points marks on the RAFS II scales. The intrinsic risk factor score of the fallen group 15.71 was significantly higher than the non-fallen group 12.10. The variables of recent fall experience(t=4.72, p=0.000) and urinary dysfunction(t=2.64, p=0.010) was significantly higher than the non-fallen group. The highest variable of the intrinsic factor was the age and the variables of drug intake, balance, chronic disease, recent fall experience, urinary dysfunction were followed in order. The mean of the environmental risk factor was 0.24 points. No significant differences were shown in environmental risk factor between the fallen and the non-fallen groups. To the fallen group, the place of entrance was the highest risky environmental factor. To see in area dimension, the floor surfaces was the highest risky environmental factor and equipment and illumination factor was the following risky elements in order. In the total score of environmental risk factors based on the ares, the fallen group was 0.26 and the non-fallen group was 0.24, but there were no significant differences between the groups. Conclusion: This results suggested that visual protection strategy, set up the safety device in the place of entrance and inner stairway, bathroom and nonskid mat in the nursing home would be contribute to the prevention of the fall for the elderly.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 2013

A sea dike construction has been increased in Korea because of the actively deployed reclamation project in basis of efficient application in land. The degree of completion in sea dike construction is affected by final closing construction, which has a lot of uncertainty that often results in higher accidents rate. Therefore, this research identified risk factors of final closing construction and classified them. This research examines the likelihood and its impact for each risk factor and calculates the risk degree as to the risk matrix. Based on this, the impact and the environmental conditions that affect to risk factors are investigated and further responsive methods are established for each risk factor. Ultimately, this research attempts to provide the risk retrenchment method for inspectors by proposing risk estimation model, responsive action list, and risk management process.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.401-407
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• 2005

Objectives : We wanted to investigate the relationship between heavy metal, especially lead and mercury, to the blood pressure and cholesterol level in children. Methods : This study was undertaken in three primary schools and the study subjects were a total of 274 children. The lead in the blood and the urine mercury were analyzed by performing atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results : All of participants' blood lead levels and urine mercury concentrations were below the suggested level of concern according to the criteria of the CDC and ATSDR. We found no significant correlation between lead, mercury and the blood pressure. The blood lead level did not show any relationship with the blood pressure and cholesterol. However, the urine mercury levels were associated with the serum cholesterol. Conclusion : Our study suggests that mercury can induce an increase of cholesterol as a risk factor of myocardial infraction and coronary/cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2009

Objective : The objective of this study was to examine how experts and the public perceived various environmental and technological hazards based on psychometric paradigm. Methods : We conducted a survey that included 30 hazards and 10 risk attributes. Subjects of this study were 214 people with three groups; (1) experts (55 people), (2) graduates( 78 people), (3) under graduates (81 people). Factor analysis was used to confirm the common risk attribute from 8 risk attributes. Also, multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing on perceived risk and benefit of hazards. Results : This study revealed that experts tend to be more tolerant than graduates and under graduate students for the 30 hazards. Using factor analysis, two main factors were identified: factor 1, commonly called "Dread Risk", and factors 2, commonly called, "Unknown Risk" in the literature. We identified that environmental hormone concentration and global warming ranked high in both dread risk and unknown risk. Multiple regression models were used to test the association of perceived social risk and perceived social benefit with two main factors. Dread risk had significant explanatory power on perceived social risk and benefit. We identified that the experts were less likely to perceived dread risk and know more information about the hazards. Conclusions : There were differences of risk perception between experts and lay people. Especially, experts' perception of risk was commonly lower than other people's perception.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2000

Health risk assessment is applied to streamlining LCA(Life Cycle Assessment) using Monte carlo simulation for probabilistic/stochastic exposure and risk distribution analysis caused by data variability and uncertainty. A case study was carried out to find benefits of this application. BTC(Benzene, Trichloroethylene, Carbon tetrachloride mixture alias) personal exposure cases were assumed as production worker(in workplace), manager(in office) and business man(outdoor). These cases were different from occupational retention time and exposure concentration for BTC consumption pattern. The result of cancer risk in these 3 scenario cases were estimated as $1.72E-4{\pm}1.2E+0$(production worker; case A), $9.62E-5{\pm}1.44E-5$(manger; case B), $6.90E-5{\pm}1.16E+0$(business man; case C), respectively. Portions of over acceptable risk 1.00E-4(assumed standard) were 99.85%, 38.89% and 0.61%, respectively. Estimated BTC risk was log-normal pattern, but some of distributions did not have any formal patterns. Except first impact factor(BTC emission quantity), sensitivity analysis showed that main effective factor was retention time in their occupational exposure sites. This case study is a good example to cover that LCA with probabilistic risk analysis tool can supply various significant information such as statistical distribution including personal/environmental exposure level, daily time activity pattern and individual susceptibility. Further research is needed for investigating real data of these input variables and personal exposure concentration and application of this study methodology.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.494-501
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• 2009

Probabilistic Ecological risk assessment (PERA) is extensive approach to qualify and quantify risk on the multi species based on species sensitivity distribution (SSD). As a while, deterministic ecological risk assessment (DERA) considers the comparison of predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) and predicted exposure concentration (PEC). DERA is used to determine if there is potential risk or no risk, and it doesn't consider the nature variability and the species sensitivity. But PERA can be more realistic and reasonable approach to estimate likelihood or risk. In this study, we compared PERA used in developed countries, and proposed PERA applicable for the Korean water environment. Taxonomic groups were classified as "class" level including Actinopterygill, Branchiopoda, Chlorophyceae, Maxillapoda, Insects, Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Secernentea, Polychaeta, Monocotyldoneae, and Chanophyceae in this study. Statistical extrapolation method (SEM), statistical extrapolation method $_{acutechronicratio}$ ($SEM_{ACR}$) and assessment factor method (AFM) were used to calculate the ecological protective concentration based on qualitative and quantitative levels of taxonomic toxicity data. This study would be useful to establish the PERA for the protection of aquatic ecosystem in Korea.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.229-240
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• 2010

During the last decade, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have gained more attention due to their toxicity and global distribution. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution and bioaccumulation of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in aquatic wildlife effected from a sewage treatment plant. The concentrations of 12 PFCs were determined in water, sediment and fish samples. PFOS were predominantly detected in both ambient environment and fish. In fish, the concentration of PFCs in blood was the highest (i.e., 112.47 ng/mL wet-wt. PFOS) in comparison to other tissues. However, PFOA and PFHpS were highly detected in gonad as 3.87 and 4.58 ng/g wet-wt., respectively. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of PFCs was greatest in the blood > liver${\cong}$gonad > kidney > gill, and lowest in the muscle tissue. The BCFs of PFUnDA (39,000), PFDA (2,700) and PFOS (1,100) were rated as high values based on wet weight concentration. BCFs increased with increasing the length of the perfluoralkyl chain.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2010

This summary of literature during the past year reviews published studies relating to risk factors for depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Risk factors include environmental toxins, socio-environmental, and genetic factors. As depression has a complex, multifactorial causal mechanism, it is likely that the accumulation and/ or interaction among multiple risk factors lead to depression. Findings related to the result of toxin exposure have been difficult to interpret given that risk factors tend to interact and that higher mental functions are not easily measurable. However, some findings have been consistent. Clinical research data has also shown that the risk for negative outcomes may be modified both by genetic and environmental factors through a gene environment interplay mechanism.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2001

In view of the effect of factor Ⅶ as a risk factor for essential hypertension, we investigated the length (I/D) polymorphism at position 323 promoter region and exon 8-Msp I RFLP of the human factor Ⅶ gene in the Korean patients with essential hypertension and normal controls. There were no significant differences in the allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies of these polymorphisms between normotensive and essential hypertensive subjects. The significant linkage disequilibrium was however, detected between two polymorphic sites. The Msp I RFLP and I/D polymorphism were also significantly associated with plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. Therefore, our results suggest that the significant association between two genetic variations in the human factor Ⅶ gene and plasma TG level may reflect the potential role of human factor Ⅶ gene as one of the genetic components for cardiovascular risk.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.28
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• pp.12.1-12.5
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• 2013

Objectives The role of genetic polymorphisms of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) for lung cancer development was evaluated. Methods Genotypes of the TNF-${\alpha}$ polymorphisms, -1210C>T, -487A>G, -417A>G, IVS1+123G>A, and IVS3+51A>G, were determined in 616 lung cancer cases and 616 lung cancer-free controls. Results After adjusting for body mass index and smoking, each TNF-${\alpha}$ genotype or haplotype composed of five TNF-${\alpha}$ single nucleotide polymorphisms did not show an association with lung cancer risk (p>0.05). The statistical power was found to be 88.4%, 89.3%, 93.3%, 69.7%, and 93.9% for 1210C>T, -487A>G, -417A>G, IVS1+123G>A, and IVS3+51A>G, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of each SNP or haplotype on lung cancer risk were not found to be different according to the cell type of lung cancer (p>0.05). In the repeated analysis with only subjects without other diseases related to inflammation, there was also no association between polymorphisms or haplotypes of the TNF-${\alpha}$ gene and lung cancer risk (p>0.05). Conclusions This study found no association between common variants of the TNF-${\alpha}$ gene and lung cancer risk.