• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.314-323
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• 2006

This study was conducted to identify ingredients of thinners and to confirm reliability of material safety data sheets (MSDS) of thinners for public and workers' health. The 41 thinner products were collected from paint shops located in Busan and Gyeongnam province. The 12 thinner products among them were identified using product MSDS. GC-MSD was used to analyze 41 kinds of thinners qualitatively and quantitatively. The 12 products MSDS were compared with thinner's component through qualitative analysis to confirm MSDS. Chemical ingredients, such as Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene etc., of thinners were analysed in quantity. The 41 thinner products contained 17 disclosed specific, trade name, or generically described chemical solvent ingredients. These 17 ingredients came under 6 classes: alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, glycol ethers, ketones, and mixtures. These 17 ingredients were important in the view of industrial hygiene and had occupational exposure limit in the ambient, such as toluene, xylene, acetone, nonane, EGEE, heptane, cumene, MIBK, indene, tri-methyl benzene, etc, were found in 41 kinds of thinners. Aromatic hydrocarbons were the most identified ingredient in thinners. Especially, the benzene, which induces leukemia, was found in 4 kinds of thinners. The content rates of benzene in thinners were 0.25~1.18%. The benzene in enamel thinner, which were 0.39~0.72%, was highest from chemical classification. The contents of toluene, which was found from 27 kinds of thinners, were 5.35~64.16%, which were highest in sobu thinner as 58.80%. Xylene was found from 22 kinds of thinners and contents of xylene were 4.61~72.42%. Acrylic thinner's contents of xylene were 12.06~51.05%, which was most high. It was found that contents of benzene were increased and frequency of detection was decreased through comparison with other study. The MSDS possession rate of paint shops was low as 29.27%. So it did not provide information with public or workers. Mean of agreement rate between MSDS and components of thinners through qualitative analysis was 42.01% and it has wide range from 8.3% to 75%. There are many deficiencies in MSDS about component of thinners. In some case of sample, expecially, despite containing benzene, information was not written it on MSDS.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 1998

To investigate whether the introduced genetic marker is useful to detect the survivalship and activity of the natural bacteria under the stressed conditions, one Gram-negative isolate, KP964 was transformed to the luminous phenotype by transferring luxAB gene. Under the starvation-stress this luminous bacterial culturability (determined by colony-forming-units [CFU] on agar plate) decreased rapidly below the detection limit by 37 days, while its total cell number (determined by AODC) remained almost the same as its initial inocular size. At that time period, the viable cell number was estimated to be 1400 times higher than its CFU number. The bioiuminescence (determined by relative light units [RLU]) produced under the same condition was also monitored and found to decrease more rapidly than the culturability by 5-fold. Under the other stresses, e.g., osmotic shocks, acid shock, and exposure to toxic chemicals, this bacterial strain did not show the reliable correlation between CFU and RLU. These results might not suggest the direct estimation of bioiuminescence from the stressed bacteria be an index of both the survivalship and its activity. However, when the stressed bacterial cells were incubated under the favorable condition by relieving from the existing stress, the potential bioiuminescence (the lag periods before the increase of bioiuminescence, the increase rates of bioiuminescence, and the maximal levels of bioiuminescence) was shown to be highly dependent upon the strengths of the stresses exposed to the bacterial cells. Therefore, analysis of the potential bioiuminescence from the stressed bacteria revealed good relationships with survival as well as activity.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate the actual risk of fipronil on worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) through acute contact toxicity test, acute oral toxicity test, toxicity of residues on foliage test, and small scale field test. The $48h-LD_{50s}$ of fipronil SC on honeybee were $0.005{\mu}g$ a.i./bee in acute contact toxicity test and $0.004{\mu}g$ a.i./bee in acute oral toxicity test, respectively. In toxicity of residues on foliage test, fipronil showed over 90% of mortality during 28days after treatment at recommended application rate. The $DT_{50}$ of dislodgeable foliar residue was 9 days. Finally, In small scale field test, fipronil showed similar toxicity in the residues on foliage test. It was concluded that fipronil has very high acute toxicity and long residual toxicity to honeybee. Therefore, fipronil is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds. Do not apply this product or allow it to drift to blooming crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area. To protect honeybee and wild pollinators from outdoor use of fipronil, ultimately it should need to limit for only indoor use to prevent pollinators from unintentionally exposure of fipronil.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.237-246
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• 2016

This study is therefore aimed at measuring the surface dose rate and the spatial dose rate in and outside the radionuclide facility in order to ensure safety of the patients, radiation workers and family care-givers in their use of such equipment and to provide a basic framework for further research on radiation protection. The study was conducted at 4 restrooms in and outside the radionuclide facility of a general hospital in Incheon between May 1 and July 31, 2014. During the study period, the spatial contamination dose rate and the surface contamination dose rate before and after radiation use were measured at the 4 places-thyroid therapy room, PET center, gamma camera room, and outpatient department. According to the restroom use survey by hospitals, restrooms in the radionuclide facility were used not only by patients but also by family care-givers and some of radiation workers. The highest cumulative spatial radiation dose rate was 8.86 mSv/hr at camera room restroom, followed by 7.31 mSv/hr at radioactive iodine therapy room restroom, 2.29 mSv/hr at PET center restroom, and 0.26 mSv/hr at outpatient department restroom, respectively. The surface radiation dose rate measured before and after radiation use was the highest at toilets, which are in direct contact with patient's excretion, followed by the center and the entrance of restrooms. Unsealed radioactive sources used in nuclear medicine are relatively safe due to short half lives and low energy. A patient who received those radioactive sources, however, may become a mobile radioactive source and contaminate areas the patient contacts-camera room, sedation room, and restroom-through secretion and excretion. Therefore, patients administered radionuclides should be advised to drink sufficient amounts of water to efficiently minimize radiation exposure to others by reducing the biological half-life, and members of the public-family care-givers, pregnant women, and children-be as far away from the patients until the dose remains below the permitted dose limit.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.597-603
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• 2017

High-dose $^{131}I$ therapy has been generally carried out to remove remaining thyroid tissue or to cure metastasize lesion of patients who received full thyroidectomy due to differentiated thyroid cancers. In case high-dose $^{131}I$ therapy is carried out for a patient, the patient should be hospitalized being isolated for a certain period in order to restrict the amount of exposure to radiation of people at large from the patient within the limit of a level of radiation. Effective half-life is an important value to calculate how family members are exposed to radiation from a patient or to decide the period of isolation of the patient from the family members. Therefore, in this study we calculated the effective decay constant, effective half-life and period of isolation of high-dose $^{131}I$ therapy patient using NM670 SPECT/CT. As a result of carrying out this study, the effective half-life of high-dose $^{131}I$ therapy patients was derived and the time to reach the discharge level of 1.2 GBq was confirmed. When they were compared with each other in each of curative doses, the effective half-life did not have significant difference, but the time when the level of radiation remaining in the interior of the body to reach the criteria of isolation and discharge showed significant difference and it could be confirmed that the higher the curative dose the longer the period of isolation becomes. When the effective half-lives in each type of preparation were compared with each other, they did not show significant difference. However, When the times to reach the level of radiation that is the criteria of isolation and discharge in each type of preparations, they showed significant difference. The cause of the shortening of the isolation period for rhTSH patients group is decided to be low curative dose. Accordingly, if the current national health insurance (the insurance is applied to using of rhTSH in 3.7 GBq or lower) is maintained, while discerning them in each of types of preparation, we would be able to discharge patients at the time earlier than the current period of isolation (2 nights and 3 days).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.20 no.2 s.22
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• pp.228-235
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• 1987

The objective of this study is to examine the correlation between the toluene concentration in the work environment of organic solvents and the concentration of hippuric acid in urine of workers exposed toluene, and to acquire the fundamental materials of workers' health care and to assist the assessment of the biological permisible exposure limit. The control groups are 72 workers who had never been exposed to toluene and the case groups are 101 workers who had been exposed to toluene. This study was conducted to examine the correlation between the concentration of toluene in work environment and workers' hippuric acid concentration, to investigate the complaint difference of subjective symptoms by means of questionaire, between the case groups and control groups. The results and conclusions are as fellows: 1) The highest mean concentration of toluene in the air is $544.13{\pm}7.75ppm$ in the Printing Department of mixing organic solvents. The concentrations of the others are $463.27{\pm}5.24ppm$ in Department of mixture for organic solvents, and $393.56{\pm}45.69ppm$ in the Printing Department(1), and $248.38{\pm}45.16ppm$ in the Printing Department(2), and $159.38{\pm}18.51ppm$ in the Printing Department(3). 2) The highest mean concentration of hippuric acid in urine is $6034.84{\pm}1298.35mg/l$ in the Printing Department with mixing organic solvents. The concentrations of the others are $4798.44{\pm}784.53mg/l$ in Department of mixture of organic solvents, and $2883.06{\pm}701.90mg/l$ in the Printing Department(1), and $1449.98{\pm}905.19mg/l$ in the Printing Department(2), and $598.52{\pm}299.43mg/l$ in the Printing Department(3). 3) As the toluene concentration in the work environment becomes higher, the concentration of hippuric acid in urine also becomes higher. It is found that the coefficient of correlation between toluene concentration and the concentration of hippuric acid are positive (r=0.868, Y=7.18X+349.57) 4) It is found that the case groups complain of much more subjective symptoms than the control groups.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.23-33
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• 2016

The characteristics of ammonia generated from alkaline stabilization facilities was investigated which are for organic sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants. The highest concentration of ammonia was found in mixing and curing process in alkaline stabilization facility and ammonia mainly showed a range of 87.78 ppm($66.62mg/m^3$) to 1,933 ppm($1,467.01mg/m^3$) by detection tube. This is presumed to occur because nitrogen oxides are converted into ammonia as the sewage sludge is mixed with lime. In some facilities, hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were detected in relatively high concentrations, but odor materials except ammonia were not detected in most of the facilities. The concentration of ammonia caused by process was generally high in the order of "mixing > curing > output > storage > drying > input." It was found that odor compounds are removed by wet absorption using sulfuric acid and sodium hypochlorite in the 5 alkaline stabilization facilities currently in operation. Each facility was designed to meet the concentration of after-treatment emission in 1 ppm($0.76mg/m^3$), 50 ppm($37.95mg/m^3$) or 100 ppm($75.89mg/m^3$), but no facility satisfied the design standard for their emssion limit. In case of ammonia, some workplaces in alkaline stabilization facilities exceeded the exposure limits established by the Ministry of Labor. It appears that proper ventilation should be provided for the safety of workers in future. No odor compound including ammonia was found by detection tubes in the border of the facilities, but trace amounts of odor compounds are expected to exist, given the current operational status of facilities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-72
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• 1999

Airborne concentrations of welding fumes in which 13 different metals such as Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Si, Sn, Ti, and Zn were analyzed were measured at 18 factories including automobile assembly and manufactures, steel heavy industries and shipyards. Air samples were collected by personal sampler at each worker's worksite(n=339). Blood levels of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were also measured from samples taken from 447 welders by atomic absorption spectrometry and compared with control values obtained from 127 non-exposed workers. The results were as follows ; 1. Among various welding types, $CO_2$ welding 70.2 % were widely used, shielded metal arc welding(SMAW) 22.1 % came next, and rest of them were metal inert gas(MIG) welding, submerged arc welding(SAW), spot welding(SPOT) and tungsten inert gas(TIG) welding. 2. Welding fume concentration was $0.92mg/m^3$($0.02{\sim}15.33mg/m^3$) at automobile assembly and manufactures, $4.10mg/m^3$($0.02{\sim}70.75mg/m^3$) at steel heavy industries and $5.59mg/m^3$($0.30{\sim}91.16mg/m^3$) at shipyards, respectively, showing significant difference among industry types. Workers exposed to high concentration of welding fumes above Korean Permissible Exposure Limit(KPEL) amounted to 7.9 % and 12.5 %, in $CO_2$ welding and in SMAW at automobile assembly and manufactures and 62.7 % in $CO_2$ welding, and 12.5 % in SMAW at shipyards, and 66.2 % in $CO_2$ welding and 70.6 % in SMAW at steel heavy industries. 3. Geometric mean of airborne concentration of each metal released from welding fumes was below one 10th of KPEL in all welding types. Percentage of workers, however, exposed to airborne concentration of metals above KPEL amounted to 16.8 % in Mn and 7.6 % in Fe in $CO_2$ welding; 37.5 % in Cu in SAW, 30 % in Cu in TIG; and 25 % in Pb in SPOT welding. As a whole, 76 Workers(22.4%) were exposed to high concentration of any of the metals above KPEL. 4. There were differences in airborne concentration of metals such as Al, Cd, Cr, Cu. Fe. Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Si, Sn, Ti and Zn by industry types. These concentrations were higher in shipyards and steel heavy industries than in automobile assembly and manufactures. Workers exposed to higher concentration of Pb above KPEI amounted to 7.4 % of workers(7/94) in automobile assembly and manufactures. In shipyards, 19.2 % of workers(19/99) were over-exposed to Mn and 7.1 % (7/99) to Fe above KPEL. In steel heavy industries, 14.4 %(21/146), 7.5 %(11/146) and 13 %(19/146) were over-exposed to Mn, Fe and Cu, respectively. As a whole, 76 out of 339 workers(22.4%) were exposed to any of the metals above KPEL. 5. Blood levels of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn in welders were $0.11{\mu}g/100m{\ell}$, $0.84{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, $424.4{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, $1.26{\mu}g/100m{\ell}$, $5.01{\mu}g/100m{\ell}$ and $5.68{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, respectively, in contrast to $0.09{\mu}g/100m{\ell}$, $0.70{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, $477.2{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, $0.73{\mu}g/100m{\ell}$, $3.14{\mu}g/100m{\ell}$ and $6.15{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ in non-exposed control groups, showing significantly higher values in welders but Fe and Zn.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2008

Purpose: The most concerning issue in children with urinary tract infection(UTI) is the probability of underlying genitourinary anomalies and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which is frequently associated with renal scarring and eventually end-stage renal disease. Therefore, voiding cystourethrography(VCUG) is usually recommended at the earliest convenient time for children with UTI. However, VCUG is an invasive procedure that requires catheterization and exposure to X-ray. In this study, we aimed to determine the predictability of clinical, laboratory and imaging parameters for VUR in children with UTI. Methods: Data of children with bacteriologically proven UTI who underwent VCUG were evaluated retrospectively for clinical(age, gender, fever), laboratory(leukocytosis, ESR, CRP, pyuria, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine) and imaging(renal ultrasound and DMSA renal scan) findings. First, children with UTI were divided into two groups according to the presence of VUR as non-VUR group and with VUR group, and clinical, laboratory variables were compared between these groups. Second, patients who had VUR were reclassified as low-grade VUR(grade I-II) group and high-grade(grade III-V) VUR group according to grading of VUR, and clinical, laboratory and imaging variables were compared between these groups. Results: Among 410 children with UTI, 137 had VUR and 78 high-grade VUR. Fever, leukocytosis, ESR, CRP, pyuria were associated with VUR. In addition, abnormal findings of ultrasonography and DMSA renal scan were closely related to VUR. However, these clinical and laboratory variable in patients with high grade VUR were not different significantly, compared to those with low-grade VUR group. Conclusion: Fever, leukocytosis, ESR, CRP seems to be potentially useful predictors of VUR in pediatric patients with UTI. In addition, renal ultrasonography and DMSA renal scan findings supported the presence of VUR. Further study of these findings could limit unnecessary VCUG in patients with UTI.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.72-78
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• 2009

The demand for rainfall data in gridded digital formats has increased in recent years due to the close linkage between hydrological models and decision support systems using the geographic information system. One of the most widely used tools for digital rainfall mapping is the PRISM (parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model) which uses point data (rain gauge stations), a digital elevation model (DEM), and other spatial datasets to generate repeatable estimates of monthly and annual precipitation. In the PRISM, rain gauge stations are assigned with weights that account for other climatically important factors besides elevation, and aspects and the topographic exposure are simulated by dividing the terrain into topographic facets. The size of facet or grid cell resolution is determined by the density of rain gauge stations and a $5{\times}5km$ grid cell is considered as the lowest limit under the situation in Korea. The PRISM algorithms using a 270m DEM for South Korea were implemented in a script language environment (Python) and relevant weights for each 270m grid cell were derived from the monthly data from 432 official rain gauge stations. Weighted monthly precipitation data from at least 5 nearby stations for each grid cell were regressed to the elevation and the selected linear regression equations with the 270m DEM were used to generate a digital precipitation map of South Korea at 270m resolution. Among 1.25 million grid cells, precipitation estimates at 166 cells, where the measurements were made by the Korea Water Corporation rain gauge network, were extracted and the monthly estimation errors were evaluated. An average of 10% reduction in the root mean square error (RMSE) was found for any months with more than 100mm monthly precipitation compared to the RMSE associated with the original 5km PRISM estimates. This modified PRISM may be used for rainfall mapping in rainy season (May to September) at much higher spatial resolution than the original PRISM without losing the data accuracy.