• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.146-156
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• 2024

Background: Children who use playground facilities are exposed to potential risks due to the high concentration of heavy metals contained in the finishing materials of facilities in children's playgrounds. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of heavy metals in the finishing materials of outdoor children's playgrounds where harmful heavy metals exist in Gwangju and to conduct human risk assessment for children and adults by age to find the risks and limitations. Methods: The bottom and top layers of double-painted paint were peeled off and collected together from the finishing materials of children's play facilities such as slides, swings, and seesaws in 147 children's parks in Gwangju. Heavy metals were analyzed using ICP-OES, etc., and human risk assessment was performed using the concentrations of heavy metals. Results: Based on 1.0E-04, which requires legal regulation, CTE was found to pose a carcinogenic risk for preschool children and no carcinogenic risk for the rest of the age groups. However, RME showed that both men and women of all ages had a carcinogenic risk. For reference, when the carcinogenic risk was based on 1.0E-06, CTE was found to pose a carcinogenic risk from infants to elementary school students, and RME was found to have a carcinogenic risk in all age groups. It was judged that there is a non-carcinogenic risk if the non-carcinogenic risk exceeds 1 based on the hazard index (HI) 1. In CTE, there was no non-carcinogenic risk, and RME for preschooler males (1.49E+00) and females (1.56E+00) were found to have non-carcinogenic risk. Conclusions: This study was meaningful in that it examines the differences in the current management of heavy metals concentration standards and potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to the human body and discusses the relationship between heavy metals and human health effects.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.8-15
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• 2007

Geotechnical and environmental properties of stone fillers are analyzed by several laboratory experiment to identify the possibility of recycling fillers and sewage dredged soils as construction materials. The result of geotechnjical test shows that the sewage dredged soil is a sandy soil which contains 70-80% sand and is useful as an aggregate of construction site. Stone filler has large fine content, which may disqualifies the use as construction materials. However, this material is still useful as a filler in stone quarries or finished mines. From the environmental test, the liquids leached from two types of materials have satisfied the standard of chemical substances in the soil environment law and no harmful effect in ground pollution is expected when recycling.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.471-479
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• 2013

The present study was conducted to judge the applicability of field quality control by children's goods manufacturers by assessing the contents of heavy metals such as Pb and Cd in outdoor play goods for children through measurement using Portable XRF and comparing the results through detailed analyses using ICP. Heavy metal contents of 711 part samples of 505 products were measured using XRF. According to the results, the ratio of products that exceeded the Pb and Cd content standards specified under the Quality Management and Safety Control of Industrial Products Act were 2.4% and 2.6%. Many products certified for self-regulated safety exceeded the standards and thus it was considered that harmful chemical material centered safety management systems would be necessary. Detailed ICP analyses of some products were compared and the results showed deviations of 0.9~80.8% from XRF results. The reasons for this are deviations in the characteristics of measured cross sections and the homogeneity of samples resulting from sample preparation methods, etc. Therefore, it is considered that field quality control will be applicable if measuring methods are efficiently established based on product characteristics and calibration curve preparation methods are established through quality control.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.992-1003
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• 2003

This study analyzes the actual state of the working uniforms worn by burning waste workers to protect their body from the hazardous environment. Directions for improvement of the clothing fabrics is also suggested. We visited and interviewed those persons who worked in the burning waste plant in Seoul and in Gyunggi Province. 245 workers were surveyed by questionnaires, and 211 workers out of 245 were statistically analyzed. Frequencies and percentages were calculated and $\chi$$^2$ test, ANOVA and Scheffe Post hoc comparison methods were utilized to test some hypothesis. The working uniforms were classified as four general types: separate type, disposable-coverall. overall, and winter clothes. At present, the working uniforms are not suitable for the conditions which they are used. There is a lack of ventilation and an inability to absorb perspiration limited elasticity, and the uniforms are prone to static shock. The degree of satisfaction varied significantly, based on the worker's educational background and main work. However, only a small percentage of workers interviewed were satisfied with the appearance and the fit of the present working uniforms. The working duration had a negative impact on the satisfaction of the worker. This results suggest that materials, colors, design and size of working clothes must be improved. The suggestions are as follows: Firstly. to use disposable non-woven fabrics finished to increase moisture regain. Secondly. to use the bad air permeability fabrics to protect the skin from absorbtion of harmful gases, flying dust, heavy metals, etc.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.155-161
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• 2000

Recently, environmental pollution has become a big problem in industry and many researches have been done in order to preserve the environment. In the grinding process, the coolant has great influence on environment. It contains several chemicals(sulfur, phosphorus and chlorine) to improve the grinding efficiency. If these additives go into the workplace atmosphere, it is harmful for workers. It can also cause the environment pollution. Because of these reasons many studies have been done to minimize the amount of coolant. However the small amount of coolant can cause the thermal defect on the ground surface layer. This study forced the effects of the compressed cold air when the spindle shaft materials(SCM4 & SCM21) were cylindrical ground with WA wheel. The compressed cold air was used as the coolant and grinding performance was compared with that of the conventional grinding fluids(emulsion). Many experiments were carried out with these two cooling materials. The surface roughness, residual stress, and roundness were measured for the cylindrical grinding. The test results showed that the compressed cold air was very useful as the cooling materials for grinding process. It was also efficient to minimize the thermal defects of workpiece and could also play a role in solving environmental pollution.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.214-220
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• 2008

The Ballast Water Management Convention provides that ballast water treatment systems which make use of active substances shall be approved from IMO according to the procedure developed by the IMO. The Convention described that active substance means a substance or organism, including a virus or a fungus, that has a general or specific action on or against harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens. The Marine Environment Protection Committee of IMO gave basic approval to 13 ballast water management systems and final approval to 4 systems until October 2008. This paper considered the matter of procedure and documents of the basic and final approval based on the "Procedure for approval of ballast water management systems that make use of Active Substances (G9)" and "The Methodology for information gathering and the conduct of work of the GESAMP-BWWG" and summarized the specifications of the treatment systems which was granted the basic or final approval from IMO and raised several points.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.573-583
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• 2005

Fugitive dust, which is emitted in the ambient air without first passing through a stack or duct designed to control flow, is frequently generated by means of wind erosion from storage yards at Pohang Steel Wokrs. The size distribution of fugitive dust is mostly in the range of coarse particulate which is deposited as soon as emitted and less harm to human health; however $20\%$ of fugitive dust contains PM 10 known as one of most harmful airborne pollutant. Consequently, effective control and reduction of fugitive dust is strongly requested by the local society, but it is not easy so far because the generation and dispersion of fugitive dust highly depends on meteorological conditions, and it being occurred for irregularity. This research presented a fugitive dust control system for each meteorological condition by providing statistical prediction data obtained from a statistical analysis on the probability of generating the threshold velocity at which the fugitive dust begins to occur, and the frequency occurring by season and by time of the wind direction that can generate atmospheric pollution when the dispersed dust spreads to adjacent residential areas. The research also built a fugitive dust detection system which monitors the weather conditions surrounding storage yards and the changes in air quality on a real-time basis and issues a warning message by identifying a situation where the fugitive dust disperses outside the site boundary line so that appropriate measures can be taken on a timely basis. Furthermore, in respect to the spraying of water to prevent the generation of fugitive dust from the storage piles at the storage yard, an advanced statistical meteorological analysis on the weather conditions in Pohang area and a case study of fugitive dust dispersion toward outside of working field during $2002\∼2003$ were carried out in order to decide an optimal water-spraying time and the number of spraying that can prevent the origin of fugitive dust emission. The results of this research are expected to create extremely significant effects in improving surrounding environment through actual reduction of the fugitive dust produced from the storage yard of Pohang Steel Works by providing a high-tech warning system capable of constantly monitoring the leakage of fugitive dust and water-spray guidance that can maximize the water-spraying effects.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.27-34
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• 2003

Bisphenol A is used in the manufacture of epoxy, polycarbonate, and corrosion-resistant unsaturated polyester-styrene resins required for food packaging materials in industrial processing. Some reports indicated the possibility of harmful effects on rats. In this study was used a method for the determination of bisphenol A in blood according to the OSHA High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) guideline. The method involved blood extraction using methylene chloride. And it was evaluated developmental and teratogenic effects in pregnant rats and second generation. The results obtained were as follows. There was a significant increase in the body weights and treated groups F1 female in liver, spleen, kidney, but according to dose-response. F1 female rat's relative body weight and absolute body weight are not different. There was a significant increase liver, spleen, kidney organ weight and reproductive organ weight epididymis, prostate gland in F1 male rats. There was a proestrous in pregnant rat, group 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg, 2000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg, 20,000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg. The effect on rat treated with bisphenol A decrease organ weight and reproductive organ weight. Identification and quantitation were performed with using HPLC C18 column and using at retention time 5.5 min. The results of the detection of bisphenol A were at 20,000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg in average 1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg average in 0.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml blood samples. From those results, it could be concluded that the effects of pregnant rat and second generation(F1) by bisphenol A treatment during lactational period were estrogenic and bisphenol A was remained in serum at low level.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.470-477
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• 2007

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of moisture content on direct landfilling prohibition of organic sludge. Organic sludges with moisture content (Me) of 75 and 85% were filled in two lysimeters. The lysimeters were named as Exp.75 and Exp.85, respectively. LFG of 2,064 l was generated greatly for Exp.85, compared to 1,500 l for Exp.75. LFG generations in Exp.75 and Exp.85 were 64.1 l/kg and 157.1 l/kg as dry TS basis, and 113.6 l/kg and 266.2 l/kg as dry VS basis. Total $CH_4$ generation in LFG for Exp.85 was 1,238 l, while 1,050 l for Exp.75. $H_2S$ of $3{\sim}150$ ppmv was generated from Exp.85, which was 5 times higher than $2{\sim}30$ppmv from Exp.75. Leachate was not generated from Exp.75 during operation time. However, 420 ml of leachate was generated from Exp.85. From the results of gas generation, composition, odorous compounds, and leachate generation, landfilling of organic sludge with high MC was more harmful to the environment in spite of great LFG generation. However, direct landfilling of organic sludges without great difference of MC made a severe odor problem. Therefore, it was thought that current direct landfilling prohibition law for all organic sludge was appropriate.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.481-490
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• 2005

Surface sediments and seawater were sampled at Masan and Haengam Bays of Korea, to evaluate contamination by sewage-derived organic matter using fecal sterols, Six stream-water samples into Masan and Haengam Bays were also sampled. Total concentrations of eight sterols (coprostanol, epichloestanol, epicoprostanol, cholesterol, cholestanol, brassicasterol, stigmasterol and $\beta-sitosterol$) were in the range of $1,274\~4,768{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in suspended particulate from the stream-water, $292\~2,244{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in suspended particulate from the seawater and $4.5\~27.2{\mu}g/g$ dry weight in the sediments. Although sterol compositions in sediments, seawater and stream-water were different, cholesterol was the predominant sterol in all samples. The proportion and concentration of coprostanol, a sewage tracer, in stream-water was much higher than those in sediment and seawater. The sterol levels including coprostanol in the sediments and seawater were higher at inner basin than at the outer bay. Some molecular indices and multivariate statistical analysis were used to assess the origin of these sterols and sewage contamination in the study area. The sterol composition patterns in stream-water were mainly associated with contamination by sewage-derived organic matters and those of seawater were associated with the activities of marine-originated organisms. Sterol levels in the sediments were both from the sewage input through stream-water and the marine- originated organisms. This survey suggests that the main source/route of sewage-derived organic matters in Masan Bay is the input of stream-water into the bay.