• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.417-424
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• 2019

Despite its superior ability to show distinct cellular morphology and for long-term storage, conventional tissue fixation by formalin has many drawback, including slower fixation, the exposure to harmful chemicals and extensive protein modification. Herein, we assessed the effects of rapid microwave-assisted tissue fixation on histological examination and on protein integrity by comparing these microwave irradiation fixated tissues with the formalin-fixed tissues. One of the paired mouse tissues (liver and kidney) was fixed in formalin and the other was fixed by using microwave irradiation in phosphate buffered saline. Each slide from the paraffin-embedded tissues was examined by H & E staining for the adequacy of fixation and by immunohistochemical staining for antigenicity in a blinded fashion. Evaluation of protein recovery and the protein quality from the fixed tissues were analyzed by the BCA method and Western blotting, respectively. The results from H & E staining and immunohistochemical staining showed that the sections obtained from microwave-fixed tissues under our experimental conditions were comparable to those of the formalin-fixed tissues except for the integrity of RBCs. Furthermore, proteins were effectively extracted from the microwave-fixed tissues with acceptable preservation of the proteins' quality. Taken together, this microwave-assisted tissue processing yields a quick fixation and better protein recovery in higher amounts, as well as the adequacy of fixation and the antigenicity being comparable to formalin-fixed tissues, and this all suggests that this new fixation technique can be applied in an environment where rapid tissue fixation is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.649-657
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• 2019

Hydrazine, which is used as a representative monopropellant, is an extremely poisonous substance and has a disadvantage that it is harmful to the human body and is very difficult to handle. In recent years, research on the development of non-toxic and environmentally friendly propellants has attracted much attention. Ammonium dinitramide(ADN) based propellant developed by Swedish Space Corporation has superior performance to hydrazine and has been commercialized through performance verification in space environment. On the other hand, the exhaust gas from a thruster nozzle collides with a satellite while it is spreading in the vacuum space, thermal load and surface contamination may occur and may reduce the performance and lifetime of the satellite. However, a study on the effect of the exhaust gas of the green propellant thruster on the satellite has not been conducted in earnest yet. Therefore, the exhaust gas behavior in space was analyzed in this study for the ADN based green monopropellant using Navier-Stokes equations and the DSMC method. As a result, it can be expected to be used as design validation data in the development of satellite when using the ADN based green monopropellant.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.165-173
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• 2019

Hydrazine[$N_2H_4$] is a typical propellant for a rocket fuel in the field of aerospace. Since it is very toxic and harmful to the environment, various environmentally-friendly propellants have been developed. In this study, relatively a safe propellant, hydroxylammonium nitrate[$NH_3OHNO_3$], was prepared via a neutralization reaction of hydroxylamine[$NH_2OH$] and nitric acid[$HNO_3$]. FT-IR was used to analyze the chemical composition, chemical structure and functional groups of HAN. Thermogravimetric analysis showed the decomposition temperature of HAN. Ion chromatography was also used to evaluate the content of nitrate ions. It was proved that the peaks of FT-IR at $3161cm^{-1}$ and $1324cm^{-1}$ indicates the functionalities of N-H and N-O present in HAN. The decomposition temperature of HAN synthesized at pH 5 to 7 was $120-140^{\circ}C$, and pH 8 resulted in higher decomposition temperature than $140^{\circ}C$. Meanwhile, the sample obtained from pH 6-7 showed the concentration of nitric acid ion with 70%.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2011

In period of rapid economic development, as doing river conservation work by using harmful materials environmental pollution has adversely effected humans, animals and plants frequently. For recovery of environmental pollution it needs a lot of time and cost. Therefore, in this study, in order to take an environment-friendly method which is also economical and durable both results of the laboratory model test and field test were compared and analyzed. According to the results of the laboratory model test, those methods such as concrete paving, asphalt paving, bentonite mat, stabilized soil method and mixed soil method have small amount of seepage, but on the other hand compaction soil, grassland and permeable materials have considerable amount of seepage. The results of field test show a similar tendency with laboratory test and have been satisfied to assess standard of domestic water permeability below $1.0{\times}10^{-7}cm/sec$ and unconfined compressive strength is also than 1.0MPa so it has been satisfied about standard. In conclusion, as compaction rate increased, as unconfined compression strength increased and coefficient of permeability decreased.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.366-377
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• 2021

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are generated in petrochemical complexes, can spread to residential areas and affect the health of residents. Although harmful PAHs are mainly present in particle phase, gas phase PAHs can generate stronger toxic substances through photochemical reaction. Therefore, the risk assessment for PAHs around the petrochemical complex should consider both particle and gas phase concentrations. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the concentration characteristics of particle and gas phase PAHs by season in residential areas around petrochemical complexes, and to assess the risk of PAHs. Methods: Samples were collected for 7 days by seasons in 2014~2015 using a high volume air sampler. Particle and gas phase PAHs were sampled using quartz filter and polyurethane foam, respectively, analyzed by GC-MS. Chronic toxicity and probabilistic risk assessment were performed on 14 PAHs. For chronic toxicity risk assessment, inhalation unit risk was used. Monte-Carlo simulation was performed for probabilistic risk assessment using the mean and standard deviation of measured PAHs. Results: The concentration of particle total PAHs was highest in autumn. The gas phase concentration was highest in autumn. The average gas phase distribution ratio of low molecular weight PAHs composed of 2~3 benzene rings was 85%. The average of the medium molecular weight composed of 4 benzene rings was 53%, and the average of the high molecular weight composed of 5 or more benzene rings was 9%. In the chronic toxicity risk assessment, 7 of the 14 PAHs exceeded the excess carcinogenic risk of 1.00×10^-6. In the Monte-Carlo simulation, Benzo[a]pyrene had the highest probability of exceeding 1.00×10^-6, which was 100%. Conclusions: The concentration of PAHs in the residential area around the petrochemical complex exceeded the standard, and the excess carcinogenic risk was evaluated to be high. Therefore, it is necessary to manage the air environment around the petrochemical complex.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2021

We surveyed 27 workplaces and 1897 workers and analyzed the correlation between Personal characteristics of workers and Musculoskeletal Symptoms. The presence or absence of Symptoms of Musculoskeletal Disease in workers was based on The Management Target or higher in accordance with the guidelines for The Investigation of Harmful Factors in Musculoskeletal Burdened Work of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. Personal characteristics were divided into age, work load, housework burden, work experience, leisure type, gender, and marital status. In the survey, correlations were investigated through binominal logistic regression analysis for rank variables of work load, household burden, and work experience, and the significance of the results was confirmed by crosstabulation and chi-square analysis for other nominal variables. And in the case of other variables, there was a slight trend, but it was confirmed that it was not statistically significant. As a result, We confirmed that the incidence rate of Musculoskeletal Disease Symptoms increased as the age of the workers was lower, the higher the workload and housework, if they were women, if they did not engage in leisure activities. However, considering that the results of this study are slightly different as a result of comparing the results of other studies, the data of this study can be used as rough indicators for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, but additional research is needed before using it as quantitative indicators.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2022

Objectives: This study intends to review the impact on cleaning workers and suggest directions for improvement by reviewing the legal and institutional ways in which Article 86 Nos. 7 and 16 of the Enforcement Decree of the Occupational Safety and Health Act work on the maintenance and promotion of cleaning workers' health. Methods: The following laws and systems were reviewed and considered: First, the occupational safety and health legislation obligated or required to be applied to protect the health of cleaning workers; Second, the status of control of chemicals or mixtures used at cleaning sites through the Consumer Chemicals Product and Biocide Safety Control Act; Third, Control of consumer products according to foreign material safety data sheet related laws. Results: Legal and institutional measures necessary to protect the health of cleaning workers include the legal control of harmful substances to be controlled, work environment monitoring, and special health examinations. The application of the Consumer Chemicals Product and Biocide Safety Control Act does not satisfy the legal and practical level of health maintenance and promotion required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the communication of chemical information is insufficient. Overseas, there are restrictions on the use of consumer products in the workplace without material safety data sheets. Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the system to ensure the health of workers handling consumer chemical products. The remaining laws and regulations exempted from the obligation to prepare material safety data sheets should be additionally reviewed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to reveal the circumstances under which the cases of harm to health caused by humidifier disinfectant were neglected and show the points where the number of victims and the degree of damage could have been reduced. In addition, it attempts to describe how damage management proceeded immediately after the incident and actually exacerbated the damage. Finally, it explores the unfortunate aspects of the recent trial. By doing so, it attempts to take this as an opportunity to consider whether a tragic event such as the humidifier disinfectant incident could occur in the future. Methods: This study collected and analyzed data on chemical material characteristics related to humidifier disinfectants, data on health effect characteristics, data on related laws and regulations from the Ministry of Environment, data related to the damage investigation by the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, and current contents. Results: The lack of related systems and laws is the area where the greatest responsibility for the cause of the humidifier disinfectant disaster falls, so it is difficult for the government to escape this responsibility. Establishing a dedicated department to identify the prevalence of certain diseases within the functions of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to monitor health can greatly contribute to the prevention and management of diseases through early detection and management of group outbreaks caused by harmful factors. Humidifier disinfectant damage relief should have been expanded earlier beyond HDLI (humidifier disinfectant lung injury) to include non-specific diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, and interstitial pneumonia. The scope of relief benefits should have also been expanded earlier to include the payment of disability benefits. Fortunately, with the 2020 revision of the Special Act, the conditions for estimating causal relations were eased and individual screening systems such as health impact assessment were reorganized along with the introduction of a rapid screening system. Conclusions: The management system for chemical substances in a country is clearly of paramount importance, and the ministry in charge must have a response system in case of damage to health effects. Administration that looks at the victims' situation from their point of view is needed, and technical countermeasures are required to quickly recognize the prevalence of certain diseases.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.127-139
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• 2023

Daechung Reservoir has been suffering from severe cyanobacterial blooming periodically due to the water pollutants from the watershed, especially nutrients from nonpoint sources. As a countermeasure, an artificial wetland was constructed to mitigate the pollutant load from the watershed by utilizing the vegetation. We investigated the water quality of the influent and outflow of the wetland during years 2014~2020 to evaluate the performance of pollutant removal through the wetland. Major pollutants (e.g. BOD, COD, SS, T-N, and T-P) were largely reduced during the retention in the wetland while nutrients removal was more efficient than that of organic matters. Pollutant removal efficiency for different inflow concentrations was also investigated to estimate the wetland's capability as a way of managing nonpoint sources. The efficiency of water treatment was significantly higher when inflow concentrations were above 75^th percentile for all pollutant, implying the wetland can be applied to the pre-treatment of high pollution load including initial rainfall runoff. Furthermore, the yearly variation of removal efficiency for seven years was analyzed to better understand long-term trends in water treatment of the wetland. The annual treatment efficiency of T-P was very high in the early stages of vegetation growth with high concentration of inflow water. However, it was confirmed that the concentration of inflow water decreased, vegetation stabilized, and the treatment efficiency gradually decreased as the soil was saturated. The findings of the study suggest that artificial wetlands can be an effective method for controlling harmful algal blooms by alleviating pollutant load from the tributaries of Daechung Reservoir.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.474-482
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• 2007

Daycare centers are an important indoor environment for pre-school children and exposure area with potential harmful health effects for infants and children who spend most of their daily life. Sampling was undertaken at 29 daycare centers located Seoul in Korea from January, 2006 to December 2006. The target compounds were 7 individual volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, styrene, o-xylene, TVOC). The mean concentrations of TVOC, toluene, m ,p-xylene, ethylbenzene, benzene and styrene in daycare centers were $318.7{\mu}g/m^3$, $51.6{\mu}g/m^3$, $11.7{\mu}g/m^3$, $6.5{\mu}g/m^3$, $4.2{\mu}g/m^3$, $3.6{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. Toluene occupied 17.6 % of the concentration of individual VOCs. The ratio of indoor and outdoor (I/O) of TVOC and toluene were 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. The results of characteristics according to a season of a year, the concentration of TVOC were measured $433.9{\mu}g/m^3$, and these concentrations during third quarter of the year in summer were higher than the other season. In the other four seasons, TVOC were measured 280.5 in winter, 298.3 in spring and $264.6{\mu}g/m^3$ in fall, respectively.