• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.500-508
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• 2020

Background: Research on the status of many chemicals used in the semiconductor industry is needed. The purpose of this study was to describe the overall status of chemical use in the semiconductor industry in Korea and to examine it from a health perspective. Methods: Data on the status of chemical use and safety data sheets at 11 of 12 major semiconductor workplaces in Korea were collected. The number of chemical products and chemical constituents, quantities of chemicals, and trade secret ingredients used, as well as the health hazards were examined. Results: On average, 210 chemical products and 135 chemical constituents were used at the surveyed workplaces. Among all chemical products, 33% (range: 16-56%) contained at least one trade secret ingredient. Most of the trade secret ingredients were used in the photolithography process. Several carcinogens, including sulfuric acid, chromic acid, ethylene oxide, crystalline silica, potassium dichromate, and formaldehyde were also used. Only 29% (39 of 135) of the chemical constituents had occupational exposure limits, and more than 60% had no National Fire Protection Association health, safety, and reactivity ratings. Based on the aforementioned results, this study revealed the following. First, many chemical products and constituents are being used in the semiconductor industry and many products contained trade secret ingredients. Second, many products contained significant amounts of carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reproductive toxicant materials. Conclusion: We conclude that protecting workers in the semiconductor industry against harm from chemical substances will be difficult, due to widespread use of trade secret ingredients and a lack of hazard information. The findings of the status of chemical use and the health and safety risks in semiconductor industry will contribute to epidemiological studies, safe workplace, and worker health protection.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

Objectives: This study examined the association of the total diet quality with the incidence risk of metabolic syndrome constituents and metabolic syndrome among Korean adults. Methods: Based on a community-based cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) from 2001 to 2014, data from a total of 5,549 subjects (2,805 men & 2,744 women) aged 40~69 years at the baseline with a total follow-up period of 38,166 person-years were analyzed. The criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel was employed to define metabolic syndrome. The total diet quality was estimated using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for risk of metabolic syndrome constituents and metabolic syndrome in relation to KHEI quintile groups was calculated by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: After adjusting for age, energy intake, income, education, physical activity, smoking, and drinking, the incidence of abdominal obesity and high blood pressure was significantly lower, by approximately 29.7% (P < 0.01) and 25.2% (P < 0.01), respectively, in the fifth KHEI quintile compared to the first quintile in men. A significant decreasing trend of the metabolic syndrome incidence was observed across the improving levels of KHEI (HRq5vs.q1: 0.775, 95% CIq5vs.q1: 0.619~0.971, P for trend < 0.01). In women, the incidence of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome was significantly lower, by approximately 29.8% (P < 0.01) and 22.5% (P < 0.05), respectively, in the fifth KHEI quintile compared to the first quintile adjusting for multiple covariates. On the other hand, the linear trend of metabolic syndrome risk across the KHEI levels did not reach the significance level. Conclusions: A better diet quality can prevent future metabolic syndrome and its certain risk factors among Korean men and women.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.320-328
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• 2004

A number of health hazards are generated in welding processes. In this paper, the characteristics of fumes and some other hazardous agents in welding are reviewed. Fumes in welding are generated by complex mechanism like physical ejection of particles, oxidation-enhanced vaporization, vaporization-condensation-oxidation, and spatter contribution. Fume generation rates could be described as a power function in a given process. Most of fume constituents was originated from consumables rather than base metal. The mass distribution for the welding fumes is unimodal and very small to penetrate respiratory system. So, almost fractions of fumes are classified into the respirable particulate mass. Total chromium contents in FCAW were similar to those from SMAW whereas hexavalent chromium concentrations in fume were similar to those produced from MIG welding fume. Hexavalent chromium was mostly soluble which was similar to the characteristic solubility of fume hexavalent chromium from SMAW.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 1997

If sodium azide is impinged by certain reasons, it will be produced explosives by heavy metals and toxic materials. But it is used propellent for inflating automotive safety bags and the other chemical manufacturing purpose. The investigation of thermal hazard potential of sodium azide itself and with polymers ate very important because some parts of automotives, transporting vessels of reactive chemicals and many any other constituents of structures in factories are made of polymers. The range of decomposition temperatures are about $360-380^{\circ}C$, even if it depends on heating rate and sample weight. Thermal decomposition heat of sodium azide in air is higher than in nitrogen atmosphere, because the former is included oxidizing heats of sodium metal which is made by decomposition of sodium azide to end. Especially decomposition temperature of polymers are increased on the order of bonding energy between atoms in hydrocarbon moleculars.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2018

After signing the WHO FCTC in 2003, South Korea ratified the FCTC in 2005. This study was conducted to provide data on toxic constituents that can be used as useful information for the level of exposure to Korean smokers. Emissions data from five brands of cigarettes were tested under the ISO and "Canadian Intense (HCI)" smoking regimes, respectively. We conducted an analysis of 25 compounds containing nicotine, tar, carbonyls, phenolics, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and semi-VOC cigarette smoke. Tar and nicotine showed levels of 4.3 to 5.8 mg/cig and 0.4 to 0.5 mg/cig, respectively, which are within the range of tolerance presented in ISO 8243. In the case of carbonyls, formaldehyde was detected within a range of 8.2 to $14.3{\mu}g/cig$, and acetaldehyde was present within a range of 224.7 to $327.2{\mu}g/cig$ under the ISO smoke regime. Crotonaldehyde was not detected under the ISO regime, and all of the carbonyls showed values 2.3 to 4.5 times higher under the HCI regime than those under the ISO regime. Catechol, which showed a level of 47.0 to $80.5{\mu}g/cig$ under the ISO regime and 117.5 to $184.7{\mu}g/cig$ under the HCI regime, was the highest constituent among the phenols. The amount of isoprene was 91.7 to $158.3{\mu}g/cig$ under the ISO regime and 221.0 to 377.0 under the HCI regime. To summarize, most of the constituents showed a tendency to be detected at levels 2 to 4 times higher under the HCI regime than under the ISO regime. Above all, these results represent the first analysis in Korea from an independent institute of tobacco companies under accreditation of ISO 17025.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.340-349
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• 2022

Objectives: The importance of MSDS is emphasized for communicating hazardous information due to the increase in the types and usage of chemical substances. The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability of MSDS by collecting and examining paint thinners commercially available in South Korea. Methods: Twenty-five paint thinners were purchased at paint stores and the provision of MSDS was checked. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed on the chemical constituents of the thinners using GC-MSD and GC-FID. Reliability was evaluated by the MSDS collection rate for the paint thinners and calculating the rate of matching between laboratory analysis results and the contents and composition of chemical constituents given in the MSDS. Results: Unlike a study conducted in 2006, MSDS were provided for all 25 thinners. As a result of qualitative analysis using GC-MSD, 104 chemical substances were detected. The substances with the highest detection rate were identified in the order of toluene, butyl acetate, acetone, xylene, and ethyl benzene. A component matching rate of 41% was found by comparing the differences between the number of substances detected in laboratory testing and the number of substances listed in the MSDS. Benzene, a carcinogen not listed in the MSDS, was detected in two thinners produced by a small company. The detected benzene contents were 0.039 and 0.040%. When benzene is used, it should be strictly handled according to the Industrial Safety and Health Act. However, since it is not listed on the MSDS, it is judged that benzene was not being managed as a carcinogen in the workplaces where it is used. Conclusions: Since the reliability of MSDS, which play an important role in hazard communication, was evaluated to be low, it is necessary to systematically and continuously secure this reliability. In particular, carcinogens should be managed more strictly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.81-92
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• 2008

As the process of the Korea is highly industrialization and knowledge information the extent of fire fighting business is getting wide with the development and change. But work environment is not improved much compared with the past. For the situation that threaten life is exposed greatly, compared with the other profession there are also much stress. Moreover, the professional stress of fire official influence not only the safety of fire official. In this paper based on the reduction countermeasure for professional stress of fire official the following are proposed: Lively communication activity between constituents, application of people system as a result work field, improvement of treatment and welfare institution, safety of fire official and health rule enactment, the establishment of specialty hospital for fire fighting and appointment of fire medical specialist.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.47-60
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• 2007

In this paper, we investigate the natural frequencies and buckling loads of functionally graded material (FGM) plates and shells, using a quasi-conforming shell element that accounts for the transverse shear strains and rotary inertia. The eigenvalue of the FGM plates and shells are calculated by varying the volume fraction of the ceramic and metallic constituents using a sigmoid function, but their Poisson's ratios of the FGM plates and shells are assumed to be constant. The expressions of the membrane, bending and shear stiffness of FGM shell element are more complicated combination of material properties than a homogeneous element. In order to validate the finite element numerical solutions, the Navier's solutions of rectangular plates based on the first-order shear deformation theory are presented. The present numerical solutions of composite and sigmoid FGM (S-FGM) plates are proved by the Navier's solutionsand various examples of composite and FGM structures are presented. The present results are in good agreement with the Navier's theoretical solutions.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.49-56
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• 2015

Toxic gases from five types of interior building materials were investigated according to Naval Engineering Standard (NES) 713. The materials were plywood, indoor wall coverings (wood wall plate members and pine wood), reinforced Styrofoam insulation, laminate flooring, and PVC. Specimens were measured using an NES 713 toxicity test apparatus to analyze the hazardous substances in combustion gas from the materials. We used the US Department of Defense standard (MIL-DTL, Military Standard) to calculate the toxicity index of the combustion gas. Emissions of $CO_2$ from all specimens did not exceed the NES 713 limit of 100,000 ppm. The amount of CO gas emissions from reinforced Styrofoam insulation was 6,098 ppm. 25 ppm and 49 ppm of formaldehyde were released from the reinforced Styrofoam insulation and PVC flooring, respectively. These values were less than the limit of 400 ppm. The highest emissions were from $NO_X$ emitted by plywood and were above the limit of 250 ppm. The toxicity index of the specimens were calculated as 5.19 for plywood, 4.13 for PVC flooring, 2.35 for reinforced Styrofoam insulation, 2.34 for laminate flooring, and 1.22 for indoor wall coverings (pine wood). Our research helps us to understand the properties of these five interior materials by analyzing the combustion gas and explaining the toxicity of constituents and the toxicity index. Also, it would be useful for giving fundamentals to guide the safe use of interior materials for applications.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.98-105
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• 2005

Groundwater sampled from 24 tube wells of three districts namely Sherpur, Gaibandha and Naogaon in Bangladesh was appraised for their water quality for irrigation and agro-based industrial usage. All waters under test were slightly alkaline to alkaline (pH = 7.2 to 8.4) in nature and were not problematic for crop production. As total dissolved solid (TDS), all groundwater samples were classified as fresh water (TDS<1,000 mg/L) in quality. Electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values reflected that waters under test were under medium salinity (C2), high salinity (C3) and also low alkalinity (S1) hazard classes expressed as C2S1 and C3S1. As regards to EC and soluble sodium percentage (SSP), groundwater samples were graded as good and permissible in category based on soil properties and crop growth. All water samples were free from residual sodium carbonate (RSC) and belonged to suitable in category. Water samples were under soft moderately hard, hard and very hard classes. Manganese, bicarbonate and nitrate ions were considered as major pollutants in some water samples and might pose threat in soil ecosystem for long-term irrigation. For most of the agro-based industrial usage, Fe and Cl were considered as troublesome ions. On the basis of TDS and hardness, groundwater samples were not suitable for specific industry. Some water samples were found suitable for specific industry but none of these waters were suitable for all industries. The relationship between water quality parameters and major ions was established. The correlation between major ionic constituents like Ca, Mg, K, Na, $HCO_3$ and Cl differed significantly. Dominant synergistic relationships were observed between EC-TDS, SAR-SSP, EC-Hardness, TDS-Hardness and RSC-Hardness.