• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2017

Background: Solar furnaces are used worldwide to conduct experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of solar-chemical processes with the aid of concentrated sunlight, or to qualify high temperature-resistant components. In recent years, high-flux solar simulators (HFSSs) based on short-arc xenon lamps are more frequently used. The emitted spectrum is very similar to natural sunlight but with dangerous portions of ultraviolet light as well. Due to special benefits of solar simulators the increase of construction activity for HFSS can be observed worldwide. Hence, it is quite important to protect employees against serious injuries caused by ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in a range of 100 nm to 400 nm. Methods: The UV measurements were made at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne and Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI), Switzerland, during normal operations of the HFSS, with a high-precision UV-A/B radiometer using different experiment setups at different power levels. Thus, the measurement results represent UV emissions which are typical when operating a HFSS. Therefore, the biological effects on people exposed to UVR was investigated systematically to identify the existing hazard potential. Results: It should be noted that the permissible workplace exposure limits for UV emissions significantly exceeded after a few seconds. One critical value was strongly exceeded by a factor of 770. Conclusion: The prevention of emissions must first and foremost be carried out by structural measures. Furthermore, unambiguous protocols have to be defined and compliance must be monitored. For short-term activities in the hazard area, measures for the protection of eyes and skin must be taken.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2020

Objectives: In this study, we assessed respiratory hazards in the working environment as the work-relatedness of occupational diseases were examined. Methods: The subjects of the study were three Korean meat roasting restaurants, one Chinese restaurant, and two cafeterias. Measurement items were total dust, respirable dust, fine dust (PM_2.5), PAHs, TVOCs, temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Results: The concentration of total dust and respiratory dust in the restaurant was low. Most PAHs were undetectable, but some Napthalene and Acenaphthylene was detected. Thirteen kinds of PAHs were detected in one sample of roasted meat, and Benzo(a)pyrene was 1.496 ㎍/㎥. PM_2.5, TVOCs, CO, and CO₂ were instantaneously high, but the average concentration was low. NO₂ was not detected. Conclusions: The results show that harmful substances such as PM_2.5, PAHs, CO, and TVOCs were generated in the air in the catering industry. When roasting meat, Benzo(a)pyrene, a carcinogen related to lung cancer, was generated among PAHs. Lung cancer can occur when working for a long time in such a working environment. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the working environment for the health of restaurant workers, and it is necessary to evaluate the concentration of harmful substances by cooking method through further research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2010

Chloride-induced corrosion of steel bars in concrete exposed to marine environments has become one of the major causes of deterioration in many important facilities made of reinforced concrete. A study on chloride penetration in concrete has developed through long period exposure test along seawater, assesment of chloride ion diffusion by electrochemical techniques and so on. However, reasonable and exclusive chloride penetration model considering concrete material properties with mixture, degree of hydration, binding capacity has not been established. Therefore, in this paper, chloride penetration analysis of non-steady state is accomplished with material properties of concrete. Comparing with the results of analysis and chloride ponding test, we could accept the effect of binding capacity on chloride penetration in concrete and these results could be applied to a service life prediction of R.C. structures submerged in seawater. Therefore, there are 20~40% differences of service life to SHRP prediction.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2005

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was analyzed in various marine organisms of Korea. HCB was detected in all organism samples with residual concentrations from 0.51 to 222 pg/g wet weight. HCB residue was the highest content in crustacean, and followed by bivalves, fish, cephalopods and gastropods. The residues were comparable to or lower than those in marine organisms of other countries. Daily dietary intake of HCB from seafood was estimated to be 13.4 pg/kg body weight/day. The relative contribution of taxonomic group to the total dietary intake of HCB were in the order of crustaceans $(40.1\%)$, bivalves $(34.2\%)$, fish $(23.1\%)$, cephalopods $(2.22\%)$, and gastropods $(0.38\%)$. Daily dietary intake of HCB expressed as toxic equivalent (TEQ) value was estimated to be $1.34\times10^{-3}pg$ TEQ/kg body weight/day. This value did not exceed tolerable daily intake (TDI) proposed by the WHO, the UK toxicity committee and the KFDA. Cancer risk and target hazard quotient (THQ) due to the consumption of the marine organism in Korean adult population were evaluated using the exposure equation of food ingestion. This result suggests that dietary intake of HCB by the consumption of Korean seafood seems to be safe for human health with negligible cancer and non-cancer risks so far.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of accidents with biological material, the level of knowledge, and compliance to standard precautions (SPs) among dentists, physicians, nurses, and dental and medical students. Methods: A closed cohort study with a prospective and retrospective component was conducted between August 2014 and September 2015. The participants were contacted in two moments during the follow-up period, during which a structured questionnaire divided into six sections was used; the interviews were conducted during the follow-up period (Month 6) and at the end of the observation period (Month 12). Results: The global prevalence of accidents in the previous 12 months was 10.2%, with a difference between professionals and students (13.0% vs. 5.1%, respectively; p < 0.003). The incidence rate was 6.49 per 100 person/year, with difference between the groups (6.09 per 100 person/year in professionals and 7.26 per 100 person/year in students), type of specialization (hazard ratio, 3.27), and hours worked per week (hazard ratio, 2.27). The mean of compliance to SP was 31.99 (±3.85) points, with a median of 33 (30, 35) points against the expected 27.75 points. Adherence to SP was associated with the accident report (p < 0.020). Conclusion: We conclude that the proportion/incidence rate of accidents with biological material was high in relation to that in the literature, being higher in professionals and especially among physicians. The levels of knowledge and adherence to SP were good, with the best found in dentists and dental students.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1107-1108
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• 2006

As expanding municipal and industrial areas since started the economic development plan in earnest in 1970's, the water resource, mainly river surface water has been seriously polluted. Nevertheless, being upgraded in their treatment technologies for the drinking water, the safety has been issued one of crucially social problem in Korea. The water authorities has tried to improve the quality such as amending the drinking water quality standard to be monitored; hazardous chemicals and microorganis have been added and now 55 items, before 47 items, since in 2002. The Water Authorities of Seoul, the capital city of Korea, planned to assess the safty of drinking water quality after amended the standard. This study was conducted to assess the risk due to polluted chemicals including 21 heavy metals, VOCs, pesticides, PAHs, DBPs and organic chemicals among the regulated items. The risk assessment were undertaken hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment and risk characterization. For the exposoure assessment, tap water, bottled water and purified water were sampled and analyzed in February, 2004. Risk characterization of detected chemicals was categorized into carcinogenecity and noncarcinogenecity, and estimated the excess of carcinogens and compapared with the reference dose (RfD) of noncarcinogenns. The excess risk of carcinogens from samples were considered comparatively in the acceptable levels; $10^{-6}$ for cancer risk and hazard quotient (HQ) 1.0 for noncancer risk. The deteced levels were estimated in $10^{-5}{\sim}10^{-6}$ of cancer risk and below 1.0 of HQ of noncancer risk. While three kinds of water were determined within the acceptal levels, DBPs were detected in tap water and purified were and some undesireable chemicals such as more fluoride detected rather than the quality stanadard. For the drinking water safety, it shoud be continuously monitored, assessed and managed as well risk communiction between the authoritis and public.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.9-17
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• 2013

Butanethiol is known as a typical odorant with hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, methyl sulfide, but on the physical and chemical properties and biological hazard assessment, including inhalation toxicity data are very scarce. Butanethiol as a colorless transparent liquid, and has physic-chemical characteristics with flash point as $-23^{\circ}C$ and strong fire risk, boiling point $84-85^{\circ}C$, vapor pressure 80.71 mmHg ($25^{\circ}C$), freezing point $-140.14^{\circ}C$. From whole body exposure with SD rats, the $LC_{50}$ is above 2,500 ppm (9.22mg/L), and then it is classified as the acute toxic chemical (inhalation) category 4 according to the governmental notification No. 2012-14.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.443-452
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• 2011

The characteristics of pesticide residues were examined in 18,069 samples from 91 vegetable commodities collected in Seoul from 2007 to 2009, and the vegetable dietary intakes of Seoulites were estimated using the Korea National Health and Nutrition examination survey data from 2008. The hazard index was calculated using vegetable pesticide residues and dietary vegetable intake by Seoulites. Detection rates for pesticide residues in vegetables were 11.2 % in 2007, 8.6 % in 2008, and 12.0 % in 2009. Excess rate of Maximum Residue Limits tended to decline from 4.6 % in 2007, to 2.8 % in 2008, and 2.1 % in 2009.Daily vegetable intake for Seoulites was 288.12 ${\pm}$ 214.8 g, and vegetable intake by males was more than that of females (p < 0.001). The hazard index was the highest at $2.76{\times}10^{-2}$ in 2007, and the lowest at $1.69{\times}10^{-2}$ in 2009. The risks caused by multiple pesticides in vegetables were very low and vegetable intake was safe considering the hazard index values.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to substitute water-based painting materials for the current solvent-based ones used in motor-repairing process to minimize the exposure of organic solvents to the painters. This study assessed the exposure of organic solvents to the painters using water-based and solvent-based painting materials and compared compositions, painting processes and the health hazards of the application of these alternative painting mate rials. The results of this study are as follows. 1. solvent-based painting materials used in motor-repairing process consist of various organic solvents, which consist primarily of toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, ethyl methyl benzene, trimethyl benzene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, 2-ethoxy ethanol, 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate and toluene-2,4-diisocianate and the others. These organic solvents are known as health-hazardous substances. But water-based painting materials are high-solid, low-solvent one sand consist of such two organic solvents as 2-butoxy ethanol and 2-heptanone and the others. 2. The painters us ing solvent-based painting mate rials in motor-repairing process are exposed to various organic solvents which consist of toluene, xylene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, trimethyl benzene, 2-ethoxy ethanol, and 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate. But the painters using solvent-based ones are only exposed to 2-butoxy ethanol and 2-heptanone. 3. By using water-based painting materials in stead of solvent-based painting materials containing health-hazardous organic solvents, the exposure of such organic solvents in the painter's breathing zone can be largely prevented. 4. This study recommends water-based painting materials as substitutes for the current solvent-based ones used in motor-repairing process to minimize the exposure of organic solvents to the painters.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2961-2966
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• 2012

Extremely low frequency electro magnetic fields (EMFs) have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. An increased number of chromosomal alterations in peripheral lymphocytes are correlated with elevated incidence of cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess occupationally induced chromosomal damage in EMF workers exposed to low levels of radiation. We used conventional metaphase chromosome aberration (CA) analysis and the micronucleus (MN) assay as biological indicators of non ionizing radiation exposure. In the present study totally 70 subjects were selected including 50 exposed and 20 controls. Informed written consent was obtained from all participants and the study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the approval of the local ethical committee. A higher degree of CA and MN was observed in exposed subjects compared to controls, the frequency of CA being significantly enhanced with long years of exposure (P<0.05). Moreover increase in CA and MN with age was noted in both exposed subjects and controls, but was significantly greater in the former. The results of this study demonstrated that a significant induction of cytogenetic damage in peripheral lymphocytes of workers occupationally exposed to EMFs in electric transformer and distribution stations. In conclusion, our findings suggest that EMFs possess genotoxic capability, as measured by CA and MN assays; CA analysis appeared more sensitive than other cytogenetic end-points. It can be concluded that chronic occupational exposure to EMFs may lead to an increased risk of genetic damage among electrical workers.