• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.332-339
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• 2016

This study examined the intensity of the association of factors affecting major burns by statistical analysis for patients injured by the release of chemical hazards. A total of 446 patients were evaluated as chemical injury patients, who had visited the emergency room from 1/Jan/2010 to 31/Dec/2014. The major burn was used as a dependent variable representing the severity of chemical injury. A chi-square test (CST) and binary logistic regression test (BLRA) were used as the statistical analysis method for determining the association between major burns and the independent variables. In CST, female and their presence at an incident scene, multiple site injury were associated with major burn (p<0.05). In BLRA, the presence at an incident scene and spills (comparing explosion), discharge (comparing admission) were associated with major burns (p<0.05). In this study, the presence at an incident scene was the most significant factor concerning major burns. Furthermore, gender and injury number, exposure mechanism (spill comparing explosion), and disposition (discharge comparing admission) were also associated with major burns.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: The current study was carried out to investigate Cd, Hg, Pb and As contaminations in 222 commercial medicinal plants and to estimate the potential health risk through dietary intake of commercial medicinal plants in Korea.METHODS AND RESULTS: The Cd, Hg, Pb, and As in medicinal plants were analyzed by ICP/MS and mercury analyzer.The potential health risk was estimated using risk assessment tools. Total amount of Cd in medicinal plants with 29% samples exceeded the standard limit legislated in 'Pharmaceutical Affairs Act' while all plant samples were lower than the standard limit value for As, Hg, and Pb. However, when applying the standard limit for root vegetable (fresh weight) in the Food Sanitation Act, four samples exceeded the standard limit of Pb. For health risk assessment, the values of cancer risk probability were 0.3~5.9×10^-7which were less than the acceptable cancer risk of 10^-6~10^-4for regulatory purpose. Also, Hazard quotientvalues were lower than 1.0.CONCLUSION: Therefore, these results demonstrated that human exposure to Cd, Hg, Pb, and As through dietary intake of commercial medicinal plants might notcause adverse health effects although some medicinal plants were higher than the standard limit values for Cd and Pb.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2010

Chronic exposure to Arsenic (As) causes significant human health effects including various cancers. Total As concentrations from 300 polished rice samples cultivated near the mining areas in Korea were analyzed to estimate a probabilistic assessment of human health risk from As-contaminated rice. The mean of total As concentrations in rice was 0.09 mg/kg and lognormal distribution model was set for total As concentrations. Human health risk for As in rice was estimated using gender-specific rice consumption data and average daily dose (ADD). While cancer risk (CR) and hazard quotient (HQ) were calculated using oral cancer slope factor (OCSF) and Reference dose (RfD) suggested by the U.S. EPA. Mean of CR posed by total As was 2.16 (for male) and 1.83 (for female) per 10,000. The HQ for general population from rice cultivated near the mining areas in Korea was below 1 as the $50^{th}$ percentile of general population. However, less than 10% of general population consuming rice cultivated near the mining areas would exceed 1.0. This result is similar with those from each gender-specific group.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.60-70
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• 2011

The sediment removal index derived from the chemical contaminants, $CI_{HC}$, is currently in use to identify and define the spatial extent of the contaminated sediments in the sea. In order to analyze the sensitivity of the ecological and human risk associated with contaminated sediment, we evaluated five hypothetical contaminated sediments, whose $CI_{HC}$ values are identical but consisted of different contaminant contents, using $TrophicTrace^{(R)}$ model dedicated to evaluate sediment risk, against the resident greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) and humans by calculating No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level based Toxicity Quotient (NOAEL TQ) and Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level based Toxicity Quotient (LOAEL TQ), and cancer risks and hazard indices (HI), respectively, based on the site conceptual model and exposure assumptions of fish ingestion to human receptor populations. NOAEL and LOAEL TQ values varied as much as a factor of 2 among 5 hypothetical sediments. Chemical element specific contribution to the carcinogenic risk and HI varied also greatly in these sediments. The reason for this significant dissimilarity in ecological and human risk stems from the different risk of each contaminant to the resident fish and human receptor. When the conceptual food web model is constructed for the target biological species for a given site, the ecological and human risk analysis considering trophic transfer of contaminants will add a ecosystem based tool for the management of contaminated sediments.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.511-519
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• 2005

A method for determination of toluene diisocyanates (TDI) in toluene diisocynate (TDI)-based polyurethane (PUR) packing material was investigated, and also the migration of TDI to food was studied. TDI was extracted using food simulants such as n-haptane and 4% aqueous acetic acid. The determinations were performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). One of major components for polyurethane, toluene diisocyanates, were detected in ten samples among twenty six food contact materials with the concentration range of $0.51{\sim}60.88{\mu}g/ml$. However the highest extracted amount was just 0.7% of $60.88{\mu}g/ml$ if the contact surface of food packing for extracting liquid was limited to the outer layer without exposure of the cutting edge of food packing multi-layers. The result of this study and the analysis method for TDI diisocyanate will be very useful for further study about food contact material, and the monitoring result could be used for evaluating the safety of food contact material before it is to be used for food, preservation.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.553-564
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• 2021

This study analyzed the the risk of halogen lamp for pigsty heating and its fire prevention. Halogen lamps are used for keeping warm in pen because of their excellent economy and convenience. However, there is a high risk of fire due to poor safety management and exposure to animal movements. In fact, after exploring old pigsty and cattle shed, it was easy to confirm that they were exposed to fire risks. We noted this point and studied the possibility of fire by experiment due to combustible contact with halogen lamp and carelessness in use. The experiment was conducted under conditions similar to the actual use environment. After installing halogen lamps to the height used in actual pen, the temperature change was observed with infrared camera with straw, sawdust and rice husks on the floor. And assuming abnormal conditions, the experiment was also conducted under conditions the lamp dropped on the floor or combustible material came into contact with the glass tube inside the lamp. If halogen lamps were used in normal condition, there was no risk of fire. However, in abnormal use environments, smoke comes out or even ignited. Even if it is convenient for use or highly utilized, high risk of fire will require setting up fire prevention measures or regulation of use. Through in-depth fire investigation and research, we should promote the risk of fire and make efforts to prevent fire to minimize human life and property damage.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.552-560
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• 2020

Listeria monocytogenes is a highly pathogenic gram-positive bacterium that is easily isolated from cheese, meat, processed meat products, and smoked salmon. A zero-tolerance (n=5, c=0, m=0/25 g) criteria has been applied for L. monocytogenes in cheese meaning that L. monocytogenes must not be detected in any 25 g of samples. However, there was a lack of scientific information behind this criteria. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a risk assessment based on literature reviews to provide scientific information supporting the baseline and to raise public awareness of L. monocytogenes foodborne illness. Quantitative risk assessment of L. monocytogenes for cheese was conducted using the following steps: exposure assessment, hazard characterization, and risk characterization. As a result, the initial contamination level of L. monocytogenes was -4.0 Log CFU/g in cheese. The consumption frequency of cheese was 11.8%, and the appropriate probability distribution for amount of cheese consumed was a Lognormal distribution with an average of 32.5 g. In conclusion, the mean of probabilities of foodborne illness caused by the consumption of cheese was 5.09×10-7 in the healthy population and 4.32×10-6 in the susceptible population. Consumption frequency has the biggest effect on the probability of foodborne illness, but storage and transportation times have also been found to affect the probability of foodborne illness; thus, management of the distribution environment should be considered important. Through this risk assessment, scientific data to support the criteria for L. monocytogenes in cheese could be obtained. In addition, we recommend that further risk assessment studies of L. monocytogenes in various foods be conducted in the future.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2023

Recently, the increase of international trade volume is leading to risk exposure and safety accidents in the port terminal industry. In addition, as Serious Disaster Punishment Act came into effect on January, 2021, various guidelines and laws to protect safety and life in port terminals are being enacted. However, despite these efforts, medium-to-large safety accidents in the port terminal industry have occurred. According to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, from 2016 to 2019, the number of casualties in the port handling industry increased by 4.2%. To build some effective follow-up management of port accidents and preparation of related safety laws/systems, a risk analysis in consideration of causes and damage of accidents should be conducted. Therefore, in this study, major risk factors and preventive measures were derived by conducting risk assessment based on 1,039 cases of port terminal accidents collected by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency for five years. Priorities for preventive measures were then determined through IPA analysis, Borich needs analysis, and The Locus For Focus analysis.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.57-72
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• 2022

The recent increase in international trade volume and explosive increase in cargo volume due to the non-face-to-face society are leading to an increase in risk exposure and safety accidents in the port logistics industry. Consequently, as the atmosphere and consensus on safety are spreading throughout the society, various safety laws are being enacted by the industry. Nevertheless, according to the industrial accidents status analysis by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the average annual number of injured persons increased by 11.1% and the number of deaths by 4.0% from 2015 to 2019. This means that special attention should be paid to possible future risks and preventive measures for major causes of accidents should be established. Therefore, in this study, risk assessment was conducted based on 5,028 accident cases that were reported by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency for 5 years, from 2016 to 2020, and major risk factors for each industry were derived, and then bow-tie analysis was conducted to perform the risk assessment; Further, the study aimed to derive the causes and preventive measures from the risk factors.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.386-394
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• 2009

Formaldehyde is used in lether manufacture, a dry plate and an explosive. It is by-product of ozonizing process in filtration plant. The effects of exposure are eye pruritus, tickle, runing nose, blocking nasal passages and headache. It also makes a dried throat and causes inflammation. It is classified as B1 group for inhalation by US. EPA, which can cause cancer in human. For analysis of formaldehyde, formaldehydes-DNPH derivative was extracted with solid cartridge and was analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Diode Array Detector (HPLC/DAD). The detection limit was $3{\mu}g/L$ and the recoveries were 72.3~109.1% (RSD 2.9~11.5%). Water samples were collected in four Korean rivers, four times per year seasonally for 10 years from 1998 to 2007. The monitoring results were 48.8% (630/1291), $5.15{\sim}101.9{\mu}g/L$ in purified water. Because of non-carcinogen in drinking water, hazard index is calculated with RfD. Results of excess cnacer risk was below 1 and was considered as safe value.