• Korean Journal of Hazardous Materials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2014

We analyzed the demand of competent authorities requiring adequate technical information for initial investigation of chemical accidents. Reflecting technical reports on chemical accident response by environmental agencies in the U.S. and Canada, we presented information on environmental diffusion and toxic effects available for the first chemical accident response. Hydrogen fluoride may have the risk potential to corrode metals and cause serious burns and eye damages. In case of inhalation or intake, it could have severe health effects. The substance itself is inflammable, but once heated, it decomposes producing corrosive and toxic fume. In case of contact with water, it can produce toxic, corrosive, flammable or explosive gases and its solution, a strong acid, may react fiercely with a base. In case of hydrogen fluoride leak, the preventive measures are to decrease steam generation in exposed sites, prevent the transfer of vapor cloud and promptly respond using inflammable substances including calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, ground limestone, dried soil, dry sand, vermiculite, fly ash and powder cement. The method for fire fighting is to suppress fire with manless hose stanchions or monitor nozzles by wearing the whole body protective clothing equipped with over-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus from distance. In case of transport accident accompanied with fire, evacuation distance is 1,600m radius. In cae of fire, fire suppression needs to be performed using dry chemicals, CO₂, water spray, water fog, and alcohol-resistance foam, etc. The major symptoms by exposure route are dyspnoea, bronchitis, chemical pneumonia and pulmonary edema for respiration, skin laceration, dermatitis, burn, frostbite and erythema for eyes, and nausea, diarrhea, stomachache, and tissue destruction for digestive organs. In atmosphere, its persistency is low, and its bioaccumulation in aquatic organism is also low.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.170-174
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate discharge of wastewaters and industrial effluents are becoming detrimental to the aquatic environment. The presence of toxic substances on wastewaters can be detected by physicochemical and biological methods. However, physicochemical methods do not give any information about biological toxicity. Therefore, in this study we tried to detect the presence of toxic substance on waters using sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) as a bioassay. MATERIALS AND RESULTS: The SOB biosensor was first stabilized using synthetic stream water and operated in both continuous and semi-continuous mode. When the SOB biosensor was operated in continuous mode, the effluent electrical conductivity (EC) stabilized at~1.72 dS/m. While in the case of semi-continuous, the EC stabilized at~0.6 dS/m. The SOB system was also operated at different reaction times to ascertain the shortest reaction time for monitoring the toxicity. Finally, the SOB biosensor was fed with nitrite as toxic substance. When 5 mg/L of nitrite was added to the SOB system, the EC decreased immediately. However, the EC recovered after few cycle. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the SOB biosensor can be used as warning system to protect aquatic environment from hazardous materials. Although SOB biosensor can not give specific information about the toxic substances, it can assess whether the water is toxic or not.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2018

$17{\alpha}-ethinylestradiol$ (EE2), a synthetic estrogen which interfere the endocrine and reproductive function in living organisms, has been found extensively to be deposited into municipal wastewater treatment plants and the environment via human excretion. EE2 has long been known to be efficiently cometabolized by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) during ammonia ($NH_3$) oxidation. Current study aims to investigate the effect of culture history on the biotransformation of EE2 by nitrifying sludge which was enriched under different ammonia loading rates in continuous flow reactors. Result showed that past growth condition largely affected not only the metabolic rate of $NH_3$ oxidation but also EE2 cometabolism. Sludge previously acclimated with higher $NH_3$ loads as well as sludge dominated with AOB belong to high growth cluster (Nitrosomonas europaea-Nitrosococcus mobilis) showed higher rate of EE2 biotransformation than those one being acclimated with lower $NH_3$ loads because of its ability to provide more reducing power from $NH_3$ oxidation. Moreover, the correlation between the degradation rates of $NH_3$ and EE2 was higher in sludge being acclimated with higher load of $NH_3$ in comparison with other sludge. Implication of the findings emphasized the role of volumetric $NH_3$ loading rate in determining EE2 removal in wastewater treatment system.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.72-79
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• 2013

There is increasing interest to the development of environmental friendly products related global environment and health issue and it is very important technology for recycling contained hazardous substance that occur due to oxidation during used oils and fats of vegetable and animal to eco-friendly products. In this study, papers and patents for recycling technologies of used fat and vegetable oil as monomers were analyzed. The range of search was limited in the open patents of USA (US), European Union (EP), Japan (JP), Korea (KR) and SCI journals from 1976 to 2012. Patents and journals were collected using key-words searching and filtered by filtering criteria. The trends of the patents and journals were analyzed by the years, countries, companies, and technologies. Such pretreatment purification, polymerization for monomer, and polymer manufacturing technology were ahead of the United States.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2020

Objectives: We investigated the status of accidents and deaths caused by chemical leakage and skin contact in Korea. The purpose of this study was to produce and provide technical reference data for the efficient management of accidents and the rational management of accidental chemicals. Methods: Accidents and deaths caused by chemical leakage and skin contact in industry were investigated. Based on 68 accident reports related to chemical leakage and skin contact, the causes of accidental deaths were analyzed. In addition, we investigated the chemical substances and articles that caused these accidents and deaths. Based on the results of the investigation, the causes of accidents caused by chemical leakage and skin contact were identified and practical management measures for the chemicals were suggested. Results and Conclusions: In 2018, 372 people suffered from chemical leaks and skin contact, up by 123 (about 49.4%) from the previous year. The number of accident deaths was 14, an increase of five (about 55.6%) from the previous year. In the last three years (2016-2018), 91 chemical substances and article groups were involved in accidents caused by chemical leakage and skin contact. There were 16 chemical substance and article groups involved in accidental deaths. There were ten cases of accidents involving two or more casualties due to chemical leakage and skin contact, and 23 deaths occurred. Most of these accidental deaths were caused by subcontractor workers outsourcing risks. Therefore, there is an apparent need to strengthen the responsibility for safety and health among subcontractors.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.481-498
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• 2013

In this paper we evaluate the performance of voluntary environmental agreements in South Korea, called as the 30/50 program. We constructed establishment- and chemical substance-level panel data from 2004 to 2010 by using the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) Information System. Although firms voluntarily participate in the program and the agreement is not binding, we find that the chemical materials released by the participating firms is substantially reduced by 1.2 to 2.7 tons. Although the abatement effect is more salient for those listed chemical substances in the agreements, the reductions in other substances are also significant. This implies that participating firms adopted new technologies that could reduce environmental hazards.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.185-194
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to understand the dental hygienist's perception of dental materials and to understand the safety status of harmful chemicals. The study was conducted from January to February 2015 for 250 dental hygienists working in Gwangju Metropolitan City. as a result, the degree of recognition of MSDS for dental materials was higher with age (P <0.05) and higher in dental hygienist (P <0.001) working at dental hospital. (P <0.001), and the factors affecting the perception of first aid treatment were positively correlated with experience of hazard education (P <0.001). Therefore, by understanding the MSDS awareness of dental materials by dental hygienists and the safety situation in the handling of hazardous chemical substances, we provide basic data for establishing proper recognition of safety in the handling of harmful chemical substances and developing educational programs to prevent accidents.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.360-367
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• 2020

In this study, the accumulation and distribution routes of microplastics in soil environment were examined, and their analytical methodologies were summarized. Density separation and removal process of inhibition materials were introduced for the separation of microplastics in soil and the basic principles and limitations of quantitative and qualitative analyses including pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry, µ-Raman spectrometry, fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and microscopes were investigated. Chemical extraction methods for the analysis of mediated hazardous substance (additives and sorbed matters) in microplastics were also discussed with focusing on in vitro bioaccessibility assay for the human oral exposure route. Based on the described methodologies for the analysis of microplastics in soil, it is expected that these methods enable to select appropriate analysis techniques in consideration of medium state, contamination level and sample quantity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.733-738
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• 2017

In this study, we selected chlorine, a typical toxic material used in many workplaces, as the leakage material, and through the analysis of alternative scenarios based on the meteorological conditions in the summer frequently encountered in accidents, we suggest ways to improve the (method of analysis/accident scenario modeling). The analysis of 296 chemical accidents from January 2014 to December 2016 found that the highest rate of occurrence was in summer, accounting for 35.81% of the total. According to the risk assessment, the influence range and number of inhabitants in the influence area were 712.4 m and 20,090 under the annual mean weather conditions and 796.2 m and 27,143 people under the summer mean weather conditions, respectively. This result implies that, under certain conditions, the range of impacts in the current alternative scenario is incomplete. Therefore, risk assessment systems need to be improved in order to take into consideration the characteristics of each chemical substance.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.357-362
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• 2010

Phthalate plasticizer is not human carcinogens which has been classified as environmentally hazardous substance. Phthalates are absorbed into the body and cause tumors and ecological mutation to human potentially as reproductive toxic substances. For this reason, in some countries the use of phthalates in products for children has been banned. In this study, we proposed the analytical method of phthalate content and migration rate for children's product which was compared and reviewed to the analytical method of various countries, United States, Japan, European Union. The children's product on the proposed analytical method was analysed to consider of the correlation between the phthalate content and migration rate, but there was no correlation both of them.