• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 1992

Volatile organic rompounds(VOCs) present in the VOCs-contaminated water are released to air while showering and their air concentrations depend on the shower parameters, resulting in the variation of the VOCs breath concentration. The present study evaluated the key shower parameters(water temperature and inhalation duration) that affect the inhalation exposure to air chloroform while showering, by determining chloroform breath concentration. The chloroform breath concentrations increased with water temperature and inhalation duration increase. The two inhalation exposure conditions which resulted in the greatest chloroform breath contentration difference were a 5 min-inhalation exposure with warm water and a 15 min-inhalation exposure with hot water. The chloroform breath concentration was almost three times higher after later exposure. The mathematical model analyzing the relationship between two key shower parameters and breath concentration normalized to water concentration fits quite Ivell with the experimental data at a probability of p : 0.0001.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.78-87
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• 2020

Objectives: To identify the degree of physical burden, a determination was undertaken of dust collection efficiency, inhalation pressure, and CO₂ concentration related to health masks certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). Methods: Twenty health masks were purchased on the market. Dust collection efficiency and inhalation pressure were determined in the same manner as in MFDS certification testing, respectively using TSI Model 8130 (TSI, U.S.) and ART Plus (Korea). CO₂ concentrations for 20 subjects using a CO₂ analyzer (G100, G150, Geotechnical Instrument Ltd., UK) were measured with a similar method as a total inward leakage test. In addition to CO₂ levels, dead space volumes in the masks was determined for predicting concentrations of CO₂ in inhalation air. Results: Most of the dust collection efficiencies found for the 20 masks were far higher than the standard. Four KF94s met KF99 and four KF80s even met KF94. Most inhalation pressures were also much lower than the standard, with many almost one-half of the standard. The mean and standard deviation of CO₂ concentration in the mask were 2.9±0.44%. Considering dead volume, the prediction for CO₂ concentration in the inhalation air was 4,395±1,266 ppm. Conclusions: For healthy men and women, the dust collection efficiency and inhalation pressure of health masks were not at a level that would affect their health. Although CO₂ levels in the inhalation air were predicted not to affect health, research on the physiological effects of health masks on Koreans is needed for more precise research.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.65-73
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• 2020

Exposure assessment methodology for outdoor air inhalation pathways (i.e., inhalation of volatile compounds and fugitive dust in outdoor air) was investigated. Default values of several parameters currently used in Korea (e.g., Q/C; inverse value of concentration per unit flux, and frs; soil fraction in PM10) may not be suitable and lack site-specificity, as they have been adopted from the risk assessment guidance of the United States or the Netherlands. Such limitation can be addressed to a certain degree by incorporating the volatilization factor (VF) and the particulate emission factor (PEF) with Box model. This approach was applied to an exposure assessment of a site contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons in Korea. The result indicated that the suggested methodology led to more accurate site-specific exposure assessment for outdoor inhalation pathways. Further work to establish methodology to determine site-specific Q/C values in Korea needs to be done to secure the reliability of the exposure assessment for outdoor air inhalation pathways.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2002

Volatile disinfection by-products (DBPs) contained in chlorinated tap water are released into household air during indoor activities (showering, cooking, dish -washing, etc.) associated with tap water uses and may cause adverse health effects on humans. Twenty seven subjects were recruited and their homes were visited during the winter of 2002. Tap water, household air, and exhaled breath samples were collected and analyzed for five volatile DBPs (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1 -dichloropropanone and 1,1,1 trichloropropanone). Chloroform was a major DBP found in most samples. Tap water chloroform concentrations were not statistically correlated with its household air concentrations, probably due to individual variability in indoor activities such as showering, cooking, and dish - washing as well as household ventilation. Correlation of breath chloroform concentration with household air chloroform concentration showed its possible use as a biomarker of exposure to household air chloroform. Exposure estimates suggested that inhalation during household stay be a major route of exposure to volatile DBPs and that ingestion of tap water be a trivial contributor to the total exposure in Koreans.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.474-483
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• 2004

To know the effects between Cd inhalation toxicity and extract of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, 4 rat groups were exposed to Cd aerosol in air using whole-body inhalation exposure for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, and 4 weeks. Cd concentration in air was 1.03㎎/㎥ and mass median diameter(MMD) was 1.69㎛. 3 different dose intraperitoneal injections of extract of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae to 3 inhalation exposure groups was done for 4 weeks and the results were as follows: The highest body weight gain for 4 weeks and food intake per day were from inhalation exposure group I and the highest lung and liver weight were also from inhalation exposure group I. The highest kidney weight was from inhalation exposure group III. The lowest Cd content in lung was 33.49㎍/g from inhalation exposure group I. The lowest Cd concentration in blood was 9.36㎍/㎗ from inhalation exposure control. Cd concentrations of 40.02㎍/g in liver and 69.18㎍/g in kidney were the lowest from inhalation exposure group I and III, respectively. The lowest Cd concentration in liver was 21.08㎍/g from inhalation exposure group III and The lowest Cd concentration in kidney was 15.78㎍/g from inhalation exposure group II. For weekly Cd concentration in urine, the value of the fourth week from inhalation exposure group III was the highest. For weekly Cd concentration in feces, the value of the first week from inhalation exposure group III was the highest. The highest metallothionein concentration in lung was 53.42 ㎍/g from inhalation exposure group III and the highest metallothionein concentration in liver was 188.18㎍/g from inhalation exposure group III. The highest metallothionein concentration in kidney was 143.92㎍/g from inhalation exposure group III. The highest Hct, Hb, and WBC values were from inhalation exposure group II and the highest RBC value was from inhalation exposure group III.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 1989

A new exposure system was developed to generate p-dinitrobenzene (p-DNB) containing atmosphere. A glass column was filled with small glass beads coated with the chemical. The p-DNB containing medium was heated to a temperature beyond the boiling point of p-DNB. A stream of air flow was forced to pass through the column and let it mixed with fresh air before introducing into an inhalation chamber. The concentration of p-DNB in the chamber air was measured by direct assaying the air directly and by sampling the chemical using a microfilter installed in the chamber.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1243-1252
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• 2002

To experiment the effects between cadmium inhalation toxicity and extracts of Folium Mori, rat inhalation exposure groups were exposed to cadmium aerosol in air by whole-body inhalation exposure for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, and 4 weeks. Cadmium concentration in the air of cadmium aerosol was 1.02㎎/㎥ and mass median diameter(MMD) was 1.40μm. Intraperitoneal injection of extracts of Folium Mori to inhalation exposure groups was done for 4 weeks and the results were as follows: The highest body weight gain for 4 weeks and food intake per day were 126.39g/4 weeks and 19.18g/day from inhalation exposure group III, respectively. The highest lung and liver weight were 1.27g and 8.19g from inhalation exposure group II, respectively. The highest kidney weight was 1.805g from inhalation exposure control. The lowest cadmium content in lung was 86.39μg/g from inhalation exposure group III. The lowest cadmium concentration in blood was 7.12㎍/㎗ from inhalation exposure group III. Cadmium concentrations of 40.02㎍/g in liver and 69.18㎍/g in kidney were the lowest from inhalation exposure group I and III, respectively. For weekly cadmium concentration in urine, the value of the fourth week from inhalation exposure group III was the highest, 3.12㎍/㎖. For weekly cadmium concentration in feces, the value of the fourth week from inhalation exposure group III was the highest, 2.67 ㎍/g. The highest metallothionein concentration in lung was 74.65㎍/g from inhalation exposure group III and the highest metallothionein concentration in liver was 386.84㎍/g from inhalation exposure group II. The highest metallothionein concentration in kidney was 236.17 ㎍/g from inhalation exposure group II.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.293-300
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• 2010

tert-Butyl acetate (TBAc) is an organic solvent, which is commonly used in architectural coatings and industrial solvents. It has recently been exempted from the definition of a volatile organic compound (VOC) by the Air Resources Board (ARB). Since the use of TBAc as a substitute for other VOCs has increased, thus its potential risk in humans has also increased. However, its inhalation toxicity data in the literature are very limited. Hence, inhalation exposure to TBAc was carried out to investigate its toxic effects in this study. Adult male rats were exposed to TBAc for 4 h for 1 day by using a nose-only inhalation exposure chamber (low dose, $2370\;mg/m^3$ (500 ppm); high dose, $9482\;mg/m^3$ (2000 ppm)). Shamtreated control rats were exposed to clean air in the inhalation chamber for the same period. The animals were killed at 2, 7, and 15 days after exposure. At each time point, body weight measurement, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis, histopathological examination, and biochemical assay were performed. No treatment-related abnormal effects were observed in any group according to time course. Based on those findings, the median lethal concentration ($LC_{50}$) of TBAc was over $9482\;mg/m^3$ in this study. According to the MSDS, the 4 h $LC_{50}$ for TBAc for rats is over $2230\;mg/m^3$. We suggested that this value is changed and these findings may be applied in the risk assessment of TBAc which could be beneficial in a sub-acute study.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.51-65
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• 2015

Indoor inhalation of vapors intruded into buildings is an important exposure pathway in volatile organic compoundscontaminated sites. Site-specifically measured indoor air concentration is preferentially used for risk assessment. However, when indoor air concentration of VOC is not measured, the indoor air concentration needs to be estimated from soil concentration or measured soil gas concentration of the VOC. Some risk assessment guidance (e.g., Korea Ministry of Environment (KMOE) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International guidance) estimate the indoor air concentration from soil concentration while other guidances (e.g., United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM)) estimate it from measured soil gas concentration. This study derived indoor inhalation risks of intruded benzene in two benzene-contaminated residential areas with four different risk assessment guidances (i.e., KMOE, USEPA, ASTM, and Dutch RIVM) and compared the derived risks. The risk assessment results revealed that indoor air estimation approach from soil concentration could either underestimate (when the contaminant is not detected in soil) or overestimate (when the contaminant is detected in soil even at negligible concentration) the indoor air inhalation risk. Hence, this paper recommends to estimate indoor air concentration from soil gas concentration, rather than soil concentration. Discussions about the various indoor air concentration estimation approaches are provided.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.87-98
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• 2021

In this study, we developed the nanoparticle multi-generator by 3D printer fusion deposition modeling (FDM) method that can reliably generate and deliver nanoparticles at a constant concentration for inhalation risk assessment. A white ABS filament was used as the test material, and SMPS was used for concentration analysis such as particle size and particle distribution. In the case of particle size, the particle size was divided by 100 nm or less and 100 to 1,000 nm, and the number of particles concentration, mass concentration, median diameter of particles, geometric average particle diameter, etc were measured. The occurrence conditions were the extruder temperature, the extruding speed of the nozzle, and the air flow rate, and experiments were conducted according to the change of conditions including the manufacturer's standard conditions. In addition, the utility of inhalation risk assessment was reviewed through a stability maintenance experiment for 6 h. As a result of the experiment, the size of the nanoparticles increased as the discharger temperature increased, as the discharge speed of the nozzle increased, and as the air flow rate decreased. Also, a constant pattern was shown according to the conditions. Even when particles were generated for a long time (6 h), the concentration was kept constant without significant deviation. The distribution of the particles was approximately 80 % for particles of 60 nm to 260 nm, 1.7 % for 1 ㎛ or larger, 0.908 mg/㎥ for the mass concentration, 111 nm for MMAD and 2.10 for GSD. Most of the ABS particles were circular with a size of less than 10 nm, and these circular particles were aggregated to form a cluster of grape with a size of several tens to several hundred nm.