• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.255-269
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to estimate human exposure to benzo (a)pyrene through multimedia/multi-pathway exposure scenario. The human exposure scenario for benzo(a)pyrene was consisted of 12 multiple exposure pathways, and the multipathway human exposure model based on this scenario constituted. In this study, the multipathway human exposure model was used to estimate the concentrations in the exposure contact media, human intake factors and lifetime average daily dose (LAD $D_{model}$) of benzo(a)pyrene in the environment. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the important parameters and Monte-Carlo simulation was undertaken to examine the uncertainty of the model. The total LAD $D_{model}$ was estimated to be 5.52${\times}$10$^{-7}$ mg/kg-day (2.06${\times}$10$^{-7}$ -8.65${\times}$10$^{-7}$ mg/kg-day) using the multipathway human exposure model. The inhalation dose accounted for 78% of the total LADD, whereas ingestion and dermal contact intake accounted for 20.2% and 1.8% of the total exposure, respectively. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the most significant contributing input parameter was benzo (a)pyrene concentration of ambient air. Consequently, exposure via inhalation in outdoor/indoor air was the highest compared with the exposure via other medium/pathways.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2001

This study presents the quantitative exposure assessment of indoor radon released from groundwater. Most of the Indoor radon comes directly from soil beneath the basement or foundation. Recently, radon in groundwater releases to indoor air whenever the water is used and contributes to the total inhalation risk from indoor air. This study first develops a mathematical model to describe the transfer and distribution of radon released from groundwater in a house. Then, daily human exposures through inhalation or such radon are estimated with the model for an male adult based on two sets of exposure scenarios. The results obtained from the study would help increase the understanding of risk assessment issues associated with the indoor radon released from groundwater.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.239-245
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• 2013

Occupational exposure and risk assessment were conducted to evaluate the safety of operators when insecticide acetamiprid was applied to apple orchard using a speed sprayer. Dermal patches, cotton gloves, socks, and masks were used to monitor the dermal exposure, and personal air pump with solid sorbent was used to measure the potential inhalation exposure. In validation to analytical methods, the limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.25 ng and 1 ng, respectively. Good reproducibility (coefficient variation < 4%), linearity (coefficient determination > 0.999), and recovery (85.3-118.2%) were obtained. Trapping efficiency of solid sorbent was 96.4% while breakthrough did not occur. Only hand exposure was measured on the gloves during mixing/loading to give $33-1,132{\mu}g$. Exposure amount of operator 3 among 4 workers was noticeably high. The total volumes of spray liquid for operators were $535-1,235mL{\cdot}h^{-1}$, corresponding to 0.03-0.08% of the applied spray solution. Highest contaminated parts of body were thighs, chest, and lower legs. The inhalation exposure ratio to the total application amount was significantly low. However, wind seemed to affect the inhalation exposure of operator. For risk assessment, margin of safety was calculated by the application of cloth and dermal penetration rate to obtain values of much larger than 1 in all cases. Therefore, health risk of operators during treatment of acetamiprid in apple orchard could be of least possibility.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.327-334
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• 2002

The work presents sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of 2-compartment model for the evaluation of indoor radon pollution in a house. Effort on the development of such model is directed towards the prediction of the generation and transfer of radon in indoor air released from groundwater. The model is used to estimate a quantitative daily human exposure through inhalation of such radon based on exposure scenarios. However, prediction from the model has uncertainty propagated from uncertainties in model parameters. In order to assess how model predictions are affected by the uncertainties of model inputs, the study performs a quantitative uncertainty analysis in conjunction with the developed model. An importance analysis is performed to rank input parameters with respect to their contribution to model prediction based on the uncertainty analysis. The results obtained from this study would be used to the evaluation of human risk by inhalation associated with the indoor pollution by radon released from groundwater.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2016

An irritable larynx syndrome is characterized by a sudden episodic dyspnea and dysphonia that is difficult to diagnose, and patients are often treated unnecessarily and/or too much. A correct diagnosis can be made by monitoring the larynx closing in the reversed direction during inhalation and posterior chink with videolaryngoscopy and by measuring a decrease in air flow volume during inhalation with a lung function test. Patients can be effectively treated with thorough differential diagnosis. Medications targeting precipitating factors, physical therapy sessions to improve abnormal larynx movement, counseling to reduce patients'anxiety rising from dyspnea, and etc. can effectively alleviate symptoms.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2002

Objectives：This study was conducted to investigate the effect of oxygen on attention and memory functions in healthy adolescents. Methods：The participant subjects were recruited from local advertisement. All subjects are students attending ordinary middle and high school. Their degree of achievement was average or below average. Before the study, its nature and purpose were fully explained to the patients and their parents, and a written informed consent was obtained from each child's parent and a written assent from each child for entire the procedure. The Ethics Committee and Clinical Research Committee of Gyeongsang National University Hospital approved the protocol. For baseline assessment, all subjects received tests for attention and memory. All tests were conducted by a certified psychologist. Stroop test, continuous performance test and trail making test A and B were used for evaluation of attention. As memory tests, we used memory assessment scale(MAS), standardized memory assessment tools. Ten to fourteen days after initial assessments, same tests was applied to the same subjects after prior 5 minute oxygen inhalation. Results：1) Attention test：Improved performances in trail making part B, and stroop test were found in normobaric oxygen inhalation group compared to air inhalation group. Improved reaction time in those tests seemed to reflect the enhanced executive prefrontal activity. 2) Memory test：More words and digits memorization were found in short-term memory subscale score in MAS in oxygen inhalation group compared to air inhalation group. This finding suggested the improved working memory function after oxygen inhalation. Conclusion：Though interpreted cautiously, these results suggested that normobaric oxygen inhalation could enhance executive function and working memory of prefrontal lobe. Further study, however, should be performed to investigate the mechanism of effects of oxygen on cognitive enhancement.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.402-410
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• 2010

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the air quality surrounding an indoor swimming pool, to estimate the cancer risk based on the airborne exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs), and to examine the ventilation efficiency by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Chlorine and THMs were measured poolside, and in the staff room and reception area. The indoor swimming pool was modeled using the Airpak program, with ventilation drawings and actual survey data. Temperature, flow and mean age of the air were analyzed. Levels of chlorine poolside, and in the staff room, and reception area were $203\;{\mu}g/m^3$, $5\;{\mu}g/m^3$, and $10\;{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. Chloroform was the dominant THM in all sampling sites and mean concentrations were $16.30\;{\mu}g/m^3$, $0.51\;{\mu}g/m^3$, and $0.06\;{\mu}g/m^3$ poolside, in the staff room and reception area, respectively. Bromodichloromethane and Dibromochloromethane levels were respectively estimated as $10.3\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and $1.7\;{\mu}g/m^3$ poolside, $1.3\;{\mu}g/m^3$ and $0.1\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in the staff room, and were not detected in the reception area. The cancer risks from inhalation exposure to THMs were estimated between $3.37{\times}10^{-7}$ and $1.84{\times}10^{-5}$. A short circulation phenomenon was observed from the supply air vents to the exhaust air vents located in the ceiling. A high temperature layer was formed within one meter of the ceiling, and a low temperature layer was formed under this layer due to the low velocity and high temperature of the supply air, and the improper locations of the supply air vents and exhaust air vents. The stagnation was evident at the above adult pool and the mean age of the air was 22 minutes. Disinfection by-products in the indoor swimming pool were present in higher concentrations than in the outdoor air. In order to increase the removal of pollutants, adjustment was required of the supply air volume and the supply/exhaust position.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2006

In this paper, we present flow patterns around and performance of an air-flow separator by using the numerical analysis. With this separator, particles of different density are to be separated by using the drag force from the air flow. The low-density particles are designed to be separated by using inhalation through holes on a rotating drum. To obtain the flow informations needed for determining the proper design parameters, we have performed numerical simulations by using a commercial code, ANSYS CFX. Various parameter set was tested and it was found that depending on the design of drums there exist critical parameter set regarding the attachment of light particles on the drum, which is prerequisite for the separation of materials. We present here the possibility of using the present design in separation of particles mixed in the clod for use in recycling.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.78-88
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• 2002

Experimental animals were divided into 5 groups; normal, cadmium control, and 3 experimental groups. Cadmium control and experimental groups were exposed to 1 mg/㎥ of cadmium aerosol in air by inhalation exposure for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week during 4 weeks. Dosages of 20, 40, and 80mg/kg of extracts of persimmon leaves were intraperitoneally injected to experimental groups respectively and several toxicological parameters and induction of metallothionein were measured from the rats that inhaled cadmium aerosol in air. The results of this study were as follows. Cadmium concentration that cadmium control and experimental groups were inhaled was 0.980±0.061 mg/㎥. Mass median diameter of cadmium aerosol for inhalation exposure was 4.93±0.483㎛. Cadmium content of normal group in lung was 0.088㎍/g and the highest cadmium content in lung, 55.492㎍/g was from 80mg/kg dose group. Cadmium concentration of normal group in blood was 0.348㎍/100㎖ and the highest cadmium concentration in blood, 2.642㎍/100㎖ was from cadmium control. Cadmium concentration of normal group in liver was 0.010㎍/g and the highest cadmium concentration in liver, 31.100㎍/g was from 20mg/kg dose group. Cadmium concentration of normal group in kidney was 0.030㎍/g and the highest cadmium concentration in kidney, 2.526㎍/g was from cadmium control. Cadmium concentration of normal group in intestine was O.064㎍/g and the highest cadmium concentration in intestine, 0.300㎍/g was from 80mg/kg dose group. The highest cadmium concentration in urine by week was 6.080㎍/day from 20mg/kg dose group in the fouth week and the highest cadmium concentration in feces by week was 341.731㎍/day from 20mg/kg dose group in the fouth week. Metallothionein concentration of normal group in lung was 5.769㎍/g and the highest in lung, 30.986㎍/g was from 80mg/kg dose group. Metallothionein concentration of normal group in liver was 38.856㎍/g and the highest in liver, 169.378㎍/g was from 40mg/kg dose group. Metallothionein concentration of normal group in kidney was 22.228㎍/g and the highest in kidney, 47.898㎍/g was from 80mg/kg dose group. Metallothionein concentration of normal group in intestine was 2.170㎍/g and the highest in intestine, 13.642㎍/g was from 80mg dose group.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2023

Background: This study aims to reevaluate natural radiation exposure, following up on our previous study conducted in 2019, and to assess the associated risk of lung cancer to the public residing in the gold mining areas of Betare-Oya, east Cameroon, and its vicinity. Materials and Methods: Gamma-ray spectra collected using a 7.62 cm×7.62 cm in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer during a car-borne survey, in situ measurements and laboratory measurements performed in previous studies were used to determine the outdoor absorbed dose rate in air to evaluate the annual external dose inhaled by the public. For determining internal exposure, radon gas concentrations were measured and used to estimate the inhalation dose while considering the inhalation of radon and its decay products. Results and Discussion: The mean value of the laboratory-measured outdoor gamma dose rate was 47 nGy/hr, which agrees with our previous results (44 nGy/hr) recorded through direct measurements (in situ and car-borne survey). The resulting annual external dose (0.29±0.09 mSv/yr) obtained is similar to that of the previous study (0.33±0.03 mSv/yr). The total inhalation dose resulting from radon isotopes and their decay products ranged between 1.96 and 9.63 mSv/yr with an arithmetic mean of 3.95±1.65 mSv/yr. The resulting excess lung cancer risk was estimated; it ranged from 62 to 216 excess deaths per million persons per year (MPY), 81 to 243 excess deaths per MPY, or 135 excess deaths per MPY, based on whether risk factors reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of Atomic Radiation, or International Commission on Radiological Protection were used, respectively. These values are more than double the world average values reported by the same agencies. Conclusion: There is an elevated level of risk of lung cancer from indoor radon in locations close to the Betare-Oya gold mining region in east Cameroon. Therefore, educating the public on the harmful effects of radon exposure and considering some remedial actions for protection against radon and its progenies is necessary.