• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.129-175
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• 2018

This paper examines asbestos activism in South Korea by focusing on the politics of knowledge between the asbestos activist group and regulatory agency on the risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos activism has contributed to establishing asbestos pollution an important safety and public health agenda in South Korea. Asbestos pollution investigation is key to core argument of the activism that asbestos pollution is pervasive especially in urban environment and a serious environmental health problem with its worst consequences has not yet seen. A distinctive characteristic of such asbestos investigation is the use of "settled dust analysis," non-standard, non-legislated analysis method. In this paper, literary technologies used in asbestos investigation report written by activists and controversies over asbestos pollution measurement in Samsung's head office building. Asbestos activists successfully concentrated media's attention on their argument and mobilize resources needed to make policy decisions, by using settled dust analysis data. Regulatory agency and expert group, however, neither saw settled dust analysis nor activists argument persuasive enough to make policy changes, base on their evaluation on the use of standards and evidentiary context for analyzing measured data. While its explanatory power is partially acquired, through the dispute between asbestos activists and regulatory agencies unspoken assumptions of regulatory science was revealed and became the matter of social debate. Settled dust analysis captures the characteristic of asbestos analysis which combined social movement and science to challenge the regulatory agency and expert group.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.279-288
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated the levels and components of floor-settled dust in two elementary schools located at different sites (one near the Shihwa industrial complex and the other in a rural area) in order to evaluate the amounts of trace metal elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) and microorganisms. Methods: Over twenty settled-dust samples were collected from the two elementary schools. Trace metal elements were extracted from the dust using hydrochloric acid and nitric acid, and the amounts were measured by ICP-OES. Microbiological analysis was performed by bacterial culturing using R2A medium and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Results: The results showed that the amounts of three metal elements (Cr, Pb, and Zn) were significantly different between the schools (${\alpha}$=0.05, p<0.04). In addition, microbial communities in each school were highly correlated with one another. Among the identified microorganisms, a number of potentially opportunistic microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, were found. Conclusions: This study will provide preliminary data for assessing levels and types of chemical and microbiological agents in elementary schools and for further evaluating human health risks associated with the agents.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.950-955
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• 2007

Non-point source control system which had been designed only for oil-water separation in the fields of oil refinery and garage was upgraded in this research for the removal of runoff pollutants in impervious urban area. Pollutants including oil from driveway and bridge were eliminated by two types of pathway in the system. One is the coalescence mechanism that the oil droplets in the runoff come into contact with each other in the spiral buoyant media surface and form larger coalesced droplets of oil that are carried upstream to the oil layer. The other is the precipitation that solids in runoff were settled by gravity in the system. In this research, coalescing characteristics of oil and water separation were investigated through image analyses, and efficiencies of the non-point source control system were evaluated using dust in driveway and waste engine oil. Media made of high density and high molecular weight polyethylene was indeterminate helical shape and had sleek surface by analysing SEM photographs and BET. Surface area and specific gravity of media which were measured directly were 1,428 $mm^2$ and 45.3 $kg/m^3$ respectively. From the image analyses of the oil droplets photographs which were taken by using microscope, it was proved clearly that the coalescence was the main pathway in the removal of oil from the runoff. Finally, the performances of the non-point source control system filled up with the media were suspended solid $86.6\sim95.2%$, $COD_{Cr}$, $87.3\sim95.4%$, n-Hexane extractable materials $71.8\sim94.8%$ respectively.