• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.28
• /
• pp.10.1-10.4
• /
• 2013

Objectives Children are one of the most vulnerable populations to the impact of disasters. We aimed to examine children's mental health in the area affected by the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident on December 7, 2007. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted using the Korean versions of the Children's Depression Inventory and State Anxiety Inventory for Children on 1,362 children attending elementary schools in the affected area. The information on distances between the nearest contaminated coastline to the child's residential house or attending school were obtained using a web-based map by inputting two address points. The symptom risks of depression and state anxiety were estimated by multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, and other covariates. Results Children with the closest distance (in the fourth quartile) to the school from the contaminated coastline showed a significantly higher symptom risk of depression compared to those with the farthest distance (first quartile)(odds ratio, 2.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-5.33), while there was no significant association between anxiety symptoms and distance. Conclusions Children, a vulnerable population for mental health impact by the oil spill accident, should be included in mental health programs in the community along with their family as victims of the disaster.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.165-172
• /
• 2017

Current scenarios for marine spill accidents were developed based on probable maximum spill accidents. However,, accidents of similar scale to maximum spill accidents are virtually non-existent, and training or deployment of response equipment based on these scenarios can be cost prohibitive. Current scenarios require realism for practical use and need to be designed for purpose of use. In this study we developed scenarios that may replace current scenarios by using the HNS accident standard codes based on past accident cases. Scenarios were developed by modularizing the HNS accident standard code, that is classified into three scenarios: Maximum Frequency Scenario, Maximum Damage Scenario, and Maximum Vulnerability Scenario. The situation of an accident presented in each scenario developed in this process is much like a real accident, and therefore, it is has practical application.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.58-66
• /
• 2006

Environmental Sensitivity Index Map(ESI Map) is useful information for efficient and prompt contolling of oil spill accident. Environmental sensitivity information relating to oil spill is very various, so efficient access and utilization for environmental sensitivity information at control field is required. In order to improve the efficiency of controlling accident at the field, it is necessary to building digital ESI Map and GIS program. In this study, GIS database was built to utilize environmental sensitivity information at Yeosu and Gyunggi bay. And the ESI Map program which is focused on the control job was developed. IMO/IPIECA's guide to make the ESI Map and Korea Coast Guard's guide to collect information for the control information map were referenced to capture environmental sensitivity data and build GIS database. The symbology of environmental sensitivity layers was defined and functions for supporting control job were implemented in ESI Map program. For the future works, the program in this study could be applied to ESI Map program for the whole coastal area of Korea and it could be the essential element technology in marine pollution control supporting system.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.17-54
• /
• 2012

This paper researched market responses for listed companies in several industries affected by the major oil spill accident off the coast of Taean, in December 7, 2007. The Taean accident triggered considerable concerns in people over the possibility of potential future regulation in shipbuilding and petroleum industries. However, the accident also provided an unexpected business opportunity for environmental clean-up industry and shipbuilding industry. The oil spill triggered the acceleration of the enactment of policies that require all new oil tankers to be constructed with double hull, which is interpreted as a good news for shipbuilding industry. Increased public pressure coupled with the prospect of tightened regulation is expected to decrease the market values of firms in the affected business fields. The stock prices of shipbuilding companies dropped after the incident but dramatically surged after the enactment of the policy in January 31, 2008. Our study also found that companies with more extensive prior environmental disclosure had less negative market reactions during the first sixteen days following the accident.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.795-799
• /
• 2008

We have studied bioremediation of effective microorganisms on crude oil spill in Taean, west-coast of Korea. Oil contaminated soil samples were collected on December 14, 2007, seven days after the Hebei Spirit oil-spilled accident. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was measured to evaluate the effectiveness of effective microorganisms (EM) which were composed with yeast, photosynthetic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria on oil degradation. TPH concentration before EM treatment was 323.8 mg/kg, whereas TPH concentrations on 2 days after EM treatment and that of control (without EM) was 102.1 mg/kg and 170.6 mg/kg, respectively. On six days after EM treatment TPH was 91.3 mg/kg and that of control was 127.7 mg/kg. Percentages of degraded crude oil were 47.3% without EM and 68.5% with EM, 60.6% without EM and 71.8% with EM on 2 and 6 days after EM treatment, respectively. These results clearly showed that the application of effective microorganisms toward oil-contaminated soil was quite useful to degrade crude oil spill. These results were derived from the effects of biostimulation of microbial media nutrients and bioaugmentation of effective microorganisms. If we carefully apply these effective microorganisms, it can be a useful bioremediation method to recover oil-contaminated marine ecosystems.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.99-110
• /
• 2016

When a riser is damaged, the oil spills to sea. Oil spills cause huge economic losses as well as a destruction of the marine environment. To reduce losses, it is needed to predict spilled oil volume from risers and the excursion of the oil. The present paper simulated the oil spill for a damaged riser using open source libraries, called Open-FOAM. To verify numerical methods, jet flow and Rayleigh-Taylor instability were simulated. The oil spill was simulated for various damaged leak size, spilled oil volume rates, damaged vertical locations of a riser, and current speeds. From results, the maximum excursion of the spilled oil at the certain time was predicted, and a forecasting model for various parameters was suggested.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
• /
• 2010.05b
• /
• pp.910-914
• /
• 2010

A collision between a barge and an oil tanker of Hebei Spirit caused the release of an estimated 12,547 tons of light crude oil into the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Taean-gun, Korea on December 7, 2007. This study was aimed to evaluate exposure conditions and acute health effects in soldiers participating in the Hebei Spirit oil spill cleanup activities and the association between these and the nature of the work and use of protection devices. The sample comprised 2,624 soldiers stratified by working area and number of working days. We divided working area into the coast of Taean-gun(highly polluted area) and other areas affected by Hebei Spirit oil spill. And we divided number of working days into 1-7 days, 8-14 days, 15-21 days and above 22 days. Data were obtained via a structured, self-administered questionnaire and included information on working area, type of working, number of working days, use of protective materials, and acute health effects. Acute health effects were classified into 5 groups: neurological, respiratory, dermatologic, ophthalmic and other symptoms. Data analysis was performed using unconditional logistic regression used to compute odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. On logistic regression analysis, working on the coast of Taean-gun was significantly associated with increased risk of acute health problems: headache, dizziness, nausea, general fatigue, insomnia, flushed face, sore throat, dry throat, runny nose, cough, sputum, skin irritation, sore eyes, injection of conjunctiva, tear, and low back pain. Furthermore soldiers working more than 21 days were significantly associated with increased risk of acute health problems: insomnia, flushed face, sore throat, runny nose, cough, sputum, tear, low back pain and fever. Accordingly, the exposure to the oil and the subsequent cleanup efforts were suggested to inflict acute health problems on soldiers participating in the Hebei Spirit oil spill cleanup activities.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.799-804
• /
• 2007

Oil spill caused severe effects on the marine fauna and flora due to direct contact of organisms with the oil and even in regions not directly affected by the spill. This study was conducted to understand the effects of the oil spill accidents and the use of dispersant on the red tide of Cochlodinium polykrikoides. Crude oil produced in Kuwait, bunker-C, kerosene and diesel oil, and a chemical dispersant produced in Korea, were added with a series of 10 ppb to 100 ppm in the f/2-Si medium at $20^{\circ}C$ under a photon flux from cool white fluorescent tubes of $100\;mol\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$ in a 14: 10 h L:D cycle for the culture of C. polykrikoides. In low concentrations of ${\leq}$ 1 ppm of examined oils no impact on the growth of C. polykrikoides was recorded, while in high concentration of ${\geq}$ 10 ppm, cell density was significantly decreased with the range of 10 to 80% in comparison with the control. The growth of C. polykrikoides after the addition of the dispersant and the mixtures combined with oils and a dispersant of ${\geq}$ 10 ppm appeared to decrease, whereas the growth of C. polykrikoides exposed to ${\leq}$ 100 ppb showed little serious impact. However, almost all the C. polykrikoides cells were died regardless of a dispersant and combined mixtures within a few days after the addition of high concentrations.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.27
• /
• pp.8.1-8.10
• /
• 2012

Objectives: The goal was to model and quantify the atmospheric concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the result of the Hebei Spirit oil spill, and to predict whether the exposure levels were abnormally high or not. Methods: We developed a model for calculating the airborne concentration of VOCs that are produced in an oil spill accident. The model was applied to a practical situation, namely the Hebei Spirit oil spill. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the results with previous observation data. The concentrations were compared with the currently used air quality standards. Results: Evaporation was found to be 10- to 1,000-fold higher than the emissions produced from a surrounding industrial complex. The modeled concentrations for benzene failed to meet current labor environmental standards, and the concentration of benzene, toluene, orthometa- para-xylene were higher than the values specified by air quality standards and guideline values on the ocean. The concentrations of total VOCs were much higher than indoor environmental criteria for the entire Taean area for a few days. Conclusions: The extent of airborne exposure was clearly not the same as that for normal conditions.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.26
• /
• pp.7.1-7.9
• /
• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. Methods: A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. Results: Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.