• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2015

An extensive literature survey and personal communication with relevant experts made it possible to understand economic and technical feasibility of disposable diaper recycling. Commercial level of soiled diaper recycling technology is currently available from a Dutch company, Knowaste Co., who owns a proprietary separation technology of the pulps, plastics and super absorbing polymer (SAP). In Korea, on the other hand, pre-consumer diaper recycling technology without material separation at its infancy converts manufacturing scraps into refuse plastic fuel (RPF), container/truck cargo boards or automobile boards/sheets. Although previous studies on feasibility of post-consumer recycling in Korea showed mutually contradictory implication, it was found out in this research that significantly positive economic feasibility can be obtained with pre-consumer diaper recycling. Subsequent recycling R&D including pre-consumer scrap and policy support may expedite 'Establishment of Sustainable Society.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.29-38
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• 2017

This study suggests optimal policy options for collection of used diapers through benchmarking of foreign countries and perception surveys. By conducting a survey, this study can identify the actual problems involved in the collection process and enhance the social acceptance toward diaper recycling policies. As a perception survey result, the economic burden of emission bags and sanitary issues were most important for the collection pilot test. Respondents thought that twice-a-week collection frequency was appropriate and that free emission bags might be preferable to participants. Currently municipal wastes are subject to waste management laws, which are applied by local governments. Diaper waste is categorized with municipal waste, so it seems to be treated by municipal waste systems. In terms of connection with government, possible alternatives were suggested to identify the relevant local government. Useful data could be obtained, to determine the economical viability of any future diaper recycling system implementation in the entire Seoul metropolis and adjacent areas of dense population.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.16-26
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• 2015

This study aims to suggest possible policy options for collection of post-consumer diapers as a sustainable prerequisite to implementation of public recycling system with the desktop monitoring results and analysis of collection cost involved. By conducting a diaper collection pilot test on daycare centers and households in the Seoul Nowon-gu, this study revealed that the odor issues did not stand out as an important hindering factor and that the collection rate was the largest contributing factor regarding collection costs. The exploratory cost analysis result shows that the implemented recycling system must guarantee collection rate over 50% via twice-a-week collection frequency, to be comparable or even superior to the current food waste collection cost. Also the pilot demonstration test showed that the final collection rate can be achieved as much as over 50%. The promising data thus obtained cost economically viable future diaper recycling system implementation in the entire Seoul metropolis and adjacent areas of dense population. With the concomitant development of recycling technology and related infrastructure for systematic collection of diaper waste, it makes our society much more sustainable.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2015

Three different methods (simple washing of plastic and pulp sample, washing after direct heating of the diapers, and the heating after washing of plastic and pulp sample) were carried out to decrease total coliforms and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) in the diaper's plastic and pulp. Plastic and pulp samples were obtained from diaper by treatment with 10% $CaCl_2$ and 4% sea salt water, dilution with 1,000 ml tap water, and draining by using sieves. Three times washing was the most appropriate for the reduction of microorganisms in plastic and pulp. By three times washing, the number of total coliforms in the plastic and pulp samples showed 92.8% and 99.8% of decrease, respectively, and the number of HPC showed 97.3% of decrease in the plastic and 98.5% of decrease in the pulp. The washing after direct heating of the fecal contaminated diapers was not effective because HPC in the plastic and pulp samples were still detected about 2-3 log CFU/g in the plastic and 1-2 log CFU/g in the pulp, respectively, even after heating at $60^{\circ}C$, $80^{\circ}C$, $100^{\circ}C$ for 12 h. Meanwhile, total coliforms and HPC were completely sterilized at $80^{\circ}C$ for 4 h by heating after washing of plastic and pulp samples, suggesting that this method was the most appropriate method for the reduction of microorganisms in plastic and pulp obtained from fecal contaminated diapers.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.27-32
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• 2013

In this paper, technologies applied to design urination detection device on diaper that issues an alarm signal to guardian within 10~20m are introduced. It features power saving that uses both low power bluetooth v4.0 chip and low-power program scheme that makes sensor and mirco-controller to be sleep mode while data is not receiving from sensor. Urination detection algorithm that utilizes the difference between previous sensing data and current values is used to improve the degree of the detection precision level. The device designed with the suggested technologies shows the performance that is 100ml of the minimum urine amount for detection, more than 90% of urination detection degree, and 100% of wireless communication success rate.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.185-203
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• 2009

Yuhan Kimberly, a joint-venture company of Korean Yuhan Company and American Kimberly-Clark, opened a premium diaper market in Korea by launching Pull-Ups which was pants-typed diapers in 1993. Pull-Ups was imported as finished goods from Kimberly-Clark. However, in spite of its huge market share in United States, it failed to land down in Korean market because of wrong positioning strategy which did not consider domestic customers' tastes. In 1996, Yuhan-Kimberly brought out a pants-typed diaper, Huggies-Toddler, to Korean market again. This paved the way for the combination of Kimberly-Clark's production power and Yuhan-Kimberly's marketing power and led to launch new product superior to Pull-Ups. However, this product was unsuccessful in the market because of wrong positioning which did not catch domestic customer's life styles such as cultural, environmental and habitual differences in toilet training, the cost increase coming from IMF crisis in Korea, weak trust within the company, weak trust within the company, and too much higher price than regular diapers. In 2005, Yuhan-Kimberly redeveloped new pants market business strategy. It was organically combined with winning product development plan, winning communication strategy and the market structure change through the pants market creation. Customer's habit, usage and attitude were studied with total 55 times market investigations. Also, all processes from planning to designing were executed in the customer's view by investigating product research, positioning research and advertisement research. Yuhan-Kimberly repositioned new product as a wearing diaper not as a toilet training diaper and launched Huggies Magic Panty as a premium product which had 25% higher price than previous Huggies. Huggies Magic Panty was recognized as a great hit product in domestic diaper market and the sales recorded 37.6 bill won in 2006, 57.2 bill won in 2007, and 90 bill won in 2008 since launching in 2005. The reason of Huggies Magic Panty's success was the repositioning strategy deduced from the precise check of customer's usage habit. It was the winning strategy of Huggies that were market investigation in order to survive in domestic baby goods market where a lot of companies struggled intensively, the exact positioning based on its market investigation and aggressive 360 degree communication strategy to give customers impressions efficiently.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2017.11a
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• pp.1290-1293
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• 2017

유아와 더 나아가 치매 노인, 하반신 마비 장애인 등 성인도 사용할 수 있는 배뇨 모니터링 시스템이다. 기저귀 브랜드와 유아용, 성인용을 구분하지 않는 부착 범위를 가지고 있다. 아두이노를 통해 착용자의 상태를 센싱하여 블루투스로 전송 후 안드로이드를 통해 착용자의 상태를 확인 하고 케어 하는 환경을 제공한다. 잦은 소변확인으로 느낄 수 있는 착용자의 수치심, 불편함을 디바이스를 통해 개선하는 동시에 보호자의 시간을 절약해주고 보장해준다.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.225-233
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• 2020

By the standards and specifications for hygiene products, three test methods for formaldehyde are specified for each item type of hygiene product. After derivatization using acetylacetone and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH), formaldehyde is analyzed by spectrophotometer and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Validation of the three test methods was performed on tissue, diaper lining and waterproof layer, and panty liner products. The results of linearity (R²), limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery rate (%) and reproducibility (%), showed that all three methods are suitable for analyzing formaldehyde in hygiene products. After derivatization with 2,4-DNPH and cetylacetone, formaldehyde was analyzed at 0, 3, 6, 9, 24 and 48 hours by HPLC. Formaldehyde derivatized with 2,4-DNPH showed no statistically significant change in formaldehyde peak area over time (P>0.05). But, acetylacetone-derivatizated formaldehyde showed a negative correlation coefficient (r) over time (P<0.01). We investigated the residual amounts of formaldehyde in 205 hygiene products distributed in Busan. Among 74 disposable diaper products tested, 73 had low concentrations of formaldehyde (0.13-29.87 mg/kg). Moreover, formaldehyde was not detected in any of 78 tissue, 27 disposable paper towel, 12 disposable dishcloth, 7 paper cup, one brand of paper straw and 6 disposable napkin products.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.24-33
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• 2015

This study aims to suggest wastewater treatment options for diaper recycling by identifying characteristic analysis of wastewater from diaper recycling process and efficiency evaluation of wastewater treatment units. The wastewater characteristic analysis showed that the concentration of organic pollutants and ionic materials were very high comparing to seawater. Through the investigation of similar wastewater treatment, six treatment units were identified to reduce pollutants. It is found UF(ultra-filtration), DAF(dissolved air flotation), fenton oxidation, electro-coagulation and chemical-coagulation are effective in reducing organic pollutants while membrane system and ion exchanger are effective in reducing ionic materials. Even though the target of water quality should be secured in terms of managing organic pollutants level, the application of treatment unit for reducing ionic material needs lots of considerations. This result suggests that reuse of pulping wastewater after controlling organic pollutants is better than direct discharge of pulping wastewater. To select the appropriate wastewater treatment unit, an economic analysis about operation condition, wastewater flow, cost, efficiency should be considered.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.46-54
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• 2023

In this study, we examined the residual amounts of formaldehyde in hygiene products to determine the safety of these products in Gyeonggi-do. Formaldehyde is among the harmful substances that may remain within certain hygiene products. On the basis of an analysis of formaldehyde in a total of 222 items (6 disposable paper straws, 9 disposable paper napkins, 21 toilet papers, 13 disposable dishcloths, 16 disposable paper towels, 32 wet wipes for food service restaurants, 25 disposable cotton swabs, and 100 disposable diapers), we detected traces in three wet wipes for food service restaurants (1.87 to 4.45 mg/kg), which is approximately 9% to 22% of the standard level (20 mg/kg). We established that all the hygiene products assessed in the study met the individual standards for formaldehyde, thereby confirming that safe products are being distributed. In the standards and specifications for hygiene products, the formaldehyde test method is regulated for application with respect to three categories based on the type of product. The samples used in this study were of types for which method 1 or method 2 is applied, and the limits of detection, limits of quantification, linearity, and recovery rates were reviewed to verify the validity of each test method. When method 2 was applied, we experienced interference when performing analysis at a wavelength of 412 nm, which was associated with the influence of impurities in some samples of disposable cotton swabs and disposable diapers. Consequently, in these cases, the results were compared after analysis using method 1. By comparing the results obtained using method 2 with those obtained using method 1, the latter of which were unaffected by the interference of impurities, we were able to detect formaldehyde at low concentrations. These findings accordingly highlight the necessity to standardize the formaldehyde test method for future analyses.