• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.84-94
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• 2018

Background: This paper describes a simple-to-use and reliable screening tool called Critical Task Exposure Screening (CTES), developed by a chemical company. The tool assesses if the exposure to a chemical for a task is likely to be within acceptable levels. Methods: CTES is a Microsoft Excel tool, where the inhalation risk score is calculated by relating the exposure estimate to the corresponding occupational exposure limit (OEL) or occupational exposure band (OEB). The inhalation exposure is estimated for tasks by preassigned ART1.5 activity classes and modifying factors. Results: CTES requires few inputs. The toxicological data, including OELs, OEBs, and vapor pressure are read from a database. Once the substance is selected, the user specifies its concentration and then chooses the task description and its duration. CTES has three outputs that may trigger follow-up: (1) inhalation risk score; (2) identification of the skin hazard with the skin warnings for local and systemic adverse effects; and (3) status for carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic effects. Conclusion: The tool provides an effective way to rapidly screen low-concern tasks, and quickly identifies certain tasks involving substances that will need further review with, nevertheless, the appropriate conservatism. This tool shows that the higher-tier ART1.5 inhalation exposure assessment model can be included effectively in a screening tool. After 2 years of worldwide extensive use within the company, CTES is well perceived by the users, including the shop floor management, and it fulfills its target of screening tool.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.526-535
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• 2019

Objective : While the risk of aneurysmal rebleeding induced by catheter cerebral angiography is a serious concern and can delay angiography for a few hours after a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), current angiographic technology and techniques have been much improved. Therefore, this study investigated the risk of aneurysmal rebleeding when using a recent angiographic technique immediately after SAH. Methods : Patients with acute SAH underwent immediate catheter angiography on admission. A four-vessel examination was conducted using a biplane digital subtraction angiography (DSA) system that applied a low injection rate and small volume of a diluted contrast, along with appropriate control of hypertension. Intra-angiographic aneurysmal rebleeding was diagnosed in cases of extravasation of the contrast medium during angiography or increased intracranial bleeding evident in flat-panel detector computed tomography scans. Results : In-hospital recurrent hemorrhages before definitive treatment to obliterate the ruptured aneurysm occurred in 11 of 266 patients (4.1%). Following a univariate analysis, a multivariate analysis using a logistic regression analysis revealed that modified Fisher grade 4 was a statistically significant risk factor for an in-hospital recurrent hemorrhage (p=0.032). Cerebral angiography after SAH was performed on 88 patients ${\leq}3$ hours, 74 patients between 3-6 hours, and 104 patients >6 hours. None of the time intervals showed any cases of intra-angiographic rebleeding. Moreover, even though the DSA ${\leq}3$ hours group included more patients with a poor clinical grade and modified Fisher grade 4, no case of aneurysmal rebleeding occurred during erebral angiography. Conclusion : Despite the high risk of aneurysmal rebleeding within a few hours after SAH, emergency cerebral angiography after SAH can be acceptable without increasing the risk of intra-angiographic rebleeding when using current angiographic techniques and equipment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.243-257
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the distribution characteristics, source identification, and health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in particulate matter 10 (PM-10), in Gwangju. PM-10 samples were collected from September 2021 to August 2022 from three sampling sites, one located in each of the following areas: green, residential, and industrial. The average concentrations of PAHs were found to be higher in the industrial area (9.75±6.51 ng/㎥) than in the green (6.90±2.41 ng/㎥) and residential (6.74±2.38 ng/㎥) areas. Throughout the year and across all sites, five-ring PAHs accounted for the largest proportion (29.8-34.5%) of all PAHs. The concentrations of PAHs showed distinct seasonal variations, with the highest concentration observed in winter, followed by autumn, spring, and summer. Source apportionment analyses were performed using diagnostic ratios and principal component analyses, which indicated that coal/biomass combustion and vehicle emissions were the primary sources of PAHs in PM-10. The incremental lifetime cancer risk was estimated for all age groups at all sampling sites, and the results revealed a much lower risk level than the standard acceptable risk level (1×10^-6).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2007

An environmental survey from three abandoned metal mine areas was undertaken on to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to heavy metals influenced by past mining activities. Tailings contained high concentrations of heavy metals may have a impact on soils and waters around the tailing piles. In order to perform the human risk assessment, chemical analysis data of soils, rice grains and waters for As, Cd, Cu and Pb have been used. The HQ values for heavy metals via the rice consumption were significantly higher compared with other exposure pathways in all metal mine areas. The resulting HI values in three mine areas were higher than 9.0, and their toxic risk due to rice ingestion was strong in these mine areas. The cancer risk of being exposed to As by the rice consumption from the A, B and C mine areas was $5.1\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$, $6.8\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$ and $3.1\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$, respectively. The As cancer risk via the exposure pathway of rice ingestion from these mine areas exceeds the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 set for regulatory purposes. Thus, the daily intakes of rice by the local residents from these mine areas can pose a potential health threat if exposed by long-term As exposure.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.750-754
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• 2014

Quantitative risk analysis has been performed for a pervaporation process for production of high test peroxide. Potential main accidents are explosion and fire caused by a decomposition reaction. As the target process has a laboratory scale, the consequence is considered to belong to Category 3. An event tree has been developed as a model for occurrence of a decomposition reaction in the target process. The probability functions of the accident causes have been established based on the frequency data of similar events. Using the constructed model, the failure rate has been calculated. The result indicates that additional safety devices are required in order to achieve an acceptable risk level, i.e. an accident frequency less than $10^{-4}/yr$. Therefore, a layer of protection analysis has been applied. As a result, it is suggested to introduce inherently safer design to avoid catalytic reaction, a safety instrumented function to prevent overheating, and a relief system that prevents explosion even if a decomposition reaction occurs. The proposed method is expected to contribute to developing safety management systems for various chemical processes including concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2020

Background: Scapular winging (SW) could be caused by tightness or weakness of the periscapular muscles. Although data mining techniques are useful in classifying or predicting risk of musculoskeletal disorder, predictive models for risk of musculoskeletal disorder using the results of clinical test or quantitative data are scarce. Objects: This study aimed to (1) investigate the difference between young women with and without SW, (2) establish a predictive model for presence of SW, and (3) determine the cutoff value of each variable for predicting the risk of SW using the decision tree method. Methods: Fifty young female subjects participated in this study. To classify the presence of SW as the outcome variable, scapular protractor strength, elbow flexor strength, shoulder internal rotation, and whether the scapula is in the dominant or nondominant side were determined. Results: The classification tree selected scapular protractor strength, shoulder internal rotation range of motion, and whether the scapula is in the dominant or nondominant side as predictor variables. The classification tree model correctly classified 78.79% (p = 0.02) of the training data set. The accuracy obtained by the classification tree on the test data set was 82.35% (p = 0.04). Conclusion: The classification tree showed acceptable accuracy (82.35%) and high specificity (95.65%) but low sensitivity (54.55%). Based on the predictive model in this study, we suggested that 20% of body weight in scapular protractor strength is a meaningful cutoff value for presence of SW.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.140-149
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• 2016

All pesticides must be assessed strictly whether safe or not when agricultural operators are exposed to the pesticides in farmland. A pesticide is commonly regarded as safe when estimated dermal absorption amount is lower than the acceptable operator's exposure level (AOEL). In this study, dermal absorption rate of chlorpyrifos, a widely used organophosphate insecticide, was investigated using rat dermal tissue model. Chlorpyrifos wettable powder solved in water (250, 500 and 2,500 ppm) was applied to freshly excised rat dermal slices ($341{\sim}413{\mu}m$ thickness) on static Franz diffusion cells at $32^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours. After exposure period of 6 hours, and then washing-at residual amount of chlorpyrifos was analyzed in dermal tissues, tape strips, washing solution, washing swabs of receptor bottles and receptor fluids at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours. Chlorpyrifos was only detected in dermal tissue but not found in receptor fluid at each concentration and time point, and the absorption rate of 250, 500 and 2,500 ppm was 2.36%, 1.96% and 1.69%, respectively. The estimated exposure level of chlorpyrifos was calculated as 0.012 mg/kg bw/day. The health risk for farmers in this condition is a level of concern because the estimated exposure level is 12 times higher than AOEL 0.001 mg/kg bw/day. However, actual health risk will be alleviated than estimated because absorbed chlorpyrifos is not permeated into internal body system and only retained in skin layer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2012

Purpose: To evaluate treatment outcome of patients with high risk locally advanced gastric cancer after postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Between May 2003 and May 2012, thirteen patients who underwent postoperative chemoradiotherapy for gastric cancer with resection margin involvement or adjacent structure invasion were retrospectively analyzed. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered in 10 patients. Median dose of radiation was 50.4 Gy (range, 45 to 55.8 Gy). Results: The median follow-up duration for surviving patients was 48 months (range, 5 to 108 months). The 5-year overall survival rate was 42% and the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 28%. Major pattern of failure was peritoneal seeding with 46%. Locoregional recurrence was reported in only one patient. Grade 2 or higher gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 54% of the patients. However, there was only one patient with higher than grade 3 toxicity. Conclusion: Despite reported suggested role of adjuvant radiotherapy with combination chemotherapy in gastric cancer, only very small portion of the patients underwent the treatment. Results from this study show that postoperative chemoradiotherapy provided excellent locoregional control with acceptable and manageable treatment related toxicity in patients with high risk locally advanced gastric cancer. Thus, postoperative chemoradiotherapy may improve treatment result in terms of locoregional control in these high risk patients. However, as these findings are based on small series, validation with larger cohort is suggested.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1865-1877
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• 2013

Vertical variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in $PM_{10}$ were investigated in order to assess the factors controlling their behavior in the urban atmosphere of Bangkok City, Thailand. Air samples were collected every three hours for three days at three different levels at Bai-Yok Suit Hotel (site-1 and site-2) and Bai-Yok Sky Hotel (site-3) in February $18^{th}-21^{st}$, 2008. The B[a]P concentration showed a value 0.54 fold, lower than the United Kingdom Expert Panel on Air Quality Standard (UK-EPAQS; i.e. 250 pg $m^{-3}$) at the top level. In contrast, the B[a]P concentrations exhibited, at the ground and middle level, values 1.50 and 1.43 times higher than the UK-EPAQS standard respectively. PAHs displayed a diurnal variation with maximums at night time because of the traffic rush hour coupled with lower nocturnal mixing layer, and the decreased wind speed, which consequently stabilized nocturnal boundary layer and thus enhanced the PAH contents around midnight. By applying Nielsen's technique, the estimated traffic contributions at Site-3 were higher than those of Site-1: about 10% and 22% for Method 1 and Method 2 respectively. These results reflect the more complicated emission sources of PAHs at ground level in comparison with those of higher altitudes. The average values of incremental individual lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for all sampling sites fell within the range of $10^{-7}-10^{-6}$, being close to the acceptable risk level ($10^{-6}$) but much lower than the priority risk level ($10^{-4}$).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2009

The suspension bridge between Myodo and Gwangyang is located in the main navigation channel to Gwangyang Harbor. So, there is need for the collision protection against large vessels. In this paper, the method of risk analysis and non-linear numerical analysis are conducted to consider the ship collision effects. The results of risk analysis, the annual frequency of collapse is more than the acceptable frequency 0.0001. Therefore, as a ship collision protection, island protection with concrete block quay wall is planned. The ship collision force on the pylon is less than the lateral capacity of pylon from the nonlinear numerical analysis.