• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2001

This study was performed to evaluate chromium in air and chromium concentrations in whole blood and urine of workers at chrome plating factories, and to determine the correlation between environmental and biological chromium levels. This study involved 29 workers as study group and 24 undergraduate students as control group. The geometric means(GM) of airborne hexavalent chromium and total chromium concentrations in the plating factories were 3.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ and 10.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥, respectively. Hexavalent chromium levels in two of total 29 measurements exceeded the korean occupational exposure limit and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value(ACGIH-TLV) of 50$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥. Only one sample for total chromium exceeded the Korea occupational exposure limits, the ACGIH-TLV, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Recommended Exposure Limits(NIOSH-REL) of 500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥. The GM of chromium concentrations in blood and urine of workers exposed to chromium were 8.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 11.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L. The GM of chromium concentrations in blood and urine of workers exposed to chromium were 8.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 11.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively, whereas the chromium concentrations in blood and urine of the controls were 1.6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 3.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively. There were statistically significant differences of blood and urine concentrations between study group and control group (p<0.01). The chromium concentrations in urine were most highly related to hexavalent chromium, concentration in air(r=0.642, p<0.01). Also, there was a relatively high correlation between the hexavalent chromium concentrations in air and chromium concentrations in whole blood(r=0.557, p<0.05). These results indicate that whole-blood chromium with urinary chromium could be an indicator of chromium body burden caused by exposure to chromic acid mist in plating operation.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.51-57
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• 2012

This study was carried out to analyze chemical compositions of the fog water of a forest area, Jinju and to provide basic information for establishing measures on the acid fog water of forest area. The results are as follows: The pH of fog water was 4.3 in 2010, whereas the pH in 2011 was 4.0. The electrical conductivity of the fog water was $477.2{\mu}s$ in 2010, and $562.7{\mu}s$ in 2011. Among the anions, the concentration of $NO^{3-}$ was the highest, which recorded 267.1 mg/L in spring season and 279.1 mg/L in summer season, followed by $SO{_4}^{2-}$ at the concentration of 177.2 mg/L in spring season and 198.6mg/L in summer season. In autumn and winter, the concentration of $NO^{3-}$ was highest as 217.7 mg/L and 237.9 mg/L, respectively and followed by $SO{_4}^{2-}$, which concentration was 164.2 mg/L in autumn season and 190.1 mg/L in winter season (p<0.05). Among the cations, the concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ was 221.3 mg/L in spring and 233.7mg/L in summer, followed by $Na^+$ at 125.1 mg/L in spring season and 131.7 mg/L in summer In autumn and winter, the concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ was highest at 196.8 mg/L and 198.8 mg/L, followed by $Na^+$ at the concentration of 97.1 mg/L in autumn and 117.2 mg/L in winter (p<0.05). The pH of the fog rain that causes acid mist showed the correlation with $Ca^{++}$ (1% of level), $EC(r=-0.9861^{**})$, $NO^{3-}$ ($r=-0.9677^{**}$), and $SO{_4}^{2-}$ ($r=-0.9510^{**}$). The regression equation on the factors affecting the generation of acidic fog rain was estimated to be a $Y(pH)=6.4627+0.9723X_2(EC)+0.9364X_4(NO_3{^-})+0.9044X_5(SO{_4}^{2-})+0.8049X_{10}(Ca^{2+})+0.6709X_8(K^+)\;(r^2=0.8787)$.