• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.412-420
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to evaluate personal and area exposure to airborne total dust and endotoxin during harvest and planting tasks at cucumber, yellow melon and potato farms Materials and Methods: Total dust was measured with NIOSH method 0500. Endotoxin were measured using a 37 mm glass fiber filter which was connected to an air pump calibrated to 2 LPM, and then analyzed with a Turbidmetric kinetic method. Results: The average(arithmetic mean) concentrations of total dust in the personal samples were $0.10-3.81mg/m^3$ for cucumbers, $0.21-1.19mg/m^3$ for yellow melon, and $0.08-2.72mg/m^3$ for potato. There was a significant difference in the harvest task among the three farm types(p=0.019 of personal sample, p=0.048 of area sample), in which the air concentration for potatoes was higher than with cucumbers and yellow melons. Conclusions: It was found that potatoes(planting and harvest) should be considered the first priority for studying and reducing total dust exposure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 1991

Inorganic mercury in urine and airborne was determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Detailed sampling methods and analylical results are as follows : 1. 100~200ml of urine for each person was taken in 250 ml borosilicate bottle and $K_2S_2O_8$ (0.1g/100ml urine) was added to prevent bacterial contamination. About 1001 air of workingplace was absorbed in l0ml of absorbing solution. Urine samples and absorbing solution tubes were stored at $4^{\circ}C$. Dillution solution to prepare standard solution used deionized water (D.W) for urine and absorbing solution (A.S) for air. 2. 1n this procedure deteclion limit was 1ng/ml and mercury contents of blank reagent solution was 1~2ng/ml. 3. Calibration range was $0.02{\sim}0.1{\mu}g/ml$ and in this range r.s.d for each calibration curve in D.W and A.S and ${\pm}7.9%$ and ${\pm}3.7%$, respectively. 4. Repeatability (n=5 times, conc. $0.05{\mu}g/ml$) was ${\pm}5.8%$, in D.W. and ${\pm}4.4%$ in A.S, respectively. 5. Recovery for urine adding spiked concentration ($0.05{\mu}g/ml$) was about 90%. 6. Analytical result of samples was $1{\sim}139{\mu}g/l$ in urine and ${\sim}0.127mg/m^3$ in airborne.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.227-239
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• 1993

The author selected 77 dust emissing processes from 71 types of industries which placed in Sasang Industrial Complex in Pusan. The level of total dust was measured as areal concentration and personal exposure concentration by low volume air sampler and personal air sampler, respectively. Collected samples were classified into 5 groups (chemicals and rubber product, metal product, sawmills and wood, foundries and others). Respirable particulate and total dust of areal and personal exposure were analyzed. The results were as follows; 1. All of the respirable dust concentration and total dust of areal and personal concentration were log-normally distributed. 2. Geometric mean of respirable particulate of personal exposure concentration measured $0.55mg/m^3$ in the first group, $0.86mg/m^3$ in the second group, $0.39mg/m^3$ in the third group, $0.81mg/m^3$ in the forth group and $0.52mg/m^3$ in the fifith group. The exceed rates over TLV (thehold limit values) of total dust were 31.3% in the first group, 31.3% in the second group, 70% in the third group, 80% in the forth group and 13.3% in the fifth group. 3. There were singnificant difference between areal and personal exposure concentration and personal exposure concentration was higher than that of area. 4. In the case of high ratio of respirable particulate to total dust, pneumoconiosis incidence was high even though the workshop was opened and emissing dust concentration was low. These findings suggest that it is desirable to measure respirable particulate in environmental assessment of dust emissing workshops.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2008

Methyl bromide has been used as a representative fumigant for quarantine, and several poisoning cases have occurred recently by this chemical in Korea. The purpose of this study is to evaluate workers' exposures to airborne methyl bromide in the importing and exporting plant products quarantine companies. Air samples were collected 400/200 mg Anasorb 747TM and were analyzed by gas chromatograph /flame ionization detector according to the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) Method PV2040. Geometric mean (GM) and arithmetic mean (AM) of total 27 workers' exposure concentrations to airborne methyl bromide were 1.12 ppm and 0.24 ppm, respectively. Two exposures(12.1 ppm and 12 ppm as 8hr-TWA) of total 27 workers' exposures exceeded the Korean standard (5 ppm) of Ministry Labor, while 4 exposures (15%) exceeded the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) (1 ppm) of American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Seven samples (11%) of total 63 short-term air samples exceeded the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) 20 ppm (Ceiling). The opening (management) task in wood fumigation by tent showed the highest short-term exposure concentrations (AM: 18.6 ppm, GM: 0.58 ppm, maximum: 340.7 ppm). The maximum level in treatment task of the same process was 2.01 ppm. Methyl bromide concentrations in opening operation was significantly higher than that in treatment operation (p<0.05). In conclusion, the GM of workers' 8hr-TWA exposures to airborne methyl chloride in the importing/exporting plant quarantine industry was estimated below the ACGIH TLV (1 ppm). However, opening task in the fumigation of wood being covered with tent or fumigation of pant products in container showed the levels exceeding ACGIH TLV (1 ppm), and opening task in the fumigation of wood being covered with tent showed the level exceeding the Korean standard of Ministry of Labor (5 ppm).

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.425-429
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• 1998

Three pork fabrication processing were examined for isolation and serotyping of Listeria monocytogenes. Three hundred thirty samples were collected from gloves, knife sharpeners, knives, cutting boards, conveyer belts, skinning machines, working room air, pig carcasses, and cut meat. Among the 234 samples taken from processing environment, the isolation rates of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. were 17.5%, 34.2% respectively. Isolation rates of Listeria monocytogenes from different specimens during processing were 20.8% in gloves, 21.3% in knife sharpeners, 14.6% in knives, 20.8% in cutting boards, 28.6% in conveyer belts, 16.7% in skinnig machines. Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. were not detected in working room air. Isolation rate of Listeria monocytogenes 14.6% in pork was increased compared to that of 8.5% in pig carcasses (p<0.05). The serovars of 41 isolates from processing environment were 4b 36.6%, 1/2a 24.4%, 4ab 17.0%, 4a 4.9%, 1/2c 2.4%, and 4c 2.4%. The serovars of 4b, 1/2a, 4ab were detected from carcassess and cut meats.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.188-197
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ozone exposure levels and the variations in ozone concentration in a semiconductor fabrication facility and office in relation to the ozone concentration in the outdoor air. Methods: This study was performed in an office, semiconductor fabrication facility(such as etching, diffusion, diffusion plenum), and outdoors from June to August, 2015. Measurements were taken six times at the same places using an active sampler(pumped) and real-time equipment. Ozone monitoring by the active sampler method and analysis were carried out by OSHA Method ID-214. Real-time measurement was carried out by ozone measuring equipment using a non-dispersive ultraviolet absorption method. Results: Ozone concentrations in the semiconductor fabrication facility and office were 0.7~7.1 ppb in area samples and 0.72~4.07 ppb in real-time measurement, which were 0.88~8.88% of the occupational exposure limit. The concentration of ozone generated by a laser printer in the office was less than 2 ppb. There was not a significant difference between ozone concentrations before and after using the laser printer. The indoor/outdoor concentration ratio(I/O ratio) in the semiconductor fabrication facility and office was 0.05 and 0.06, respectively. Conclusions: All the samples contained ozone levels lower than the occupational exposure limit and it was confirmed that the concentration of outdoor ozone had no significant effect on indoor ozone concentration.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2016

Objectives: To review reference levels by the international and domestic management and provide the basis for setting occupational exposure limits(OELs) of radon in Korea Methods: Government's organizations with laws and systems for monitoring radon exposure were investigated and compared. There are five laws governing Indoor Air Quality(IAQ) control such as Occupational Safety and Health Act, Indoor Air Quality Control in Public Use Facilities, Etc. Act, School Health Act, Public Health Control Act and Parking Lot Act in Korea. It was surveyed that a total of 32 countries including 24 countries in the European Union(EU), six countries in Asian and two countries in North America setting the reference levels for radon in the world. Results: In Korea, there are set guidelines for radon in the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Education. Reference levels of radon for existing dwellings were $150{\sim}400Bq/m^3$ for Western European countries, and $200{\sim}1,500Bq/m^3$ in Eastern European countries. Approximately 67% of those EU countries were set up $400Bq/m^3$ to the standards for existing dwellings. EU countries such as Luxembourg, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia had adopted mandatory level for radon. Radon guidelines for new dwellings were set more strictly reference level($200Bq/m^3$) than existing dwellings. Conclusions: International organizations such as ICRP, UNSCEAR and NCRP, etc. had recommended the guidelines for radon. It was calculated the relation of the dose conversion factors with the annual effective doses. the OELs of radon suggest to need to establish $150Bq/m^3$ for office room and $400{\sim}1,000Bq/m^3$ for the workplace.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.284-292
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• 2012

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the relations between the bacterial concentration and the environmental factors in the water soluble metal working fluids at factories. Methods: The bacterial concentrations for airborne and fluid samples of 7 factories were quantified during the summer season. And we statistically analysed the relations between the bacterial concentrations and the factors such as temperature, relative humidity, usage quantity, mixing ratio and exchange interval. Results: The geometric mean levels of the airborne bacterial concentrations were 79.1(range : N.D.~686) $CFU/m^{3}$ and 68.1(range: N.D.~919) $CFU/m^{3}$ in the process and outdoor. The airborne bacterial concentrations showed no statistical difference by process, usage quantity, mixing ratio and exchange interval. The airborne bacterial concentrations had negatively weak correlations with air temperature and relative air humidity(p<0.05). The bacterial concentrations and pH showed significantly negative correlations in the fluids(p<0.05). And the airborne bacterial concentrations in factories and those in metal working fluids showed no statistical relationship. Conclusions: In the water soluble metal working fluids using factories, the airborne bacterial concentrations of the process were related to those of the outdoor and environmental factors, rather than the onsite contaminated metal working fluids.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.301-306
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• 2016

Objectives: Direct-reading instrument(Photoionization detectors, PID) and quantitative analysis using active type air sampling (Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, GC-FID) were tested to evaluate their ability to detect volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in a semiconductor manufacturing plant. Methods: The organic compounds used were acetone and ethanol which are normally used as cleaning solutions in the semiconductor manufacturing. The evaluation was based on the preparation of test solutions of known acetone and ethanol concentration in a chamber($600{\times}600{\times}1150mm$). Samples were prepared that would be equivalent to 5~100 ppm for acetone and 10~ 200 ppm ethanol. GC-FID and PID were evaluated simultaneously. Quantitative analysis was performed after sampling and the direct-reading instrument was checked using real-time data logging. Results: Positive correlations between PID and GC-FID were found for acetone and ethanol at 0.04~2.4% for acetone(TLV: 500 ppm) and 0.1~8.3% for ethanol(TLV: 1000 ppm). When the sampling time was 15 min, concentration of test solution was the most similar between measurement methods. However, the longer the sampling time, the less similar the results. PID and GC-FID had similar exposure patterns. Conclusions: The results indicate that PID and GC-FID have similar exposure pattern and positive correlation for detection of acetone and ethanol. Therefore, PID can be used for exposure monitoring for VOCs in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. This study has significance in that it validates measuring occupational exposure using a portable device.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2006

The objective of this study is to provide fundamental data for pertinent management of indoor air quality through investigating the size-based characteristics of bioaerosol distributed in the general hospital. Measurement sites are main lobby, ICU, ward and laboratory and total five times were sampled with six-stage cascade impactor. Based on the result of this study, concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi were the highest in main lobby as followed by an order of ward, ICU and laboratory. Concentrations of airborne bacteria was generally higher than those of airborne fungi and the ratio of indoor and outdoor concentration of both exceeded 1.0 in all the measurement sites of the general hospital. The predominant genera of airborne bacteria identified in the general hospital were Staphylococcus spp.(50%), Micrococcus spp.(15-20%), Corynebacterium spp.(5-20%), and Bacillus spp.(5-15%). On the other hand, the predominant genera of airborne fungi identified in the general hospital were Cladosporium spp.(30%), Penicillium spp.(20-25%), Aspergillus spp.(15-20%), and Alternaria spp.(10-20%). In regard to size distribution of bioaerosol, the detection rate was generally highest on 5 stage($1.1-2.1{\mu}m$) for airborne bacteria and on 1 stage(>$7.0{\mu}m$) for airborne fungi. Cleanliness of facilities in the general hospital and condition of HVAC system should be monitored regularly to prevent indoor air contamination by airborne microorganisms.