• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.302-324
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• 2022

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate exposure to occupational carcinogens in the nationwide electronics industries and to establish a strategy for control of occupational carcinogens in South Korea. Methods: We evaluated occupational carcinogens as defined by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) using a nationwide work environment measurement database on the electronics industry in South Korea measured between 2013 and 2017 in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Results: The number of occupational carcinogens found in the electronics industry in South Korea were: 20 for IARC Group 1, 14 for Group 2A, and 30 for Group 2B. The occupational carcinogens (Group 1) most frequently exposed were strong-inorganic-acid mists containing sulfuric acid (sulfuric acid), welding fumes, mineral oils (untreated or mildly treated), nickel compounds, silica dust, crystalline substances in the form of quartz or cristobalite, formaldehyde, arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds, chromium (VI) compounds, trichloroethylene, cadmium and cadmium compounds, vinyl chloride, ethylene oxide, wood dust, beryllium and beryllium compounds, 1,3 butadiene, benzene, and others. Among them, the carcinogens (Group 1) exceeding the acceptable standard were trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and ethylene oxide. The working environment measurement system as regulated by Occupational Safety and Health Act is not properly assessed and managed for occupational carcinogens in South Korea. A component analysis for all materials used should be set up to practically reduce occupational carcinogens. A ban on the use of occupational carcinogens and the development of alternative materials are needed. The occupational carcinogens below the acceptable standards should be carefully examined and a new standard for exposure needs to be established. Conclusions: The Occupational Safety and Health Act should be improved to identify and monitor occupational carcinogens at work sites. A strategy for occupational safety and health systems should be provided to give direction to workers' needs and right to know.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.200-216
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• 2023

Ginkgo leaves are considered waste biomass and can cause problems due to the strong insecticidal actions of ginkgolide A, B, C, and J and bilobalide. However, Ginkgo leaf biomass has high organic matter content that can be converted into fuels and chemicals if suitable technologies can be developed. In this study, the effect of pyrolysis temperature, minimum fluidized velocity, and Ginkgo leaf size on product yields and product properties were systematically analyzed. Fast pyrolysis was conducted in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor at 400 to 550℃ using silica sand as a bed material. The yield of pyrolysis liquids ranged from 33.66 to 40.01 wt%. The CO₂ and CO contents were relatively high compared to light hydrocarbon gases because of decarboxylation and decarbonylation during pyrolysis. The CO content increased with the pyrolysis temperature while the CO₂ content decreased. When the experiment was conducted at 450℃ with a 3.0×U_mf fluidized velocity and a 0.43 to 0.71 mm particle size, the yield was 40.01 wt% and there was a heating value of 30.17 MJ/kg, respectively. The production of various phenol compounds and benzene derivatives in the bio-oil, which contains the high value products, was identified using GC-MS. This study demonstrated that fast pyrolysis is very robust and can be used for converting Ginkgo leaves into fuels and thus has the potential of becoming a method for waste recycling.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2023

In this study, pore-filled ion exchange membranes with low membrane resistance and high hydroxide ion conductivity was developed. To improve alkali durability, a porous substrate made of polytetrafluoroethylene was used, and a copolymer was prepared using monomers 2-(dimethyl amino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC) for pores. divinyl benzene (DVB) was used as the cross-linker, and ion exchange membranes were prepared for each cross-linking agent content to study the effect of the cross-linker content on DMAEMA-DVB and VBC-DMAEMA-DVB copolymers. As a result, chemical stability is improved by using a PTFE material substrate, and productivity can be increased by enabling fast photo polymerization at a low temperature by using a low-pressure UV lamp. To confirm the physical and chemical stability of the ion exchange membrane required for an anion exchange membrane fuel cell, tensile strength, and alkali resistance tests were conducted. As a result, as the cross-linking degree increased, the tensile strength increased by approximately 40 MPa, and finally, through the silver conductivity and alkali resistance tests, it was confirmed that the alkaline stability increased as the cross-linking agent increased.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to develop a method for separating antioxidants and sugars from grape skin extract. The extract was first mixed with a variety of organic solvents to investigate whether the separation was feasible. When employing acetone, ethanol, dimethylsulfoxide, or dimethylformamide, the organic solvent-extract combination formed a single phase. However, when benzene, ethyl acetate, or n-hexane was added to the extract, the mixture separated into an organic and an aqueous phase and the pigments remained in the aqueous phase. On the other hand, when polyethylene glycol-2,000 (PEG-2000) and sodium citrate were added to the extract, the mixture was separated into three layers, with the majority of the flavonoids migrating to the top layer and 53% of the extract's glucose migrating to the bottom layer. The top layer had significant antioxidant activity, whereas the bottom layer showed no antioxidant activity. The glucose recovery in the bottom layer increased as the molecular weight of PEG increased and the highest recovery (67%) was observed when PEG-8,000 was added. The highest flavonoid separation was observed with PEG-2,000, followed by PEG-8,000 and PEG-400. The flavonoid separation when PEG-2,000 was added resulted in a flavonoid recovery of 48% and 0.2% from the top and bottom layers, respectively. Examining the effect of the separated solution using the agar disc diffusion method on yeast cell growth confirmed that the addition of the extract, the top, and the bottom layer did not inhibit cell growth.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.172-185
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• 2009

To help understanding about hazard chemicals occurring newly in food, it has been reviewed characteristics, mechanism, food standards and analytical trend of the hazard chemicals occurring avoidably in food manufacturing process. The new hazard chemicals in food are classified by 4 regarding mechanism such as heat, fermentation, additives and unknowns. The new hazard chemicals by heat process are acrylamide, furan, HCAs and PAHs. By the fermentation, ethylcarbamate and biogenic amines are occurred. According to food additives, 3-MCPD, benzene and nitrosamines can be produced. And the last group is the illegal compounds including anti-impotence drug analogues and anti-obesity drug analogues. To analyze the new hazard chemicals in food, GC or LC with UVD, FLD or MSD are used mainly after sample pretreatment by LLE, SPE or headspace method.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the distributions of volatile organic compounds and carbonyl compounds at the 120 households in new apartments before occupation. The concentration of toluene, m, p-xylene, formaldehyde, acetone and ethylbenzene dominated as $272.81{\mu}g/m^3$, $98.90{\mu}g/m^3$, $71.68{\mu}g/m^3$, $70.58{\mu}g/m^3$ and $49.76{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. The identified compounds by standards occupied 42.5% of the TVOCs, also the concentration of toluene occupied the largest part of the identified compounds as 18.5%. The concentration of formaldehyde and acetone were 43.1% and 42.4% among carbonyl compounds. The indoor/outdoor ratio of the concentration of benzene, toluene, formaldehyde and o-xylene were investigated 1.29, 3.59, 10.76 and 28.74, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2024

Background: The use of scented candles and incense sticks, both of which are household products that are burned for indoor deodorization and calming effects, is increasing. Fine dust has been designated as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) affect air pollution and can cause diseases. Objectives: This study aims to determine the effect on indoor air quality by measuring PM_2.5 and VOCs generated when burning scented candles and incense sticks. Methods: Scented candles and incense sticks were selected as household products to burn. As for the target sample, top-selling products (five types of scented candles, five types of incense sticks) were purchased online. The PM_2.5 concentration according to time was measured immediately next to the sample and three meters away from each other in an enclosed space using a real-time aerosol photometer. VOCs were collected as samples under the same conditions using Tenax tubes and were quantitatively analyzed by TD-GC/MS. Results: In the case of scented candles, the concentration of PM_2.5 did not increase during combustion and after being extinguished by placing a cover on the candle. For the incense sticks, the concentration of PM_2.5 averaged 1,901.27 ㎍/m³. After burning scented candles and incense sticks, some VOCs concentrations were increased such as ethyl acetate and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene). Conclusions: Therefore, when using scented candles, extinguishment by placing a cover on the candle can be expected to reduce PM_2.5. It is advisable to avoid using incense sticks because PM_2.5 concentration increases from the start of combustion.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.122-127
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• 2024

Cosmetic preservatives are an important class of ingredients in terms of ensuring sustainable use and providing customer satisfaction. Recently, a great deal of interest has been drawn to the production and use of toxic-free, naturally derived preservatives. In this work, a new naturally derived preservative (laurimino bispropanediol, LB) was developed to replace the most widely used diol preservatives, such as 1,2-hexanediol or 1,2-octanediol. The basic properties of the obtained preservative were measured, and the solution behavior of the preservative in an aqueous medium was examined. The feasibility of micelle formation in the preservative solution was investigated using the fluorescence (FL) based pyrene method. Micelle formation was feasible owing to the relatively long hydrophobic chains and increased hydroxyl groups in the preservative molecules. The emulsification capability of the preservative was assessed using the Rosano and Kimura method, showing that the preservative possessed emulsifying capability in an organic solvent (benzene) and soy bean oil. In addition, the dispersion stability of cosmetic formulations, including the new LB preservatives such as essence and lotion, was demonstrated by comparing the light transmittance of the formulations. This article provides important information for future research regarding the synthesis and practical applications of new toxic-free naturally derived preservatives.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.246-254
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• 2015

From 2013 to 2014, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed to determine biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) at eight sites in Mt. Mudeung and one site in downtown, by using a GC/Mass-ATD (automatic thermal desorber). The concentration of terpene noted as biogenic volatile organic compounds at Pungamjeong (PA), in a forest of Chamaecyparis obtusa, was 821 pptv, which was the highest among the eight sites. This value was followed by Wonhyogyegok (WH: 785 pptv), Norritzae (NZ, coniferous forest: 679 pptv), Dongjeokgol (DJ, mixed species forest: 513 pptv), Jangbuljae (JB, Abies koreana: 476 pptv), and Seinbongsamgerri (SS, pine trees: 464 pptv). 11~15 species of terpene was detected in the forest depending on the site. At PA in May, α-pinene showed the highest value, occupied 20% of terpene followed by coumarin, sabinene, phellandrene, myrcene, borneol, eucalyptol, β-pinene, cymene, δ-limonene, γ-terpinene, camphor, camphene, and mentol in the order. The mean concentrations of AVOCs were 0.74~2.52 ppbv in the forests and 3.14 ppbv in the downtown area. From May to July, the AVOCs ratios of the downtown to each forest were 1.9~4.0. Among 10 species of AVOCs, the sum of toluene and benzene was 2.34 ppbv and occupied 75%. In June, the ratios of toluene were 44.1% at DJ site and 53.1% at JW site (downtown). The BVOCs showed a positive correlation with the AVOCs at the forest sites (r = 0.328), which was statistically insignificant (p = 0.184).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7179-7188
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• 2015

Cancer is a major health obstacle around the world, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) as major causes of morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, there isgrowing interest in the therapeutic use of natural products for HCC and CRC, owing to the anticancer activity of their bioactive constituents. Boswellia serrata oleo gum resin has long been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate a variety of health problems such as inflammatory and arthritic diseases. The current study aimed to identify and explore the in vitro anticancer effect of B. Serrata bioactive constituents on HepG2 and HCT 116 cell lines. Phytochemical analysis of volatile oils of B. Serrata oleo gum resin was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Oleo-gum-resin of B. Serrata was then successively extracted with petroleum ether (extract 1) and methanol (extract 2). Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) analysis of the lipoidal matter was also performed. In addition, a methanol extract of B. Serrata oleo gum resin was phytochemically studied using column chromatography (CC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) to obtain four fractions (I, II, III and IV). Sephadex columns were used to isolate ${\beta}$-boswellic acid and identification of the pure compound was done using UV, mass spectra, $^1H$ NMR and $^{13}C$ NMR analysis. Total extracts, fractions and volatile oils of B. Serrata oleo-gum resin were subsequently applied to HCC cells (HepG2 cell line) and CRC cells (HCT 116 cell line) to assess their cytotoxic effects. GLC analysis of the lipoidal matter resulted in identification of tricosane (75.32%) as a major compound with the presence of cholesterol, stigmasterol and ${\beta}$-sitosterol. Twenty two fatty acids were identified of which saturated fatty acids represented 25.6% and unsaturated fatty acids 74.4% of the total saponifiable fraction. GC/MS analysis of three chromatographic fractions (I,II and III) of B. Serrata oleo gum resin revealed the presence of pent-2-ene-1,4-dione, 2-methyl- levulinic acid methyl ester, 3,5- dimethyl- 1-hexane, methyl-1-methylpentadecanoate, 1,1- dimethoxy cyclohexane, 1-methoxy-4-(1-propenyl)benzene and 17a-hydroxy-17a-cyano, preg-4-en-3-one. GC/MS analysis of volatile oils of B. Serrata oleo gum resin revealed the presence of sabinene (19.11%), terpinen-4-ol (14.64%) and terpinyl acetate (13.01%) as major constituents. The anti-cancer effect of two extracts (1 and 2) and four fractions (I, II, III and IV) as well as volatile oils of B. Serrata oleo gum resin on HepG2 and HCT 116 cell lines was investigated using SRB assay. Regarding HepG2 cell line, extracts 1 and 2 elicited the most pronounced cytotoxic activity with $IC_{50}$ values equal 1.58 and $5.82{\mu}g/mL$ at 48 h, respectively which were comparable to doxorubicin with an $IC_{50}$ equal $4.68{\mu}g/mL$ at 48 h. With respect to HCT 116 cells, extracts 1 and 2 exhibited the most obvious cytotoxic effect; with $IC_{50}$ values equal 0.12 and $6.59{\mu}g/mL$ at 48 h, respectively which were comparable to 5-fluorouracil with an $IC_{50}$ equal $3.43{\mu}g/mL$ at 48 h. In conclusion, total extracts, fractions and volatile oils of B. Serrata oleo gum resin proved their usefulness as cytotoxic mediators against HepG2 and HCT 116 cell lines with different potentiality (extracts > fractions > volatile oil). In the two studied cell lines the cytotoxic acivity of each of extract 1 and 2 was comparable to doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil, respectively. Extensive in vivo research is warranted to explore the precise molecular mechanisms of these bioactive natural products in cytotoxicity against HCC and CRC cells.