• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.108-117
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• 2023

Background: When particles are absorbed into the human body, they penetrate deep into the lungs and interact with the tissues of the body. Heavy metals in PM_2.5 can cause various diseases. The main source of PM_2.5 emissions in South Korea's atmosphere has been surveyed to be places of business. Objectives: The concentration of heavy metals in PM_2.5 near the Ulsan Industrial Complex was measured and a health risk assessment was performed for residents near the industrial complex for exposure to heavy metals in PM_2.5. Methods: Concentrations of heavy metals in PM_2.5 were measured at four measurement sites (Ulsan, Mipo, Onsan, Maegok) near the industrial complexes. Heavy metals were analyzed according to the Air Pollution Monitoring Network Installation and Operation Guidelines presented by the National Institute of Environmental Research. Among them, only five substances (Mn, Ni, As, Cd, Cr⁶⁺) were targeted. The risk assessment was conducted on inhalation exposure for five age groups, and the excess cancer risk and hazard quotient were calculated. Results: In the risk assessment of exposure to heavy metals in PM_2.5, As, Cd, and Cr⁶⁺ exceeded the risk tolerance standard of 10^-6 for carcinogenic hazards. The highest hazard levels were observed in Onsan and Mipo industrial complexes. In the case of non-carcinogenic hazards, Mn was identified as exceeding the hazard tolerance of 1, and it showed the highest hazard in the Ulsan Industrial Complex. Conclusions: This study presented a detailed health risk from exposure to heavy metals in PM_2.5 by industrial complexes located in Ulsan among five age groups. It is expected to be utilized as the basis for preparing damage control and industrial emission reduction measures against PM_2.5 exposure at the Ulsan Industrial Complex.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.285-287
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• 2010

This paper introduces homogeneous liquid crystal (LC) orientations on chemically modulated polystyrene (PS) surfaces using various ion beam (IB) exposure times. Transparent PS was replaced with conventional polyimide material. As a non-contact process, the IB bombardment process induced LC orientation parallel to the IB process. Through x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was shown that the chemical compositional changes of the IB-irradiated PS surfaces were determined as a function of IB exposure time. Using this analysis, the optimal IB bombardment condition was determined at an IB exposure time of up to 15 seconds. Moreover, thermal stability on IB-irradiated PS surfaces were carried out which showed that a relatively high IB exposure time induced a thermally stable LC alignment property.

• 한국독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국독성학회 2006년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.34-45
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• 2006

Chemical toxicants are metabolically converted to numerous metabolites in the body. Toxicokinetic characteristics of metabolites could be therefore used as biomarker of exposure for human risk assessment. Biologically based dose response (BBDR) model was proposed for future direction of risk assessment. However, this area has not been developed well enough for human application. Benzo(a)pyrene (BP), for example, is a well-known environmental carcinogen and may produce more than 100 metabolites and BPDE-DNA adduct, a covalently bound form of DNA with benzo(a)pyrene diolepoxides (BPDES), has been applied to qualitatively or quantitaively estimate human exposure to BP. In addition, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a widely used plasticize. in the polymer industry, is one of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and has been monitored in humans using urinary or serum concentrations of DEHP or its monomer MEHP for exposure and risk assessment. However, it is difficult to estimate the actual level of toxicants using these biomarkers in humans using. This presentation will discuss a methodology of exposure and risk assessment by application of metabolic profiling kinetics.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.534-541
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence rate of multiple chemical sensitivity/idiopathic environmental intolerance(MCS/IEI) among workers in the Gumi industrial complex around the region of accidental release of hydrogen fluoride in 2012. Materials: We evaluated MCS/IEI using the Korean version of the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory(QEESI). A total of 535 workers at six manufacturing companies in the Gumi industrial complex were investigated using self-administered questionnaires from February to March 2015. After exclusion of incompletely answered questionnaires, 271 were analyzed. Results: The prevalence rate and proved positive rate of MCS/IEI were 5.9%(16 out of 271) and 3.7%(10 out of 271), respectively. The scores of chemical intolerance, other intolerance, symptom severity and life impact were significantly higher(p<0.05) in females than those of males. In terms of masking index scores, males showed significantly higher(p=0.003) than female. The self-reported MCS/IEI prevalence rate, 7.7%, of workers exposed to hydrogen fluoride in 2012 was higher than no-exposure group(5.6%), but not statistically significant(p=0.815). Conclusions: Although the prevalence rate of MCS/IEI symptoms of workers exposed to hydrogen fluoride gas in 2012 was not significantly higher than no-exposure group, it is necessary to conduct follow-up study on the exposure group of hydrogen fluoride.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.144-150
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the trend for exceedance of the domestic permissible exposure limit of benzene based on a review of the previous literature. Materials and methods: From among 13 chemical substances regulated through a PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the research object of this study is benzene. The information utilized is work environment measurement data from 2004 to 2013. The highest level among the concentration data measured at various workplaces was selected as a representative value through the data process. N.D. (Not Detected) data was considered as 1/2 of the LOD (limit of detection). Results: Among the work environment measurement data between 2004 and 2013, the highest number of exceeding workplaces and the excess rate (12 sites and 5.4%) was observed in the 2006 data when applying the current PEL for benzene. When compared with the action level, which means a level one-half of the PEL, 2005's data showed the highest number of exceeding workplaces and greatest excess rate (89 sites & 13.3%). The number of exceeding workplaces and excess rate relative to the PEL for benzene showed an increasing trend in 2004, but tended to decrease after 2007. Conclusions: Based on the results obtained from this study, the exposure level for benzene among domestic workers is not considered to be in a safe phase regardless of the year of work environment measurement. Thus, strict preventive management in workplaces should be provided for reducing exposure to benzene.

• 한국입자에어로졸학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

In this work, we evaluated the characteristics of flow field and uniformity of the nose-only exposure chambers for the inhalation toxicity test. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling was carried out to demonstrate uniformity of the nose-only exposure chambers. Because it is very important in the inhalation toxicity experiments that test materials are distributed uniformly to each holder of the chamber. The test was done with these 3 types of chamber with different form to develop inhalation toxicity evaluation system, easy-to-operate system among exposure chamber used for evaluating inhalation toxicity of environmental chemical mixtures. Through CFD interpretation, nose-only exposure chamber was made with the selection of the optimal conditions. For its evaluation, one type of fragrance was selected and measured particle size distribution of each port. The gene becoming luminous to green fluorescence was combined with GPT-SPE, a type of tGFP vector, to be inhaled to the mouse. Based on this, luminous intensity was checked. As a result, total particle number concentration of each port had average value of $3.17{\times}10^6{\sharp}/cm^3$ and range of the highest and lowest concentration value was approximately ${\pm}4.8%$. Autopsy of lung tissues of mouse showed that it had clearly better delivery of gene compared to the control group.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.572-580
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• 2018

Objectives: Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a measurement of the chemicals and their metabolites in human biological samples and has been successfully employed to determine the exposure levels of environmental chemicals. In this study, we analyzed seasonal variations of the blood or urinary levels of chemicals, and assessed that these differences could affect the results of association study. Methods: The Korea National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) is a nationwide survey that analyzes exposure levels of environmental pollutants, 19 kinds of chemicals including heavy metals and organic chemicals, and the exposure factors in the general population. Based on KoNEHS data, we analyzed the levels of chemicals concentrations over the total survey period (2012-2014) and each season, and assessed the association of thyroid measures with phthalate metabolite and BPA. Results: Exposure levels of blood mercury and lead were lower in summer compare to winter. Bisphenol A and PAHs metabolites were higher in spring and summer, but lower in autumn. VOCs metabolites were generally lower in summer and autumn. Phthalate metabolites were higher in all other seasons than in winter. Pyrethroid metabolite, 3-PBA, was higher in summer and autumn. Regarding seasonal variation of chemical exposures, the statistical significance and size of effects between thyroid measures and phthalate and BPA were changed with season. Conclusion: Seasonal variations of chemical exposure and health outcome should be considered for interpreting biomonitoring results from a public health context.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.280-287
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• 2009

High-tech microelectronics industry is known as one of the most chemical-intensive industries. In Korea, Microelectronics industry occupied 38% of export and 16% of working employees work in microelectronics industry. But, chemical information and health hazards of high-tech microelectronics manufacturing are poorly understood because of rapid development and its penchant for secrecy. We need to investigate on chemical use and exposure control. We Site-visits to 6 high-tech microelectronics manufacturing company which have cleanroom work using over 1,000kg organic solvents (5 semi-conductor chips and its related parts company, 1 liquid crystal display (LCD)). We reviewed their data on chemical use and ventilation system, and measured TVOCs (Total Volatile Organic Compounds) and carbon dioxide concentration. All cleanroom air passed through hepa filters to acheive low particle levels and only 1 cleanroom uses carbon filters to minimize the organic solvents exposures In TVOC screening test, Cleanroom for semi-conductor chips and its related parts company with laminar down flow system (e.g. class 1~100) showed nondetectable level of TVOCs concentration, but Cleanroom for liquid crystal display (LCD) with conventional flow system (e.g. class 1,000~10,000) showed 327 ppm as TVOCs. Acetone concentration in cleanroom for Jig cleaning, LC Injection, Sealing processes were 18.488ppm (n=14), 49.762 ppm (n=15), 8.656 ppm (n=14) as arithmetric mean. Acetone concentration in cleanroom for LCD inspection process was 40ppm (n=55) as geometric mean, where the range was 7.8~128.7ppm and weakly correlated with ventilation rate efficiency(r=0.44, p<0.05). To control organic solvents in cleanrooms, chemical and carbon filters should be installed with hepa filters. Even though their volatile organic compounds concentration was not exceed to occupational exposure limits, considering of entrance limited cleanroom environment, long-term period exposure effects and adverse health effects of cleanroom worker need further reseach.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.292-298
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this research is to establish Similar Exposure Groups (SEGs) for chemical and biological risk factors that occur in farm work involving 24 tasks among 15 crops. Methods: To categorize SEGs, work type, work environment, and similar tasks for each crop were considered. After confirming the chemical risk factors (pesticides, inorganic dust-total dust and PM₁₀, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide) and biological factors (organic dust-total dust and PM₁₀, and endotoxins) that occur in the crops and tasks, similar crops and tasks were selected as SEGs. Results: Among chemical risk factors, pesticides was selected for the SEGs, which was categorized by open field, greenhouse, fruit, and specialty crops. For inorganic dust, open field (plowing harrowing, seedling, planting, harvest, and sorting and packing) and specialty crops (plowing harrowing, seedling, planting, and harvest) were selected as SEGs. For ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, livestock (preparation of farm, management of nursery bed, feeding, shipment and manure treatment) were selected as SEGs. For biological risk factors such as organic dust (total dust, PM₁₀) and endotoxins, open field (manure application), greenhouse (plowing harrowing, planting, manure application, and harvest), fruit (manure application), specialty crops (manure application, making furrows, mixing mushroom media, harvest, and sorting and packing), and livestock (preparation of farm, maintaining poultry litter, feeding, shipment and manure treatment) were selected as SEGs. Conclusions: To establish similar exposure groups in agriculture, it is important that the characteristics of each hazard factor are categorized by identifying risk factors occurring by tasks.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.17-30
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• 2023

The human reproductive system can be affected by occupational exposure to many physical and chemical risk factors. This study was carried out to review the studies conducted on the issue of the pathophysiological effects of occupational physical and chemical risk factors on the reproductive system of females and males. In this systematic review, the databases such as "Google Scholar," "Pub-Med," "Scopus," and "Web of Science" were used. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020), the studies included in our study were published between 2000 and 2021. In order to extract the required data, all sections of the articles were reviewed. Out of 57 articles we reviewed, 34 articles were related to field studies and 23 articles to clinical studies. Among them, 43 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of chemical agents, six studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physical factors, and 8 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physicochemical factors on the human reproductive system. Physical (noise, heat, and radiofrequency radiation) and chemical (such as carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, NO2, CS2, manganese, lead, nickel, and n-hexane) risk factors had pathophysiological effects on the human reproductive system. The presence of these risk factors in the workplace caused damage to the human reproductive system. The rate of these negative pathophysiological effects can be reduced by performing appropriate managerial, technical, and engineering measures in work environments.