• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.30 no.sup
• /
• pp.6.1-6.4
• /
• 2015

Objectives This study is conducted to estimate the cost paid by the public suffering from disease possibly caused by chemical and to examine the effect on public health. Methods Cost-benefit analysis is an important factor in analysis and decision-making and is an important policy decision tool in many countries. Cost-of-illness (COI), a kind of scale-based analysis method, estimates the potential value lost as a result of illness as a monetary unit and calculates the cost in terms of direct, indirect and psychological costs. This study estimates direct medical costs, transportation fees for hospitalization and outpatient treatment, and nursing fees through a number of patients suffering from disease caused by chemicals in order to analyze COI, taking into account the cost of productivity loss as an indirect cost. Results The total yearly cost of the diseases studied in 2012 is calculated as 77 million Korean won (KRW) per person. The direct and indirect costs being 52 million KRW and 23 million KRW, respectively. Within the total cost of illness, mental and behavioral disability costs amounted to 16 million KRW, relevant blood immunological parameters costs were 7.4 million KRW, and disease of the nervous system costs were 6.7 million KRW. Conclusions This study reports on a survey conducted by experts regarding diseases possibly caused by chemicals and estimates the cost for the general public. The results can be used to formulate a basic report for a social-economic evaluation of the permitted use of chemicals and limits of usage.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.142-153
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine environmental chemical exposure related to residential and personal lifestyle characteristics in the adult Korean population. The observations of this study can provide information useful for developing reduction approaches for exposure to chemicals among the general adult population. Methods: The second stage of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNHES) was conducted from 2012 to 2014, with 6,478 persons participating. Using the results of the survey, the relationship between exposure levels of heavy metals and organic chemicals and exposure factors, e.g. residential and personal lifestyle characteristics, were analyzed. Results: The exposure levels of VOCs and PAHs were significantly lower in participants living at a distance of more than 100 m from roads versus living closer to roads. Home ventilation lowered VOC and PAH exposure but did not lower chemical exposure from household products. Use of public transportation showed lower exposure to heavy metals, VOCs, and PAHs. Current smoker was significantly higher for levels of heavy metals, VOCs, and PAHs, and the exposure trend was similar for current drinkers. Physical activity was related with higher exposure to phthalates and environmental phenols. Conclusion: Our observations based on a nationally representative population for Korea show that exposure to chemicals varies by residential and personal lifestyle, and this should be considered for developing appropriate mitigation measures and policies. Given the health concerns surrounding environmental chemicals, it is necessary to develop comprehensive measures to reduce chemical exposure.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2001

A variety of international treaties have been developed for the world-wide control of hazardous chemicals, including production, transportation, use and disposal. Those conventions would be appeared as a barrier for the international trade. In particular, chemical industries in korea would face a serious problem unless a proper measure should be provided. One of the solutions is to develop a clean technology including elimination and/or source reduction of hazardous chemicals. In this study, international environmental treaties and management status of hazardous chemicals in korea are reviewed. In addition, strategies for the development of clean technologies are suggested.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.84-90
• /
• 2007

The UN recommends to the member of OECD to implement the GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals) that harmonized the flammable materials for classification, labelling, production, transport, storage, handling, usage and discard. There are no significant differences between UN and GHS because GHS is based on physico-chemical hazard and acute toxity of classification and labelling of UN regulation for the classification and transportation of flammable materials. In this paper it was analyzed that the classification, labelling and test method of flammable materials for GHS and the national law of safety management of flammable materials.

• Journal of Institute of Convergence Technology
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.31-35
• /
• 2016

In this paper, the present status of shale gas development was briefly introduced and intended the growing importance and shale gas as a source of chemicals. The large amounts of shale are expected to be produced thereby, a wealth of methane and ethane will be provided as a raw material of ethylene. This manuscript also focus on the influence of potential volumes of shale gas on petrochemical industry, especially domestic one based on naphtha cracking because ethane cracking can offer cost effective ways to convert methane to higher value chemicals.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2013

With remarkable development of industry and technology, various chemical articles are developed to improve the quality of human life, yet some of chemicals are hazardous to human and the environment. However, safety control of chemical articles such as transportation, storage, and handling is emerging as a major issue lately. The road transportation needs well-organized safety management system, especially it has high probability of accidents. In this research, we point out problems in current state and related regulation of transportation of dangerous goods to compare the regulation in UN-RTDG. In addition, we suggest the enhancement law, the plan for standardization of classification in road transportation of dangerous goods and harmonization of labeling in transportation of dangerous goods to contribute to human health and environment protection.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.384-392
• /
• 2013

Objective: This study inspected incident cases, legal control levels, and GHS(Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) classification results of strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, which have been responsible for many recent chemical accidents. As a result, it is deemed necessary for legal control levels of these strong acids to be revised and GHS classification be managed nation-wide. Methods: This study inspected incident cases and legal control levels for strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. The study analyzed and compared chemical information status and GHS classification results. Results: There were 76 domestic incidents involving strongly acidic hazardous materials over the five years between 2007 and 2011. They include 37 leakage incidents(46.7%) within a workplace, 30 leakage incidents(39.5%) during transportation, and nine leakage incidents(13.8%) following an explosion. The strongly acidic materials in question are defined and controlled as toxic chemicals according to the classes of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents, Managed Hazardous Substance, Hazardous Chemical(corrosive) as set forth under the Enforcement Decree of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act and Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards of Occupational Safety and Health Act. Among them, nitric acid is solely controlled as a class 6 hazardous material, oxidizing liquid, under the Hazardous Chemicals Control Act. The classification results of the EU ECHA(European Chemicals Agency) CLP(Commission Regulation(EC) No. 790/2009 of 10 August 2009, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation(EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures) and NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research) are almost identical for the three chemicals, with the exception of sulfuric acid. Much of the classification information of NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation) and KOSHA(Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, KOSHA) is the same. NIER provides 12(41.4%) out of 29 classifications, as does KOSHA.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.94-101
• /
• 2003

Used motor oil contains pollutants, including organic chemicals and meta]s. When disposed of improperly - in the trash, on the ground or in a sewer system - the pollutants may reach rivers, lakes or the ground water. Thus, all the waste oil products such as waste motor oil, waste oil container, and waste oil filter should be collected and transported for recycling or disposal by waste oil regulations. Because waste oil container is a valuable resource, waste oil containers can be reused, cleaned, buried, and burned for recycling processes. This paper presents the integrated management system that may increase the efficiency and productivity for collecting and reprocessing waste oil containers such as steel can and plastic container. The integrated management system consists of collection and transportation process management system and confirmation and certification process management system for waste oil containers.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.33-51
• /
• 1998

The industrial operation is one of the three basic modes of shipping operation with liner and Tramp operations. Industrial operators usually control vessels of their own or on a time charter to minimize the cost of shipping their cargoes. Such operations abound in shipping of bulk commodities, such as oil, chemicals and ores. This work is concerned with an operational optimization analysis of the fleet owned by a major oil company. a typical industrial operator. The operational optimization problem of the fleet of a major oil company is divided Into two phase problem. The front end corresponds to the optimization problem of the transportation of crude oil. product mix. and the distribution of product oil to comply with the demand of the market. The back end tackles the scheduling optimization problem of the fleet to meet the seaborne transportation demand derived from the front end. A case study reflecting the practices of an international major oil company is demonstrated to make clear the underlying ideas.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.71-80
• /
• 2016

This study is on safety improvement measures through analysis of accident cases during plant storage tank construction. Storage tank is a general term for artificial ground facility constructed to store oil, water, gas, and other chemicals. Some companies have clustered storage tanks (tank farm). The construction methods vary according to the component and types of fluids. Because most of the construction procedures include lifting heavy weight materials using heavy construction equipment and are carried out at high places, storage tank construction contains more risk factors than normal aerial construction. Recently, major accidents such as storage tank collapse have occurred often, and cost many lives due to the characteristics of the structure. In this study we would like to analyze the cause of these accidents and propose measures to improve safety.