• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.183-194
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• 2022

Background: No study has examined the regulatory factors associated with fatal health problems due to the use of humidified disinfectants (HD) in South Korea. Objectives: This study aimed to identify and discuss the deficiencies and limitations found in the Toxic Chemical Control Acts (TCCA) that failed to prevent the health risk of chemicals in HD products. Methods: The South Korean TCCA was reviewed focusing on acts in operation from 1994 through the end of 2011, the period when HD was allowed in manufacturing and marketing. Results: The TCCA was the act intended to regulate the toxicity of chemicals in HD products. We found the TCCA to lack three key legal clauses which would have been essential to controlling the health risk of HD. First, there was the exemption of toxic and hazard testing for existing chemicals, including chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), methylisothiazolinone (MIT), and benzalkonium chloride (BKC). Secondly, there were no articles requiring industry to provide animal inhalation test result for polymers such as polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) and Oligo(2-)ethoxyethoxyethyl guanidine chloride (PGH). Finally, there was a lack of articles on examining the risk of products as well as on addressing changes in the usage of products. These articles were found to be generally provided in the US Toxic Substance Chemical Act (TSCA) and the EU Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH). Conclusions: In conclusion, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea had not updated key articles for regulating hazardous chemicals, causing large-scale health problems due to HD which had been fundamentally addressed in chemical-related acts in other countries.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.160-165
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• 2023

Citronella oil, an essential oil extracted through steam distillation from the leaves and stems of Cymbopogon, is a natural complex substance (NCS) regulated by the Korean government for its use in insect repellents. The component ratios of NCSs like citronella oil vary due to differences in manufacturing processes and origins, presenting a challenge in identifying and quantifying these substances in consumer chemical products. This study analysed ten commercially available products of the most commonly used types of citronella oil, specifically Java and Ceylon types, using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and GC with flame ionization detection (FID). Through chromatographic data, we aimed to determine the components that can qualitatively identify citronella oil and the indicator ingredients that can be used for content analysis.

• Clean Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.51-59
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• 1996

Billions of tons of industrial waste are generated annually in industrialized countries. Managing and legally disposing of these wastes costs tens to hundreds of billions of dollars each year, and these costs have been increasing rapidly. The escalation is likely to continue as emission standards become even more stringent around the world. In the face of these rapidly rising costs and rapidly increasing performance standards, traditional end-of-pipe approaches to waste management have become less attractive. The most economical waste management alternatives in many cases have become recycling of the waste or the redesign of chemical processes and products so that wastes are prevented or put to productive use. These strategies of recycling or reducing waste at the source have collectively come to be known as pollution prevention. The engineering challenges associated with pollution prevention are substantial. This presentation will categorize the challenges in three levels. At the most macroscopic level, the flow of materials in our industrial economy, from natural resource extraction to consumer product disposal, can be redesigned. Currently, most of our raw materials are virgin natural resources that are used once, then discarded. Studies in what has come to be called industrial ecology examine the material efficiency of large-scale industrial systems and attempt to improve that efficiency. A second level of engineering challenges is found at the scale of individual industrial facilities, where chemical processes and products can be redesigned so that waste is reduced. Finally, on a molecular level, chemical synthesis pathways, combustion reaction pathways, and other material fabrication procedures can be redesigned to reduce emissions of pollution and unwanted by-products. All of these design activities, shown in Figure 1, have the potential to prevent pollution. All involve the tools of engineering, and in particular, chemical engineering.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 1994.03a
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• pp.35-49
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• 1994

Based on the safety of irradiated foods which was demonstrated from the toxicological, microbiological and nutritional points of view, irradiation has been identified as a viable technology for food preservation and processing, having a potential both of reducing storage losses by controlling spoilage organisms, sprouting and ripening, and of improving hygienic quality of raw and processed products. Research and development over decades in the field of food irradiation have led to the regulatory approval in 37 countries and of them 25 countries including Korea are commercially utilizing food irradiation process. Although progress towards acceptance of food irradiation by the industry is slow, actual market trials have shown that once consumers have understood this technology, they are willing to buy irradiated foods. Considering recent advances in food irradiation and restrictions in the use of chemical fumigants, it is expected that food irradiation is in the process of "taking off". This paper deals with up-to-date progress in food irradiation with particular reference to domestic activities in legislation, consumer perception, commercialization, and potential applications in the food industry.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.276-282
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• 1999

Ionizing radiation is considered to be an efficient technology to improve food safety and to extend food shelf-life in the food industry, and it has been used in food processing with a number of attributes. Food labeling should be established to enable the consumer to choose food freely, based on label information. A variety of methodologies to determine the physical, chemical, microbiological, and biological changes due to irradiation has been investigated in order to discriminate the irradiated and unirradiated food products for the consumer's free choice in food selection. However, no satisfactory method has been developed so far. In this review, various approaches based on DNA, immunochemical, and biological methods are addressed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.505-516
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• 2015

This study investigated difference of product interest and its relation to consumers' innate innovativeness according to gender as well as compared the perceptive construct of products between male and female consumers. A survey involving male and female college students was conducted in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk areas in December 2013. Subsequently, 400 responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, independent sample t-test, reliability analysis, ANCOVA, and multidimensional scaling. Among 45 products, male respondents showed a significantly high degree of interest over 12 categories such as watches, desktop computers, cars, sports products, and video games compared to females. The female sample showed a significantly high degree of interest for 29 product categories such as clothing, movies, skin care shops, cosmetics, eating-out, teeth whitening, coffee, cameras, and performances compared to males. Innovative male consumers were interested in traveling, movies, clothing, eating-out, running shoes, and wallets; however, female consumers' innovativeness was significantly related to previously determined items of interest. Two dimensions explaining the male consumers' products perception construct were 'hard versus soft' and 'usual versus special'. Instead, female consumers' were 'special versus usual' and 'expressive versus functional'.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.247-256
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• 2008

Public perceptions of nanotechnology and its potential risk can be an important measure for the sustainable advances of the technology. We conducted a survey for public (N =599) and experts (N = 165). They answered the same questions and results were analyzed. 74% of the public have not heard about the potential risk of nanotechnology and 77% expected that nanotechnology/materials are not harmful to the human and nature. 74% of experts realized the potential hazards by nanomaterials. The results represented that large perception gab between public and experts has existed in Korea. Interestingly, Korean public thought that nanotechnology is more profitable and less risky than that of American. We suggest that 'now is the best time to give appropriate information on the potential risk of nanotechnology to Korean public without preconception or exaggeration.'

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2015

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are persistent environmental pollutants, extremely stable, and possibly adversely affect human health. They are widely used in many industries and consumer goods, including sunscreen products. These substances are stable chemicals made of long carbon chains, having both lipid- and water-repellent qualities. The research objectives are (1) to find the most effective method for the preparation of semi-liquid samples by comparing solid phase extraction (SPE) and centrifugation after Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), and (2) to determine the contamination levels of PFOS and PFOA in waterproof sunscreen samples. All sunscreen samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Sunscreen samples were purchased from domestic and international brands sold in Thailand. Special chemical properties were considered for the selection of samples, e.g., those found in waterproof, sweat resistant, water resistant, and non-stick products. Considering the factors of physical properties, e.g., operation time, chemical consumption, and recovery percentage for selecting methods to develop, the centrifugation method using 2 mL of extracted sample with the conditions of 12,000 rpm and $5^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour after PLE was chosen. The highest concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were detected at 0.0671 ng/g and 21.0644 ng/g, respectively. Even though present concentrations are found at ng/g levels, the daily use of sunscreen products is normally several grams. Therefore, a risk assessment of PFOS and PFOA contamination in sunscreen products is an important concern, and more attention needs to be paid to the long-term effects on human health.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.185-200
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• 2022

The risk of various hazardous substances in aquatic environment comprises not only the concentration of substances in the environmental medium but also their accumulation in fish through complex food web and the health risks to humans through the fish. In Korea, the monitoring of residual toxicant in aquatic ecosystems began in 2016 following the enforcement of the Acts on registration and evaluation for the management of chemicals used in daily life (consumer chemical products), and attention has been paid to potentially hazardous substances attributed to them. Recently, studies have been carried out to investigate the distribution of these hazardous substances in the ecosystem and calculate their emission factors. These include the accumulation and transport of substances, such as detergents, dyes, fragrances, cosmetics, and disinfectants, within trophic levels. This study summarizes the results of recently published research on the inflow and distribution of hazardous substances from consumer chemical products to the aquatic environment and presents the scientific implication. Based on studies on aquatic environment monitoring techniques, this study suggests research directions for monitoring the residual concentration and distribution of harmful chemical substances in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, this study introduces the directions for research on trophic position analysis using compound specific isotope analysis and trophic magnification factors, which are needed to fulfill the contemporary requirements of selecting target fish based on the survey of major fish that inhabit domestic waters and assessment of associated health risk. In addition, this study provides suggestions for future biota monitoring and chemical research in Korea.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.160-165
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• 2014

Over the past decade, an increasing number of manufactured nanoparticles (NPs) have been incorporated into products and manufacturing processes due to the rapid innovation and commercialization in the field of nanotechnology. In addition, these nanomaterials and nano-consumer products have increased in quantity per year, and thus their uncontrolled release into the environment is anticipated to grow dramatically in future. However, A current sewage/wastewater treatment plant (SWTP) is being applied to removal of nanoparticles in wastewater. In Korea, the study on the removal of nanoparticles in SWTP was not reported yet. Therefore, in this work, to design pilot STP before field test, two model equations and commercial process simulation were used to derive the desing parameters.