• Title/Summary/Keyword: Contamination

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What should be Taught in Environmental Education as a Separate Subject? Problems of Contamination-Focused Environmental Education (중등학교 환경 교과의 방향에 대한 제언 : 오염과 공해 그리고 환경 문제)

  • Jeung Min-Gull
    • Hwankyungkyoyuk
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    • v.19 no.2 s.30
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    • pp.1-11
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    • 2006
  • In Korea nearly all the subjects teach environmental education in the secondary school. In addition we have a separate environmental education subject (environmental subject). This could be a very strong point in the Korean environmental education. The environmental subject and the other subjects, however, overlap in teaching materials and methods in almost all aspects. Because of this, the environmental subject has not done its job effectively, and is sometimes considered as an unnecessary surplus. To effectively play its own role in environmental education, the subject should focus on environmental issues rather than on contamination, which it is focusing on now. The contamination-focused environmental subject simply teaches nearly the same contents that the other subjects teach. In addition, it makes students visit actual sites related to pollution in order to encourage them to be aware of the severity of pollution. However, it has difficulty in teaching how environmental problems occur in a society and how the social decisions are made to resolve the problems. To overcome this difficulty the environmental subject should employ discussion classes more substantially, which let students investigate social aspects as well as scientific aspects of environmental problems and make integrated decisions through interdisciplinary approaches, to make students understand social mechanisms of environmental problems. The subject should focus on teaching what factors influence producers' and consumers' behavior and what factors they should consider when they have to make decisions on environmental issues. It should leave teaching technical knowledge and skill to the other subjects, and train students by the integrated approach which makes them see technology through a sociologist's eye. Although such integrated approach is emphasized in the environmental subject, environmental teachers should be trained to understand technological knowledge and skill in profound depth.

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Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs: Identification of Job Categories Potentially Exposed throughout the Hospital Medication System

  • Hon, Chun-Yip;Teschke, Kay;Chua, Prescillia;Venners, Scott;Nakashima, Lynne
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.273-281
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    • 2011
  • Objectives: Studies examining healthcare workers' exposure to antineoplastic drugs have focused on the drug preparation or drug administration areas. However, such an approach has probably underestimated the overall exposure risk as the drugs need to be delivered to the facility, transported internally and then disposed. The objective of this study is to determine whether drug contamination occurs throughout a facility and, simultaneously, to identify those job categories that are potentially exposed. Methods: This was a multi-site study based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Interviews were conducted to determine the departments where the drugs travel. Subsequent site observations were performed to ascertain those surfaces which frequently came into contact with antineoplastic drugs and to determine the job categories which are likely to contact these surfaces. Wipe samples were collected to quantify surface contamination. Results: Surface contamination was found in all six stages of the hospital medication system. Job categories consistently found to be at risk of exposure were nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy receivers. Up to 11 job categories per site may be at risk of exposure at some point during the hospital medication system. Conclusion: We found drug contamination on select surfaces at every stage of the medication system, which indicates the existence of an exposure potential throughout the facility. Our results suggest that a broader range of workers are potentially exposed than has been previously examined. These results will allow us to develop a more inclusive exposure assessment encompassing all healthcare workers that are at risk throughout the hospital medication system.

Development of Radiation Sensor Based on Array SiPM for Measurement of Radioactive Contamination in Effluent (방류수의 방사능 오염 측정을 위한 배열형 SiPM 기반 방사선 검출 센서 제작)

  • Kim, Jeongho;Park, Hyemin;Joo, Koansik
    • Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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    • v.27 no.4
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    • pp.232-236
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    • 2018
  • A radiation detection sensor was developed and characterized by combining three types of CsI(Tl) scintillators and an array-type SiPM to detect the radioactive contamination of discharged water in real time. The characterization results showed that type 3 exhibited the most desirable characteristics in response linearity (R-square: 0.97889) according to detection sensitivity and incident radiation dose. Furthermore, in terms of spectral characteristics, type 3 exhibited 16.54% at 0.356 MeV (the emission gamma ray energy of $^{133}Ba$), 10.28% at 0.511 MeV (the emission gamma ray energy of $^{22}Na$), 9.68% at 0.356 MeV (the emission gamma ray energy of $^{137}Cs$), and 2.55% and 4.80% at 1.173 MeV and 1.332 MeV (the emission gamma ray energies of $^{60}Co$), respectively. These measurements confirmed the good energy characteristics. The results were used to evaluate the spectral characteristics and energy linearity in a mixed source using type 3 with the best detection characteristics. It was confirmed that the gamma ray peaks of $^{133}Ba$, $^{22}Na$, $^{137}Cs$, and $^{60}Co$ were well resolved. Moreover, it was confirmed that R-square, which is an indicator of energy linearity, was 0.99986. This indicates a good linearity characteristic. Based on this study, further commercialization studies will contribute to measurements in real time and to the management of the contamination caused by radioactive wastewater or radioactive material leakage, which originate from facilities that use radioactive isotopes or care facilities.

Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments by Herbei Sprit Oil Spill (허베이 스피리트 원유 유출 사고에 의한 퇴적물의 중금속 오염)

  • Song, Yun Ho;Choi, Man Sik;Woo, Jun Sik;Sim, Won Joon
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.70-79
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    • 2013
  • Since crude oil contains various pollutants including heavy metals, the environmental impact should be assessed for heavy metals as well as oil itself. In order to estimate the extent of heavy metal contamination, surface sediments were collected at the intertidal and coastal zone around the Herbei sprit oil spill area during December 2007 and January 2008. Organic carbon, sulfur and heavy metals were determined to assess heavy metal contamination in sediments. The crude oils contained C, S, V and Ni, but little toxic metals such as As, Cd, etc. From organic carbon content, the highest contaminated site was estimated that oils contributed to sediments up to 10%, and this site showed high V concentration. Potentially contaminated sediments by crude oil could be differentiated from unaffected sediments through V/Al and Ni/Al ratios, which can be used as indicators of oil contamination even after the oils were fully degraded.

Application of Soil's Self-Decontamination Ability to Contaminated Ground (흙의 자체정화능력을 이용한 오염된 토양정화)

  • Jeong, Jin-Seob;Jhung, Jhung-Kwon;Kim, Tae-Hyung;Fang, Hsai-Yang
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.632-638
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    • 2006
  • There are numerous approaches available to cleanup a contaminated surface and subsurface ground currently in use, however, these methods all classify the decontamination after the contamination has penetrated into the soil masses and is costly. Unlike these approaches, in this study, utilization of soil's self-decontamination ability by rearranging and preplanning of the topographical features and surface and subsurface drainage systems for the potential contamination sites before or during contamination process has been considered as an another cleanup method. Step by step explanations on why and how to develop the self-decontamination procedure is proposed in detail. Two examples are presented including contaminated saltwater intrusion along a coastal region and control or prevention of radioactive toxic radon gas ($^{222}Rn$) in residential areas. The effectiveness of the proposed systems to these two examples using the soil's self-decontamination ability is well illustrated.

Distiribution of Metals and Cyanide in Soils and Acid leachate Occurrence around the Daduck mine (다덕광산 주변 토양에서의 금속 및 시안의 분포와 산성침출수 생성)

  • 정영욱;민정식;김인기;김옥환;이승길;우종한;최광호
    • Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.39-47
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    • 1997
  • Geochemical study was carried out to find out the distribution of metals and cyanide in soil in the vicinity of the abandoned Daduck mine and the reason for acid mine drainage occurrence in the tailings impoundment. Chemical analysis showed that content of As in soil around tailings exceeded 15mg/kg, Korean standard of soil contamination in the farm land. That means the contamination of soil by As is due to input of tailings. According to total decomposition of tailings, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and S were highly concentrated in tailings. However the water in tailings impoundment was changed to acidic and contaminated by metals and sulfate because the tailings in the top of the tailings impoundment had been oxidized. Acid mine drainage contaminated the water course in the vicinity of the paddy soils. The proper measures are required to prevent contamination of the soil and water in the vicinity of the Daduck mine.

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A Study on the Assessment of the Contamination by Acid Mine Drainage in Abandoned Coal Mines (국내폐탄광의 산성폐수 오염도 평가에 관한 연구)

  • 최우진
    • Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.31-38
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    • 1997
  • Temporal and spatial comparisons of acid mine drainage contaminated waters are difficult because of the complex physico-chemical nature of the pollutant. In the present study, an acid mine drainage index has been developed and evaluated for the assessment of surface waters. AMD index is calculated using a modified arithmetic weighted index using seven parameters which are most indicative of AMD contamination, i. e. pH value, sulphate, iron, zinc, aluminum, copper and manganese. Weighting is used to express the relative indicator value of each parameter. The proposed AMD index is used to quantify contamination from acid mine drainage over ten different old mine sites and assess the degree of impact on surface on surface waters. As a result of AMD evaluation, the Sukbong Mine located near the Moonkyung province showed lowest AMD value indicating the worst acid mine drainage quality. In overall, Youngdong mine sites showed higher contaimination compared to the other mine sites including Youngsuh, Choongbu, Suhbu and Nambu area.

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A Study on the forms and the content of heavy metals of deformational Mugil cephelus from the Nagdong River (변형어에 관한 형태 및 중금속함량조사 -낙동강에 누식하는 Mugil Cephalus를 중심으로-)

  • 어은수
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.31-43
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    • 1982
  • Seventy-seven Mugil cephalus of spinal deformation, living in Hanam, Nogsan, and Myeongji area, the downstreams of the Nagdong River, were collected in order to determine their forms and the levels of heavy metal contamination between March and October, 1981. The specimens were examined by X-ray and content of cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results were summarized as follows: 1. The rate of appearance of deformational fish to the total Mugil cephflus were 4.3% (13 fish), 5.7% (17 fish), relatively high in May and June (dry season). Meanwhile during March and October they were low by 1.0% (3 fish), 2.0% (6 fish). As far as the research areas are concerned, they appeared in larger numbers in downstreams than in upper streams Myeongji (39), Nogsan (25), and Hanam (13). 2. Concerning with fractured parts of vertebraes,86 percent (66 out of 77) had their caudal regions fractured and 72 percent (55) their first to seventh caudal regions fractured. 3. The average levels of cadmium, lead, copper, zinc detected from flesh were 0.26ppm, 2.06ppm, 6.35ppm, 0.85ppm on the other hand, they were 0.22ppm, 1.84ppm, 5.03ppm, 0.93ppm in normal fish. 4. The average levels of cadmium, lead, copper, zinc measured in the bones were 0.39ppm, 2.55ppm, 8.97ppm, 2.73ppm. Meanwhile, from normal fish they were 0.33ppm, 2.25ppm, 7.24ppm, 2.42ppm. 5. Compared with regional heavy metal contamination such as cadium, lead, zinc, Myeongji area had higher contamination content than Nogsan area Nogsan area than Hanam area. 6. Compared with heavy metal contamination level in their tissues, cadmium was highly found in bones Lead and copper were highly detected in viscera. Particularly in skeleton cadmium was 560 times, zinc 160 times in proportion to those in the downstreams of the Nagdong River.

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A Study on Hygienic Spatial Composition of Self-Service Restaurants by Applying HACCP (HACCP를 적용한 셀프서비스 식당의 위생적 공간구성에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Jong-Ran
    • Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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    • v.20 no.5
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    • pp.178-187
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    • 2011
  • This research suggested the hygienic spatial composition of sell-service restaurants applying HACCP(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System). The circulation of the food, dishes, waste, workers and customers were each fractionated and arranged according to the hygienic sequence of cooking food in kitchen and process for eating food within the customer space. The spaces were separated by the degree of cleanness(clean area, semi-clean area, contaminated area). After that, hygiene facilities to remove contamination and pass facilities intended to control moving were added at the possible points of cross-contamination in oder to prevent the cross-contamination. For hygienic spatial composition of self-service restaurant, the following should be acknowledged: In the kitchen, spaces in which the food is handled after being heated should be located in the clean area. As of the customer space, spaces where dishes are prepared, food and water is received, and the table hall should be located in the clean area. Food circulation should flow from the contaminated area to the clean area. Food, dishes, waste should be moved through pass facilities so that workers do not have to come and go between other areas of cleanness. Also lockers for private clothes and lockers for uniforms should be separated. Hygiene facilities should be easily accessible so that workers can use them whenever they enter their working area. The contaminated area where dirty dishes are dealed with should be separated from the clean area. Waste should be thrown out without crossing cooking areas. As of customer circulation, the hygiene facility for hand washing should be located near the space where dishes for self-service are placed. The customer circulation should lead customers to leave restaurants after giving back the dirty dishes in the contaminated area.

Bacterial Adhesion And Penetration To e-PTFE Membrane Used For The Guided Tissue Regeneration (치주조직재생유도술용 비흡수성 차폐막 (e-PTFE membrane)에의 세균부착 및 침투)

  • Chung, Hyun-Ju;Lee, Sung-Mi;Lee, Ho-Jae;Kim, Ok-Soo
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.103-116
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    • 1996
  • This study was performed to observe the bacterial adhesion and penetration to e-PTFE membrane following guided tissue regeneration(GTR) procedure and to evaluate the association of the membrane exposure and bacterial contamination with the clinical outcome. For the study, ten infrabony defects in 9 patient were treated by mucoperiosteal flap operation including placement of the e-PTFE membrane. The treated teeth were monitored weekly for the membrane exposure, gingival recession and gingival inflammation. The membranes were retrieved after 4 to 6 weeks, examined by SEM for bacterial contamination and adherent connective tisue elements, and observed under LM for the bacterial penetration into membrane. Three months postsurgery, the defect sites were clinically reexamined for the changes in attachment level and probing depth. Comparison of the ultrastuctural findings and clinical outcome revealed that extent of membrane exposure and bacterial contamination of the membrane was inversely associated with clinical attachment gain. From this finding, the extent of membrane exposure and the bacterial contamination on the apical portion of the e-PTFE membrane at the time of removal seemed to be a critical determinant on the clinical outcome of GTR and the membrane exposure needs to be controlled for optimal results.

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