• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 2019

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate fungal contamination in a 31-year old university building in Seoul, Korea, and to study the inactivation of fungi using cold atmospheric pressure plasma(CAP). Methods: To investigate the fungal contamination in a university building, air samples were collected from five locations in the building, including two study rooms, a storage room, a laboratory, and a basement. The sampling was performed in a dry season(February to April) and in a wet season(July). To study the inactivation efficacy of fungi by CAP, airborne fungal concentrations were measured before and after the operation of the CAP generator. Results: Humidity was an important factor affecting fungal growth. The airborne fungal concentrations determined in the wet season(July) were significantly higher than those determined in the dry season(February to April). In the basement, the values determined in the dry and wet season were 319 and $3,403CFU/m^3$, respectively. The inactivation efficiency of fungi by CAP was 83-90% over five to nine days of operation. Conclusions: The university building was highly contaminated by airborne fungi, especially in summer. It is concluded that humidity is an important factor affecting fungal growth and CAP is a highly useful technique for inactivation of indoor airborne fungi.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2009

The main objective was to develop and assess a dynamic fate and transport model for lead in air, soil, sediment, water and vegetation. Daejeon was chosen as the study area for its relatively high contamination and emission levels. The model was assessed by comparing model predictions with measured concentrations in multi-media and atmospheric deposition flux. Given a lead concentration in air, the model could predict the concentrations in water and soil within a factor of five. Sensitivity analysis indicated that effective compartment volumes, rain intensity, scavenging ratio, run off, and foliar uptake were critical to accurate model prediction. Important implications include that restriction of air emission may be necessary in the future to protect the soil quality objective as the contamination level in soil is predicted to steadily increase at the present emission level and that direct discharge of lead into the water body was insignificant as compared to atmospheric deposition fluxes. The results strongly indicated that atmospheric emission governs the quality of the whole environment. Use of the model developed in this study would provide quantitative and integrated understanding of the cross-media characteristics and assessment of the relationships of the contamination levels among the multi-media environment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.251-262
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• 2004

In order to investigate the geochemical characteristics of surface sediments in lower Yeongsan river system, sediment samples from the main stream of Yeongsan river, Gomakwon and Hampyeong streams were collected and analyzed for grain size and metal and organic carbon contents. The sediment types of the streams widely vary from pebble to mud. The metal contents in the sediments are mainly dependent on grain size of the sediments, geology around the streams and organic matter contents from the domestic sewage. Enrichment factor (EF) representing the degree of metal contamination in the sediments are relatively low in the study area. But, high Zn and Pb values seem to be from the study area, partly.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.215-222
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• 1999

It is well known to use scalp hair as a signal of strengths of heavy metals contamination. In this paper, using the multivariate methods we examine the relationship between strengths of cadmium and mercury in scalp hair and cerebellum, cerebrum, heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen from 61 korean autopsy subjects. As a result, there is statistically singnificant relationship between strengths of mercury contamination in scalp hair and secondary contaminated organs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.207-210
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• 1998

Surface electrical conduction in insulator is most important factor to assess the insulation performances of outdoor insulating materials. In this paper, contamination performance of the widely used materials for outdoor insulator - porcelain, EPDM, Silicone rubber - were discussed by measuring properties of average leakage current and scintillation discharge pulses under artificial contamination conditions. The artificial contaminations used were deionized distilled water fog, 0.5wt% NaCl salt fog of light pollution and 2wt% NaCl salt fog of medium pollution. The average leakage current was appeared linearly with applied voltage at dry and clean surface condition. The magnitude of leakage current was almost same at different kinds of samples. In case of deionized distilled water fog, the characteristics of leakage current and applied voltage was most different to that in case of dry and clean condition. In case of salt fog pollution condition. The leakage current was increased above critical voltage. The scintillation discharges were also activated at the level the leakage current and scintillation discharges were increased with increasing pollution degree. The resistance to pollution properties of silicone rubber appeared excellent among them.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.412-424
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• 2021

Understanding the distribution of heavy metals in sediment is necessary because labile heavy metals can partition into the water column and bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. Here we investigated six heavy metals (Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in sediment cores using a five-step sequential leaching method to examine the occurrence of heavy metals in the sediment. The results showed that all elements, except Mn, are depleted in the exchangeable and carbonate fractions. However, heavy metal concentrations are much higher in the Fe-Mn oxide and organic matter fractions, especially for Cu, indicating enrichment in the organic matter fraction. Furthermore, contamination parameters (contamination factor and geoaccumulation index) indicate that Mn contamination is high, primarily derived from anthropogenic sources, presenting a potential risk to ecosystems in the Nakdong River.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2018

In the surface contamination test using the end-window Geiger-Muller type counter, the wrap is used as a method for protecting the detector exposed to the outside in order to measure the beta-rays. We analyze the effect of this method on the measurement rate and the correction factor, and wanted to make it clear to radiation workers that excessive use of the wrap can affect the measured value of the beta-rays. The experimental method was to compare and analyze the change of the beta-rays measurement counting rate and the calibration factor according to the wrap thickness using the beta-rays with different energy of 3 KBq, 1.5 KBq and 0.3 KBq. The subjects of this study were the end-window Geiger-Muller type counter which were held at the calibration center certified by Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) in March 2012, Cl-36 (Chlorine) and Sr-90 (Strontium) were used as the source of beta radiation. The measurement counting rate decreased with increasing wrap thickness, and the calibration factor increased with increasing wrap thickness. Since the changes of the measurement counting rate and the calibration factors can reduce the accuracy of the instrument readings, but also have a significant impact on detector contamination and damage, so there is a need to find out what thickness of wrap is most effective. If we using a wraps with thickness that show a low rate of change of the measurement counting rate and the calibration factor, it will protect the detector and minimize the effect on the measured value of the beta-rays.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.240-253
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• 1997

The main problems contributing to food poisoning outbreaks in institutional settings and a home were reviewed and analyzed through the epidemiological investigations of food poisoning. The major documented factors included improper holding temperatures, inadequate cooking, poor personal hygiene, cross-contamination and contaminated equipment, food from unsafe sources, failure to follow food hygiene policies, and lack of education, training, monitoring and superivision. Usually more than one factor contributed to the development of an outbreak. (1) Use of improper holding temperatures was the single most important factor contributing to food poisoning. They included improper cooling, allowing a laps of time (12 hours or more) between preparing food and eating it, improper hot holding, and inadequate or improper thawing. Food thermometers were not used in most of the instances. (2) In inadequate cooking, the core temperature of food during and after cooking had not been measured, and routine monitoring was limited to recording the temperature of plated meals. Compared with conventional methods of cooking, microwave ovens did not protect against food poisoning as effectively. Centralized food preparation potentially increased the risk of food poisoning outbreaks. (3) Poor personal hygiene both at the individual level (improper handwashing and lack of proper hygienic practices) and at the institutional level (poor general sanitization) increased the risk of transmission. Person to person transmission of enteric pathogens through direct contact and via fomites has been noted in several instances. (4) Obtaining food from unsafe sources was a risk factor in outbreaks of food poisoning. Food risks were high when food was grown or harvested from contaminated areas. Possibilities included contamination in the field, in transport, at the retail site, or at the time it was prepared for serving. (5) Cross-contamination and inadequate cleaning/handling of equipment became potential vehicles of food poisoning. Failure to separate cooked food from raw food was also a risk factor. (6) Failure to follow food hygiene policies also provided opportunities for outbreaks of food poisoning. It included improper hygienic practices during food preparation, neglect of personnel policies (involvement of symptomatic workers in food preparation), poor results on routine inspections, and disregarding the results and recommendations of an inspection. (7) Lack of formal and in-service education, training, monitoring, and supervision of food handlers or supervisors were critical and perhaps neglected elements in occurrences of food poisoning.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2000

For analyzing the direct contamination pathway of radionudides in rice plants, a Solution containing $^{54}Mn,\;^{57}Co,\;^{85}Sr,\;^{103}Ru$ and $^{134}Cs$ was applied to the aboveground Parts of the between RI application and harvest. Its highest observed value was 0.94. The fractions of the initial plant deposition that remained in rice plants at harvest were in the range of $19{\sim}47%,\;17{\sim}43%,\;19{\sim}42%,\;23{\sim}61%$ and $11{\sim}69%$ for $^{54}Mn,\;^{57}Co,\;^{85}Sr,\;^{103}Ru$ and $^{134}Cs$, respectively, when no decay was assumed. The translocation factors of those radionuclides in hulled seeds were in the range of $6.9{\times}10^{-4}3.8{\times}10^{-2},\;3.6{\times}10^{-3}{\sim}1.6{\times}10^{-1},\;5.8{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}3.2{\sim}10^{-2},\;1.6{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}7.6{\times}10^{-3}$ and $3.2{\times}10^{-2}{\sim}2.0{\times}10^{-1}$, respertively, and were highest when they were applied at the stage of active seed development. It was indicated that the remaining percentage and translocation factor would not be greatly affected by the difference in the rain frequency if it is within a factor of 2. These results can be utilzed for predicting the radionuclide concentrations in rice seeds when an accidental deposition of those radionuclides occurs during the rice-growing season.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.257-262
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• 2000

This study was conducted on ten golf courses in the vicinity of Yongin city to find out the kinds of algae and factors affecting algae development on creeping bentgrass greens. 1. Serious algae contamination was observed on almost of creeping bentgrass greens after and before rainy season. 2. There were ten kinds of algae occurred on creeping bentgrass greens, most of which were Oscillatoria spp. (bluegreen algae) 3. The fact that the same kind of algae inhabiting in the pond was observed on greens indicated that greens were easily contaminated by algae in case of greens watered with the pond. 4. This study showed that the main factor affecting algae contamination on greens was not high total nitrogen and phosphorus contents in the green soil, but pond watering.