• Title/Summary/Keyword: Environment Protection Agency

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Effect of Additional Elements on Efficiency of Al and Zn Sacrificial Anode for Naval Vessels (함정용 Al 및 Zn 희생양극의 효율에 미치는 첨가원소 영향)

  • Choi, Woo-Suk;Park, Kyung-Chul;Kim, Byeong-Ho
    • Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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    • v.39 no.4
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    • pp.277-283
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    • 2015
  • MS(Mild Steel), HTS(High Tensile Steel), HYS(High Yield Steel), AL(Aluminum Alloy) and Composite Materials are used for vessels. Steel Materials are mostly used for vessels because body of a ship have to perform the basic functions such as watertight, preserving the strength and supporting the equipments. The vessels primarily carry out a mission at ocean, so that body of a ship is necessarily rusted. There are several methods to protect the corrosion of vessels such as painting, SACP(sacrificial anode cathodic protection) and ICCP(impressed current cathodic protection). For the sacrificial anode cathodic protection, Al and Zn alloys are normally used. Heavy metals are added to the Al and Zn Alloys for improving the corrosion properties but they are so harmful to the human and environment. Therefore, the use of these heavy metals is strictly regulated in the world. In this paper, Al and Zn Alloys are made by adding the trace elements(Ma, Ca, Ce and Sn) which is not harmful to the human and environment. SEM, XRD, Potentiodynamic Polarization test and Current Efficiency test are conducted for evaluation of Al and Zn Alloys. As a result of the experiment, Al-3Zn-0.6Sn and Zn-3Sn Alloys are more efficient than other Alloys.

Evaluation of Respiratory Protection Program in Petrochemical Industries: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process

  • Kolahi, Hadi;Jahangiri, Mehdi;Ghaem, Haleh;Rostamabadi, Akbar;Aghabeigi, Mandana;Farhadi, Payam;Kamalinia, Mojtaba
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.95-100
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    • 2018
  • Background: Respiratory protection equipment (RPE) is the last resort to control exposure to workplace air pollutants. A comprehensive respiratory protection program (RPP) ensures that RPE is selected, used, and cared properly. Therefore, RPP must be well integrated into the occupational health and safety requirements. In this study, we evaluated the implementation of RPP in Iranian petrochemical industries to identify the required solutions to improve the current status of respiratory protection. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 24 petrochemical industries in Iran. The survey instrument was a checklist extracted from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration respiratory protection standard. An index, Respiratory Protection Program Index (RPPI), was developed and weighted by analytic hierarchy process to determine the compliance rate (CR) of provided respiratory protection measures with the RPP standard. Data analysis was performed using Excel 2010. Results: The most important element of RPP, according to experts, was respiratory hazard evaluation. The average value of RPPI in the petrochemical plants was $49{\pm}15%$. The highest and lowest of CR among RPP elements were RPE selection and medical evaluation, respectively. Conclusion: None of studied petrochemical industries implemented RPP completely. This can lead to employees' overexposure to hazardous workplace air contaminants. Increasing awareness of employees and employers through training is suggested by this study to improve such conditions.

Investigation of Occupational EMF Exposure Assessment System (직업인 전자파 노출 평가제도 연구)

  • Jeon, Sang Bong;Lee, Ae-Kyoung;Kwon, Yong-Ki;Jang, Ju-Dong;An, Juno;Pack, Jeong-Ki;Gimm, Youn-Myoung;Choi, Hyung-Do
    • The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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    • v.28 no.11
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    • pp.843-852
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    • 2017
  • Recently, as the WHO IARC has classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic (group 2B) to humans, there is increasing concern about the health effects of overexposure from electromagnetic fields. Especially, the workers are exposed to higher level of electromagnetic radiation than the general public. As a result, in Europe, the protection guidelines for the worker are developed and the exposure of the worker is strictly controlled. In this paper, the EU directive, standards and guidelines of the EMF exposure for the worker were reviewed, and the exposure assessment of EMF was performed for the arc welding. Based on that, we propose a way to introduce a national policy to protect the workers from EMF exposure in working environment.

Asbestos and Asbestos-related Diseases in Vietnam: In reference to the International Labor Organization/World Health Organization National Asbestos Profile

  • Pham, Van Hai;Tran, Thi Ngoc Lan;Le, Giang Vinh;Movahed, Mehrnoosh;Jiang, Ying;Pham, Nguyen Ha;Ogawa, Hisashi;Takahashi, Ken
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.117-121
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    • 2013
  • This paper describes progress on formulating a national asbestos profile for the country of Vietnam. The Center of Asbestos Resource, Vietnam, formulated a National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health, with due reference to the International Labor Organization/World Health Organization National Asbestos Profile. The Center of Asbestos Resource was established by the Vietnamese Health Environment Management Agency and the National Institute of Labor Protection, with the support of the Australian Agency for International Development, as a coordinating point for asbestos-related issues in Vietnam. Under the National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health framework, the Center of Asbestos Resource succeeded in compiling relevant information for 15 of the 18 designated items outlined in the International Labor Organization/World Health Organization National Asbestos Profile, some overlaps of the information items notwithstanding. Today, Vietnam continues to import and use an average of more than 60,000 metric tons of raw asbestos per year. Information on asbestos-related diseases is limited, but the country has begun to diagnose mesothelioma cases, with the technical cooperation of Japan. As it stands, the National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health needs further work and updating. However, we envisage that the National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health will ultimately facilitate the smooth transition to an asbestos-free Vietnam.

Comparison of Dose Rates from Four Surveys around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant for Location Factor Evaluation

  • Sanada, Yukihisa;Ishida, Mutsushi;Yoshimura, Kazuya;Mikami, Satoshi
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.184-193
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    • 2021
  • Background: The radionuclides released by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident 9 years ago are still being monitored by various research teams and the Japanese government. Comparison of different surveys' results could help evaluate the exposure doses and the mechanism of radiocesium behavior in the urban environment in the area. In this study, we clarified the relationship between land use and temporal changes in the ambient dose rates (air dose rates) using big data. Materials and Methods: We set a series of 1 × 1 km2 meshes within the 80 km zone of the FDNPP to compare the different survey results. We then prepared an analysis dataset from all survey meshes to analyze the temporal change in the air dose rate. The selected meshes included data from all survey types (airborne, fixed point, backpack, and carborne) obtained through the all-time survey campaigns. Results and Discussion: The characteristics of each survey's results were then evaluated using this dataset, as they depended on the measurement object. The dataset analysis revealed that, for example, the results of the carborne survey were smaller than those of the other surveys because the field of view of the carborne survey was limited to paved roads. The location factor of different land uses was also evaluated considering the characteristics of the four survey methods. Nine years after the FDNPP accident, the location factor ranged from 0.26 to 0.49, while the half-life of the air dose rate ranged from 1.2 to 1.6. Conclusion: We found that the decreasing trend in the air dose rate of the FDNPP accident was similar to the results obtained after the Chernobyl accident. These parameters will be useful for the prediction of the future exposure dose at the post-accident.

Validation of a Model for Estimating Individual External Dose Based on Ambient Dose Equivalent and Life Patterns

  • Sato, Rina;Yoshimura, Kazuya;Sanada, Yukihisa;Sato, Tetsuro
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.77-85
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    • 2022
  • Background: After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident, a model was developed to estimate the external exposure doses for residents who were expected to return to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted. However, the model's accuracy and uncertainties in parameters used to estimate external doses have not been evaluated. Materials and Methods: The model estimates effective doses based on the integrated ambient dose equivalent (H*(10)) and life patterns, considering a dose reduction factor to estimate the indoor H*(10) and a conversion factor from H*(10) to the effective dose. Because personal dose equivalent (Hp(10)) has been reported to agree well with the effective dose after the FDNPS accident, this study validates the model's accuracy by comparing the estimated effective doses with Hp(10). The Hp(10) and life pattern data were collected for 36 adult participants who lived or worked near the FDNPS in 2019. Results and Discussion: The estimated effective doses correlated significantly with Hp(10); however, the estimated effective doses were lower than Hp(10) for indoor sites. A comparison with the measured indoor H*(10) showed that the estimated indoor H*(10) was not underestimated. However, the Hp(10) to H*(10) ratio indoors, which corresponds to the practical conversion factor from H*(10) to the effective dose, was significantly larger than the same ratio outdoors, meaning that the conversion factor of 0.6 is not appropriate for indoors due to the changes in irradiation geometry and gamma spectra. This could have led to a lower effective dose than Hp(10). Conclusion: The estimated effective doses correlated significantly with Hp(10), demonstrating the model's applicability for effective dose estimation. However, the lower value of the effective dose indoors could be because the conversion factor did not reflect the actual environment.

A Recently Improved Approach to Develop Effective Emission Inventory for Air Quality Planning in US (미국의 대기질 관리계획 수립 시 활용성 강화를 위한 배출량 목록 산정에 대한 최근 접근 방안)

  • Kim, Byeong-Uk;Kim, Hyun Cheol;Kim, Soontae
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.342-355
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    • 2018
  • Emission inventory (EI) is often recognized as a foundational pillar for air quality planning. In this manuscript, we reviewed national emission inventory (NEI) development processes in United States(US) and made recommendations for South Korean emission inventory development for the future. First, we examined history of emission inventory development in US while focusing on what has been success and failure. We noticed that, in general, emission reductions led to air pollution abatement although efficacy of same degree of reduction may not result in similar air quality improvement. Second, we described conventional approaches of developing NEI and differences between NEI and EI for State Implementation Plan which is required for air quality management in US. Last, we analyzed how US Environmental Protection Agency and counterpart agencies in states came up with a new plan for the next major regulatory modeling project. Based on our analysis, we conclude that early and steady participation of local governments will lead to effective and efficient emission inventory development and, in turn, will result in successful air quality planning that is necessary for actual air quality improvement.

Groundwater Pollution Susceptibility Assessment of Younggwang Area Using GIS Technique (GIS기법을 이용한 영광지역의 지하수 오염 취약성 평가)

  • 이사로;최순학
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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    • v.4 no.4
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    • pp.223-230
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    • 1997
  • DRASTIC system developed by U.S.EPA, is widely used for assessing regional groundwater pollution susceptibility by using hydrogeological factors such as depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, vadose zone media, hydraulic conductivity. The system can be applied to site selection of well or waste disposal and landuse for groundwater protection. In this study, hydrogeological spatial database of Younggwang area about topography, drainage, well, geology, soil and landuse was constructed using GIS (Geographic Information System) and regional groundwater pollution susceptibility is analyzed using the spatial database and GIS overlay technique.

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Natural Environmental Protection System in North Korea-Economic and Legal Perspectives (북한의 「자연보호구법」을 중심으로 한 자연환경보호제도 고찰 -경제분석의 한계)

  • Lee, Yoon;Chah, Eun-Young
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.23 no.12
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    • pp.2107-2120
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    • 2014
  • Natural environmental protection system in North Korea is rarely understood mainly because of lack of information in scientific and legislative fields. Legislation is very important to achieve goal for protected areas, which are described in "Natural Protected Area Law(NPAL)". Cabinet of North Korea has authorities to lead the Central Agency for Land and Environment Conservation(CALEC). Designation and managements of natural protected areas are regarded as CALEC and local governments responsibilities. There are many differences between South and North Korea. Especially legislation system has many differences. North Korea's Labor Party is superior to the Government and Labor Party's order has at least the same authority to regulate and manage the national policy and means. With NPAL, CALEC organizes the national plan for natural protected area and regulate the activities of the Agencies for Land and Environment Conservation in the aspects of action plan, budget and other resources. For the reunification in the future, legislation system of North Korea should be understood.

The "Warm Zone" Cases: Environmental Monitoring Immediately Outside the Fire Incident Response Arena by Firefighters

  • Caban-Martinez, Alberto J.;Kropa, Bob;Niemczyk, Neal;Moore, Kevin J.;Baum, Jeramy;Solle, Natasha Schaefer;Sterling, David A.;Kobetz, Erin N.
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.352-355
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    • 2018
  • Hazardous work zones (i.e., hot, warm, and cold) are typically established by emergency response teams during hazardous materials (HAZMAT) calls but less consistently for fire responses to segment personnel and response activities in the immediate geographic area around the fire. Despite national guidelines, studies have documented the inconsistent use of respiratory protective equipment by firefighters at the fire scene. In this case-series report, we describe warm zone gas levels using multigas detectors across five independent fire incident responses all occurring in a large South Florida fire department. Multigas detector data collected at each fire response indicate the presence of sustained levels of volatile organic compounds in the "warm zone" of each fire event. These cases suggest that firefighters should not only implement strategies for multigas detector use within the warm zone but also include respiratory protection to provide adequate safety from toxic exposures in the warm zone.