• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.45-48
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• 2005

In 2005, the KMOE and an advisory members for environmental health policy are exploring new environmental policy directions in the 21st century by suggesting a 10-year plan of environmental health policy with its specific goals, grounded on four basic principles: preemptive environmental control instead of post hoc facto control of environmental contaminants or discharged substances, receptor-centered approach, priority on protection of the people vulnerable and sensitive to environmental contamination, and warranty of citizens' rights to be engaged and informed. Such new policy challenges in the area of environmental health, which must be significant of important policy shift for environmental health in the 21t century, is expected to conduct to improvement of environmental health in Korea and Northeast Asian Regions as well.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.385-395
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess exposure to VOCs and PAHs and the health effects on volunteers who participated in an oil spill cleanup in Yeosu. Methods: Atmospheric VOCs were evaluated in the vicinity of the accident site and questionnaire surveys were conducted to identify personal characteristics and acute health symptoms of clean-up workers seven days after the accident. The levels of metabolites of VOCs (t,t-MA, HA, PGA, MA, MHA) and PAHs (2-NAP, 1-OHP, 2-HF, 1-HPH), oxidative stress markers (TABARS, 8-OHdG) in the urine of workers were analyzed. Their correlation was determined by multiple regression analysis with SAS ver. 9.4. Results: Although the concentration of atmospheric VOCs in the residential areas were low at the time of survey, the levels of VOCs and PAHs metabolites in clean-up workers were higher than those in the control group after clean-up activities. The levels of urinary VOC and PAH metabolites were significantly increased after clean-up compared to those measured before participation. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentrations were also increased and showed significant correlations with those of metabolites of benzene. Conclusion: This study shows that oil spill clean-up activities affect exposure to VOCs and PAHs and the health of clean-up workers. The results suggest the need for check-ups of participants in oil spill cleaning work.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.391-396
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the level of community environmental perception of older adults and to identify the association between environmental perception and subjective health status among older persons. Methods: Analyses are based on data from Statistics Korea 2016 Social Survey. This study analyzed a total of 8,193 older adults aged 65 and over, and examined the association between environmental perception on air, water, soil, noise and vibration, and subjective health status using multiple regression analysis. Results: Study findings shown that environmental perception on water and soil had significant association with subjective health status of older adults. Specifically, older adults reported worse health status when they had more negative perceptions of water and soil environments in their communities. Conclusions: Results of this study suggested that efforts to enhance safety of drinking water and soil environments, and continuous research to identify relationship between environment and elderly health shoud be needed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.433-446
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• 2009

Pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment are trace contaminants of growing importance in environmental health due to their physiologically active nature. Pharmaceuticals could affect non-target species and might eventually damage sustainability of susceptible populations in the ecosystem. Potentials for health consequences among susceptible human population cannot be ruled out since long-term exposure to cocktails of pharmaceuticals, which might be present in drinking water, is possible. Selection of antibiotic resistant microorganisms is of another concern. In order to understand, and if needed, to properly address the environmental health issues of pharmaceutical residues, knowledge gaps need to be filled. Knowledge gaps exist in many important areas such as prioritization of target pharmaceuticals for further risk studies, occurrence patterns in different environments, chronic toxicities, and toxicities of pharmaceutical mixtures. Appropriate treatment technologies for drinking water and wastewater could be developed when they are deemed necessary. One of the simplest, yet most efficient measures that could be undertaken is to implement a return program for unused or expired drugs. In addition, implementation of environmental risk assessment frameworks for pharmaceuticals would make it possible to efficiently manage potential environmental health problems associated with pharmaceutical residues in the environment.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.127-154
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• 2006

It has been widely accepted that the environment is an important determining factor of human health. Appreciating the relationship between the environment and human health, Korean government has begun to deal with issues of environmental health. The government proclaimed the year of 2006 to be the first year of Environmental Health and established "The Environmental Health Plan for the next 10 Year". In order to achieve the goals in the plan, there are necessary considerations such as support systems for environment health related research, investigation, law, institution, administration, and so forth. This study suggests basic principles required to establish a legal regime of environmental health which is to implement the environmental health policies in Korea. Several cases of foreign legislation and policy relevant to environmental health are reviewed. Also, existing related legal system in Korea are analysed considering legal and institutional elements for establishing an effective environmental health policy. The main purpose of amending legal system related environmental health is to protect both public health and the soundness of ecosystem. To reach the goals effectively, the concept of 'environmental health' should be clearly established and presented. In addition, an advanced prevention system, including investigation and prevention of the cause of environmental diseases and risk assessment based on the precautionary principle, are substantial in the environmental health legislation. Also the environmental health law should guarantee public participation in decision making as well as the first consideration of susceptible or vulnerable population. This study concludes that the expected legislation related to environmental health should be a nonnative instrument not only for integrating each environmental protection scheme but also for establishing and implementing the policy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.1-3
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.79-79
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2004

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.559-560
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• 2019

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.572-580
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• 2018

Objectives: Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a measurement of the chemicals and their metabolites in human biological samples and has been successfully employed to determine the exposure levels of environmental chemicals. In this study, we analyzed seasonal variations of the blood or urinary levels of chemicals, and assessed that these differences could affect the results of association study. Methods: The Korea National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) is a nationwide survey that analyzes exposure levels of environmental pollutants, 19 kinds of chemicals including heavy metals and organic chemicals, and the exposure factors in the general population. Based on KoNEHS data, we analyzed the levels of chemicals concentrations over the total survey period (2012-2014) and each season, and assessed the association of thyroid measures with phthalate metabolite and BPA. Results: Exposure levels of blood mercury and lead were lower in summer compare to winter. Bisphenol A and PAHs metabolites were higher in spring and summer, but lower in autumn. VOCs metabolites were generally lower in summer and autumn. Phthalate metabolites were higher in all other seasons than in winter. Pyrethroid metabolite, 3-PBA, was higher in summer and autumn. Regarding seasonal variation of chemical exposures, the statistical significance and size of effects between thyroid measures and phthalate and BPA were changed with season. Conclusion: Seasonal variations of chemical exposure and health outcome should be considered for interpreting biomonitoring results from a public health context.