• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.934-942
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• 2010

Bentic macroinvertebrate and fish fauna were investigated from September 2008 to October 2009 in the middle reach of the Suyoung river in Busan. During the survey period benthic macroinvertebrates were collected total 35 species at the three sites (Hanmul-gyo, Dongcheon-gyo, Seokdae Jct.) of Suyoung river. At that sites, species diversity index was 1.9, 1.5, 1.6, dominance index was 0.75, 0.81, 0.86 and Korean Saprobic Index (KSI) was 1.8(B), 4.4(D), 4.4(D) on average, respectively. Dominant species was Caenis Kua, Chironomidae sp., at Hanmul-gyo site and Limnodrilus gotoi, Chironomidae sp., at Dongcheon-gyo and Seokdae Jct. sites. Fish fauna was also investigated at the two sites (Hanmul-gyo and Seokdae Jct.) of Suyoung river. Total caught fishes were 10 species 32 individuals in the first survey and 6 species 26 individuals in the second survey. Dominant species was Carassius auratus in the both surveys. Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) value was C grade at the Hanmul-gyo and D grade at the Seokdae Jct.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.87-100
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in children and adolescents using the results of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) cycle 3. Methods: A total of 2,380 subjects (n=571, 887, and 922 for 3-5, 6-11, and 12-17 years of age, respectively) were analyzed using an environmental exposure survey and environmental chemical substances concentration levels. Univariable linear regression analysis was performed to determine associated variables such as sex, age, income level, housing type, secondhand smoke time, cup noodles and canned food consumption, seafood consumption, new furniture (within the previous six months), drinking water type, and consumption of herbal medicines. Variables with p-values of less than 0.2 were extracted from the results and a multivariable linear regression analysis was performed using stepwise selection. Results: Univariable linear regression analysis showed positive associations between BPA concentration levels and variables including sex, age, secondhand smoke time, new furniture (within the previous six months), renovated living space (within the previous six months), fish and shellfish consumption, plastic-bottled drink consumption, and herbal medicine. As a result of performing multivariable linear regression analysis, the lower was the age the higher was the concentration of BPA levels. Additionally, women showed higher BPA levels than those of men. The more frequently fish was consumed, the higher was the BPA concentration. Moreover, higher BPA concentrations were observed when taking herbal medicine. Conclusions: The main factors affecting BPA concentration levels were age, gender, and consumption of fish and herbal medicine.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.2.1-2.14
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• 2022

Background: Because income and working hours are closely related, the health impact of working hours can vary according to economic status. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health according to household income level. Methods: We used the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI and VII. The information on working hours and self-rated health was obtained from the questionnaire. After stratifying by household income level, the risk of poor self-rated health for long working hour group (≥ 52 hours a week), compared to the 35-51 working hour group as a reference, were calculated using multiple logistic regression. Results: Long working hours increased the risk of poor self-rated health in the group with the highest income, but not in the group with the lowest income. On the other hand, the overall weighted prevalence of poor self-rated health was higher in the low-income group. Conclusions: The relationship between long working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health varied by household income level. This phenomenon, in which the health effects of long working hours appear to diminish in low-income households can be referred to as the 'poor worker's long working hours paradox'. Our findings suggest that the recent working hour restriction policy implemented by the Korean government should be promoted, together with a basic wage preservation to improve workers' general health and well-being.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study is to survey for finding asbestos containing equipment at the laboratories using picture based questionnaire and polarized light microscopic analysis. Methods: This study was conducted from 2009 to 2010 at a university in Seoul. In 2009, picture based questionnaire was distributed to 100 laboratories during the regular laboratory air quality monitoring. In 2010, we emailed all professors of the same university who have laboratories to participate voluntarily this survey. For the laboratories consented to participate survey, picture based questionnaire was distributed and collected. Suspected asbestos containing material and apparatus were collected at the laboratories which replied they have suspected material and equipment. Collected samples were analyzed with polarized light microscope at the laboratory accredited by ministry of employment and labor in Korea. Results: Total of 18 out of 100 laboratories reported that they had suspected asbestos containing equipment in 2009. Twenty-three samples were collected and three samples (13%), one heating mantle and two pairs of insulation gloves, contained asbestos. Thirty four laboratories reported they had suspected asbestos containing material or equipment in 2010. Sixty samples were collected and four of them (6%), two pairs of insulation gloves, one packing rope in dry oven and, one pair of tongs, contained asbestos. All founded asbestos was chrysotile and the content of chrysotile was more than 90% for all equipment except heating mantle which has less than 1%. Conclusions: We confirmed that asbestos was still used at the laboratories though strict regulations on asbestos use in Korea. The method of picture based questionnaire invented in this study could be applied for asbestos survey to other research institute or university where there are many laboratories because of its simplicity and accessibility without huge man power, cost and time.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.1.1-1.13
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• 2022

Background: Recently, there has been a call to improve the holistic welfare of dependent contractors (DCs). Thus, our study examined the relationship between DCs and mental health symptoms and how this relationship was modified by age, sex, and income status of workers. Methods: A total of 27,980 workers from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey are included in our study. The participants who reported having depression or anxiety over the last 12 months are defined those who had mental health symptoms. We performed exact matching for age group and sex, followed by conditional logistic regression with survey weights. Finally, stratified analyses by age, sex and income level were conducted. Results: DCs were found to be at increased risk of depression/anxiety compared to other workers. The odds ratio (OR) is 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-2.17). In the stratified analyses, vulnerable groups were middle-aged (OR [95% CI]: 1.68 [1.10-2.54]), female (OR [95% CI]: 1.85 [1.20-2.84]), and low-income (OR [95% CI]: 3.18 [1.77-5.73]) workers. Conclusions: Our study's results reinforce those of other studies that show that DCs are at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues than other workers and that and this risk is greater for middle-aged, female, and low-income workers. These results suggest that appropriate policy efforts should be made to improve the psychological well-being of DCs.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 2024

Purpose: As environmental and social problems such as disasters caused by climate change and the rapid transition to an ultra-aging society are rapidly emerging, the voluntary participation of citizens in civil society is a good alternative to solve various social problems, and the necessity and role of volunteering is gradually being emphasized. Research design, data, and methodology: This study examined the motivation and satisfaction of volunteer participation and conducted a comparison analysis, focusing on the 2013 Beautiful Store Volunteer Satisfaction Survey and the 2021 Volunteer Satisfaction Survey data. Results: To summarize the main results of the study, first, the motivation to start volunteering was to respond that the individual's subjective disposition influenced the motivation to start volunteering. Second, volunteer participants were able to gain recognition and psychological comfort through volunteer activities. In addition, the satisfaction of the part that increases the confidence of volunteer participants can be seen as a positive change in volunteer work. Third, in relation to the continuity of volunteer work, it was found that problems related to managers and conflicts between organizations and individuals were largely emerging as factors that caused them to quit volunteering. Conclusions: Volunteers should be more interested in cooperation and communication and promote discussions on improvement for sustainable service in communication between other volunteers and managers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2017

Objectives: Exposure to hazardous air pollutants could be affected by sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and more. Information on time spent in microenvironments has a critical role in exposure assessment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the exposure pathways which influence personal exposure through time-activity patterns and sociodemographic factors. Methods: A total of 379 subjects were collected from the second term of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey. A questionnaire survey in relation to sociodemographic factors and a time-activity diary were carried out for personal exposure to toluene. Focusing on personal exposure to toluene, factors affecting personal exposure were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results: Participants spent their time in an indoor house for $16.8{\pm}4.0hr$, workplace or school $2.3{\pm}3.5hr$, and other indoor $2.1{\pm}2.2hr$. Sociodemographic factors were significantly different among each personal exposure and microenvironment. Time of staying at an office turned out to be a main factor from point of exposure in exposure pathway using multiple regression analysis. As a result, this means that exposure may be different according to the time of staying in each microenvironment. Conclusions: Personal exposure to air pollutants might be decided by time-activity pattern indicating when, where, and which activities people pursue, as well as individual sociodemographic factors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 2019

The 1st Forest Health Management survey was conducted to examine the health of the forests in Korea. However, in order to understand the health of the forests, which account for 63.7% of the total land area in South Korea, it is necessary to comprehensively spatialize the results of the survey beyond the sampling points. In this regard, out of the sample points of the 1st Forest Health Management survey in Gyeongbuk area, 78 spots were selected. For these spots, the species diversity index was selected from the survey sections, and the spatial interpolation method was applied. Inverse distance weighted (IDW), Ordinary Kriging and Ordinary Cokriging were applied as spatial interpolation methods. Ordinary Cokriging was performed by selecting vegetation indices which are highly correlated with species diversity index as a secondary variable. The vegetation indices - Normalized Differential Vegetation Index(NDVI), Leaf Area Index(LAI), Sample Ratio(SR) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index(SAVI) - were extracted from Landsat 8 OLI. Verification was performed by the spatial interpolation method with Mean Error(ME) and Root Mean Square Error(RMSE). As a result, Ordinary Cokriging using SR showed the most accurate result with ME value of 0.0000218 and RMSE value of 0.63983. Ordinary Cokriging using SR was proven to be more accurate than Ordinary Kriging, IDW, using one variable. This indicates that the spatial interpolation method using the vegetation indices is more suitable for spatialization of the biodiversity index sample points of 1st Forest Health Management survey.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1589-1598
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between airborne manganese and blood manganese in a general population of South Korean adults. The concentrations of airborne manganese in total suspended particulate (TSP) were calculated from data obtained from ambient air-monitoring stations (AAMSs) located in South Korea. Blood manganese data obtained Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) using a rolling sampling design involving a complex, stratified, multistage, probability cluster survey of a representative sample of the non-institutionalized civilian population of South Korea. Airborne manganese geometric means was 46.10 $ng/m^3$, blood manganese geometric means were 1.19 ${\mu}g/d{\ell}$ for male and 1.40 ${\mu}g/d{\ell}$ for female. In multiple linear regression analysis of log transformed blood manganeseas a continuous variable on airborne manganese, after adjusting for covariates including gender, age, job, smoking and drinking status, education level, BMI (body mass index). Airborne manganese was positively associated with blood manganese with statistical significance. The present study confirms that airborne manganese is a possible contributor to the increase of blood manganese in the adult general population.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2011

Objective: Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial wastewater are often overlooked as sources of exposure to toxic chemicals. VOCs from such sources evaporate readily into the air and may have significantly adverse impacts on public health. The present study aimed to establish the concentration of VOCs released from Jangrim-sinpyoeng Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Treatment plant (JWTP) in Busan, South Korea and assess the causes of the odor/stench in the surrounding residential facilities. Stench intensity, frequency and release time, and wind direction were also monitored. Methods: Onsite data were collected on a daily basis from a laboratory located on the JWTP premises through a period spanning 2006 to 2010. A second set of data was obtained in 2006 by conducting a questionnaire survey with 210 respondents living near JWTP. The experimental and survey data were analysed statistically using the SPSS package. Results: The survey results showed that people residing around JWTP strongly perceive a stench from the plant. The intensity of the stench was influenced significantly by wind direction and the location of the apartments facing the JWTP. Public participation formed a significant step in determining the quality of the study environment. Conclusion: Onsite data and survey data obtained in 2006 indicate that the nature of the odor experienced by residents is due to the intensity of total VOCs released by JWTP. However, additional research is needed to determine the effects of the VOC pollution on public health and quality of life.