• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.135-135
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• 2005

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2023

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to occupational hazards and the metabolic syndrome. A secondary objective was to analyze the additive and multiplicative effects of exposure to risk factors. Methods: This retrospective cohort was based on 31,615 health examinees at the Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in Republic of Korea from 2012-2021. Demographic and behavior-related risk factors were treated as confounding factors, whereas three physical factors, 19 organic solvents and aerosols, and 13 metals and dust were considered occupational risk factors. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios. Results: The risk of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in night shift workers (hazard ratio = 1.45: 95% confidence interval = 1.36-1.54) and workers who were exposed to noise (1.15:1.07-1.24). Exposure to some other risk factors was also significantly associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome. They were dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, trichloroethylene, xylene, styrene, toluene, dichloromethane, copper, antimony, lead, copper, iron, welding fume, and manganese. Among the 28 significant pairs, 19 exhibited both positive additive and multiplicative effects. Conclusions: Exposure to single or combined occupational risk factors may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Working conditions should be monitored and improved to reduce exposure to occupational hazards and prevent the development of the metabolic syndrome.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2004

It is important to select a risk based priority area for environmental policy formation and decision-making. We estimated the health risks and associated damage costs from exposure to fine particles and assigned priority areas for twenty -five districts in Seoul. In order to estimate the theoretical mortality incidence of the health risk, baseline risks were estimated from mortality rates in two low level areas of fine particles, Seocho Gu and Cheju city To estimate the damage cost from the risk estimates, we investigated and estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for specific risk reduction. We assumed two different locations as the reference area, Cheju city as Scenario I and Seocho gu as Scenario II. From the results, the five districts, Kwangjin, Chungnang, Kangbuk, Nowon, and Kangnam, ranked high in the categories of both health risk and economic risk. Damage costs were over twenty billion won in each of these districts. As there are uncertainties in these results, the parameter values such as PM$_{2.5}$ level, dose -response slope factor, baseline risk, exposure population and WTP should be continuously validated and refined.d.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.397-403
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• 2007

Objectives: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has recently increased, Payments from the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation for compensation for mortality in workers caused by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have also increased in Korea in recent years. The association of metabolic syndrome and cardiocerebrovascular disease has been investigated by several researchers in recent studies, This study was conducted in an attempt to characterize the relationship between metabolic syndrome and Korean cardiocerebrovascular disease risk assessment, and to provide basic data to group health practices for the prevention of cardiocerebrovascular disease. Methods: Health examinations were previously conducted for 1526 male researchers at a private laboratory. The prevalence by age and the odds ratio of metabolic syndrome scores into the "cardiocerebrovascular risk group" (sum of low, intermediate, and high risk groups) of the Korean cardiocerebrovascular disease risk assessment were assessed, in an effort to elucidate the associations between metabolic syndrome and cardiocere brovascular disease risk assessment. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and inclusion in the cardiocerebrovascular risk group was 11,7% and 22.1% respectively. The severity of metabolic syndrome and cardiocerebrovascular risk assessment showed that individuals in their 40's and 50's were at higher risk than those in their 30's (p<0,001). The age-adjusted odds ratio of metabolic syndrome to cardiocere brovascular risk group inclusion was 5.6. Conclusions: An active prevention program for cardiocerebrovascular disease needs to begin in the 40's, as the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and the risk group of cardiocerebrovascular risk assessment peak in the 40's age group. The odds ratio between metabolic syndrome and the cardiocerebrovascular risk group was high, which indicates that metabolic syndrome scores should be utilized as guidelines during the consultation and behavioral modification program for the workplace prevention of cardiocerebrovascular diseases in group health practices.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.11b
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• pp.174-174
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• 2002

Metallothioneins (MTs) are known to be induced by heavy metals in various organs of different species and represent a potential biomarker of aquatic contamination by heavy metals. In this work, cloning and sequencing of a metallothionein gene in crucian carp (Carassius auratus) was done and sensitivities and specificities of the gene expressions were compared.(omitted)

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.715-734
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• 2015

The objective of this study is to estimate the relationship among perceived value, perceived risk, satisfaction, purchase intention for environmental-friendly agricultural products. For this, we separate consumer with two groups that one is the experienced, the other is the not-experienced. Four factors is respectively adopted in perceived value and risk with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of this study show that emphasizing the value of environmental-friendly agricultural products is important to the not-experienced. And to decease the risk is more effective to the experienced for activating market.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.359-366
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• 2009

CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) is considered as the most promising interim solution to deal with the greenhouse gas such as $CO_2$ responsible for global warming. Even though carefully chosen geologic formations are known to contain stored gas for a long time period, there are potential risks of leakage. Up to now, applicable risk assessment procedures for the leakage of $CO_2$ are not available. This study presents a basis for risk analysis applicable to a complex geologic storage system. It starts with the classification of potential leakage pathways. Receptors and the leakage effect on them are identified and quantified. Then, a fault tree is constructed, which yields the minimum cut set (i.e., the most vulnerable leakage pathway) and quantifies the probability of the leakage risk through the cut set. The methodology will provide a tool for risk assessment in a CCS project. The outcomes of the assessment will not only ensure the safety of the CCS system but also offer a reliable and efficient monitoring plan.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2021

Objectives: Acute exposure to high concentrations of chemicals can occur when a chemical accident takes place. As such exposure can cause ongoing environmental pollution, such as in the soil and groundwater, there is a need for a tool that can assess health effects in the long term. The purpose of this study was assessing the health risks of residents living near a chemical accident site due to long-term exposure while considering the temporal concentration changes of the toxic chemicals leaked during the accident until their extinction in the environment using a multimedia environmental dynamics model. Methods: A health risk assessment was conducted on three cases of formaldehyde chemical accidents. In this study, health risk assessment was performed using a multimedia environmental dynamics model that considers the behavior of the atmosphere, soil, and water. In addition, the extinction period of formaldehyde in the environment was regarded as extinction in the environment when the concentration in the air and soil fell below the background concentration prior to the accident. The subjects of health risk assessment were classified into four groups according to age: 0-9 years old, 10-18 years old, 19-64 years old, and over 65 years old. Carcinogenic risk assessment by respiratory exposure and non-carcinogenic risk assessment by soil intake were conducted as well. Results: In the assessment of carcinogenic risk due to respiratory exposure, the excess carcinogenic risk did not exceed 1.0×10-6 in all three chemical accidents, so there was no health effect due to the formaldehyde chemical accident. As a result of the evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk due to soil intake, none of the three chemical accidents had a risk index of 1, so there was no health effect. For all three chemical accidents, the excess cancer risk and hazard index were the highest in the age group 0-9. Next, 10-18 years old, 65 years old or older, and 19-64 years old showed the highest risk. Conclusion: This study considers environmental changes after a chemical accident occurs and until the substance disappears from the environment. It also conducts a health risk assessment by reflecting the characteristics of the long-term persistence and concentration change over time. It is thought that it is of significance as a health risk assessment study reflecting the exposure characteristics of the accident substance for an actual chemical accident.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.294-305
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• 2010

This study estimated the health risk of heavy metals in particulate matter $(PM)_{2.5}$ in a Gwangyang industrial complex. The $PM_{2.5}$ containing heavy metal was collected from January to November, 2008 using a denuder air sampler and by IC (Ion Chromatograph). The risk assessment was performed in a four-step process; hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment and risk characterization. In the hazard identification process, $Cr^{6+}$, Ni, As, and Pb were categorized as human carcinogens and probable human carcinogens, while Ti, Mn, Se, P, $Cr^{3+}$, Cu, and Zn were not classified as human carcinogens. It was found that the excess cancer risk by Central Tendency Exposure (CTE) of $Cr^{6+}$ and As in $PM_{2.5}$ was > $10^{-6}$, and the total excess cancer risk posed by carcinogen heavy metals in $PM_{2.5}$ was > $10^{-6}$. It was also determined that the total hazard index by CTE of non-carcinogen heavy metals in $PM_{2.5}$ was <1. Taken together, these results indicate a high cancer risk associated whit inhalation of heavy metal-containing$PM_{2.5}$ in industrial areas.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.223-228
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• 2010

Neocaridina denticulata is a small freshwater shrimp indigenous to Korea. As an indigenous species has long-adapted to particular water environments, the species can be a suitable indicator to assess environmental risks caused by hazard chemicals in the particular site. Thus Neocaridina denticulata, a small freshwater shrimp indigenous to Korea, is worth considering for a test species for such purpose. N. denticulata were exposed to pentachlorophenol sodium salt, sodium azide and potassium dichromate using automatic flow-through system for 96 hours. The 96 hr lethal concentrations ($LC_{50}$) of these chemicals were calculated as $0.53{\pm}0.09\;mg/L$, $2.40{\pm}0.61\;mg/L$ and $1.21{\pm}0.09\;mg/L$ respectively and showed relatively small deviation from repetitive test results. When compared with the toxicity values of other species for each chemical, N. denticulata had moderate or high sensitivity to the toxicity of these chemicals. It can be concluded that N. denticulata is a good test species to evaluate acute toxicity of various hazardous chemicals.