• 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.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Metal mines were actively developed in the early twentieth century in Korea; however, most of these mines were closed and abandoned without proper management. Therefore, toxic metal contamination in the vicinity of Korean abandoned metal mines has been reported. A risk assessment for these metals was performed for residents near by abandoned Sanyang metal mine. METHODS AND RESULTS: Soil and groundwater samples were collected from May to October 2007 around the mine. After pretreatment of these samples, metal concentrations were measured and then a risk assessment was performed using the Korean soil-contamination risk assessment guidelines. Cancer risk was the highest from inhalation of Pb-contaminated soil, followed in descending order by As-contaminated soil inhalation and water ingestion. The sum of carcinogenic risks was $3.35{\times}10^{-3}$. The noncarcinogenic risk was observed for inhalation of Hg-contaminated soil (5.71). CONCLUSION: Inhalation of soil in dust was the principal pathway to cause the health risk and most of the risk was attributed to As, Pb,Cd, and Hg contamination.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2019

Accidents occurring due to natural disasters in chemical process facilities where technologies are concentrated can cause secondary damage. The concept of the relationship between natural disasters and highly intensive technologies has evolved into the Natech (Natural Hazards Triggered Technological Disaster) research. Currently, the number of earthquakes is increasing all over the Korean peninsula. To assess the risk of Natech when an earthquake has occurred in South Korea, the Rapid Natech Risk Assessment Tool (RAPID-N) developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Center (EC JRC) was used in the present study. The RAPID-N can be used for Natech risk assessment based on mapping and can be utilized for sufficient preparation for reduction of the effects of Natech accidents. A total of 261 chemical facilities actually existing in Pohang were initially analyzed to select eight facilities and the Pohang earthquake that occurred in 2017 was implemented in the RAPID-N utilizing the shake map. High risk areas were selected through Natech risk assessments for the selected eight work places and countermeasures for the areas were suggested. High risk areas exist depending on the location, since the damage influence ranges could be overlapped and each chemical facility has an independent probability of Natech. Therefore, studies on Natech emergency plans and emergency evacuation routes should be actively conducted considering such high risk areas. The present study was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of Natech risk assessment in South Korea through the RAPID-N. These findings can be used as a reference material to lay a foundation for Natech risk assessment and related policies in South Korea.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.10 no.1_2
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• pp.37-46
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• 1995

The purpose of this research is to estimate a safe environmental level of human exposure to thresholding-acting toxicants in drinking water and recommend the acceptable levels and management plans for maintaining good quality of drinking water' and protecting health hazard. This research has been funded as a national project for three years from 1992 to 1995. This study(the second year, 1993-1994) was conducted to monitor 39 species of noncarcinogenic chemicals such as volatile organic compounds(VOCs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbens(PAHs), pesticides and heavy metals of drinking water at some area in six cities of Korea, and evaluate health risk due to these chemicals through four main steps (hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment and risk characterization) of risk assessment in drinking water. In hazard identification, 39 species of non-carcinogenic chemicals were identified by the US EPA classification system. In the step of exposure assessment, sampling of tap water from the public water supply system had been conducted from 1993 to 1994, and 39 chemicals were analyzed. Inclose-response assessment for non-carcinogens, reference doses(RfD) and lifetime health advisories(HAs) of lifetime acceptable levels were calculated. In risk characterization of detected chemicals, the hazard quotients of noncarcinogens were less than one except those of manganese and iron in D city.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2019

Objectives: This study examined the safety of tattoo ink by analyzing the phenol contents in tattoo inks and its risk assessment of selected phenol. Methods: A sample of 30 tattoo inks was purchased, the phenol contents were analyzed, and a risk assessment on dermal exposure from tattooing was carried out. Hazard identification was collected from toxicity data on systemic effects caused by dermal exposure to phenol, and the most sensitive toxicity value was adopted. Exposure assessment ($Exposure_{phenol}$) was calculated by applying phenol contents and standard exposure factors, while dose-response assessment was based on the collected toxicity data and skin absorption rate of phenol, assessment factors (AFs) for derived no-effect level ($DNEL_{demal}$). In addition, the risk characterization was calculated by comparing the risk characterization ratio (RCR) with $Exposure_{phenol}$ and $DNEL_{dermal}$ Results: The phenol concentration in the 30 products was from 1.4 to $649.1{\mu}g/g$. The toxicity value for systemic effects of phenol was adopted at 107 mg/kg. $Exposure_{phenol}$ in tattooing was from 0.000087 to 0.040442 mg/kg. $DNEL_{dermal}$ was calculated at 0.0072 mg/kg (=toxicity value 107 mg/kg ${\div}$ AFs 650 ${\times}$ skin absorption rate 4.4%). Thirteen out of 30 products showed an RCR between 1.02 and 5.62. The RCR of all red inks was above 1. Conclusions: Phenol was detected in all of the 30 tattoo inks, and the RCR of 13 products above 1 indicates a high level of risk concern, making it necessary to prepare safety management standards for phenol in tattoo inks.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.16-16
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• 2004

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2004

A wide spectrum of risk assessments including qualitative and quantitative approaches and the analyses of its consequence were performed for an environmentally sensitive object such as incineration facility. To find out the major risk concerns, HAZOP(Hazard and Operability) were performed. Then, the frequency of hazardous gas release scenarios was calculated. Finally consequence analyses were performed for the gas release scenarios. On the basis of analyses through evaluation, a more innovative way for making a better control system or the enhancement of operation procedure was given. The results from these analyses would act as a substantial benefits for the incineration facility operator, and giving some measured information for the neighbors and the people involved.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2004

Environmental risk assessment of cadmium compounds was conducted using national monitoring data of aquatic and terrestrial compartments of local area. Aquatic and terrestrial toxicities of cadmium compounds on algae, daphnid, fish, earthworm, springtails and other species were evaluated. The toxicity data evaluated in this study were mainly from ECOTOX database provided by US EPA. Assessment factors were determined according to the EU technical guidance document and/or OECD proposal. Predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) values of aquatic and terrestrial toxicity were 25$\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively and they were compared with cadmium exposure data of several local areas, which were used as Predicted exposure concentration(PEC) values. Most of the local area were found to be not risky. However, the risk values (PEC/NEC) of some metropolitan areas were greater than 1 when the most conservative PNEC value was applied.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.397-406
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• 2014

Objectives: Perchloroethylene (PCE) is a volatile chemical widely used as a solvent in the dry-cleaning and textile processing industries. It was evaluated as Group 2 "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) of the United State Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in 2012. In order to provide a scientific basis for establishing risk management measures for chemicals on the national priority substances list, aggregate risk assessment was conducted for PCE, included in the top-10 substances. Methods: We conducted the investigation and monitoring of PCE exposure (e.g., exposure scenario, detection levels, and exposure factors, etc.) and assessed its multi-media (e.g., outdoor air, indoor air, and ground water) exposure risk with a deterministic and probabilistic approach. Results: In human risk assessment (HRA), the level of human exposure was higher in the younger age group. The exposure level through inhalation at home was the highest among the exposure routes. Outdoor air or uptake of drinking water represented less than 1% of total contributions to PCE exposure. These findings suggested that the level of risk was negligible since the Hazard Index (HI) induced by HRA was below one among all age groups, with a maximum HI value of 0.17 when reasonable maximum exposure was applied. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was suggested that despite low exposure risk, further studies are needed considering main sources, including occupational exposure.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.89-90
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• 2006