• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.349-357
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• 2015

Objectives: The 2007 Korea National Survey for Environmental Pollutants in the Human Body found the highest blood mercury levels nationwide among residents in Seoksan-ri, Goro-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Gyeonsangbuk-do. With the aim to reduce the blood mercury levels of residents in this region, we conducted this study to identify the association between mercury exposure levels and shark meat consumption. Methods: This survey was conducted with 118 participants in Seoksan-ri before the Chuseok festival and 113 residents were added afterwards. Information on participants was collected via questionnaires. Total mercury concentrations in biological samples were measured using a mercury analyzer with the gold-amalgam collection method. Results: To identify this, we conducted mercury exposure level analysis before and after the Chuseok festival and found that blood and urinary mercury levels after Chuseok (GM of $6.9{\mu}g/L$ in blood and $1.68{\mu}g/g$_cr in urine) were higher than those before (GM of $5.29{\mu}g/L$ in blood and $1.44{\mu}g/g$_cr in urine). This area maintains a custom of using shark meat as one of the ancestral rite foods, and the performance of such rites and shark meat consumption have been identified as main sources of mercury exposure. Other than this, smoking, dental amalgam treatment and residential period in the area also contributed to an increase in mercury exposure levels. On the other hand, recent consumption of oriental medicine and vaccination did not have a significant influence on mercury levels. Conclusion: The results were attributed to the local custom of consuming shark meat with high mercury concentrations during rituals taking place during the festival and ancestral rites. Given that the blood mercury levels in 23.2% of the residents exceeded the HBM II values recommended by the German Commission on Human Biological Monitoring, it is suggested that further appropriate actions and follow-up measures be taken to reduce the mercury exposure levels of the residents that exceeded the reference values.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2016

Recently several studies reported that the renal toxicity of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) may exist in even a low level exposure. In terms of the deterioration of tubular function, it affects the loss of divalent metals and leads to other complications, so renal tubular effect of heavy metals should be well managed. Considering the exposure to heavy metals in reality, it is hard to find the case that human is exposed to only one heavy metal. We designed a cross-sectional study using Korean Research Project on the Integrated Exposure Assessment (KRIEFS) data to investigate the renal effects of multiple metal exposure in general population. We used blood Pb and urinary Cd as exposure measures, and urinary N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and ${\beta}_2$-microglobulin (${\beta}_2$-MG) as renal tubular impairment outcome. We conducted linear regression to identify the association between each heavy metal and urinary NAG and ${\beta}_2$-MG. And then, we conducted linear regression including the interaction term. Of 1953 adults in KRIEFS (2010~2011), the geometric mean of blood Pb and urinary Cd concentration was $2.21{\mu}g/dL$ (geometric $SD=1.49{\mu}g/dL$) and $1.08{\mu}g/g\;cr$ (geometric $SD=1.98{\mu}g/g\;cr$), respectively. In urinary Cd, the strength of the association was also high after adjusting (urinary NAG: ${\beta}=0.44$, p < 0.001; urinary ${\beta}_2$-MG: ${\beta}=0.13$, p = 0.002). Finally, we identified the positive interactions for the two renal biomarkers. The interaction effect of the two heavy metals of ${\beta}_2$-MG was greater than that of NAG. It is very important in public health perspective if the low level exposure to multiple heavy metals has an interaction effect on kidney. More epidemiological studies for the interaction and toxicological studies on the mechanism are needed.

• Clean Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.285-299
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• 2011

As one of the REACH obligations, the extended safety data sheet (eSDS) should be communicated within the supply chain under the REACH Regulation. Based on technical guidance documents published on the ECHAs website and survey of EU's recent REACH-related informations, this paper includes a study on details of how to develop exposure scenarios (ES) such as structure of ES, process of ES develpoment, standard workflows and key input data to develop ES with an introduction of eSDS concept. This paper also contains an overview on operational conditions (OCs) and risk management measures (RMMs) that are what to consider when building an ES. The structure of Chesar (Chemical Safety Assessment and Report tool) developed by European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is studied with a review of the available exposure estimation tools for workers, environment and consumers. Case example of generic exposure scenario (GES) for organic solvent is presented. To guide Korean EU-exporting companies, their participating roles in three steps of preparing ES are addressed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.432-445
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• 2021

Background: The European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals' Targeted Risk Assessment (ECETOC TRA) tool has been recognized by EU REACH as a preferred approach for calculating worker health risks from chemicals. Objectives: The applicability of the ECETOC TRA to occupational exposure estimation from industrial uses of methanol was studied by inputting surveyed and varied parameters for TRA estimation as well as through comparison with measured data. Methods: Information on uses of methanol was collected from seven working environment monitoring reports along with the measured exposure data. Input parameters for TRA estimation such as operating conditions (OCs), risk management measures (RMMs) and process categories (PROCs) were surveyed. To compare with measured exposures, parameters from the surveyed conditions of ventilation but no use of respiratory protection were applied. Results: PROCs 4, 5, 8a, 10, and 15 were assigned to ten uses of methanol. The uses include as a solvent for manufacturing sun cream, surfactants, dyestuffs, films and adhesives. Methanol was also used as a component in a release agent, hardening media and mold wash for cast products as well as a component of hard-coating solution and a viscosity-controlling agent for manufacturing glass lenses. PROC 8a and PROC 10 of a cast product manufacturer without LEV (local exhaust ventilation) and general ventilation as well as no respiratory protection resulted in the highest exposure to methanol. Assuming the identical worst OCs and RMMs for all uses, exposures from PROC 5, 8a, and 10 were the same and the highest followed by PROC 4 and 15. The estimation resulted in higher exposures in nine uses except one use where measured exposure approximated exposures without RMMs. Conclusions: The role of ECETOC TRA as a conservative exposure assessment tool was confirmed by comparison with measured data. Moreover, it can guide which RMMs should be applied for the safe use of methanol.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.35-48
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• 2021

This study is an attempt to establish a model and identify the relationship between the individual characteristics of college students, Internet usage characteristics, exposure to pornography, and anti-social sexual perception. The subjects of the study were 360 college students aged 18 or older in B city, and the collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 22.0 programs. The goodness-of-fit index of the modified model met the acceptance criteria (𝛘²/df=2.786, GFI=.95, AGFI=.92, SRMR=.06, RMSEA=.07, NFI=.89, CFI=.93, TLI=.90). According to the results of path analysis, the variables that directly affect anti-social sexual perceptions of college students were personal characteristics and exposure to pornography, and the variable with indirect effect was the Internet usage characteristics. The biggest direct effect on anti-social sexual perception was exposure to pornography, and it was confirmed that exposure to pornography was directly affected by personal characteristics and Internet usage characteristics. Therefore, in order to reduce anti-social sexual perceptions among college students, measures should be taken to control personal characteristics and Internet usage characteristics that directly affect the level of exposure to pornography.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.185-191
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to present effective basic data for business management through analysis of importance and performance of personal information protection of the elderly welfare center workers. For this purpose, the questionnaire on the protection of personal information was reconstructed based on the diagnostic level of the personal information security management level of the public institution and the questionnaire was conducted on 105 employees of the elderly welfare center in Chungbuk area. Based on the responses to the importance and the degree of performance of the personal information protection of the elderly welfare center employees, technical statistics and corresponding sample T-tests were conducted and the importance-performance analysis (IPA) was used. Followings are the results of this study: First, there is a statistically significant difference between the importance and the implementation of the management system for the protection of personal information of the workers in the elderly welfare center, establishment and implementation of protection measures, establishment and implementation of infringement measures. Second, IPA analysis on the protection of personal information of the workers in the elderly welfare center shows that the establishment and implementation of protection measures are the areas to maintain good performance. Third, in IPA analysis of the sub-factors of the personal information protection of the workers in the welfare center of the elderly, in the construction and management of the management system, in performing the role of the personal information protection officer and establishing and implementing protection measures, The factors of prevention of information disclosure and exposure and the safe use and management of personal information processing system were analyzed as areas requiring intensive improvement. This study is meaningful as a basic research that can raise the awareness of the personal information protection of the workers in the elderly welfare center and induce the improvement of the related work.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.478-486
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• 2022

Purpose: Although the working environment is measured at the construction site, only a few noise and vibration that are typically exposed for each process are performed without measuring the working environment by segmenting the exposed harmful factors. Therefore, it is intended to find the harmfulness of silicon oxide dust, which is most exposed at construction sites, and the complementary points of improvement measures currently being implemented at construction sites. Method: The status was analyzed using the actual condition survey report issued by the Korea Occupational Health Corporation and the Korea Occupational Health Association and data from the work environment measurement institution, and compared and analyzed with the rules on work environment measurement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Result: The harmfulness of silicon oxide dust was identified and improvement measures were derived. Conclusion: It is expected that occupational diseases against silicon dust can be reduced if the harmfulness of silicon oxide dust at construction sites is derived and improvement measures are actively applied at the site.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.296-303
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• 2003

A personal portable type electronic dosimeter using silicon PIN photodiode and small GM tube is recently attracting much attention due to its advantages such as an immediate indication function of dose and dose rate, alerting function, and efficient management of radiation exposure history and dose data. We designed and manufactured a semiconductor radiation detector aimed to directly measure X-ray and v-ray irradiated in silicon PIN photodiode, without using high-priced scintillation materials. Using this semiconductor radiation detector, we developed an active electronic dosimeter, which measures the exposure dose using pulse counting method. In this case, it has a shortcoming of over-evaluating the dose that shows the difference between the dose measured with electronic dosimeter and the dose exposed to the human body in a low energy area. We proposed an energy compensation filter and developed a dose conversion algorithm to make both doses indicated on the detector and exposed to the human body proportional to each other, thus enabling a high-precision dose measurement. In order to prove its reliability in conducting personal dose measurement, crucial for protecting against radiation, the implemented electronic dosimeter was evaluated to successfully meet the IEC's criteria, as the KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) conducted test on dose indication accuracy, and linearity, energy and angular dependences.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.13-19
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• 2018

The exposed pipe requires higher durability because is directly contacted with the outside air unlike the buried pipe. For this purpose, clear detailed technical standards are essential in the design and construction of piping systems. However, the existing technical standards were not able to evaluate the durability considering the characteristics of piping, so many questions were raised in the field. Therefore, through the present study, the existing detailed technical standards are revised to propose measures to secure the durability of exposed piping.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2010

This technical report was developed to suggest the guideline to assess the safe use and handling metalworking fluids (MWFs) in machining operation. The basis of this method developed in this study was based on self assessment procedure recommended by Organization Resources Counselors (ORC) of the United States (US). In addition, various MWF management elements obtained from the review on various articles, reports and author's experience regarding MWF were newly added to the evaluation guideline. A total of four areas were finally selected in order to control exposure to MWF used in machining operations. They are all related to the presence and efficiency of the control measures, exposure assessment, management on tank and sump, and safe treatment of chips and metal fines generated during machining operations. Each area is consisted of several related elements. Several evaluation areas and elements used in this study could be revised, replaced, added and deleted according to the process environment, evaluation objectives and evaluator's (manager) criteria etc. This evaluation guide manual could be used for safe management of MWF in metalworking operation. In addition, industrial hygienists can use this evaluation method for auditing and evaluating the management status on MWF.