• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 2009

On 7 December 2007, the Hebei Spirit ran aground near Taean and released approximately 10,900 tons of oil into the sea. Crude oil on the coastal areas and fumes in the air increased the number of health problems among the local population. We report a case of respiratory failure after the oil spill clean-up work. A 66-year-old female was admitted to hospital with cough, sputum, and dyspnea of 1-month duration after the oil spill clean-up. She was diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia and treated with empirical antibiotics. However, she had progressive respiratory failure without identification of the pathogen. Respiratory failure due to chronic inhalation of hydrocarbons from the crude oil spill clean-up was suspected. After mechanical ventilation care, she recovered from respiratory failure and was discharged. We report a case of severe respiratory toxic effects after an oil spill clean-up. We concluded that long-term hydrocarbon inhalation during the oil spill clean-up may have induced respiratory failure in this case.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.27
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• pp.8.1-8.10
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• 2012

Objectives: The goal was to model and quantify the atmospheric concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the result of the Hebei Spirit oil spill, and to predict whether the exposure levels were abnormally high or not. Methods: We developed a model for calculating the airborne concentration of VOCs that are produced in an oil spill accident. The model was applied to a practical situation, namely the Hebei Spirit oil spill. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the results with previous observation data. The concentrations were compared with the currently used air quality standards. Results: Evaporation was found to be 10- to 1,000-fold higher than the emissions produced from a surrounding industrial complex. The modeled concentrations for benzene failed to meet current labor environmental standards, and the concentration of benzene, toluene, orthometa- para-xylene were higher than the values specified by air quality standards and guideline values on the ocean. The concentrations of total VOCs were much higher than indoor environmental criteria for the entire Taean area for a few days. Conclusions: The extent of airborne exposure was clearly not the same as that for normal conditions.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Right after the 2007 Hebei Spirit Oil Spill phytoplankton ecosystems were investigated for 11 years based on the seasonal monitoring of the composition and abundance of phytoplankton species. Comparable time-series data from the 1989 Exxon Valdez or the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill sites were not available. It was suggested that the ecological healthiness of phytoplankton ecosystems at EVOS sites had recovered after 10 years following the oil spill based on chlorophyll concentrations even though these concentrations only represented phytoplankton communities in most cases. Chlorophyll concentrations can only reflect limited aspects of highly complex phytoplankton ecosystems. During the last 11 years following the 2017 HSOS, extreme variabilities were met in the seasonally averaged ratios of diatoms to phototrophic flagellates including dinoflagellates based on the microscopic cell countings. Summer phytoplankton communities exhibited some cyclic interannual changes in dominant groups every 2-4 years. During the early years (2008-2010) cryptophytes or raphidophytes (Chattonella spp.) dominated alternately each year, which was repeated again in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Two thecate dinoflagellates, Tripos fusus and Tripos furca, together accounted for 52.5% and 50.0% of all organisms in the summers of 2011 and 2012, respectively, which was repeated again in 2018. Summer occurrence and dominance by the phototrophic flagellates including HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) species as well as their interannual variabilities in the oil spill sites could be utilized as markers for the stable and long-term management of healthy ecosystems. For this type of scientific ecosystem management monitoring of chlorophyll concentrations may sometimes be insufficient to gain a proper and comprehensive understanding of phytoplankton communities located in areas where oil spills have occurred and harmed the ecosystem.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.455-461
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• 2017

The Hebei Spirit oil spill incident occurred in December 7, 2007 and caused approximately $12,547k{\ell}$ of crude oil spillage along 370km off the west coast of Korea. Due to the astronomical and irrecoverable damage to the marine ecosystems and the overall living standards of the residents, the oil spill incident has been notoriously named as the "worst oil spill incident" occurred in Korea. Nevertheless, though almost a decade has passed since the tragic incident in Korea, it appears that compensation and recovery efforts seem not close to satisfaction and the local residents are still struggling with various negative impacts incurred by the incident because of critical cleavage among the interests of the relevant parties to the incident. In this paper, the analysis of Hebei Spirit oil spill incident regarding two aspects was carried out; First, meticulously analyze the practical and statistical data of the incident to precisely examine the fundamental causes for its occurrence to further prevent the reoccurrence of such disastrous incident; and the second, comprehensively inspect reasons for the protracted and inefficient damage recovery and victim-oriented compensation. To be specific, this study observed the levels of compensation against damages from the incident, and the adequacy of it in terms of ultimately and inclusively addressing financial, social and ecological aspects based primarily upon the legal verdicts, and statistical and empirical surveys.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.139-146
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• 2011

In order to detect the early impacts of the Hebei Spirit oil spill on the subtidal macrozoobenthos, we conducted a benthic survey at 72 stations in the subtidal area of Tae-an, the eastern Yellow Sea from Dec. 18th 2007 to Dec. 22th after 10 days from the Hebei Spirit oil spill. A total of228 species from 72 stations was sampled with mean density of 561 ind $m^{-2}$ and mean biomass of 39.7 gww $m^{-2}$. In this study, Ampelisca occurred as a major dominant fauna in this survey, but did not appear around oil spill areas. Meanwhile some opportunistic polychaete worms like Prionospio bocki, Prionospio cirrifera appeared in the oil spill area, especially near coastal beaches. The overall abundance and biomass of macrozoobenthos decreased after oil spill. However some stations previously disturbed with sand extraction showed a similar macrozoobenthic community structure.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.435-444
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• 2009

In the case of oil spill accident at sea, information concerning the movement of spilled oil is important in making response strategies. Aircrafts and the satellites have been utilized for monitoring of spilled oil. In these days, numerical models are using to predict the movement of the spilled oil. In the future a coupling method of modeling and remote sensing data should be needed to predict more correctly the spilled oil. The purpose of this paper is to present an application of satellite image data to an oil spill prediction model as an initial condition. Environmental Fluid Dynamics Computer Code (EFDC) was used to predict the movement of the oil spilled from Hebei Spirit incident occurred in Taean coastal area on December 7,2007. In order to make the model initial condition and to compare the model results, two satellite images, KOMPSAT-2 MSC and ENVISAT ASAR obtained on December 8 and 11, were used during the period of the oil spill incident. The model results showed an improvement for the prediction of the spilled oil by using the initial condition deduced from satellite image data than the initial condition specified at the oil spill incident site in the respects of the distributed spilled area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.109-112
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• 2010

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.54-60
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• 2009

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.146-146
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.402-403
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• 2010

Hebei Spirit Oil Spill in the West Coast in 2007 happened catastrophic environment and economy damage. Refer to the limitation of current oil spill response methods. and oil spill response in the Yellow sea coast of korea, effective measures are considered.