• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.375-382
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• 2008

Bisphenol A (BPA) and di-2-ethyhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is the considerably hazardous materials, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which is accumulated to the human's fat and tissue. We studied the relationship between the concentrations of BPA and DEHP in the precocious puberty and the normal controls using GC/MSD. BPA concentrations of the precocious puberty are lower than that of normal controls. But DEHP concentrations of the precocious puberty are higher than that of normal controls. From these results, BPA is not related to the precocious puberty. Otherwise, DEHP is somewhat related to the precocious puberty and the concentrations of the precocious puberty are approximately 45% higher than that of normal controls.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.65-83
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• 2008

It is noted that illegal hazardous foods containing unauthorized drugs or synthetic drung analogues are increasing. Especially, reported are unknown compounds that have the modified chemical structures of the anti-impotence drugs such as sildenafil, vardenafil, and tatalafil. In addition, it is very reserved, since illegal synthetic compounds having similar chemical structures modified from anti-impotence drug to avoid the government inspection are not proved their safety at all. This review in ulation to food safety, lists the illegal compounds added to foods and describes about the analytical methods to chanacterize 16 anti-impotence drug analogues such as homosildenafil, hongdenafil, pseudovardenafil, aminotadalafil, hydroxyhomosildenafil, hydroxyhongdenafil, dimethylsildenafil, xanthoanthrafil, hydroxyvardenafil, norneosildenafil, demethylhongdenafil, piperidinohongdenafil, carbodenafil, thiosildenafil, dimethylthiosildenafil, and acetylvardenafil.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2023

Biological corrosion, a crucial aspect of metal degradation, has received limited attention despite its significance. It involves the deterioration of metals due to corrosion processes influenced by living organisms, including bacteria. Soil represents a substantial threat to pipeline corrosion as it contains chemical and microbial factors that cause severe damage to water, oil, and gas transmission projects. To combat fouling and corrosion, corrosion inhibitors are commonly used; however, their production often involves expensive and hazardous chemicals. Consequently, researchers are exploring natural and eco-friendly alternatives, specifically nano-sized products, as potent corrosion inhibitors. This study aims to environmentally synthesize silver nanoparticles using an extract from Lagoecia cuminoides L and evaluate their effectiveness in preventing biological corrosion of buried pipes in soil. The optimal experimental conditions were determined as follows: a volume of 4 ml for the extract, a volume of 4 ml for silver nitrate (AgNO3), pH 9, a duration of 60 minutes, and a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. Analysis using transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with an average size of approximately 28 nm, while X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited suitable peak intensities. By employing the Scherer equation, the average particle size was estimated to be around 30 nm. Furthermore, antibacterial studies revealed the potent antibacterial activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. This property effectively mitigates the biological corrosion caused by bacteria in steel pipes buried in soil.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2024

In 2015, the paradigm of hazardous chemical substance management in Korea shifted from the workplace to the regional level due to the complete revision of the Chemicals Control Act. Although regional chemical accident response plans were established in 2020, there were slight differences in the scope and criteria of each local government. Therefore, this study compared and analyzed chemical accident response plans established in four different regions to provide insights into effective chemical accident response plans. Based on publicly available information, the current status of accident preparedness, chemical accident response systems, and resident evacuation response and education/training were compared and analyzed. The results showed that there were not significant differences in the accident preparedness and response systems between the regions. However, there was a lack of discussion on the preparedness system linked to the characteristics of each workplace in each region. Additionally, there were differences in education and training for residents between regions. In the future, each local government needs to establish a response organization that fits the characteristics of their region and develop strategies for agile and effective accident response through cooperation with relevant agencies.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2024

Background: E-waste workers in Hong Kong are handling an unprecedented amount of e-waste, which contains various neurotoxic chemicals. However, no study has been conducted to evaluate the neurological health status of e-waste workers in Hong Kong. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of neurobehavioral alterations and to identify the vulnerable groups among Hong Kong e-waste workers. Methods: We recruited 109 Hong Kong e-waste workers from June 2021 to September 2022. Participants completed standard questionnaires and wore a GENEActiv accelerometer for seven days. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Questionnaire 16/18 (Q16/18) were used to assess subjective neurobehavioral alterations. The GENEActiv data generated objective sleep and circadian rhythm variables. Workers were grouped based on job designation and entity type according to the presumed hazardous level. Unconditional logistic regression models measured the associations of occupational characteristics with neurobehavioral alterations after adjusting for confounders. Results: While dismantlers/repairers and the workers in entities not funded by the government were more likely to suffer from neurotoxic symptoms in Q18 (adjusted odds ratio: 3.18 [1.18-9.39] and 2.77 [1.10-7.46], respectively), the workers from self-sustained recycling facilities also have poor performances in circadian rhythm. Results also showed that the dismantlers/repairers working in entities not funded by the government had the highest risk of neurotoxic symptoms compared to the lowest-risk group (i.e., workers in government-funded companies with other job designations). Conclusion: This timely and valuable study emphasizes the importance of improving the working conditions for high-risk e-waste workers, especially the dismantlers or repairers working in facilities not funded by the government.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.477-487
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• 2019

Objectives: Firefighters are known to be exposed to a variety of toxic substances, but little information is available on the exposure profile of firefighting activities. The aims of this study were to conduct exposure monitoring of toxic chemicals at fire scenes, to compare the concentrations of respective chemicals among firefighting tasks, and to assess the main factors influencing the concentrations of chemicals. Methods: Researchers performed sampling at firefighting scenes during four weeks in 2013. At the scene, we collected samples based on firefighters' own activities and examined the situation and scale of the accident. Collected samples were classified into three categories, including fire extinguishing and overhaul, and were analyzed in the laboratory according to respective analysis methods. Results: A total of fourteen fire activity events were surveyed: five fire extinguishing, six overhaul, and three fire investigations. Although no substance exceeded the ACGIH TLV, PAHs were detected in every sample. Naphthalene ranged from 0.24 to 279.13 mg/㎥ (median 49.6 mg/㎥) and benzo(a)pyrene was detected in one overhaul case at 10.85 ㎍/㎥. Benzene (0.01-12.2 ppm) was detected in every task and exceeded the ACGIH TLV. No significant difference in concentrations between tasks was shown. Conclusions: These results indicate that all firefighting tasks generated various hazardous combustion products, including possible carcinogens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.402-413
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• 2001

Food safety is a term broadly applied to food quality that may adversely affect human health. These include zoonotic diseases and acute and chronic effects of ingesting natural and human-made xenobiotics. There are two major areas of concern over the presence of residues of antibiotics in animal-derived foodstuffs with regard to human health. The first is allergic reactions. Some antibiotics, such as penicillins can evoke allergic reactions even though small amounts of them are ingested or exposed by parenteral routes. The second is development of antibiotic resistance in gut bacteria of human. Recently multi-resistant pneumococcal, glycopeptide-resistant enterococci and gram negative bacteria with extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamases have spread all over the world, and are now a serious therapeutic problem in human. Although it is evident that drugs are required in the efficient production of meat, milk and eggs, their indiscriminate use should never be substituted for hygienic management of farm. Drug should be used only when they are required. In addition to veterinary drugs, environmental contaminants that were contaminated in feed, water and air can make residues in animal products. Mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals derived from industries can be harmful both to animal and human health. Most of organic contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, and metals are persistent in environment and biological organisms and can be accumulated in fat and hard tissues. Some of them are suspected to have endocrine disrupting, carcinogenic, teratogenic, immunodepressive and nervous effects. The governmental agencies concerned make efforts to prevent residue problems; approval of drugs including withdrawal times of each preparation of drugs, establishment of tolerances, guidelines regarding drug use and sanitation enforcement of livestock products. National residue program is conducted to audit the status of the chemical residues in foods. Recently HACCP has been introduced to promote food safety from farm to table by reducing hazardous biological, chemical and physical factors. Animal Production Food Safety Program, Quality Assurance Programs, Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank are para- or non-governmental activities ensuring food safety. This topic will cover classification and usage or sources of chemical residues, their adverse effects, and chemical residue status of some countries. Issues are expanded to residue detection methodologies, toxicological and pharmacokinetic backgrounds of MRL and withdrawal time establishments, and the importance of non-governmental activities with regard to reducing chemical residues in food.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.65-87
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to perform basic study on environmental and respiratory diseases in Ulsan and vicinities. Also, this study evaluated the actual state of environmental disease and health education at middle and high schools in Ulsan and surroundings. Methods: For this study, we conducted a survey on the health of the general public, environmental effects, and investigated the characteristics of environmental disease, health and hygiene education, etc. The populations of this study were middle and high school students in Ulsan, Korea. This study investigated the knowledge of environmental disease and health education at schools in Ulsan and vicinities from November 2009 to December 2009. All statistical calculations were performed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, and gained the following results by implementing Frequency Analysis, Cross-tabulation Analysis and ANOVA. Results: As more and more environmental diseases are increased, the interest of the people has been increasing on this. The incidence rates of asthma and atopy were represented the top 25% of the country in Korea. The source of heavy metal, PAHs and VOCs in Ulsan includes the Petrochemical Complex at Nam-gu and Ulju-gun, the Nonferrous Metal Industrial Complex at Onsan-eup, Ulju-gun, and the Heavy Industrial Complex at Dong-gu and Buk-gu. Especially, there are a number of fossil fuel combustion facilities such as waste incineration plants and boilers at Nam-gu and the Onsan Industrial Complex. It may help greatly to investigate the characteristics of environmental pollutants such as environmental air pollutant and indoor contaminant to better manage the local student's health. Conclusions: It has been revealed that the hazardous chemicals and environmental contaminants are main substances of cause for asthma, atopy, dermatitis, and allergy disease. Therefore, through with collecting basic data such as environmental disease of inhabitants, health education, conscious and knowledgeable level in parents of students and students, We have to exert to improve knowledge and prevention with health life in school through development of health education program systematically for preventing of environmental disease.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to establish the assessment techniques of hazardous chemicals by the development of analytical method of biological samples. In this study, we have developed an extraction method of nine pesticides used for rice paddy that resulted in high recovery from the spiked human urine by the liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether at pH 7.0. Calibration curve obtained from each pesticide standard using by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/selected ion monitoring has shown good linearity and detection limits were the range of $0.4{\sim}2.0$ ng/mL in urine. As a biological monitoring, urine samples of local farmers exposed directly to nine pesticides in the field were collected and analyzed by GC/MS. Of the tested pesticides, metabolites of phenthoate assumed were identified by GC/MS analysis. No parent compound was detected.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.287-295
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• 2010

Dust samples have been collected from streets, schools, subway stations and households in Daegu metropolitan city. Samples were sieved through a 100 ${\mu}m$ mesh and the concentration of 14 elements have been determined using by ICP after acid extraction. Results showed that Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and V were influenced by natural sources while Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were influenced by anthropogenic sources. The measured values were remarkably higher in components from natural sources than in components from anthropogenic sources. In particular, school dust had higher levels of Ca and Pb and subway station dust had higher levels of Cu and Zn. The percentage composition of chemicals from subway stations, households, and schools were remarkably higher in components from anthropogenic sources than that from streets. It is well recognized that anthropogenic sources were affected by indoor dust. Results of pollution index of hazardous heavy metals indicated that schools, households, and subway stations were more contaminated than streets and urban areas typically had higher pollution index than rural areas. The correlation analysis among trace elements seem to suggest that there were correlations between components of soil/road dust resuspension, and components of waste incineration and fuel combustion.