• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.137-147
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the limitations of the regulations on the safety and health standards for special management materials(SMM) under the Industrial Safety and Health Act in Korea. Methods: Hazardous chemicals management systems in Germany(Hazardous Substances Ordinance), the UK(Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations), Japan(Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards due to Specified Chemical Substances) and Korea(Regulation of Occupational Safety and Health Standards, ROSHS) were investigated and compared in terms of 14 items. Results: Among the 14 items, we eventually found seven items which should be amended: 1) definition and scope, 2) general duties clause, 3) principles of management, 4) preventive measures, 5) control measures, 6) risk assessment, and 7) record keeping. The principal limitations of Korean regulations in comparison with those of other countries were that there were no preventive measures such as substitution, and no principles of good practices for the control of exposure to SMM. In terms of control measures, there were no regulations on suitable workplace design, reducing the number of exposed workers, reducing the level and duration of exposure, and reducing the quantity of hazardous substances in ROSHS. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, ROSHS should be complemented with preventive measures and the principles of management related to SMM. According to the suggestions, an employer who deals with SMM should preferably consider the possibility of substitution and perform substitution so far as is reasonably practicable.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.159-169
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes among the nine kinds of reduction chemical substances in Korea over the period of 2008-2017. We will define basic data for improving the management methods for reducing chemical substances. Methods: A survey of hazardous pollutant emissions for 2008-2017 was conducted through the pollutant Release and Transfer Register homepage. Nine kinds of designated reduction chemical substances (Benzene, Vinyl chloride, Trichloro ethylene, 1,3-butadiene, Dichloro methane, Tetrachloro ethylene, N,N-dimethylformamide, Acrylo nitrile, and Chloroform) provided the study subjects. The emission of hazardous chemicals and health effects used the National Health Statistics and Integrated Chemicals Information System (ICIS) as a reference. Results: Hazardous pollutant emissions increased by 1.2 times over the past decade, and nine types of reduction chemical substances increased by 1.6 times. By region, the emissions of reduction chemical substances over the last 10 years were in the order of Chungbuk, Gyeonggi, and Gyeongbuk. Emissions of Dichloro methane was the highest in Chungbuk and Gyeongbuk. N,N-dimethylformamide was the highest in Gyeonggi. Carcinogen pollutant emissions showed a tendency to increase continuously. In addition, group 1 carcinogen emissions showed a tendency to decrease. Conclusion: In the last decade, the amount of hazardous chemical emissions has been continuously increasing. Hazardous chemical emissions require facility improvement for continuous emissions reduction. More research on reduction of emissions is needed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2016

Background: Management and workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often find it hard to comprehend the requirements related to controlling risks due to exposure to substances. An intervention study was set up in order to support 45 SMEs in improving the management of the risks of occupational exposure to chemicals, and in using the control banding tool and exposure model Stoffenmanager in this process. Methods: A 2-year intervention study was carried out, in which a mix of individual and collective training and support was offered, and baseline and effect measurements were carried out by means of structured interviews, in order to measure progress made. A seven-phase implementation evolutionary ladder was used for this purpose. Success and failure factors were identified by means of company visits and structured interviews. Results: Most companies clearly moved upwards on the implementation evolutionary ladder; 76% of the companies by at least one phase, and 62% by at least two phases. Success and failure factors were described. Conclusion: Active training and coaching helped the participating companies to improve their chemical risk management, and to avoid making mistakes when using and applying Stoffenmanager. The use of validated tools embedded in a community platform appears to support companies to organize and structure their chemical risk management in a business-wise manner, but much depends upon motivated occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals, management support, and willingness to invest time and means.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.85-91
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• 2001

The regulation of Material safety data sheets(MSDS) was required for the chemicals in use in the workplace from July 1976. Under the provisions of the workplace hazardous materials information system, employers in Korea must be provided with accurate and comprehensive MSDS. To examine the reliability of MSDS for organic solvents, 63 organic solvents and MSDS were collected from the workplace of 39 companies located in Kyonggi province. Manufacture\`s MSDS were compared with the actual composition of the collected samples, and further examined the reliability by checking whether the chemicals analyzed were included in the MSDS correctly. 38 solvents were able to analyze their composition by gas chromatography-mass selective detector(GC-MSD). Among them, 28 solvents were incorrect in their composition and contents. In some case, health hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals which were not included in the MSDS were detected from samples. As a result of evaluating whether the MSDS correspond to the regulation required by Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA), the information in the MSDS including hazard classification, occupational exposure level, toxicity, regulatory information were incorrectly provided, and some MSDS did not disclose carcinogenic in their MSDS, and some MSDS were not written in the standard format. From this survey, continuous monitoring and promoting correct MSDS, and analyzing the components of the solvents were required to endure the reliability of MSDS for organic solvents.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.845-859
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• 2020

Climate change and recent heat waves have drawn public attention toward other environmental issues, such as water pollution in the form of algal blooms, chemical leaks, and oil spills. Water pollution by the leakage of chemicals may severely affect human health as well as contaminate the air, water, and soil and cause discoloration or death of crops that come in contact with these chemicals. Chemicals that may spill into water streams are often colorless and water-soluble, which makes it difficult to determine whether the water is polluted using the naked eye. When a chemical spill occurs, it is usually detected through a simple contact detection device by installing sensors at locations where leakage is likely to occur. The drawback with the approach using contact detection sensors is that it relies heavily on the skill of field workers. Moreover, these sensors are installed at a limited number of locations, so spill detection is not possible in areas where they are not installed. Recently hyperspectral images have been used to identify land cover and vegetation and to determine water quality by analyzing the inherent spectral characteristics of these materials. While hyperspectral sensors can potentially be used to detect chemical substances, there is currently a lack of research on the detection of chemicals in water streams using hyperspectral sensors. Therefore, this study utilized remote sensing techniques and the latest sensor technology to overcome the limitations of contact detection technology in detecting the leakage of hazardous chemical into aquatic systems. In this study, we aimed to determine whether 18 types of hazardous chemicals could be individually classified using hyperspectral image. To this end, we obtained hyperspectral images of each chemical to establish a spectral library. We expect that future studies will expand the spectral library database for hazardous chemicals and that verification of its application in water streams will be conducted so that it can be applied to real-time monitoring to facilitate rapid detection and response when a chemical spill has occurred.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.114-121
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• 2019

Background: The photolithography process in the semiconductor industry uses various chemicals with little information on their constitution. This study aimed to identify the chemical constituents of photoresist (PR) products and their by-products and to compare these constituents with material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and analytical results. Methods: A total of 51 PRs with 48 MSDSs were collected. Analysis consisted of two parts: First, the constituents of the chemical products were identified and analyzed using MSDS data; second, for verification of the by-products of PR, volatile organic compounds were analyzed. The chemical constituents were categorized according to hazards. Results: Forty-five of 48 products contained trade secrets in amounts ranging from 1 to 65%. A total of 238 ingredients with multiple counting (35 ingredients without multiple counting) were identified in the MSDS data, and 48.7% of ingredients were labeled as trade secrets under the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act. The concordance rate between the MSDS data and the analytical result was 41.7%. The by-product analysis identified 129 chemicals classified according to Chemical Abstracts Service No., with 17 chemicals that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic substances. Formaldehyde was found to be released from 12 of 21 products that use novolak resin. Conclusion: We confirmed that several PRs contain carcinogens, and some were not specified in the toxicological information in the MSDS. Hazardous chemicals, including benzene and formaldehyde, are released from PRs products as by-products. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a systematic management system for chemical compounds and the working environment.

• Korean Journal of Hazardous Materials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2014

Since the unprecedented hydrogen fluoride leak accident in 2012, there has been growing demand for customized technical information for rapid response and chemical accident management agencies including the Ministry of Environment, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the National Police Agency need more information on chemicals and accident management. In this regard, this study aims to provide reliable technical data and guidelines to initial response agencies, similar to accident management technical reports of the US and Canada. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey and interviews on initial response agencies like fire stations, police stations, and local governments to identify new information items for appropriate initial response and improvements of current guidelines. We also collected and reviewed the Canada's TIPS, US EPA's hydrogen fluoride documents, domestic and foreign literature on applicability tests of control chemicals, and interview data, and then produced items to be listed in the technical guidelines. In addition, to establish database of on-site technical information, we carried out applicability tests for accident control data including ① emergency shut down devide, safety guard, shut down valve, ground connection, dyke, transfer pipe, scrubber, and sensor; ② literature and field survey on distribution type and transportation/storage characteristics (container identification, valve, ground connection, etc.); ③ classification and identification of storage/transportation facilities and emergency management methodslike leak prevention, chemicals control, and cutoff or bypass of rain drainage; ④ domestic/foreign analysis methods and environmental standards including portable detection methods, test standards, and exposure limits; and ⑤ comparison/evaluation of neutralization efficiency of control chemicals on toxic substances.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.433-445
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• 2015

Objectives: The major objectives of this study are to review the issues surrounding trade secret claims in the Chemicals Control Act and Amendment on Occupational Safety and Health Act(1917-227) and to propose a way of improving the reliability of chemical information in MSDSs, labels and National Chemical Survey results. Materials: To review the issues on trade secret claims, we made an analysis frame which was divided into three steps: Value and Problem Recognition; New Regulation Design; and Enforcement and Amendment. We then compared Korean issues with issues from the United States' Hazard Communication Standard and Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act, Canada's Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and Hazardous Materials Information Review Act and the European Union's Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and Mixtures. Results: The stage of right-to-know development in Korea has passed the Value and Problem Recognition phase, so efforts are needed to elaborately design new regulation. Conclusions: We recommend two ways to improve right-to-know in Korea. First, strict examination of the quality of documents for trade secret claims is very important. Second, trade secrets should be limited to less-hazardous substances.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.85-93
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• 1999

The destruction of hazardous chemicals such as chlorinated organic compounds(COCs) and nitroaromatic compounds(NACs) by zero-valent iron powder is one of the latest innovative technologies. In this paper. the rapid dechlorination of chlorinated compounds as well as transformation of nitro functional group to amine functional group in the nitroaromatic compounds using synthesized zero-valent iron powder with nanoscale were studied in anaerobic batch system. Nanoscale iron, characterized by high surface area to mass ratios(31.4$\textrm{m}^2$/g) and high reactivity, could quickly reacts with compounds such as TCE, chloroform, nitrobenzene, nitrotoluene, dinitrobenzene and dinitrotoluene, at concentration of 10mg/L in aqueous solution at room temperature and pressure. In this study, the TCE was dechlorinated to ethane and chloroform to methane and nitro groups in NACs were transformed to amino groups in less than 30min. These results indicated that this chemical method using nanoscale iron powder has the high potential for the remediation of soils and groundwater contaminated with hazardous toxic chemicals including chlorinated organic compounds and nitro aromatic compounds.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Urban Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.495-502
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• 2018

In this study, the AERMOD air diffusing model was used to estimate the range of influence of Hazardous chemicals (hydrogen fluoride) in case of small accidents in Jeju area. The impact scope were in the order of Seogwipo Fire Station, Dongbu Fire Station, Jeju Fire Station, and Seobu Fire Station. Seasonal orders were summer, spring, autumn and winter. The correlation between the meteorological factors shows a strong positive correlation with the wind speed of 0.998 and has a negative correlation with the temperature of -0.463. Through the linear regression analysis, we could estimate the equation of Impact scope = 13.922WS (Wind Speed) - 5.195 and the reliability ($R^2$) was as high as 0.995.