• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.615-623
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• 2020

In order to prevent the dangers of major marine accidents, it is very important to be aware of in advance through marine incidents in the background of Heinrich's law, formulated by the safety pioneer who is credited with focusing on workplace safety with emphasis on the human element. At least 11 cases of collision accidents occurred in the Busan VTS area from January 1st to December 31st, 2019, and 24 cases of VTS marine incidents were reported during the same period. According to Heinrich's law, there could be many more potentially risky situations besides the 24 reported cases. In this study, the criteria for VTS marine incidents were established through advanced research and a survey of VTS operators, and analysis of 24 cases of VTS marine incidents in the Busan VTS area. Traffic surveys were conducted for three days to identify potentially hazardous situations. According to the survey, there were 216 cases of VTS marine incidents, and within a year, it is estimated there could be about 26,280 cases. Even if conditions such as "missing VHF communication feedback" which is an important cause of marine incidents, are not reflected, there are many potential risks in the VTS area. Thus, it is vital to strengthen the VTS marine incident reporting system.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.417-426
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• 2018

Food preservatives are very important food additives for the biological and chemical safety of processed foods. The purposes of this study were to investigate Korean consumer's perception and information needs on food preservatives, to develop an educational booklet as a risk communication material on food preservatives, and to assess the educational effect of the developed booklet. To understand perception on food preservatives, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted by 381 parents having elementary school students at Seoul and Geoynggi area in Korea. Based on the survey results, brain storming of the authors along with consultation from the professionals, we developed a risk communication booklet about food preservatives. It was exposed to 35 parents of elementary school children, and their evaluation was collected by using a questionnaire and analyzed statistically. Respondents considered food safety (44.8%) as the most important factor while purchasing processed foods. They still perceived food additives as the most hazardous one (41.5%), and among those, food preservatives were the most concerned (45.9%). Total 67.7% of the respondents considered the consumption of food preservatives as hazardous or very hazardous. However, 90.6% of respondents did not have any educational experience about food additives and food preservatives. Based on their information needs, a science-based booklet consisting of the definition, classification, safety, intake, and management of food preservatives was developed. When the booklet titled as 'Food preservatives, Just Know Them!' was exposed to the parents via elementary school teacher, their negative perceptions on food additives and food preservatives were changed positively by increasing the understanding level on preservatives from 18.9% to 90.9% and obtaining 72.7% positive answers on their safety. Therefore, it could be used as an effective risk communication material on food preservatives.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.105-117
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• 2012

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in blood and factors controlling their exposure among Koreans. Methods: Study subjects were selected to include 718 members of the general population residing in five metropolitan cities and the Gangwon Province area from August 2008 to January 2009. A questionnaire was administered to investigate lifestyle, socio-demographic characteristics, and other related factors. Blood samples were collected and extracted using solid-phase extraction and anion-exchange methods, and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC, Agilent 1200 Series) coupled with a Triple Quad LC-MS/MS system (Agilent 6410). Results: Geometric mean concentrations of PFOA and PFOS in the blood were measured as 1.82 and 6.06 ng/ml, respectively. Mean PFOA and PFOS concentrations generally increased with age in both genders. Blood PFOA concentration was significantly different according to such variables as age, family income, residential district, and province. Blood PFOS concentration was significantly different by such variables as gender, age, lifestyle factors such as regular exercise, alcohol consumption, and smoking status. Also, family income, hazardous facilities, job classification, and province contributed significantly to differences in blood PFOS concentration levels. Conclusions: Blood PFOA and PFOS concentrations in Koreans were similar with those found in Japan, the USA, and Germany, but less than those in Australia. PFOA and PFOS exposure seems to be affected by a variety of factors in Korea. Therefore, investigation is required for each factor to assess the relative contribution of different variables.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 2005

This research programme include investigation of the adsorption behavior of heavy metals and VOCs by Pyrolysis char for using landfill cover material. The volatile potions in the sludge gasified during the pyrolysis period and gave birth to porosity throughout the matrix. The result of the ad/desorption experiment of nitrogen to find out the formation of some pore by the gasification of the volatile matter, we can certify that the pyrolysis char($14.56\;m^2/g$) has increased twice more than the organic wasted sludge($6.68\;m^2/g$) in specific surface area. The pyrolysis char has the adsorption characteristic of medium type of Type II and V in BDDT classification, and showed a little micro pore. In the adsorption experiment of ethylbenzene and toluene, as a result of applying the Freundlich adsorption isotherms, the pyrolysis char was higher in the adsorptivity of ethylbenzene and toluene than the granite and the organic wasted sludge. The results of the heavy metal adsorption test for the char indicated that it had some ability of adsorption. It is suggest that pyrolysis char has some advantages for utilizing as landfill covers because the pyrolysis char can adsorb/absorb hazardous substances from the landfill sites and inhibit the ground water and soil contamination.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.168-176
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• 2017

HNS accidents involve large-scale fires and explosions, causing numerous human casualties and extreme environmental pollution in the surrounding area. The widespread diffusion of effects should be prevented through rapid decision making. In this study, a high-quality, standardized, and digitized HNS accident databases has been generated based on the HNS standard code proposed. Furthermore, the HNS Accident Tracking System (HATS) was applied and implemented to allow for systematic integration management and sharing. In addition, statistical analysis was performed on 76 cases of domestic HNS accident data collected over 23 years using HATS. In Korea, an average of 3.3 HNS accidents occurred each year and major HNS accident factors were Springs (41 %), Aprons (51 %), Chemical Carriers (49 %), Crew's Fault (45 %) and Xylenes (12 %). (The number in parentheses is the percentage of HNS accident factors for each HNS accident classification)