• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2006

Of many volatile organic detergents for metals, benzine(CAS No. 8030-30-6), of which the toxicity has not yet been proven, has been used as an alternative of the halide compounds in the consideration of toxic effects, global warming and the destruction of ozone layer. In order to evaluate the effects of the benzine on human body by investigating the subchronic inhalation toxicity, to obtain the basic data for establishing the criteria of exposure in working environments and to classify the hazardousness in compliance with the Industrial Safety and Health Act by evaluating the hazardousness, repeated inhalation exposure test was carried with SD rats. The rats were grouped by 10 females and males each. The repetitive inhalation exposures were carried out at 4 levels of concentration of 0 ppm, 60 ppm, 300 ppm, and 1,500 ppm, for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 13 weeks. The results are described hereunder. 1. No death of the animals of the exposed and controlled groups in the test period. Not any specific clinical symptoms, change in feed intake quantity, abnormality in eye test, or change in activity were observed. 2. In the 300 ppm and 1,500 ppm groups, weight reduction in the female groups and weight increase of liver and kidney in the male groups compared with control group were observed with statistical significance(p<0.05). 3. In the blood test, the HCT increased in the male 300 ppm group and the number of hematocyte increased, MCV and MCH decreased in the male 1,500 ppm group. In the female 1,500 ppm group, the HB decreased and the distribution width of the hematocyte particle size increased. In the blood biochemistry test, the TP in the male 1,500 ppm group and the LDH in the female 1,500 ppm group were increased with statistical significance(p<0.05). 4. Under the test conditions of the present study with SD rats, the NOEL was evaluated to be from 60 ppm to 300 ppm for both male and female groups. By extrapolation, the NOEL for human who work 8 hours a day was evaluated to be from 128 ppm to 640 ppm 5. Since the NOEL evaluated in this study do not exceed 60ppm(0.184 mg/L) the test material does not belong to the classification of the hazardous substance "NOEL${\leq}$0.5mg/L/6hr/90day(rat), for continuous inhalation of 6hours a day for 90 days" nor to the basic hazardous chemical substance class 1(0.2 mg/L/6hr/90day(rat) defined by the GHS which is a criteria of classification and identification of chemical compounds. However, considering the boiling point($30-204^{\circ}C$), flashing point($-40^{\circ}C$), vapor pressure(40 mmHg), and the inflammable range(1.0 - 6.0 %), sufficient care should be taken for handling in the safety aspects including fire or explosion.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2005

81.1% of traffic accidents is attributed to the drivers. In this regard, D/E model is a practical and effective method in terms of the cost and time in evaluating the road hazardousness. To examine the validity of the threshold values by the levels of demand We selected 10 subjects and collected their physiological signals while they were driving on Honam Highway (Jeonju ${\leftrighttarro}$ Hoideog section). Based on the collected data, the hazardous road condition was evaluated using the new threshold values of the effort level determined by cluster analysis. In applying the D/E model, a decision method based on the demand level was suggested, using a traffic accident prediction model. Additionally, the limit value of the effort level was determined using the drivers' physiological signal data collected at the highway. A comparison analysis of the two D/E models revealed no significant difference: The existing method and the clustering method determined 9 and 7 hazardous road zones, respectively, while actual traffic accidents were reported in 6 and 4 zones, respectively among the predicted road hazardous zones. However, the latter method suggested a more scientific and rational basis in determining the limit value of the Effort level. In conclusion, although D/E model has a great merit as a pioneering method to reflect human factors in evaluating the road hazardousness, it is believed that this method could be improved by a more dynamic method that considers the traffic conditions and the individual physiological signal of the drivers simultaneously in determining a better limit.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.353-363
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• 2012

Methylmercury is a hazardous substance that is of interest with regard to environmental health, as inorganic mercury circulating in the general environment is dissolved into freshwater and seawater, condensed through the food chain, ingested by humans, and consequently affects human health. Recently, there has been much interest and discussion regarding the toxicity of methylmercury, the correlation with fish and shellfish intake, and methods of long-term management of the human health effects of methylmercury. What effects chronic exposure to a low concentration of methylmercury has on human health remains controversial. Although the possibility of methylmercury poisoning the heart and blood vessel system, the reproductive system, and the immune system is continuously raised and discussed, and the carcinogenicity of methylmercury is also under discussion, a clear conclusion regarding the human health effects according to exposure level has not yet been drawn. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives proposed to prepare additional fish and shellfish intake recommendations for consumers based on the quantified evaluation of the hazardousness of methylmercury contained in fish and shellfish, methylmercury management in the Korea has not yet caught up with this international trend. Currently, the methylmercury exposure level of Koreans is known to be very high. The starting point of methylmercury exposure management is inorganic mercury in the general environment, but food intake through methylation is the main exposure source. Along with efforts to reduce mercury in the general environment, food intake management should be undertaken to reduce the human exposure to methylmercury in Korea.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.806-813
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• 2018

$^{222}Rn$ exists in nature in the form of a rare radioactive gas. In terms of environmental radiation, issues regarding $^{222}Rn$ have persisted because of its radiological hazardousness. Ulju County is one of the regions of Ulsan metropolitan city, with a population of 227,699. Ulju County has the highest density of industrial complexes in Korea. In this study, $^{222}Rn$ radioactivity concentration was measured and analyzed in 57 schools in Ulju County using 114 passive LR-115 type detectors to secure radiological safety and confirm basic information for reduction of resident exposure to $^{222}Rn$. The effective dose of $^{222}Rn$ was assessed to find the actual risk of the concentration surveyed in schools to human beings. The dose depended on four factors: subjects, $^{222}Rn$ concentration, dose coefficient, and time. The individuals subjected to dose estimation were classified into three types: students, teachers, and office workers. The subjects had different dwelling locations and times. The findings demonstrate that the radiological hazard to students and workers at schools in Ulju County owing to $^{222}Rn$ is negligible in terms of $^{222}Rn$ activity recommendation level.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.560-568
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• 2007

The aim of this study is to investigate the terminology of chemically unclear ‘heavy metals' which were expressed in the Korean secondary science textbook in terms of the definition, the type and the meaning. Initial results showed that six of ‘Chemistry I' textbooks among these texts defined a heavy metal with the density and described it as a metal which is hazardous and continuously accumulated in the human body. Specifically, cadmium, lead and mercury were presented as examples of the hazardous metal in all of the eight textbooks but non-metals such as arsenic and absolutely essential metals including chrome, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper were also given in the texts. Most of the texts described the hazardousness and toxicity of the metal too simple to understand the mechanism of its intoxication despite considering all of the factors including its oxidation state, residual amount and reactivity with biomolecules of the human body. Such an ambiguous definition and explanation may excluded in the textbook because the chemically undefined chemical vocabulary leads students to cause an alternative conception of the heavy metal, which means that the metal could be identical with toxins.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.105-113
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• 2019

This study investigates the toxicity characteristics of two Non-Class 1E Cables (For security reasons, we refer to company A and company B) used in nuclear power plants according to the accelerated deterioration period. In accordance with NES 713 test equipment and standards, tests were carried out on non-aged cables and the cables subjected to 20- and 40-year-accelerated-deterioration; each of the cables was further classified into sheath and insulation. The test results showed that the toxicity indices of 20- and 40-year-accelerated-aged cables were higher than those for the non-aged cables, and 20-year-aged cables of both A and B companies showed the highest toxicity indices. This is attributed to the extensive emissions of carbon monoxide and halide gases such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen bromide. Furthermore, to analyze the toxicity indices of sheath and insulation in detail, the US Department of Defense standard (MIL-DTL) was applied to determine whether the Toxicity index (T.I.) allowance was exceeded, and the results showed that the insulating materials emitted considerably more than the allowable limit.