• 과학기술학연구
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.63-127
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• 2018

본 논문은 1994년에 첫 가습기살균제가 만들어지고 2011년에 가습기살균제가 원인 미상의 간질성 폐질환의 원인임이 밝혀진 시점까지, 어떻게 이렇게 유독한 제품이 촘촘한 규제의 법망을 피해서 만들어졌고 유통되었는지를 분석하고 있다. 이를 위해서 본 논문은 가습기 살균제에 사용된 화학물질들이 어떻게 허가를 받았고, 이것이 어떻게 가습기살균제라는 상품으로 출시되었으며, 이런 제품이 어떻게 회사와 정부의 독성검사를 피해서 오랫동안 가정에서 사용되게 되었는가를 법정 문서와 국회 청문회 자료 등을 이용해서 미시적으로 살펴볼 것이다. 지금까지의 연구들은 살균제 참사의 원인이 부도덕한 기업이나 무능한 정부 조직에서 찾곤 했는데, 본 연구는 이를 제조한 기업과 이를 심사한 정부라는 관료적 조직의 구조적 비밀주의, 위험에 대한 "평가절하 어림짐작"(disqualification heuristic), 칸막이 문화, 피드백과 소통의 단절 같은 문제가 가습기살균제 재앙의 중요한 원인임을 보일 것이다. 즉, 부도덕함이나 무능 같은 개인의 문제보다 관련 기업의 부처들, 그리고 정부의 부처 같은 조직들 내부의 소통의 문제가 더 중요한 변수였다는 얘기다. 개인이 아닌 조직에 대한 분석은 이런 참사가 되풀이 되지 않기 위해서 기업과 국가 조직에서 개선할 점이 무엇인가에 대한 시사점을 줄 수 있다.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제37권9호
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• pp.815-821
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• 2013

고분자 전해질 연료전지(이하 PEMFC) 시스템의 효율과 수명은 유입되는 공기의 습도에 직접적인 영향을 받는다. 그러므로 공기는 정상 운전조건에서 적절한 습도를 유지시켜 주어야 한다. 하지만 가습 장치의 특성들에 대해서는 연구가 부족한 상태이다. 본 연구에서는 정상상태에서 다양한 입구조건에 따른 막 가습기의 수분전달 특성을 알아보기 위해 실험을 수행하였다. 실험에 이용할 평판형 막 가습기를 제작하였으며, 실험에 적합한 환경을 조성하였다. 우선 일정한 온도 조건하에서 막을 통과하는 수분 전달 능력을 실험하였고 이후 다양한 입구 조건에 따른 수분 전달 특성을 알아보았다. 본 실험에서 사용된 입구조건의 변수는 건공기와 습공기의 유량, 작동온도, 작동압력 및 유동배열이 있으며 각각의 입구 조건이 가습기의 성능에 미치는 영향을 논의하였다.

• 멤브레인
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.326-334
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• 2010

본 연구에서는 고분자전해질 연료전지의 연료가습을 위하여 막 증발법을 적용한 막가습기를 제작하여 특징과 성능을 알아보았다. 막가습기 내부 물의 온도를 $30{\sim}60^{\circ}C$, 연료기체의 유속을 300~3,000 mL/min, 막 가닥수를 10, 50, 100 가닥으로 변화 하였을 때 결과를 dew point로 나타내었다. 그 결과 $60^{\circ}C$일 때 $51.19^{\circ}C$, 900 mL/min일 때 $54.22^{\circ}C$, 100 가닥일 때 $60.03^{\circ}C$로 연료 가습성능이 가장 좋았다. 특히, 막 가습기 물질 전달식의 모델링을 통해 연료전지에 적용할 때 막 가습기 공경 크기에 따른 반응기체의 가습량을 예측하는 것이 가능하였다. 100 W급 스택에 적용하였을 때, 전압과 출력값이 변화되지 않고 안정적으로 작동하였으며 제작한 막 가습기는 기존 기포가습기보다 부피는 훨씬 작으면서도 가습 성능은 우수한 것을 알 수 있었다.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.326-339
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• 2019

Objectives: Minamata disease was an environmental health disaster of worldwide notoriety that occurred in Japan. The acknowledged patients total roughly 3,000, and the relieved victims currently include 77,099 cases. Still, many cases await acknowledgment or relief. The humidifier disinfectant issue is an environmental health catastrophe that took place in Korea. Over 9.98 million products spanning 43 brands of humidifier disinfectant have been sold and 835, cases have been recognized to date as relevant victims by the government. So far, 2,144 cases have been relieved by the fund of the producing companies. Four million consumers and 560,000 victims are estimated. Finding hints as to how to develop solutions in terms of fact-finding and prevention are the objectives of this study. Methods: Fields visits, interviews, and workshops as well as reference reviews have been conducted. A comparison was attempted to show the similarities and differences between the two disasters on 38 items. Results: Apparent similarities in the two disasters are the failure of industrial safety measures and governmental safety systems as well as relief systems for the victims. No comprehensive investigation was performed for all of the affected areas in Japan and all of the consumers in Korea. Both governments have tried to hide the faults and responsibilities of the companies and minimize the scale of the victims. Only after the government was changed through a general election did the new governments apologize and attempt to find political and social solutions through special relief laws. Conclusions: Over the process of each event, in the beginning, debates took place regarding the cause and the heath damages involved. For both, medical and toxicological relations are the keys while afterward finding a social solution became the subsequent issue.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.381-393
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between the use of humidifier disinfectant (HD) and bronchiolitis and allergic rhinitis diagnoses in Korean children. Methods: This study used data from the $8^{th}$ panel study on Korean children in 2015. Of these 2150 cases, 1598 cases were used for the final study. Diagnoses of bronchiolitis and allergic rhinitis by medical doctors were self-reported as outcome variables. Whether children had used HDs or not, the periods of using HDs were used as independent variables. Results: A total of 77.0% had used a humidifier, and the rate of HD usage among humidifier users was found to be 35.4%. When comparing 'children who had used HDs for less than 12 months' and 'children who had used HDs for more than 12 months' with 'children who had not used HDs', the adjusted odds ratio (OR)s for 'bronchiolitis' were 1.38 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.36-1.40) and 1.80 (95% CI, 1.71-1.89), respectively. When comparing 'children who had used HDs for less than 12 months' and 'children who had used HDs for more than 12 months' with 'children who had not used HDs', the adjusted ORs for 'allergic rhinitis' were 1.44 (95% CI, 1.42-1.46) and 1.43 (95% CI, 1.37-1.49), respectively. Conclusions: The period of using HDs was statistically significantly associated with increased odds of bronchiolitis and allergic rhinitis. The results of this study will provide a very useful scientific basis for establishing the environmental health policy and using the educational data related to the use of humidifier disinfectant in the future.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제27권
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• pp.3.1-3.4
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• 2012

Objectives: The current use of humidifier detergent and its harmful impact on humans has arisen as a societal environmental health issue. Therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the relationship between demo-socio characteristics and humidifier use, as well as the monthly usage changes in pregnant women; thus, we report the actual status of humidifier usage of Korea's pregnant population. Methods: From a birth cohort of a Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, 1,144 pregnant women who responded through questionnaires including demo-socio characteristics, obstetric status and household environment including whether they use humidifier and frequency of use were included in this study. Statistical analyses were performed to explore the relationship between maternal characteristics and the relevance of the use of humidifiers was performed using a chi-square test, a t-test and univariate logistic regression analysis. The monthly usage rate was demonstrated in the graph. Results: The humidifier usage rate in pregnant women was 28.2%. The average frequency of humidifier usage was 4.6 days per week, 7.3 hours per day. The usage rate was higher in the multipara group and the above the age of 34 age group than in the primipara and below the age of 34 groups. Seoul showed a higher usage rate than Cheonan and Ulsan and as the education level and income increased, the usage rate of humidifiers among pregnant women also increased. In the monthly trend of usage rate, the winter season showed the highest usage rate of over 45% and the lowest in late summer and beginning of fall with a value of 12% or less. Conclusions: During pregnancy, the mother's body is especially vulnerable to hazardous environmental exposure that not only affects the pregnant woman but also the fetus. Further research is still needed to elucidate the route and effect of environmental risk factors. Therefore, based on precautionary and preventive principles, special interest and caution in harmful environments are strongly needed not only at an individual level but also at a national level.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to reveal the circumstances under which the cases of harm to health caused by humidifier disinfectant were neglected and show the points where the number of victims and the degree of damage could have been reduced. In addition, it attempts to describe how damage management proceeded immediately after the incident and actually exacerbated the damage. Finally, it explores the unfortunate aspects of the recent trial. By doing so, it attempts to take this as an opportunity to consider whether a tragic event such as the humidifier disinfectant incident could occur in the future. Methods: This study collected and analyzed data on chemical material characteristics related to humidifier disinfectants, data on health effect characteristics, data on related laws and regulations from the Ministry of Environment, data related to the damage investigation by the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, and current contents. Results: The lack of related systems and laws is the area where the greatest responsibility for the cause of the humidifier disinfectant disaster falls, so it is difficult for the government to escape this responsibility. Establishing a dedicated department to identify the prevalence of certain diseases within the functions of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to monitor health can greatly contribute to the prevention and management of diseases through early detection and management of group outbreaks caused by harmful factors. Humidifier disinfectant damage relief should have been expanded earlier beyond HDLI (humidifier disinfectant lung injury) to include non-specific diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, and interstitial pneumonia. The scope of relief benefits should have also been expanded earlier to include the payment of disability benefits. Fortunately, with the 2020 revision of the Special Act, the conditions for estimating causal relations were eased and individual screening systems such as health impact assessment were reorganized along with the introduction of a rapid screening system. Conclusions: The management system for chemical substances in a country is clearly of paramount importance, and the ministry in charge must have a response system in case of damage to health effects. Administration that looks at the victims' situation from their point of view is needed, and technical countermeasures are required to quickly recognize the prevalence of certain diseases.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2014년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.242-243
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• 2014

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.141-146
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• 2016

In South Korea, many cases of humidifier disinfectant-associated lung injury (HDLI) have been reported among people who used humidifier products containing humidifier disinfectant (HD). The objectives of this study are to estimate both airborne HD concentration in the room where HD was used and the amount of humidifier disinfectant absorbed into the respiratory system. Information and data on the HDs were collected using a structured questionnaire and home environmental investigations include the volume of HD (ml) and hours used per day, concentration of disinfectants contained in the HD brand (${\mu}g/ml$), volume of the room ($m^3$), assumed ventilation rate ($m^3/hr$) and breathing rate assumed ($m^3/hr$). We used children aged under five years old as a sample and estimated both airborne HD concentrations and amount of HD absorbed into the respiratory system. The estimated airborne concentration of HD in the room ranged from 68 to $369{\mu}g/m^3$ for PHMG (polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate) and from 16 to $239{\mu}g/m^3$ for PGH (oligo (2-(2-ethoxy) ethoxyethyl guanidine). The amount of HD absorbed in the respiratory system per day was estimated to range from 227 to $1,225{\mu}g$ for PHMG and from 53 to $794{\mu}g$ for PGH. In conclusion, a great amount of HD was likely absorbed into respiratory system, likely beyond the level of the capacity of the immune system to remove the HD absorbed.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.382-390
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• 2010

본 연구에서는 광촉매반응기/폐가스 가습조(유동상호기 및 무산소조)를 포함한 바이오필터공정으로 이루어진 하이브리드시스템을 구축하여 퇴비공장 또는 공공시설에서 발생되는 황화수소, 암모니아 및 휘발성 유기화합물을 포함한 악취폐가스에 대한 처리효율을 제고하고 종합적인 적정 작업조건을 구축하였다. 악취가스(2 L/min)에 포함된 암모니아(300 ppmv)의 경우 광촉매반응기에서 약 22%가 제거되고, 폐가스 가습조에서 약 55%가 제거되고, 후 공정인 바이오필터에서 나머지인 약 23%가 모두 제거되었다. 악취가스에 포함된 톨루엔(100 ppmv)의 경우 광촉매반응공정에서 약 20%가 제거되고, 폐가스 가습조(유동상 호기 및 무산소조)에서 약 10% 제거되며 마지막 공정인 바이오필터에서 나머지 70% 모두가 제거되었다. 따라서 물에 용해도가 높은 암모니아의 경우에는 폐가스가습조에서 주로 제거되었고, 용해도가 낮은 톨루엔의 경우는 바이오필터에서 주로 제거되었다. 한편 황화수소(10 ppmv)는 광촉매반응공정에서 거의 처리되고 잔류 trace는 폐가스가습조에 용해되어서 바이오필터로 인입되는 가습된 feed에서 황화수소가 검지되지 않았다. 폐가스 가습조(유동상호기 및 무산소조)에서의 nitrate 농도는 무산소조에서 발생하는 탈질반응 때문에 무산소조 경우가 유동상호기조보다 약 3 ppm 정도 낮았다. 또한 폐가스가습조의 용존 암모니아 농도는 실험 시작부터 1,500~2,000 ppm 사이의 높은 값을 유지하였는데, 이는 폐가스 가습조 내부에 있는 용수에 포함된 염화암모늄 및 기타 암모니아성 질소원에 기인한다고 간주된다.