• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of a massive hydrofluoric acid spill on community health through patients who claimed to have been exposed. Methods: We analyzed 2459 patients who visited our emergency department with the claim of exposure to hydrofluoric acid, and retrospective analyses were performed. We analyzed changes in numbers of visitors per day from the day of the accidental hydrofluoric acid spill, symptoms presented by the 1924 patients, and general characteristics. Comparisons of symptoms and hematologic characteristics were made between the initially set evacuation zone(1.3 km radius parameters from the spill) and the outer zone. Results: A total of 2,459 patients who claimed exposure visited our ED from 27 September 2012 to 23 October 2012, and there was a significant increase in the number of visiting patients from day 8 of the hydrofluoric acid spill. The most common complaints were a sore throat, 729(37.9%) and no specific symptom with health concern, 547 (28.4%). Statistically significant findings were pulmonary symptoms (p=0.001), nasal symptoms (p=0.001), diarrhea (p=0.023), and skin symptoms (p=0.007). In hematologic study, a statistically significant difference was observed in white blood cell count (p=0.018), creatine phosphokinase (p<0.001), erythrocyte sediment rate (p=0.013), and phosphorus (p<0.001). Conclusion: A significant increase in the number of patients was observed one week after the accidental spill of hydrofluoric acid. The most frequent symptoms were sore throat, headache, cough, and sputum. Statistically significant increase in creatine phosphokinase level and decrease in phosphorus level were noted in patients within the evacuation zone.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2014

Objectives: On September 27, 2012, leakage of anhydrous hydrofluoric acid occurred in a chemical plant in the Gumi National Industrial Complex. Following the accident, local factory workers and residents complained of abnormal health conditions. In addition, visual discolorations were widely observed in crops and trees in surrounding areas. The main objectives of the present study were to identify the area that was affected by the spill using data obtained from plants, soil, and water samples after the accident. Methods: Fluoride concentrations were analyzed in pine tree needles, soil, nearby streams, ponds and reservoirs collected from an area within a radius of three kilometers from the plant where the leak occurred. Fluoride concentrations in the air at the time of leakage were then estimated from fluoride concentrations that were measured in the pine tree needles. A Kriged map was developed to describe the spatial distribution of hydrofluoric acid at the time of the leakage and was compared with the area designated as a Special Disaster Zone by the government. Results: The Special Disaster Zone did not include all the affected area that was estimated by the Kriged map. Analytical results of the environmental samples also supported this discrepancy. Conclusion: Using plants, atmospheric concentrations of fluoride at the time of the leakage could be estimated. For the area that was identified as affected, further public health risk assessment and environmental risk assessment should be considered. Also, in the absence of air monitoring at the time of leakage, studies employing plants may be conducted in order to better understand the spatial extent and severity of the contamination.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.23-29
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• 2018

This study explored secondary effects of the residual hydrofluoric acid (HF) after a hypothetical acid spill accident by investigating the long-term dissolution of minerals and leaching of pre-existing arsenic (As) from two soil samples (i.e., KBS and KBM) through batch and column experiments. An increase in the HF concentration in both soil samples resulted in a dramatic increase in the release of major cations, especially Si. However, the amounts of mineral dissolved were dependent on the soil type and mineral characteristics. Compared to the KBM soil, relatively more Ca, Mg and Si were dissolved from the KBS soil. The column experiment showed that the long-term dissolution rates of the minerals are closely associated with the acid buffering capacity of the two soils. The KBM soil had relatively higher effluent pH values compared to the KBS soil. Also, more As was leached from the KBM soil, with a more amorphous hydrous oxide-bound As fraction. These results suggest that the potential of heavy metal leaching by the residual acid after an acid spill will be influenced by heavy metal speciation and mineral structure in the affected soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.6-12
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• 2014

We reviewed literature focusing on the amounts of domestic production, distribution, and consumption of strong acids and their spill cases. In particular, we investigated the chemistry and toxicity of four strong acids classified as "accident preparedness substances," including hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, and hydrofluoric acid. We recommend sulfuric and hydrofluoric acid as the chemicals of priority control based on the amounts used and toxicity. An advanced prevention/response system needs to be established along with an improved human and social infrastructure to prevent and efficiently respond to chemical accidents. Understanding the behavior and transport of spilled strong acids in the soil and groundwater environments requires a multi-disciplinary approach since they go through a variety of chemical and biogeochemical reactions with complex geomedia. However, no such research has been done in this area in Korea to the best of our knowledge. We expect the results of this study to contribute as basic data to future research.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.70
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• pp.246-276
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• 2015

From a historical perspective of risk communication, risks can be classified by their associated level of responsibility. In the case of technical risks such as hazardous chemical accidents, people perceive that risk-related organizations have a high level of responsibility; however, they do not in traditional risks such as natural disasters. This study aims to examine risk information seeking and processing, as seen in two types of risk, based on the Risk Information Seeking and Processing(RISP) model. For this purpose, hypotheses and a research question are developed with current domestic risk issues, and the results show significant differences in risk information seeking and processing between the two types of risk. Specifically, in the case of the chemical spill accident, negative emotion against relevant institutions makes different information seeking and processing compared to the natural disaster. The low level responsibility risk such as typhoon comparatively follows the flow of the original RISP model. However, the high level responsibility risk such as the hydrofluoric acid spill did not match with the RISP model. Based on the research results, theoretical implications were discussed.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.73-78
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• 2015

Since the hydrofluoric acid spill accident in Gumi in 2012, the current situation has continued to suffer from makeshift responses or feeble national system maintenance in preparing real countermeasures against chemical accidents, regardless of their repeated occurrence and seriousness. Industrial chemical accidents have an enormous ripple effect on the whole country and society. The purpose of this study is to propose ways of establishing directions for the national disaster management system against repeated occurrence of chemical accidents. To achieve this goal, the present study proposed improvement measures of response system for industrial chemical accident through the analysis of the current response system and structural causes of disaster control failure for chemical accidents.