• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2023

Background: Fruit and vegetable market is an abundant source of bioaerosols. Exposure to organic and inorganic waste and long-term inhalation of bioaerosols during working hours leads to chronic respiratory symptoms. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and related factors among fruit and vegetable workers compared with the control group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods and materials: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021. Data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regressions were computed to depict the data and related factors. The culture method was done to count and compare bacterial and fungal concentrations between fruit and vegetable workers and office workers. Results: In this study, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (PR = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.772-4.66) was significantly higher among fruit and vegetable workers (46.7%) than controls (23.4%). Sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.12-3.98), educational status (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.78-2.32), working hours per day (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.586-9.65), and working department (AOR = 3.20, 95% CI = 0.90-11.40) were associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were significantly higher in the air of the vegetable market (276 colony-forming unit) than the air in the workplace of controls (7 colony-forming unit). Conclusion: The fruit and vegetable market workers (greengrocers) had a higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms relative to office workers. Respiratory protective devices should be given to deliver preventive measures.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2012

Purpose: It is essential to minimize the respiratory-induced motion of involved organs in the Tomotherapy for tumor located in the chest and abdominal region. However, the application of breathing control system to Tomotherapy is limited. This study was aimed to investigate the possible application of the ABCHES system and its efficacy as a means of breathing control in the tomotherapy treatment. Materials and Methods: Five subjects who were treated with a Hi-Art Tomotherapy system for lung, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic tumors. All patients undertook trained on two breathing methodes using an ABCHES, free breathing methode and shallow breathing methode. When the patients could carry out the breathing control, 4D-CT scan was a total of 10 4D tomographic images were acquired. A radiologist resident manually drew the tumor region, including surrounding nomal organs, on each of CT images at the inhalation phase, the exhalation phase and the 40% phase (mid-inhalation) and average CT image. Those CT images were then exported to the Tomotherapy planning station. Data exported from the Tomotherapy planning station was analyzed to quantify characteristics of dose-volume histograms and motion of tumors. Organ motions under free breathing and shallow breathing were examined six directions, respectively. Radiation exposure to the surrounding organs were also measured and compared. Results: Organ motion is in the six directions with more than a 5 mm displacement. A total of 12 Organ motions occurred during free breathing while organ motions decreased to 2 times during shallow breathing under the use of Abches. Based on the quantitative analysis of the dose-volume histograms shallow breathing showed lower resulting values, compared to free breathing, in every measure. That is, treatment volume, the dose of radiation to the tumor and two surrounding normal organs (mean doses), the volume of healthy tissue exposed to radiation were lower at the shallow breathing state. Conclusion: This study proposes that the use of ABCHES is effective for the Tomotherapy treatment as it makes shortness of breathing easy for patients. Respiratory-induced tumor motion is minimized, and radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues is also reduced as a result.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.2 s.75
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• pp.192-198
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• 2006

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) and adverse cardiopulmonary effects. Despite the epidemiological proof, the pathogenesis of DEP-related pulmonary diseases remain poorly understood. So, comprehensive in vivo and in vitro researches are required to know the effects of DEP on diverse lung diseases. Alveolar macrophages (AM) and airway epithelial cells are known as important cellular targets in DEP-induced lung diseases. Other studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) is involved in particle matter induced lung injury. The present study was undertaken to determine whether DEP has an synergistic effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO formation and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) with nitrotyrosilated-protein formation in cultured primary alveolar macrophages. The formation of NO was determined through the Griess reaction in the cultured medium and iNOS with nitrotyrosilated-proteins are analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and Western analysis. The results indicate that DEP exposure does not induce NO formation by itself, however DEP showed significant synergistic effects on LPS-induced NO formation. So, our results suggest that DEP inhalation could aggravate inflammatory lung disease through NO formation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.122-129
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• 2014

Objectives: Because of its properties such as resistance to heat, chemicals and corrosion; tensile strength; sound absorption; and affordable price, asbestos has been widely used as a building material, fire resistant and retardant, thermal and heat insulator, soundproofing material, and electrical insulation. Since the prolonged inhalation of asbestos can cause serious illnesses such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis after an incubation period of 20 to 40 years, the mineral was classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organization. Children and infants are more at risk than are adults if they are exposed to carcinogens, due to aweaker immunity that has not yet been fully developed. Most childcare centers are operated all day and children tend to spend a great amount of time in the centers. This is why it is important for them to be systematically isolated from environments that may expose them to asbestos. Materials: In order to understand both indoor and outdoor hazards to which children may have been exposed, the study focused on actual surveys of asbestos used in childcare centers, paying special attention to slate-roofed buildings in the vicinity of the centers. Results: A survey of a total of 211 childcare centers showed that the buildings of 18.1% of the centers contained asbestos, with 60.53% of the material being found in classroom ceilings. "Tex" was the most used material for ceilings, making up 89.47% of all ceilings. An outdoor survey showed that childcare centers in Daegu Metropolitan City had an average of 143 slate-roof buildings within a distance of 1km. Conclusions: Buildings housing mainly toddlers, children, teenagers and others more vulnerable to the toxicity of asbestos are not subject to asbestos investigation by law. A legal and practical basis for asbestos control is required for such buildings. In particular, housing materials which contain asbestos in day care centers require asbestos control. GIS should be used to identify the location of buildings with slate roofing materials in the vicinity of daycare centers in order to gauge toxicity of exposure to asbestos caused by potential asbestos friability possibility in outdoor conditions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.5
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• pp.368-372
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• 2011

Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia is a newly recognized pattern of acute lung injury. A 49-year-old female presented with a cough and worsening dyspnea on exertion. She had no history of smoking and no specific past medical history except exposure of home humidifier containing sterilizer. A chest computed tomography scan showed patchy consolidation with fibrosis in the right lower lobe and ill-defined centrilobular ground glass opacity in both lungs. The pathological findings were patchy areas of lung parenchyma with fibrin deposits in the alveolar ducts and alveoli, and fibrin balls with hemosiderin deposition in the alveolar spaces. The histological pattern of our case is differentiated from diffuse alveolar damage by the absence of hyaline membranes, and from eosinophilic pneumonia by the lack of eosinophils. In our case, the patient was treated with corticosteroid pulse therapy. However, the clinical course became aggravated and she died within two weeks.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2007

Purpose: Pyrethroid is an insecticide that produces moderate intoxication in mammals, with neither exposure to skin nor inhalation resulting in severe systemic manifestations. In 2005 we made a nationwide survey of agrichemical human intoxication. The object of this study is to analyze pyrethroid intoxications based on the 2005 survey. Methods: We prospectively collected data from 1 August 2005 to 31 July 2006 by a standard investigation protocol. We analyzed demographic data, exposure data (cause, amount, ingredients), clinical features, and courses. Results: A total of 125 cases of pyrethroid intoxication were surveyed. The mean patient age was $56.78{\pm}16.158$ years old, and the mean amount ingested was $121.85{\pm}110.732ml$. Patients were classified into four severity groups according to symptoms and mental status: the asymptomatic group (27 patients, 21.6%), the mild symptom group (48, 38.4%), the moderate symptom group (21, 16.8%), and the severe symptom group (7, 5.6%). There were statistically significant differences in mental status, severity, and mean ICU days between two groups. Admission days by severity grade for the asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe symptom groups were $5.49{\pm}16.051,\;3.65{\pm}4.143,\;4.59{\pm}3.335,\;and\;8.14{\pm}7.199days$, respectively (p=0.047). Conclusion: Nationwide surveillance was extremely telling in uncovering a high frequency of agrichemical intoxication in Korea. In pyrethroid intoxication, severity grading can be a useful prognostic tool.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2018

Purpose: Cardiovascular or respiratory complications of acute intoxication are the most common causes of mortality. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) or specific antidotes help manage these cardiac or respiratory complications in acute intoxication. On the other hand, some cases do not respond to ACLS or antidotes and they require some special treatment, such as extracorporeal life support (ECLS). ECLS will provide the chance of recovery from acute intoxication. This study examined the optimal timing of ECLS in acute intoxication cases. Methods: This paper is a brief report of a case series about ECLS in acute poisoning. The cases of ECLS were reviewed and the effects of ECLS on the blood pressure and serum lactate level of the patients were analyzed. Results: A total of four cases were reviewed; three of them were antihypertensive agent-induced shock, and one was respiratory failure after the inhalation of acid. The time range of ECLS application was 4.8-23.5 hours after toxic exposure. The causes of ECLS implementation were one for recurrent cardiac arrest, two for shock that did not respond to ACLS, and one for respiratory failure that did not respond to mechanical ventilator support. Three patients showed an improvement in blood pressure and serum lactate level and were discharged alive. In case 1, ECLS was stared at 23.5 hours post toxic exposure; the patient died due to refractory shock and multiple organ failure. Conclusion: The specific management of ECLS should be considered when a patient with acute intoxication does not recovery from shock or respiratory failure despite ACLS, antidote therapies, or mechanical ventilator support. ECLS improved the hemodynamic and ventilator condition in complicated poisoned patients. The early application of ECLS may improve the tissue perfusion state and outcomes of these patients before the toxic damage becomes irreversible.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.193-204
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• 2021

Objectives: In January 2021, the former heads of the manufacturer SK Chemical and the vendor Aekyung were acquitted for manufacturing and selling humidifier disinfectant (HD) containing 5-chloro-2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one/2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one (CMIT/MIT). In this article, we analyzed the rationale used in this judgement in the light of scientific consideration. Methods: The sentencing document for the judgements was obtained from the Korea Supreme Court Service. In particular, the judgements made by the court related to the toxicological and individual association with HD perspectives were discussed based on scientific evidence. Results: The ruling stated that the necessary conditions for causality between CMIT/MIT and such diseases were not met based on the fact that asthma and lung damage were not found in the inhalation exposure animal experiments. The judgment overlooked the inevitable limitations of using animal experiments for verifying health effects in humans, which are often inconsistent with the observations in animals. Among 11 governmentaffirmed lung injury cases with CMIT/MIT usage, three patients' humidifier disinfectant-associated lung injury (HDLI) pathology proved that CMIT/MIT could cause lung injury similar to that caused by PHMG and PGH. In addition, five children showed decreased lung function related to damage caused by humidifier disinfectant exposure. Conclusions: We conclude that there is sufficient evidence supporting the assertion that HDs containing CMIT/MIT cause lung injuries, including asthma, contrary to the court's decision.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.321-333
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• 2022

In this study, the concentration and distribution characteristics of BTEX (benzene toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) emitted from Daesan Petrochemical Industrial Complex were examined to determine their potential hazards to local residents. Residents living nearby the complex areas may be exposed to the chemicals through various media (air, water, and soil), especially by air. This study evaluated human health risks by inhalation using both deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment approaches. As a result of the deterministic risk assessment, the non-cancer risk was much lower than the regulation limit of hazard index (HI 1.0) for all the points. However, in case of cancer risk evaluation, it was found that the risk of excess cancer for benzene at point A located in the industrial complex was 2.28×10^-6, which slightly exceeded the standard regulatory limit of 1.0×10^-6. In addition, the probabilistic risk assessment revealed that the percentile exceeding the standard of 1.0×10^-6was found to be 45.3%. The sensitivity analysis showed that exposure time (ET) had the greatest impact on the results. Based on the risk assessment study, it implied that ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene had little adverse effects on potential human exposure, but benzene often exceeded the cancer risk standard (1.0×10^-6). Further studies on extensive VOCs monitoring are needed to evaluate the potential risks of industrial complex areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.78-90
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• 1993

This study was designed obtain and early detection the workers exposed to excessive copper dust and also to present biological exposure index. The exposed group consisted of 62 male workers at the metallurgy workplaces. To evaluate the degree of individual exposure the copper dust, each personal air sampling was collected. Biological exposures in the exposed group was quantified for the blood and urine copper levels using flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The control group consisted of 70 male adults with the history of nonexposure to copper by the inhalation occupationally. The average concentration of copper in blood and urine of the exposed group was $49.44{\pm}8.90(29.05-80.63){\mu}g/dl$, $39.99{\pm}11.04(29.62-80.63){\mu}g/l$ respectively. The average concentration of air borne copper was $0.48{\pm}0.31(0.03-1.18)mg/m^3$. The average concentration of blood and urine copper in the control group was $42.93{\pm}5.84(25.05-57.85){\mu}g/dl$, $33.02{\pm}13.38(12.00-82.05){\mu}g/l$ respectively. The difference observed in the average concentration of blood and urine copper of the exposed and control groups was statistically significant seperately (blood copper, p<0.05 ; urine copper, p<0.05). The relationship between the individual exposure concentration of air borne copper and the concentration of the blood and urine copper was statistically significant, respectively (blood copper, r=0.54, p<0.05 ; urine copper, r=0.37, p<0.05). The relationship between the working duration and the concentration of blood and urine was not statistically significant respectively (blood copper, r=0.14 ; urine copper, r=0.12). The relationship between the age and the concentration of blood and urine copper was statistically not significant respectively (blood copper, r=013 ; urine copper, r=-0.06). The relationship between blood and urine copper concentration in the exposed group was statistically significant (r=0.62, p<0.05), and the relationship between blood and urine copper concentration in the control group was also statistically significant (r=0.39, p<0.05).