• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.9.1-9.13
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• 2022

Background: Long working hours causes several health risks, but little is known about its effects on the liver. This study aimed to examine the correlation between working hours and abnormal liver enzyme levels. Methods: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV-VII. For the final 15,316 study participant, the information on working hours was obtained through questionnaires, and liver enzyme levels, consisting of serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), through blood tests. The relationship between weekly working hours and abnormal levels of liver enzymes was analyzed using multiple logistic regression, and a trend test was also conducted. Results: In male, working ≥ 61 hours per week was significantly associated with elevated AST and ALT levels compared with working 35-52 hours per week. Even after adjusting for covariates, the odds ratios (ORs) of abnormal AST and ALT increased by 1.51 (95% confidence interval: 1.20-2.05) and 1.25 (1.03-1.52), respectively, and a dose-response relationship was observed. This association was more prominent among the high-risk group, such as those aged > 40 years, obese individuals, worker on non-standard work schedule, pink-collar workers, or temporary worker. No correlation was observed in female. Conclusions: Long working hours are associated with abnormal liver function test results in male. Strict adherence to statutory working hours is necessary to protect workers' liver health.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was to find epidemiological trends in the prevalence of allergic diseases among children and adolescents in Jeju Province, Korea. Methods: Two questionnaire surveys of the same method were conducted, respectively, in 2008 and in 2013 with five years' interval with 1,296 participants in 2008 and 878 in 2013 who were elementary and secondary students sampled at random from the same five schools. 'International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)' was applied to the parents with their written consent to the survey. Results: The results of analysis showed an increasing trend in the prevalence of lifetime asthma (8.6% in 2008 and 10.4% in 2013) and in the prevalence of lifetime allergic rhinitis (25.3% in 2008 and 31.1% in 2013) (p=.003), and a decreasing trend in the prevalence of lifetime atopic dermatitis (32.0% in 2008 and 26.8% in 2013) (p=.011). Conclusion: This research showed an increasing trend in the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis among children and adolescents in Jeju Province compared to that 5 years ago, but represented a declining trend in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.425-434
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to introduce the establishment process and results of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's road map on environmental health policy. Methods: The process consisted of expert group meetings, civic participation, research, and questionnaire survey for priority environmental health policy agenda items in Seoul. Results: The announced vision for the environmental health policy was "a healthy environment, safety in Seoul". This policy was established in order to define environment health policy initiatives for a period of five years with an aim to protect Seoul citizens' health from hazardous environmental factors. The resulting Seoul environmental health policy consisted of four areas and 16 key agenda items. The four areas were "Protection for children against hazardous materials", "Enhancement of health and safety of all", "Carcinogen-free and endocrine-disrupting chemical-free Seoul (reducing environmental exposure to hazardous materials), and "Establish the foundation of environmental health policy". Sixteen key agenda items include the enhancement of management of spaces for children, certification of environmental health status at schools, establishment of a unit responsible for the environmental health of children, strengthening environmental health management for susceptible populations (children, the aged, and the socioeconomically vulnerable), management of hazardous materials, physical hazardous factors (noise, radiation, etc.), indoor air quality, and the enhancement of monitoring, research, and regulation of environment health. Conclusion: The Seoul Metropolitan Government established an environmental health policy road map for a five-year period (2013-2017). To implement this environmental health policy, budget allocation, and detailed execution plans are required.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 1999

This study was conducted to survey trihalomethane(THMs) levels in finished water of J water treatment plant and examine its reduction by powder activated carbon(PAC) treatment. Samples were collected weekly based and head-space technique was employed to determine THMs levels by G.C-ECD. THMs levels in finished waters were highest in August and showed close relationship with water temperature. All the samples satisfied the drinking water limit(100 ${\mu}$g/l) for THMs. The individual formation rates of THMs were 64.8% for CHCl$_3$, 28.4% for CHCl$_2$BR, 6.5% for CHClBr$_2$ and 0.3% for CHBr$_3$, respectively and showed little monthly difference. The reduction efficiency of THMs formation by PAC treatment was 67% during July and August. Bromine substituents were more efficiently reduced than CHCl$_3$ by PAC.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-87
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• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate factors affecting multicultural acceptability of adolescents at individual and environmental levels. Methods : Participants were 2,032 first-year high school students who participated in the 4th-year Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey in 2013. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multilevel analysis. Results : Individual factors affecting multicultural acceptability of adolescents were health status, ego-resilience, and experience of visiting foreign countries. Learning activity, school regulation, relationship with teachers, and community spirit were significant factors at environmental level. Conclusions : Findings suggest that it is necessary to consider health status, improve positive resilience, activate a multicultural experience program, establish friendly relations with teachers, adhere to social norms, and strengthen community spirit for multicultural acceptability.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.73-83
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between the physical environment and mental health of the adolescents in urban and rural areas. This study was performed using the questionnaire survey method. The research subjects were high school students in Seoul and Jeollabuk-do rural areas. The questionnaire inquired about the housing, neighborhood, and school environments, and these contents were depended on previous studies. The survey was conducted from August 27 to September 6, 2013, and 446 data were collected. They were analyzed with the SPSS 12.0 program. The main results are as follows. 1) The urban adolescents evaluated physical environment to be better than rural adolescents. Specifically, the urban adolescents evaluated 'facility/accommodation', 'security/health', 'amenity' of the housing environment, 'disorder', 'comfortability', 'nature awareness' of the neighborhood environment, and 'noise', 'overcrowding', and 'security' of the school environment to be higher. 2) The urban adolescents' self-esteem was significantly higher than rural ones. 3) The physical environment factors, which had effects on adolescents' mental health, are different depending on the areas, and so adolescents' physical environment would be designed by the local environment conditions.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.349-357
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• 2015

Objectives: The 2007 Korea National Survey for Environmental Pollutants in the Human Body found the highest blood mercury levels nationwide among residents in Seoksan-ri, Goro-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Gyeonsangbuk-do. With the aim to reduce the blood mercury levels of residents in this region, we conducted this study to identify the association between mercury exposure levels and shark meat consumption. Methods: This survey was conducted with 118 participants in Seoksan-ri before the Chuseok festival and 113 residents were added afterwards. Information on participants was collected via questionnaires. Total mercury concentrations in biological samples were measured using a mercury analyzer with the gold-amalgam collection method. Results: To identify this, we conducted mercury exposure level analysis before and after the Chuseok festival and found that blood and urinary mercury levels after Chuseok (GM of $6.9{\mu}g/L$ in blood and $1.68{\mu}g/g$_cr in urine) were higher than those before (GM of $5.29{\mu}g/L$ in blood and $1.44{\mu}g/g$_cr in urine). This area maintains a custom of using shark meat as one of the ancestral rite foods, and the performance of such rites and shark meat consumption have been identified as main sources of mercury exposure. Other than this, smoking, dental amalgam treatment and residential period in the area also contributed to an increase in mercury exposure levels. On the other hand, recent consumption of oriental medicine and vaccination did not have a significant influence on mercury levels. Conclusion: The results were attributed to the local custom of consuming shark meat with high mercury concentrations during rituals taking place during the festival and ancestral rites. Given that the blood mercury levels in 23.2% of the residents exceeded the HBM II values recommended by the German Commission on Human Biological Monitoring, it is suggested that further appropriate actions and follow-up measures be taken to reduce the mercury exposure levels of the residents that exceeded the reference values.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.320-329
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• 2021

Background: Smoking exposure may be objectively assessed through specific biomarkers. The most common biomarker for smoking is cotinine concentration in urine, and setting an optimal cut-off point can accurately classify smoking status. Such a cut-off point for Korean adolescents has never been studied. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine a cut-off point for urinary cotinine concentration for the discrimination of smoking in adolescents. Methods: Participants were adolescents aged 13~18 years who participated in the third cycle of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey. We used urine samples to confirm the level of cotinine concentrations. Smoking status was determined by self-reported questionnaire. We identified the optimal cotinine cut-off point for discriminating smoking status using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Of the 904 participants, 28 (3.1%) were smokers, among whom 20 (71.4%) were male. The median urinary cotinine concentrations in smokers was 218 ㎍/L (male: 215 ㎍/L, female: 303 ㎍/L), and that in non-smokers was 1.31 ㎍/L (male: 1.46 ㎍/L, female: 1.18 ㎍/L). We found significant differences in urinary cotinine concentration according to smoking status and sex (p<0.001). Urinary cotinine concentrations performed well for identifying smoking adolescents [area under the curve: 0.954 (male: 0.963, female: 0.908)]. The cut-off that optimally distinguished smokers from non-smokers was 39.85 ㎍/L (sensitivity: 89.3%, specificity: 97.4%). Male [39.85 ㎍/L (sensitivity: 90.0%, specificity: 94.9%)] had a different optimal cut-off point than female [26.26 ㎍/L (sensitivity: 87.5%, specificity: 99.6%)]. Conclusions: This study determined a cut-off point for urinary cotinine of 39.85 ㎍/L (male: 39.85 ㎍/L, female: 26.26 ㎍/L) to distinguish smokers from non-smokers in adolescents.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1992

A study was performed to measure the heavy metal concentrations of suspended particles in iron castings during February, 1990. The heavy metal concentrations were analyzed using patricles atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results were as fellows 1. The concentrations of suspended paticles by casting process were at furnace 4.19mg/m$^{3}$ at pouring 2.93mg/m$^{3}$ at nonferrous furnace 3.90mg/m$^{3}$, at molding 1.17mg/m$^{3}$, jung ja 2.23mg/m$^{3}$, desanding 5.42mg/m$^{3}$, sand treatment 4.82mg/m$^{3}$, finishing 1,20mg/m$^{3}$. 2. Among the total of 8 iron casting workplaces, the concentrations Fe of furnace was 0.36mg/m$^{3}$, Cu of nonferrous furnace 0.02mg/m$^{3}$, Pb of pouring 0.02mg/m$^{3}$, Cr of desanding 0.01mg/m$^{3}$ and Mn of furnace 0.03mg/m$^{3}$.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.329-339
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• 2019

The National Institute of Environmental Research (3rd KONEHs) conducted a survey of 280 residents in Ulsan, Suwon and Asan, and the concentration of heavy metals in the blood and urine were also analyzed. In case of blood lead concentration, Ulsan $2.27{\mu}g/dl$, Suwon $2.08{\mu}g/dl$, and Asan $1.75{\mu}g/dl$, the high peak in Ulsan, and the low peak in Asan. In case of cotinine concentration, Ulsan smoking($609.16{\mu}g/g{\_}ct$) is higher than nonsmoking($74.07{\mu}g/g{\_}ct$), as Suwon and Asan smoking($416.72{\mu}g/g{\_}ct$, $903.21{\mu}g/g{\_}ct$) is higher than nonsmoking($72.72{\mu}g/g{\_}ct$, $18.06{\mu}g/g{\_}ct$), smoking group is higher than nonsmoking group in all areas revealed statistically significant correlation(p<0.01). In considering results synthetically, these study results are an aid to constructing environmental health science-side heavy metal management measure education programs for normal residents.