• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.428-436
• /
• 2019

Background: Metalworking fluids (MWFs) are mixtures with inhalation exposures as mists, dusts, and vapors, and dermal exposure in the dispersed and bulk liquid phase. A quantitative risk assessment was performed for exposure to MWF and respiratory disease. Methods: Risks associated with MWF were derived from published studies and NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations, and lifetime risks were calculated. The outcomes analyzed included adult onset asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pulmonary function impairment, and reported symptoms. Incidence rates were compiled or estimated, and annual proportional loss of respiratory capacity was derived from cross-sectional assessments. Results: A strong healthy worker survivor effect was present. New-onset asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, at 0.1 mg/㎥ MWF under continuous outbreak conditions, had a lifetime risk of 45%; if the associated microbiological conditions occur with only 5% prevalence, then the lifetime risk would be about 3%. At 0.1 mg/㎥, the estimate of excess lifetime risk of attributable pulmonary impairment was 0.25%, which may have been underestimated by a factor of 5 or more by a strong healthy worker survivor effect. The symptom prevalence associated with respiratory impairment at 0.1 mg/㎥ MWF was estimated to be 5% (published studies) and 21% (Health Hazard Evaluations). Conclusion: Significant risks of impairment and chronic disease occurred at 0.1 mg/㎥ for MWFs in use mostly before 2000. Evolving MWFs contain new ingredients with uncharacterized long-term hazards.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.147-154
• /
• 2005

The creep resistance of geogrids is one of the most significant long-term safety characteristics used as the reinforcement in slopes and embankments. The failure of geogrids is defined as creep strain greater than 10%. In this study, the accelerated creep tests were applied to polyester geogrids at various loading levels of 30, 50% of the yield strengths and temperatures using newly designed test equipment. Also, the new test equipment permitted the creep testing at or above glass transition temperature($T_g$) of 75, 80, $85^{\circ}C$. The time-dependent creep behaviors were observed at various temperatures and loading levels. And then the creep curves were shifted and superposed in the time axis by applying time-temperature supposition principles. The shifting factors(AFs) were obtained using WLF equation. In predicting the lifetimes of geogrids, the underlying distribution for failure times were determined based on identification of the failure mechanism. The results confirmed that the failure distribution of geogrids followed Weibull distribution with increasing failure rate and the lifetimes of geogrids were close to 100 years which was required service life in the field with 1.75 of reduction factor of safety. Using the newly designed equipment, the creep test of geogrids was found to be highly accelerated. Furthermore, the time-temperature superposition with the newly designed test equipment was shown to be effective in predicting the lifetimes of geogrids with shorter test times and can be applied to the other geosynthetics.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.59-65
• /
• 2015

Background: After the Fukushima accident, the importance of hazard analysis for extreme external events was raised. Methods: To analyze typhoon-induced hazards, which are one of the significant disasters of East Asian countries, a statistical analysis using the extreme value theory, which is a method for estimating the annual exceedance frequency of a rare event, was conducted for an estimation of the occurrence intervals or hazard levels. For the four meteorological variables, maximum wind speed, instantaneous wind speed, hourly precipitation, and daily precipitation, the parameters of the predictive extreme value theory models were estimated. Results: The 100-year return levels for each variable were predicted using the developed models and compared with previously reported values. It was also found that there exist significant long-term climate changes of wind speed and precipitation. Conclusion: A fragility analysis should be conducted to ensure the safety levels of a nuclear power plant for high levels of wind speed and precipitation, which exceed the results of a previous analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.46-53
• /
• 2017

The risk is expressed as consequence of damage multiplied by likelihood of failure. The installation of a protective system reduces the risk by reducing the likelihood of failure at the facility. Also, the protective system has different effects on the likelihood of failure according to the proof test cycle. However, when assessing risks in the Off-site Risk Assessment (ORA) system, the variation in risk was not reflected according to the proof test cycle of protective system. This study was conducted to examine the need for proof test and the importance of cycle setting by applying periodic proof test of the protective system to ORA. The results showed that the likelihood of failure and the risk increased with longer proof test cycle. The risk of a two-yearly proof test was eight times greater than that of a three-month cycle. From the results, the protective system needs periodic proof test. Untested protective system for a long term cannot be reliable because it is more likely to be failed state when it is called upon to operate. In order to reduce the risk to an acceptable level, it is effective to differently set the proof test cycle according to the priority. This study suggested a more systematic and accurate risk analysis standard than ORA. This standard is expected to enable an acceptable level of risk management by systematically setting the priority and proof test cycle of the protective system. It is also expected to contribute to securing the safety of chemical facilities and at the same time, will lead to the development of the ORA system.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.553-558
• /
• 2000

Since 1977, KAERI has conducted the fundamental R&D on the permanent disposal of potential HLW repository in Korea. The first ten year project is divided into three short-term phase studies. The first phase study which shall be finished in March of 2000, has the prime target to develop the disposal concept of HLW. Throughout this study the preliminary and generic disposal repository system has been introduced. The potential repository is proposed to be emplaced into crystalline rocks which is the most common rock types in Korea. The proposed depth of the repository is between 300 to 700 meter. The numerical code, MASCOT-K was developed to asserts the long term safety of the proposed repository concept. Based on this conceptual design preliminary safely assessment was performed. Results show that for the given disposal system the potential radioactive release it well below the regulatory limit.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.73-79
• /
• 1997

Governments and industry have a growing interest in the harmonization of environmental test methods and risk assessment procedures. OECD are currently producing a set of harmonised test guidelines for studying the environmental fate and ecological effects of pesticides. FAO has published an environmental risk assessment procedure. This procedure, which is similar to those used in US and Europe, is based on calculating the ratio of the toxicity of a pesticide to indicator organisms to their level of exposure to the pesticide. The exposure depends on both the concentration of the pesticide and its bioavailability. Ratios which indicate a pesticide will not produce a harmful effect have been established using ecological field studies. Examples are presented for assessing the risk to aquatic ecosystems, earthworms and honeybees. Long-term field studies(up to 20 years) have also shown that pesticides can be used indefinitely without harming soil fertility. Herbicides can be used to avoid the ecologically damaging effects of using soil cultivations excessively for weed control.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.99-106
• /
• 2013

Thermal fatigue is a significant long-term degradation mechanism in nuclear power plants. In particular, as operating plants become older and life time extension activities are initiated, operators and regulators need screening criteria to exclude risks of thermal fatigue and methods to determine significant fatigue relevance. In general, the common thermal fatigue issues are well understood and controlled by plant instrumentation at fatigue susceptible locations. However, incidents indicate that certain piping system Tee connections are susceptible to turbulent temperature mixing effects that cannot be adequately monitored by common thermocouple instrumentations. Therefore, in this study thermal fatigue evaluation of piping system Tee-connections is performed using the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis. From the thermal hydraulic analysis, the temperature distributions are determined and their results are applied to the structural model of the piping system to determine the thermal stress. Using the rain-flow method the fatigue analysis is performed to generate fatigue usage factors. The procedure for improved load thermal fatigue assessment using FSI analysis shown in this study will supply valuable information for establishing a methodology on thermal fatigue.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.406-414
• /
• 2002

In TSPA of long-term post closure radiological safety on permanent disposal of HLW in Korea, appropriate management of input and output data through QA is necessary. The robust QA system is developed using the T2R3 principles applicable for five major steps in R&D＇s. The proposed system is implemented in the web-based system so that all participants in TSPA are able to access the system. In addition, the internet based input database for TSPA is developed. Currently data from literature surveys, domestic laboratory and field experiments as well as expert elicitation are applied for TSPA.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.129-138
• /
• 2021

Living modified organisms (LMOs) are managed by seven government agencies according to their use in South Korea. The Ministry of Environment is responsible for LMOs used for environmental remediation. This study aimed to develop guidelines for assessing potential risks posed by transgenic plants used for remediation to insect ecosystems by investigating arthropod communities in sunflower fields. A total of 2,350 insects and spiders belonging to 134 species of 10 orders and 71 families were collected from sunflower fields over four growth stages ranging from anthesis to seed maturity. At the R3 phase of flower-bud formation, Chironomidae sp. of a decomposer insect guild presented the highest density, while Apis mellifera of a pollinator guild was the most abundant in the R5.8 phase of flowering. During the R7 seed-filling phase and the R9 phase of seed maturity, herbivorous Pochazia shantungensis predominated. During the R9 phase, richness and diversity indices of arthropod communities were distinctly lower whereas their dominance indices were significantly higher than those at other phases. In addition, the composition of arthropod communities was strongly correlated not only with the sampling date, but also with the sampling method depending on the growth stage of sunflowers. Our results suggest that appropriate sampling timing and methods should be considered in advance and that long-term field trials that cover a variety of environmental conditions should be carried out to evaluate potential risks to insect ecosystems.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.10 no.7
• /
• pp.67-79
• /
• 2009

Although readjustment of monitoring system for existing fill dam maintenance is needed by the sustainable increasing of the abandonment rate of monitoring devices by malfunction through the life-cycle of dam, monitoring plans for long-term dam safety has relied on the experience and the opinion of minor expert group without systematic and quantitative analysis on the failure modes and the priority order of monitoring devices on maintenance. In this study the priority order of monitoring devices of existing 5 fill dams was evaluated quantitatively based on the preceding study (Andersen et al, 1999) and the result recommended the establishment of real-time monitoring system for seepage, pore pressure and crest settlement as the readjustment plan for existing fill dam monitoring system. This readjustment plan matches well with the recommendation of PWRI (1984), JCOLD (1986) and the results from Bagherzadeh-Khakkahali and Mirghasemi (2005).