• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.534-541
• /
• 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence rate of multiple chemical sensitivity/idiopathic environmental intolerance(MCS/IEI) among workers in the Gumi industrial complex around the region of accidental release of hydrogen fluoride in 2012. Materials: We evaluated MCS/IEI using the Korean version of the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory(QEESI). A total of 535 workers at six manufacturing companies in the Gumi industrial complex were investigated using self-administered questionnaires from February to March 2015. After exclusion of incompletely answered questionnaires, 271 were analyzed. Results: The prevalence rate and proved positive rate of MCS/IEI were 5.9%(16 out of 271) and 3.7%(10 out of 271), respectively. The scores of chemical intolerance, other intolerance, symptom severity and life impact were significantly higher(p<0.05) in females than those of males. In terms of masking index scores, males showed significantly higher(p=0.003) than female. The self-reported MCS/IEI prevalence rate, 7.7%, of workers exposed to hydrogen fluoride in 2012 was higher than no-exposure group(5.6%), but not statistically significant(p=0.815). Conclusions: Although the prevalence rate of MCS/IEI symptoms of workers exposed to hydrogen fluoride gas in 2012 was not significantly higher than no-exposure group, it is necessary to conduct follow-up study on the exposure group of hydrogen fluoride.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
• /
• 2006.11a
• /
• pp.322-327
• /
• 2006

In our previous research, office workers are relatively frequent in self-reported symptoms suggestive of MCS/IEI compare to construction worker who highly exposed to VOCs compounds. However in that research, the subjects were too small to say it clearly. Based on that research results, self reported symptom surveys to 110 office workers and personal exposure concentration measurement were conducted to 13 of people. VOCs exposure levels were measured within office, house and other places during a week by Passive Sampling Method. In this study, it was found that the number of office workers who met the operational criteria of MCS/IEI was 23.6% similar to 24.5% of previous result, and average of TVOC concentration was appeared high state by order of office, house, and personal exposure.