• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2008

Due to the development and expansion of industries and medical standards, the number of workers who handle organic solvents within hospitals is increasing. The authors in this study intended to investigate the actual conditions of the handling of the solvents and to encourage the recognition that the exposure to such solvents may be possible because of insensitivity to safety. In order to investigate the actual conditions of exposure of workers within hospitals, the experimental group included the three sections (Pathology department, Central Supply Room, and Operating Room), which handle organic solvents most frequently. Meanwhile, university interns were selected to be the control group. This study was conducted between May 1 to May 30, 2007, and urine was taken as samples. Hippuric acid, mandelic acid, methylhippuric acid, and phenylglyoxylic acid were analyzed through gas chromatography, and a total of 52 subjects of the experimental and the control groups were performed of the analysis. As for the results of the analysis of the experimental group, the exposure to benzene was $42.27{\pm}3.70mg/g$ creatinine, that of xylene was $1.30{\pm}0.18g/g$ creatinine, and that of toluene was $2.36{\pm}0.24g/g$ creatinine. Meanwhile, the results of the analysis of the control group showed that the exposure to benzene was $15.54{\pm}2.85mg/g$ creatinine, that of xylene was $0.52{\pm}0.02g/g$ creatinine, and that of toluene was $0.85{\pm}0.20g/g$ creatinine. The amount of exposure to benzene, xylene, and toluene was shown to be under the maximum permitted level, but as for Pathology department, it was required to educate on working conditions, to educate workers on prevention management about their health, and to install fume hood and exhaust system to improve the environments.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.88-91
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• 1964

A rapid and simple method is described here for the determination of scandium in monazite by neutron activation analysis. The sample is irradiated for 20 hours at the neutron flux of $10^{12}$ thermal neutrons/$cm^2$/sec in the TRIGA MARK Ⅱ reactor, after which the sample is decomposed by fusion with concentrated sulfuric acid. The scandium-46 together with scandium carrier are separated from the irradiated sample by precipitating with ammonia, and are extracted by solvent extraction of the thiocyanate complex into ether. The induced radioactivity is measured by gamma scintillation spectrometry using the Multichannel Pulse Height Analyzer connected with 2"${\times}$2" NaI(Tl). The chemical yield is determined gravimetrically by precipitating scandium with mandelic acid. In order to check the efficiency of scandium separation and the errors from interfering activities of the other elements, scandium was separated by the cation exchange resin column, and the results from both samples were compared each other, which showed that the chemical procedure used in this work was as selective as the ion-exchange method with respect to scandium separation. The scandium contents in Korean monazite were found to be about 12 p. p. m.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2024

Background: There are concerns about the health effects of various environmental pollution exposures among residents living near coal-fired power plants (CFPP). Objectives: This study attempted to compare the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine and those of urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites according to the residential separation distance. Methods: Participants in the study totaled 334 people who have lived for more than 10 years in areas within 10 km of a CFPP. The separation distance was analyzed in quartiles by dividing it into Q1 (88 people), Q2 (89 people), Q3 (89 people), and Q4 (68 people). We explained the purpose of this study to the participants and collected blood and urine after obtaining signatures on a participation agreement. Results: The study participants were 102 males (30.5%) and 232 females (69.5%), with an average age of 71. The average length of residence and distance were 43.8 years and 4,800 meters. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg in blood and As and Cd in urine were respective 1.35 ㎍/dL, 1.43 ㎍/L, 3.16 ㎍/L. They were 167.88 ㎍/g for creatinine and 1.58 ㎍/g creatinine. The metabolite concentrations of VOCs were 50.67 ㎍/g creatinine in t, t-muconic acid (t, t-MA), 10.73 ㎍/g creatinine in benzyl mercapturic acid, 317.05 ㎍/g creatinine in phenylglyoxylic acid, 123.55 ㎍/g creatinine in methylhippuric acid, and 190.82 ㎍/g creatinine in mandelic acid. The concentration of Pb in the blood and Cd and t, t-MA in the urine of residents within affected area of the CFPP showed statistically significant differences among distance groups. Conclusions: The concentration of urinary VOCs metabolites, especially t, t-MA, differed according to the distance groups of residents within the affected area of CFPP (p<0.05).

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.433-440
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• 2006

A HPLC/UV method was developed and validated for the rapid and simultaneous determination of urinary metabolites of organic solvents, mandelic acid, hippuric acid, phenylglyoxylic acid, ortho-, meta- and para-methylhippuric acid, using a monolithic column. The mobile phase was composed of tetrabutylammonium bromide as ion-pairing reagent with a flow rate of 2.4 mL/min. The total run time was less than 2.5 min for all six analytes. Good linearities were obtained for all the metabolites with correlation coefficients above 0.9993. Intra-day precision, accuracy and inter-day precision was 0.01~7.32%, 83.9~116.3% and 0.01~7.16%, respectively. The method was validated and confirmed by quantification of the quality assurance samples of Industrial Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2015

연구목적: 이 연구는 노동부의 보건진단 명령에 의해 유리섬유 강화플라스틱(FRP)을 이용한 이중벽 탱크 제조 사업장의 적층 공정 근로자들을 대상으로 스티렌 노출 특성을 평가하기 위해 수행되었다. 연구방법: 스티렌의 주요발생원 파악을 위해 불포화 폴리에스테르 수지(UPR), 경화제, 조색제, 세척액 등의 원료 내 스티렌 함유량을 가스크로마토그래피 질량분석기(GC-MS)를 이용하여 분석하였다. FRP 적층 공정에 근무하는 작업자들을 대상으로 NIOSH 1501 공정시험법에 의해 공기 중 스티렌 노출 농도에 대한 개인노출 평가를 실시하였고, 생물학적 노출 지표로 뇨 중 만델릭산을 채취한 후 고성능액체크로마토그래피(HPLC)로 분석하였다. 또한 각 직무 특성과 단위작업 중심으로 스티렌에 대한 단시간 노출평가를 수행하였다. 연구결과: 스티렌의 함유량이 가장 많은 주요 원료는 중량비율로37%의 스티렌이 함유된 UPR이었다. 적층 공정의 FRP분무 작업자와 보조 작업자들 모두 스티렌의 8시간 가중평균 노출기준(20 ppm)을 초과하였다. 단시간 노출평가 결과 FRP분무 작업자의 경우 45.9 ppm에서 86.1 ppm 수준으로 FRP를 사용하지 않는 작업보다 통계적으로 유의하게 높은 수준이었다(P<0.01). 가장 높은 수준의 스티렌에 노출되는 단위작업은 FRP를 이용하여 1차 코팅 하는 작업으로 특별한 관리가 필요하였다. 결론: 보건진단을 위해 실시한 이중벽 탱크 제조 사업장의FRP 적층 공정 작업자의 스티렌 노출수준은 노출기준을 초과할 정도로 높은 수준이었다. 그러나 탱크를 천장에 매달고 돌리면서 적층작업을 수행하기 때문에 적절한 국소환기 시스템을 구축하는데 어려움이 있다. 따라서 적절한 방독마스크 착용으로 스티렌 노출 예방이 필요하였다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.2021-2026
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• 2009

Toluene, xylene and styrene are volatile organic solvents that are commonly used in mixtures in many industries. Because these solvents are metabolized and then excreted in urine, their urinary metabolites are thought to be biomarkers of occupational exposure to these solvents. Therefore, a simple, rapid, and yet reliable analytical method for determining the metabolites is required for accurate biological monitoring. In the present study, a simple and rapid HPLC-UV method was developed for the simultaneous determination of eight major metabolites of toluene, xylene and styrene: hippuric acid (HA), mandelic acid (MA), o-, m- and p-methylhippuric acids (o-, m- and p-MHAs), and o-, m- and p-cresols. A monolithic column was employed as the stationary phase and several conditions, including flow rate, composition of mobile phase and column temperature, were variables for the optimization of the chromatographic resolution. All eight metabolites were successfully resolved within 5 minutes in 10% aqueous ethanol containing 0.3% acetic acid and 1.6% $\beta$-cyclodextrin, using a flow rate gradient of 1.0 - 5.0 mL/min at 25 ${^{\circ}C}$. The performance of this method was validated by linearity, intra- and inter-day accuracy, and precision. The linearity was observed with correlation coefficients of 0.9998 for HA, 0.9999 for MA, 0.9989 for o-MHA, 0.9998 for m-MHA, 0.9991 for p-MHA, 0.9997 for o-cresol, 0.9998 for m-cresol, and 0.9986 for p-cresol. The intra- and inter-day precision of the method were less than 5.89% (CV) and the accuracy ranged from 92.95 to 106.62%. The validity was further confirmed by analysis of reference samples that were prepared by the inter-laboratory quality assurance program of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA, Seoul, Korea). All measured concentrations of the analytes agreed with the certified values.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.131-143
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the atmospheric concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the urinary concentration of biomarkers in residents near the Shinpyeong·Jangrim Industrial Complex to compare them with those of residents in a control area. Methods: Hazardous air pollutants (PAHs and VOCs) were measured in an exposure area (two sites) and a control area (one site). Urine samples were collected from residents near the industrial complex (184 persons) and residents in the control area (181 persons). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify which factors affected the concentration of PAHs and VOCs metabolites. Results: The average atmospheric concentration of PAHs in Shinpyeong-dong and Jangrim-dong was 0.45 and 0.59 ppb for pyrene, 0.15 and 0.16 ppb for benzo[a]pyrene, and 0.29 and 0.35 ppb for dibenz[a,h]anthracene. The average atmospheric concentration of VOCs was 1.10 and 0.99 ppb for benzene, 8.22 and 11.30 ppb for toluene, and 1.91 and 3.05 ppb for ethylbenzene, respectively. The concentrations of PAHs and VOCs in residents near the Shinpyeong·Jangrim Industrial Complex were higher than those of residents in the control area. Geometric means of urinary 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxypyrene, methylhippuric acid, and mandelic acid concentrations were 0.45, 0.22, 391.51, and 201.36 ㎍/g creatinine, respectively. Those levels were all significantly higher than those in the control area (p<0.05). In addition, as a result of multiple regression analysis, even after adjusting for potential confounding factors such as gender and smoking, the concentration of metabolites in urine was high in residents near the Shinpyeong·Jangrim Industrial Complex. Conclusion: The results of this study show the possibility of human exposure to VOCs in residents near the Shinpyeong·Jangrim Industrial Complex. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the local community is required for the management of environmental pollutant emissions.