• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.270-279
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• 2009

In order to check a necessity of health control for the laborers who are in use of mixed organic solvents in the printing industries, this study evaluated the use status of mixed organic solvents, health subjective symptoms on the exposure of the solvents, health hazard for each kind of printings for the employees who work for the printing industries located in Seoul and Gyeonggi. The study analyzed 228 sites and 311 people responded of the total 250 sites surveyed from March to September 2007, and obtained the following results; 1) Estimating the exposure of the mixed organic solvents, the study found that estimation of mixture(EM) was different for each kind of printings at a level of significance, excessiveness of EM was 7.5%, the highest, for gravure printing, 5.6% for screen printing, 4.7% for master printing, 2.9% for offset printing. 2) As to the mean scores of health subjective symptoms for each kind of printings, workers in screen printing showed high scores in every subjective symptom, of which symptom of central nervous system was 3.75, the highest, and the difference was statistically at a level of significance(p<0.01). 3) Results of the hazard analysis for carcinogens and non-carcinogens contained in the mixed organic solvents exposed to the workers showed that cancer risk of offset printing workers was $7.8{\times}10^{-9}$ for benzene, the mean cancer risk was $2.02.{\times}10^{-8}$ from Monte-Carlo simulation, and both risks did not exceed the US EPA permissible standard of $1{\times}10^{-6}$. The total hazard indices of the non-carcinogens estimated was 3.523, the highest, for gravure printing, 2.381 for master printing, 1.125 for screen printing, respectively, and all exceeded 1.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.7-9
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• 2001

The quantitative assessment of the penetration of organic solvents through skin is necessary for the evaluation of health hazards in occupational environments. We investigated the rate of dermal penetration when mixed or single forms of organic solvents were placed into a diffusion cell in vitro or into an experimental animal in vivo. The diffusion rates of methanol. toluene, and styrene were 6.07, 0.129, and 0.046 mg/$cm^2$/h, respectively. When skin was exposed to the mixed solvent of methanol and toluene, the penetration rate of toluene did not change significantly (0.110 mg/$cm^2$/h). However, the rate of methanol penetration increased to 43.90 mg/$\textrm{cm}^2$/h. The penetration rate of methanol also increased significantly to 54.69 mg/$cm^2$/h by mixing it with styrene. The concentration of methanol in the blood was monitored during the epicutaneous exposure in rats. The blood concentration of methanol was increased by mixing methanol with toluene as seen in the in vitro experiments. These results showed that the penetration rate of organic solvents would be enhanced by mixing them with other solvents.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 1999

A population monitoring studies for assessing the genotoxicity of occupationally exposed mixed organic solvents to printers were performed by using the chromosome aberration assay and the cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay. The incidence of chromosome aberrations and micronuclei was studied in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 51 male printers and their matched controls in Seoul area. Smoking habits and duration of employment were taken into account. The frequencies of micronucleus in peripheral lymphocytes of printers were significantly different in comparision with control subjects. Also there were significant increase in the frequencies of micronucleus by duration of exposure. The frequencies of chromosome aberrations showed no significant differences between printers and their matched controls.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-43
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• 1976

The dissociation constant of phenol red indicator in mixed solvents was studied. Methanol and ethanol were employed as solvents and studied the changes of pK values of indicator according to the kind and concentration of organic solvent which is mixed into water solution. The effect of methanol solvent on pK is negligible at 40%, 60% and 80% mixing. While in the case of ethanol, the effect of above 40% mixing is not negligible.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 1998

To evaluate the effects on health by exposure to low dose organic solvents, the author analyzed the air concentration of mixed organic solvents (toluene, xylene, butylacetate) at worker's breathing zone during painting, some laboratory findings of blood (WBC, RBC, Hb, Hct, SGOT, SGPT, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, IgG, IgM, IgA and IgE) and urine (hippuric acid, urinary protein, urobilinogen), surveyed the subjective symptoms those were obtained from 35 male workers exposed to mixed organic solvents, and 25 male workers not exposed to organic solvents who worked in car repair workshops in Taejon area from December 1, 1995, to February 29, 1996. The results were as follows: 1. The mean concentration of urinary hippuric acid of car painting worker group (organic solvent exposure group) was 0.76$\pm$ 0.21 g/l, which is significantly higher than that of non-exposed group. 2. In hematologic findings, the values of RBC, TC, LDL-C, IgG and IgE in the exposure group were significantly lower than those of the nonexposed group, but SGOT and SGPT in the exposure group were significantly higher than those of the non-exposed group. 3. Urinary hippuric acid levels showed positively correlated with toluene, urobilinogen and HDL-C levels, but those were negatively correlated with RBC, LDL-C, IgM levels. 4. Rates of the subjective symptoms such as "dizziness", "appetite loss", "weight loss", "palpitation", "chest tightness", "sore throat and eye discomfort", "tingling sense and acrodynia", "illusion or hallucination" and "decreaased motor power" were significantly higher in the exposure group than those of the non-exposed group.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.3267-3273
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• 2011

Ag(I) carboxylate gelators with mixed-ligands were systemically investigated to understand the mechanism of the organic gel formation. The gelators constructed 3-D networks of nanometer-sized thin fibers which facilitated gel formation in various aromatic organic solvents, even at very low concentrations. The loss of reflection peaks in the X-ray diffraction data indicated the reduction of strong interactions between the long alkyl chains as the Ag(I) carboxylates formed gels by maximizing their interactions with the organic solvents. The gelation temperature ($T_{gel}$) was measured to explore the interaction between the gelator molecules and solvents depending on their composition and concentration. Based on the gelation phenomena, a dissociation/re-association mechanism was proposed.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.75-87
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the composition, detection rate, and exposure concentration of the airborne organic solvents from the working environmental measurements of total 4181 different type of workplace in 3280 workshops in which organic solvents are used. The results are as follows : 1. For all workplaces except washing, the detection rate of toluene and benzene were 80% and 20%, respectively. 2. The number of detection of aromatic hydrocarbon and ketone were ranged 1.41-2.39 and 0.62-0.90 per a sample in all workplaces except that showed 1.01 in washing. 3. The mean of detection frequency was $3.3{\pm}2.5$ in all workplaces and there was no significant difference among that of each workplaces. 4. The airborne concentrations of methyl methacrylate, ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, and ethyl ether were $43.5{\pm}47.0{\;}ppm,{\;}22.5{\pm}51.0{\;},{\;}19.8{\pm}57.6{\;}ppm,{\;}19.8{\pm}40.14{\;}ppm, respectively. And those of cellosolve, methyl cellosolve acetate, and N,N-dimethyl formamide were $4.1{\pm}4.5$ ppm, $4.0{\pm}18.5{\;}ppm$, and $5.6{\pm}7.7{\;}ppm$, respectively and exceeded the occupational exposure limits enforced by Ministry of Labor in Korea. As the above results, it is suggested that the components of organic solvents should be indentified to efficient management, of working environment and conducted the engineering control for the workplaces using the hazardous materials.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.3 s.35
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• pp.314-327
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• 1991

To evaluate the effects on health by exposure to mixed organic solvents, the author analyzed some labortory findings of blood (hemoglobin, hematocrit RBC, WBC, SGOT, SGPT) and urine (protein, blood, sugar) that were obtained from 722 workers (male:446, female:276) who worked in plywood, painting and shoes factories in Pusan area from January to December, 1990. The result were as follows ; 1. The mean values of each hematologic findings were all within normal limit but there were significant differences at hematocrit, RBC, WBC, SGOT in male and at WBC, SGPT in female at the comparison of the mean values and the distribution according to the normal criteria by type of work. 2. There were no differences in urinalysis(protein, blood, sugar) by type of work. 3. In stepwise multiple regression, analysis of hematologic findings on age, working duration and type of work, regression coefficients on age and type of work were relatively high in male and female sub1, respectively. As a result of this study, it is considered that the measurement of WBC with morphology is significant in hematologic findings and instead of spot urine and urinstix, 24 hours urine and quantitative analysis is required in urinalysis in screening test for healthy status of workers who deal with the organic solvents.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.119-128
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• 1966

The glass electrode was empirically calibrated in methanol-and 2-propanol-water mixed solvents, by means of which the pH-meter reading could be converted to stoichiometric hydrogen ion concentration. The thermodynamic dissociation constants of hydrogen cupferrate in methanol-and 2-propanol-water solution were potentiometrically determined with the changes in composition of organic solvents at 0.01 and 0.05 of the ionic strength and 25$^{\circ}C$. The empirical formula of the constants with mole fraction (n) of the organic solvent are as follow: methanol-water solution $pK_a$= 2.24n + 4.29 at ${\mu}$ = 0.01 n = 0.0476∼0.642 $pK_a$ = 2.35n + 4.38 at ${\mu}$ = 0.05 n= 0.0446~0.642 2-propanol-water solution $pK_a$= 5.50n + 4.48 at ${\mu}$ = 0.05 n = 0.0253~0.259 The relationships between $pK_a$ of acetic acid, propionic acid and HCup and dielectric constant of some mixed solvents were discussed. It would be considered that the factors effecting $pK_a$ value of weak acid in mixed-solvent are not only dielectric constants but acid-base character and solvation effect of the solvent, etc.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 1995

This study was performed to find out the exposure level of mixed organic solvents, excretion of urinary hippuricacid and subjective symptoms according to the exposure of organic solvents of female workers who works on 5 shoes manufacturing industries in Taejon City from 24, september to 20, october 1993. The studied groups were divided into 3 groups that were consist of direct exposure group(48 workers), indirect exposure group(49 workers) and non-exposure group(68 workers) to the organic solvents. The exposure levels of toluene of direct exposure group which $89.86{\pm}56.20ppm$ had higher than that of indirect exposure group which had $40.23{\pm}47.21ppm$. In the exposure level of mixed organic solvent(R-value), direct exposure group was $2.84{\pm}1.53$ and exceeded approximatly 3 times the R-value. Whereas, indirect exposure group was not exceeded the R-value as $0.80{\pm}0.61$. In the excretion level of urinary hippuric acid, direct exposure group was $1.78{\pm}1.25g/l$, indirect exposure group was $1.22{\pm}0.93g/l$ and non-exposure group was $0.51{\pm}0.18g/l$ respectively. Therefore both direct exposure group and indirect exposure group were significantly higher than non-exposure group(P<0.01). In the correlation between toluene levels and urinary hippuric acid level, the direct exposure group had positive correlation(R=0.8309, P<0.01), also indirect exposure group had positive correlation(R=0.5859, P<0.05) and also in the correlation between the R value of mixed organic solvents and the urinary hippuric acid levels, the direct exposure group had positive correlation(R=0.4492, P<0.05), and indirect exposure group had ositive correlation(R=0.7911, P<0.01). In the complain rates of the worker's subjective symptoms at work, both direct exposure group and indirect exposure group were higher than non-exposure group(P<0.05, P<0.01). But the sujective symptoms of "floating sensation" of direct exposure group had significantly higher than indirect exposure group. In the percent of subjective symptoms complaints during the worker's daily life, both direct exposure group and indirect exposure group had generally more statistical significance than nonexposure group(P<0.01), direct exposure group had not statistical significant difference from indirect exposure group. As the results mentioned above, it has been analysed that the indirect at the adjacent manufaturing process are exposed to the considerable amount of solvent. Therefore, I think that there should be the betterment of surrounding through the complete working environment management to the occurrence source of the organic solvent, the changes of health management system to the indirect-exposed workers, and the systematic management of the special medical examination and the like.