• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.25 no.7
• /
• pp.951-961
• /
• 2016

To prevent increasing instances of heat-related illnesses due to heat waves generated by climate change, a customized thermal environment index should be developed for outdoor workers. In this study, we conducted sensitivity analysis of the Masan harbor during a heat wave period (August 9th to 15th, 2013) using the MENEX model with metabolic rate and clothing-insulation data, in order to obtain realistic information about the thermal environment. This study shows that accurate input data are essential to gather information for thermophysiological indices (PST, DhR, and OhR). PST is sensitive to clothing insulation as a function of clothing. OhR is more sensitive to clothing insulation during the day and to the metabolic rate at night. From these results, it appears that when exposed to high-temperature thermal environments in summer, wearing highly insulated clothing and getting enough rest (to lower the metabolic rate) can aid in preventing heat-related illnesses. Moreover, in the case of high-intensity harbor work, quantification of allowed working time (OhR) during heat waves is significant for human health sciences.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.47-52
• /
• 1996

Personal exposure levels of $NO_{2}$ for office workers and housewives Living in A-San and neighboring prefectures were measured in two seasons with $NO_{2}$ filter badge. $NO_{2}$ concentrations in indoor and outdoor air in their offices and houses were also measured in the same periods. Personal exposure levels in winter ranged from 13 to 132 ppb and its distribution pattern was remarkably different from the other seasons (15.2-17.9 ppb). This fact suggests that use of heating apparatus affects largely $NO_{2}$ indoor air pollution in winter seasons. Actually, $NO_{2}$ exposure levels of subjects used Kerosene heater (43.6ppb) and gas heater (33.4ppb) were higher than those of subjects unused heating apparatus (18.0ppb). Personal exposure levels of $NO_{2}$ for man and woman Living in the same houses were correlated well each other. The time spent indoors for office workers and housewives were both longer than 22 hour a day. Home staying time was about 60% of total indoor staying time for office workers and 90% or more for housewives. Personal exposure levels were significantly related to indoor exposure levels at home all seasons. Furthermore, personal exposure levels could be estimated from $NO_{2}$ concentrations and staying times in various Living environment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.25 no.8
• /
• pp.1115-1129
• /
• 2016

To analyze human thermal environments in protected horticultural houses (plastic houses), human thermal sensations estimated using measured microclimatic data (air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar and terrestrial radiation) were compared between an outdoor area and two indoor plastic houses, a polyethylene (PE) house and a polycarbonate (PC) house. Measurements were carried out during the daytime in autumn, a transient season that exhibits human thermal environments ranging from neutral to very hot. The mean air temperature and absolute humidity of the houses were $14.6-16.8^{\circ}C$ (max. 22. $3^{\circ}C$) and $7.0-12.0g{\cdot}m^{-3}$ higher than those of the outdoor area, respectively. Solar (K) and terrestrial (L) radiation were compared directionally from the sky hemisphere (${\downarrow}$) and the ground hemisphere (${\uparrow}$). The mean $K{\downarrow}$ and $K{\uparrow}$ values for the houses were respectively $232.5-367.8W{\cdot}m^{-2}$ and $44.9-55.7W;{\cdot}m^{-2}$ lower than those in the outdoor area; the mean $L{\downarrow}$ and $L{\uparrow}$ values were respectively $150.4-182.3W{\cdot}m^{-2}$ and $30.5-33.9W{\cdot}m^{-2}$ higher than those in the outdoor area. Thus, L was revealed to be more influential on the greenhouse effect in the houses than K. Consequently, mean radiant temperature in the houses was higher than the outdoor area during the daytime from 10:45 to 14:15. As a result, mean human thermal sensation values in the PMV, PET, and UTCI of the houses were respectively $3.2-3.4^{\circ}C$ (max. $4.7^{\circ}C$), $15.2-16.4^{\circ}C$ (max. $23.7^{\circ}C$) and $13.6-15.4^{\circ}C$ (max. $22.3^{\circ}C$) higher than those in the outdoor area. The heat stress levels that were influenced by human thermal sensation were much higher in the houses (between hot and very hot) than in the outdoor (between neutral and warm). Further, the microclimatic component that most affected the human thermal sensation in the houses was air temperature that was primarily influenced by $L{\downarrow}$. Therefore, workers in the plastic houses could experience strong heat stresses, equal to hot or higher, when air temperature rose over $22^{\circ}C$ on clear autumn days.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.243-252
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Indoor air quality (IAQ) in the radiation treatment center which is generally located underground is important to the health of hospital workers and patients treated over a long period of time. this study was conducted to measure and analyze the factors related to IAQ and subjective symptoms of sick building syndrome, and to establish the causes influencing IAQ and find a solution to the problems. Methods and Materials : Self administrated questionnaire was conducted to check the workers' symptoms and understanding of the work environment. Based on a preliminary investigation, the factors related to IAQ such as temperature, humidity, fine particulate. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and radon gas were selected and measured for a certain period of time in specific sites where hospital workers stay long in a day. And we also evaluated the surrounding environment and the efficiency of the ventilating system simultaneously, and measured the same factors at the first floor (outdoor) to compare with outdoor all quality, All collected data were assessed by the recommended standard for IAQ of the domestic and international environmental organizations. Results: Hospital workers were discontented with foul odors, humidity and particulate. They complained symptoms related to musculo-skeletal system, neurologic system, and mucosal-irritatation. Most of the factors were not greater than the recommended standard, but the level of TVOC was third or fourth times as much as the measuring level of some offices in the United States. The frequency and the amount of the ventilating system were adequate, however, the problem arising in the position of outdoor-air inlets and indoor-air outlets involved a risk of the indraft of contaminated air. A careful attention was a requirement in handling and keeping chemical substances including a developing solution which has a risk of TVOC emissions, and repositioning the ventilating system was needed to solve the contaminated-air circulation immediately Conclusion We verified that some IAQ-related factors and inadequate ventilating system could cause subjective symptoms in hospital workers. The evaluation of IAQ was surely needed to improve the underground working environments for hospital workers and patients. On the basis of these data, from now on, we should actively engage in designs of the department of radiation oncology or improvement in environments of the existing facilities.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.247-257
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The Korea Ministry of Environment regulates concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) through Atmosphere Environmental Standards to protect public health from HAPs. However, simply determining the exceedance of HAP concentrations has several limitations and more comprehensive assessment is required. In addition, integrated risk assessment is needed considering exposure in all microenvironments, including outdoor as well as indoor environments. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in risk by sub-population groups according to time-activity patterns and reported concentrations, as well as the lifetime risk for Koreans. Methods: In this study, we calculated time-weighted average exposure concentrations for benzene and $PM_{10}$ among preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly using residential time and concentrations for indoor (house, school or workplace, other), outdoor, and transport by the meta-analysis method. The risk assessments were conducted by excess cancer risk and disease death risk using 1,000,000 Monte-Carlo simulations for probabilistic analysis. Results: Preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly spent 91.9, 86.0, 79.8, 82.2, and 77.3% of their day in their house, workplace, or school, respectively. The more than 99% excess cancer risk for benzene exceed 1.0E-06 in all sub-populations and lifetime. The acute disease death risk for $PM_{10}$ for housewifes and workers for lifetime were 3.35E-04 and 3.18E-04, and chronic disease death risks were 2.84E-03 and 2.70E-03, respectively. Conclusions: The risk of benzene and $PM_{10}$ by sub-population group and for the lifetime of housewifes and workers were assessed. Benzene showed risky results for this study. All disease death risks of $PM_{10}$ were higher than 1.0E-04 and showed different risks by sub-population. This study can be used as a basis for lifetime exposure and risk assessment to benzene and $PM_{10}$.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.4 s.111
• /
• pp.210-219
• /
• 2005

This study was conducted to solve the problem of crawled spinach harvesting that had been mainly done by manpower on the outdoor fields during the winter season. Moreover, there are not enough workers available for farming at most of rural areas in Korea because farming is getting hard and the number of old-aged workers is increasing. In order to find appropriate methods of digging, picking and collecting of spinach, the tests were examined outdoors. A prototype was designed based on the results of the tests and then fabricated for digging, picking-up and then collecting in continuous operation for harvesting spinach planted in the outdoor fields. In the field test with the prototype, the vibration intensity transmitted to the driver by vibrating blade was low while the vibrating blade reduced digging power by $46\%$ compared to that of the fixed blade. The spinach loss was found to be as low as $0.7\%$ in the condition of digging depth of 40 mm, cam rotational velocity of 748 rpm, and blade amplitude of 16.5 m. The working performance of the prototype spinach harvester was found to be 3.8 hour/10a resulting in $96\%$ of labor saving and $85\%$ of operating cost compared to the conventional manual harvesting.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.373-377
• /
• 2005

The work of hairdressers includes washing, coloring, bleaching, permanent waving, conditioning, and cutting hair. Hairdressers are subjected to a number of physical and toxicological hazards. The toxicological hazards are those resulting from exposure to a wide range of chemicals and from chemicals are usually classified active processes. In this study, twenty beauty shops were selected to assess the exposure to indoor air pollutants such as VOCS and particulate matter($PM_{10}$) during one month from September 1 to September 30, 2003. Indoor air quality of beauty shops might be worse by vehicle emissions because the beauty shops were generally located near roadways. Personal exposures to VOCs and PM lo were related to indoor concentrations of beauty shops. According to the questionnaire, hairdressers complained of sore throat, eye irritation, and nervousness as physical symptoms. Conclusively, customers as well as workers in the beauty shops might be highly exposed to air pollutants from indoor sources and outdoor sources. Therefore, proper management methods should be taken to improve the indoor air quality in beauty shops.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.130-139
• /
• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the tire manufacturing work environments extensively and to identify workers' exposure to hazardous substances in various work processes. Methods: Personal air sampling was conducted to measure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon disulfide, 1,3-butadiene, styrene, methyl isobutyl ketone, methylcyclohexane, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, and rubber fume in tire manufacturing plants using the National Institute for Occupational Safety Health Manual of Analytical Methods. Noise, carbon monoxide, and heat stress exposure were evaluated using direct reading instruments. Past concentrations of rubber fume were assessed using regression analysis of total particulate data from 2003 to 2007, after identifying the correlation between the concentration of total particulate and rubber fume. Results: Workers were exposed to rubber fume that exceeded 0.6 mg/$m^3$, the maximum exposure limit of the UK, in curing and production management processes. Forty-seven percent of workers were exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 dBA. Workers in the production management process were exposed to $28.1^{\circ}C$ (wet bulb globe temperature value, WBGT value) even when the outdoor atmosphere was $2.7^{\circ}C$ (WBGT value). Exposures to other substances were below the limit of detection or under a tenth of the threshold limit values given by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Conclusion: To better classify exposure groups and to improve work environments, examining closely at rubber fume components and temperature as risk indicators in tire manufacturing is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.229-237
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this study was to be useful in working out plans for improving national health by identifying public workers' knowledge of and attitude to smoking, actual conditions of smoking within nonsmoking areas, and related factors. For the purpose, the questionnaire was carried out with 761 public officials of the division manager-level and lower working in Taegu Metropolitan City Hall in september, 1998. The results are summarized as follows; Smokers of the subject group accounted for 55.1％, and the smoking rate had a significant relation with age and religion. In view of the time when smokers started smoking, smokers who started smoking after graduation from a high school accounted for 70.6％. Smokers who smoke one pack of cigarettes per day and a cigarette to its two-thirds length was the most. In the smoking place of smokers at home, 54.9％ of the smokers responded that they smoke in an outdoor space The rate of smoking in an office was 68.3％ and the rate of smoking within the nonsmoking areas of other public institutions was 43.0％. The results of multiple regression analysis with the actual state of smoking within the nonsmoking area of other public institutions as an independent variable revealed that smokers who check for a nonsmoking area before smoking in the public institutions and who do not smoke in an office do not smoke within the nonsmoking areas of other public institutions. In conclusion, more smoking and health education for public workers is needed to reduce the rate of national smoking and allow people to have a good smoking attitude, and it is required to arrange an institutional system who can strictly control public workers' smoking in their offices or public places and to stress a function of surveillance and monitoring by nonsmokers.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.52-60
• /
• 2017

Background: This study investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and physical fitness, obesity indices, and vitamin D status in office workers. Methods: The subjects were 514 adults with more 30 years of experience as office workers in the city of Seoul. Lifestyle risk factors, obesity indices, physical fitness, and serum vitamin D levels were assessed with a standardized protocol. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression status. Vitamin D status was assessed by measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. Based on the BDI scores, participants were classified into no depression (ND, $BDI{\leq}9$), mild depression (MiD, $10{\leq}BDI{\leq}15$), and moderate depression (MoD, $16{\leq}BDI{\leq}23$) groups. Results: Compared with the high cardiorespriatory fitness group, the low cardiorespiratory fitness (men OR=2.618, women OR=1.596) an middle cardiorespiratory fitness group (men OR=1.256, women OR=1.110) had significantly higher odds ratio for having depressive symptoms, even after adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (%BF), and waist circumference (WC). Compared with the insufficient or deficient vitamin D group , the sufficient vitamin D group had significantly lower odds ratios for having depressive symptoms (men OR=0.121, women OR=0.114), even after adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, alcohol intake, smoking, BMI, %BF, and WC. Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation and outdoor activities should be key components of a lifestyle intervention against office workers' depression.