• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.73-81
• /
• 2012

Object: The aim of this study is to suggest a list of priority chemicals for the Hazard & Risk Evaluation of Chemicals (HREC) controlled by the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA). Method: Screening assessment was done for 642 chemicals whose exposure threshold limit values were set by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL). Hazard data were collected from Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency (KOSHA) and/or other toxicity database. Exposure data were obtained from KOSHA internal database. The hazard and exposure scores of chemicals were listed by order of priority in accordance with GHS classification and exposure index data. Result: From the result of screening risk assessment for 642 chemicals, we extracted a list of 13 priority chemicals for HREC performed by the ISHA. A priority list of 27 chemicals which have carcinogen, mutagen and/or reproductive toxicity but not controlled by the ISHA was suggested for additional evaluation as "chemicals for special management".

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.715-735
• /
• 2010

This study is designed to assess the priority order of the chemicals to cause to generate occupational diseases in order to understand the fundamental data required for the preparation of health protective measure for the workers dealing with chemicals. The 41 types of 51 ones of chemicals to cause to generate the national occupational diseases were selected as the study objects by understanding their domestic use or not, and their occupational diseases' occurrence or not among 110,608 types of domestic and overseas chemicals. To assess their priority order the sum of scores was acquired by understanding the actually classified condition based on a perfect score of physical riskiness(90points) and health toxicity(92points) as a classification standard by GHS, the priority order on GHS riskiness assessment, GHS toxicity assessment, GHS toxic xriskiness assessment(sum of riskiness plus toxicity) was assessed by multiplying each result by each weight of occupational disease's occurrence. The high ranking 5 items of chemicals for GHS riskiness assessment were turned out to be urethane, copper, chlorine, manganese, and thiomersal by order. Besides as a result of GHS toxicity assessment the top fives were assessed to be aluminum, iron oxide, manganese, copper, and cadium(Metal) by order. On the other hand, GHS toxicity riskiness assessment showed that the top fives were assessed to be copper, urethane, iron oxide, chlorine and phenanthrene by order. As there is no material or many uncertain details for physical riskiness or health toxicity by GHS classification though such materials caused to generate the national occupational diseases, it is very urgent to prepare its countermeasure based on the forementioned in order to protect the workers handling or being exposed to chemicals from health.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.804-812
• /
• 2011

To prevent the overflow of various harmful chemicals, it is necessary to modify the chemical management system with an expansion to institutionally regulated substances. This modification should be preceded by selection of the priority chemicals, with a diverse chemical ranking system (CRS) applied to select the chemicals in developed countries. In Korea, a systematic CRS was used in a project related to soil and groundwater, however, it is inadequate to compare soil and groundwater CRS to that of surfacewater. In this study, a priority chemical ranking system for surfacewater was proposed through the analysis of international and domestic CRS cases. This was then applied to 161 chemicals to derive the priority list of harmful chemicals. As a result, Chemical RAnking of surFacewater polluTants (CRAFT) is presented for the protection of human health and the aquatic ecosystem from surfacewater pollutants. The components of CRAFT are the human health toxicity, aquatic ecosystem toxicity and reliability assessment factors. Three lists were derived from the 161 priority harmful chemicals for the protection of human health, aquatic ecosystem or both. It is expected that this result can be useful to prioritize harmful chemicals for the protection of human health and the aquatic ecosystem from Korean surfacewater.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.183-191
• /
• 2003

Although the variety and quantities of chemicals used have been increasing, no management strategies have been developed for these chemicals in our country. Therefore, it is important to identify the hazardous characteristics of chemicals and establish reasonable and effective management plans for them. However, because insufficient resources are available to evaluate all aspects of many varieties of chemicals, studies on suitable chemical ranking and scoring (CRS) system should be performed to ensure effective screening of priority chemicals.. In addition, because most CRS systems have their own goals, it is impossible for only one generic system to be consistent with all the uses that have been developed. Therefore, priority systems should be developed with specific and clearly defined purposes in our nation. In this study, we investigated and discussed exist-ing CRS systems, and proposed several elements and principles when designing CRS systems. First of all, the system should have clearly defined goals, keep neutral, and employ simple methods. In addition, researchers need to perform sensitivity analysis to find the main variables responsible for uncertainties and use the tiered approach to compose the effective management strategies for chemicals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.76-89
• /
• 2018

Background: Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been considered one of the main causes of a range of endocrine diseases in modern society. An EDC priority list considering exposure, toxicity, and societal concern should be established for EDC management. Methods: The chemical ranking and scoring (CRS) system for EDCs was based on exposure, toxicity,and societal concern. The exposure score system was based on usage, circulation volume, bioaccumulation, and detection in consumer products. The toxicity score system was based on carcinogenicity and reproductive and developmental toxicity. The societal concern score system was based on domestic or international regulations and mass media reports. Results: A total of 165 EDCs were considered in the CRS system. The top-five priority EDCs were Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Benzene, Bisphenol A, Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Trichloroethylene. Phthalates, bisphenols and parabens were identified as priority chemical groups. Conclusion: We developed a CRS system for EDCs to identify priority EDCs for management. This will be a foundation to provide an EDC management plan based on scientific decision-making.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.33-56
• /
• 2007

Use of chemicals has greatly increased along with development of human civilization. Concerns about potential effects of chemicals on human health and environment have also grown accordingly. Due to the enormous number of chemicals being used, however, it is neither practical nor feasible to regulate all the chemicals. Therefore, it is necessary to identify chemicals that deserve more immediate attention, based on the effects on receptors to be protected. This study was initiated by the need for developing management policies for Shihwa-Banwol Techno Valley and its vicinities of korea, where complaints and concerns on environmental contamination have been raised for long time. This study to identifies major chemicals that deserve most immediate attention in environmental health management in this area. For this purpose, the study employed CHEMS-1(Chemical Hazard Evaluation for Management Strategies), and used chemical data from Toxics Release Inventory(TRI) and environmental contamination data from the environmental pollution monitoring network. Top priority pollutants identified in Shihwa-Banwol Techno Valley area were metals and volatile organic compounds, such as dichloromethane, trichloroethylene, diazinon, tetrachloroethylene, chromium compounds, tin compounds, chloroacetic acid, ethyl acetate, and zinc compounds, in an order of decreasing importance. An evaluation of physicochemical properties of the priority chemicals and the environmental pollution monitoring network database in Shihwa-Banwol Techno Valley suggested that the media that are of potential concern would be the atmosphere and aquatic environment.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.135-144
• /
• 1999

Environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants were evaluated by two selected bioassays, Lettuce seed germination/elongation test and Microtox acute toxicity test. Toxic chemicals (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenolic compounds) inhibited the germination rate and root elongation of Lettuce seed, as well as the bioluminescence of Microtox bacteria. When test biota were exposed to target chemicals, the sensitivity of Lettuce bioassay was relatively lower than that of Microtox bioassay. However, Lettuce bioassay may be a good candidate for prescreening the environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants, since the testing method with Lettuce seed was relatively easier and more economic than with Microtox bacteria. Toxicity tests were conducted to compare the validity and sensitivity of both bioassays for sediment from a small stream passed through urban area as well as leachate from a municipal solid waste landfill. From experimental results, we found that Lettuce test and Microtox test are compensated each other as a battery of bioassay for evaluating the environmental toxicities of field samples obtained from a small stream contaminated by pollutants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.587-612
• /
• 2014

Objectives: There is requirement to select candidate materials for chronic inhalation/carcinogenicity testing, so we would like to set the priority of candidate materials. Methods and Results: We recommend the priorities for candidate materials based on the chemicals stipulated in the Occupational Safety and Health Act(OSHAct) and the Toxic Chemicals Control Act(TCCA) in Korea. Conclusions: We presented candidate chemicals consisting of solids(powders), gases and liquids(Such as organic solvents) with priorities.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.23-41
• /
• 2017

Objectives: In this study, we seek to perform a priority selection for test substances for chronic inhalation toxicity studies, including acute and subchronic inhalation toxicity studies, which are to be performed after the construction of a chronic/carcinogenicity inhalation toxicity study facility and enactment of pertinent legislation. Methods: Through this study, qualitative and quantitative priority evaluation of test substances according to acute, subchronic and chronic categories were respectively performed and priorities were suggested by expert group review, redundancy and other methods. Meanwhile, a draft on test substance selection criteria, procedures and methods referring to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) system was proposed. Results: This study selected priorities for candidate substances for chronic inhalation toxicity studies to be conducted from 2016. Conclusions: In the future, by assessing in advance the toxicological effects of chemicals to which workers can be potentially exposed in the workplace via long-term inhalation, expected health disturbances among workers will be reduced and it is anticipated that occupational disease induced by chemicals will be effectively prevented.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.41-55
• /
• 2010

The aims of this study were to develop the suitable "system software" in chemical ranking and scoring (CRS) for the food hazardous chemicals associated with environmental emission and to suggest the priority lists of food contamination by environmental-origined pollutants. Study materials were selected with reference to the priority pollutants list for environment and food management from domestic and foreign research and the number of study materials is 103 pollutants (18 heavy metals, 10 PBTs, 10 EDs, and 65 organic compounds). The Food-CRS-Korea system consisted of the environmental fate model via multimedia, transfer environment to food model, and health risk assessment by contaminated food intake. We have established that health risks of excess cancer risks, hazard quotients (HQs) by chronic toxicity and HQs by reproductive toxicity convert to score, respectively. The creditable scoring system was designed to consider uncertainty of quantitative risk assessment based on VOI (Value-Of-Information). The predictability of the Food-CRS-Korea model was evaluated by comparing the presumable values and the measured ones of the environmental media and foodstuffs. The priority lists based on emissions with background-level-correction are 15 pollutants such as arsenic, cadmium, and etc. The priority lists based on environmental monitoring date are 17 pollutants including DEHP, TCDD, and so on. Consequently, we suggested the priority lists of 13 pollutants by considering the several emission and exposure scenarios. According to the Food-CRS-Korea system, arsenics, cadmium, chromes, DEHP, leads, and nickels have high health risk rates and reliable grades.