• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.175-183
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• 2012

Objectives: Controversy regarding the relationship between exposure to Agent Orange and disease has progressed for more than four decades, both at home and abroad. Recently, the allegation by US veteran Steve House of the burial of Agent Orange at the US Army base Camp Carroll located in Waegwan-eup, Korea, has emerged. We reviewed published articles and reports related to Agent Orange. Methods: Articles and reports were collected online using the keywords 'agent orange' and 'health' and then reviewed. Results: A number of epidemiologic studies have reported disease outcomes due to exposure to Agent Orange, while others were unable to establish a link to the injuries of veterans of the Vietnam War. This can be explained by the fact that accurate exposure assessment should be carried out since exposure misclassification in epidemiologic studies can affect estimates of risk. In the case of the burial of Agent Orange at Camp Carroll, an exposure pathway could be through underground water supplies, which differs from the cases of Vietnam and Seveso in Italy. Conclusion: There still remains a dispute among academics regarding the relationship between exposure to Agent Orange and disease, although Agent Orange is a highly toxic chemical. This dispute indicates that accurate exposure pathway and exposure assessment is needed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2017

Considerable effort has been made to address the issue of occupational health and environmental exposure to mercury. This review reports on the current literature of mercury exposure and health impacts on dental personnel. Citations were searched using four comprehensive electronic databases for articles published between 2002 and 2015. All original articles that evaluated an association between the use of dental amalgam and occupational mercury exposure in dental personnel were included. Fifteen publications from nine different countries met the selection criteria. The design and quality of the studies showed significant variation, particularly in the choice of biomarkers as an indicator of mercury exposure. In several countries, dental personnel had higher mercury levels in biological fluids and tissues than in control groups; some work practices increased mercury exposure but the exposure levels remained below recommended guidelines. Dental personnel reported more health conditions, often involving the central nervous system, than the control groups. Clinical symptoms reported by dental professionals may be associated with low-level, long-term exposure to occupational mercury, but may also be due to the effects of aging, occupational overuse, and stress. It is important that dental personnel, researchers, and educators continue to encourage and monitor good work practices by dental professionals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Low-dose radiation exposure has received considerable attention because it reflects the general public's type and level of exposure. Still, controversy remains due to the relatively unclear results and uncertainty in risk estimation compared to high-dose radiation. However, recent epidemiological studies report direct evidence of health effects for various types of low-dose radiation exposure. In particular, international nuclear workers' studies, CT exposure studies, and children's cancer studies on natural radiation showed significantly increased cancer risk among the study populations despite their low-dose radiation exposure. These studies showed similar results even when the cumulative radiation dose was limited to an exposure group of less than 100 mGy, demonstrating that the observed excess risk was not affected by high exposure. A linear dose-response relationship between radiation exposure and cancer incidence has been observed, even at the low-dose interval. These recent epidemiological studies include relatively large populations, and findings are broadly consistent with previous studies on Japanese atomic bomb survivors. However, the health effects of low-dose radiation are assumed to be small compared to the risks that may arise from other lifestyle factors; therefore, the benefits of radiation use should be considered at the individual level through a balanced interpretation. Further low-dose radiation studies are essential to accurately determining the benefits and risks of radiation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.358-367
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to review model algorithms and input parameters applied to some exposure models and to compare the simulated estimates using an exposure scenario from each model. Methods: A total of five exposure models which can estimate inhalation exposure were selected; the Korea Ministry of Environment(KMOE) exposure model, European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals Targeted Risk Assessment(ECETOC TRA), SprayExpo, and ConsExpo model. Algorithms and input parameters for exposure estimation were reviewed and the exposure scenario was used for comparing the modeled estimates. Results: Algorithms in each model commonly consist of the function combining physicochemical properties, use characteristics, user exposure factors, and environmental factors. The outputs including air concentration ($mg/m^3$) and inhaled dose(mg/kg/day) are estimated applying input parameters with the common factors to the algorithm. In particular, the input parameters needed to estimate are complicated among the models and models need more individual input parameters in addition to common factors. In case of CEM, it can be obtained more detailed exposure estimates separating user's breathing zone(near-field) and those at influencing zone(far-field) by two-box model. The modeled exposure estimates using the exposure scenario were similar between the models; they were ranged from 0.82 to $1.38mg/m^3$ for concentration and from 0.015 to 0.180 mg/kg/day for inhaled dose, respectively. Conclusions: Modeling technique can be used for a useful tool in the process of exposure assessment if the exposure data are scarce, but it is necessary to consider proper input parameters and exposure scenario which can affect the real exposure conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2012

Dietary exposure assessment by ages was performed in this study using pesticide residues data examined in vegetable commodities collected in Seoul from 2007 to 2009, and the vegetable intakes for Seoulites which were obtained after analysing the Korea National Health and Nutrition examination survey data of 2008. There was a statistical difference for vegetable intakes by ages (P<0.001). Vegetable intake was the highest in 40~59 age group and was the lowest in under 5 age group. The %ADI was calculated using vegetable pesticide residues and vegetable intake for Seoulites by ages. Considering below 1 of the %ADI by ages, the risk caused by pesticide residues in vegetables was very low and vegetable intake was safe.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2017

In this study, to investigate of safety for Benzo(a)pyrene in medicinal herb, 8 kinds of selected commercial herbal medicines (Rehmanniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata, Amomi Tsao-Ko Fructus, Cimicifugae Rhizoma, Cyperi Rhizoma, Magnoliae Cortex, Scutellariae Radix, Scrophulariae Radix) were analysed using the high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector and assessed the health risk. The levels of benzo(a)pyrene were from non-detection to $28.1{\mu}g/kg$, and the average was $3.6{\mu}g/kg$. Based on a nationwide survey of the consumption of medicinal herb by the Korean population, we estimated the potential risk from the ingestion of benzo(a)pyrene. The estimated daily intake of benzo(a)pyrene was 1.6 ng/kg b.w./day for group only know the daily average intake of medicinal herb. The MOE (margin of exposure) of benzo(a)pyrene for estimate of health risk was $1.93{\times}10^5$. Therefore, health risk from benzo(a)pyrene through intake of herbal medicine was considered negligible.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.144-154
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• 2007

The acute and chronic toxicity of ambient and effluent water discharged to Lake Shihwa were investigated by using Vibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna and Oryzias latipes. Physicochemical characteristics including biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and nine heavy metals in a total of 15 water samples were evaluated and were satisfied with relevant Korean Water Quality Standards (KWQS) except for Hg in one sample. Acute toxicity was observed in five samples collected from three sampling locations. When impacts on reproduction and growth after chronic exposure were evaluated with D. magna, all the samples showed significant chronic effects. Reproduction appeared relatively more sensitive endpoint. In 21 days chronic tests on O. latipes, survival, mean egg number per female per day, hatching success rate and time to hatch were affected by increasing sample concentration. The organ-level changes such as gonadosomatic index (GSI), and hepatosomatic index (HSI), and molecular biomarker of vitellogenin (Vtg) induction that evaluated with O. latipes increased as exposure concentrations increased. It is noteworthy that the samples that did not exceed the KWQS resulted in acute and chronic toxicities. The results suggested that numeric criteria based on physicochemical parameters may not be protective of aquatic ecosystem. Acute and chronic toxicity tests with organisms representing different trophic groups should be supplemented in order to provide adequate level of environmental protection.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.58-73
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• 2000

Objectives : This study was performed to evaluate BTEX exposure to gas station service attendants and the critical affect of benzene and MtBE airborne concentration. Methods : the degree of exposure to airborne BTEX and MtBE was examined in the service attendants at seven gas stations across the country during a summer season. The TWAs(time-weighted averages) of atmospheric concentration of substances in personal and area samples, were calculated. The component ratio of BTEX and MtBE in the samples of bulk gasoline from each station studied was also measured. Results : The airborne concentrations of BTEX and MtBE showed a lognormal distribution and The TWA concentrations of benzene in personal samples from each station were 0.089 ppm - 0.18 ppm, and those of toluene were 0.097 ppm - 0.2 ppm. The average TWA concentrations of xylene and ethyl benzene was 0.03 ppm and 0.001 ppm, respectively. The TWA concentrations of MtBE were 0.4 ppm - 1.3 ppm. The volume concentrations of MtBE, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene in the bulk gasoline samples were 3 - 7.4 %, 3 - 12 %, 0.64 % and 1.5 - 10 %, respectively. Conclusions : The benzene concentration was detected to exceed the ACGIH threshold benzene level of 0.5 ppm, in one of 74 personal and area samples. MtBE, a substitute for aromatic compounds such as benzene in gasoline, was found to bring about a greater chance of exposure to carcinogen, due to its high vapor pressure and carcinogenicity.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2016

Background: The aim of this study was to increase knowledge regarding the dangers associated with tobacco use, and decrease secondhand smoke exposure and tobacco use behaviors with an antitobacco messaging campaign among rural, medically underserved, blue-collar workers. Methods: A quasiexperimental study was conducted with employees at two worksites. One worksite received the intervention, which consisted of nine different antitobacco messages. Baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted at each worksite to assess change in knowledge and behavior; the data were compared across the two worksites. Results: Two hundred twenty-two and 243 participants completed baseline and follow-up surveys at the intervention and comparison sites, respectively. A statistically significant difference was seen over time between the worksites on knowledge of the dangers of tobacco (p < 0.0001); the mean knowledge score increased at the intervention site, but remained unchanged at the comparison site. In general, non-smokers at both worksites appeared to try to decrease exposure to secondhand smoke over the follow-up period. Repeated measures analysis indicated that there were no differences in motivation to quit (p = 0.81), interest in quitting (p = 0.40), thinking about quitting (p = 0.53), or several tobacco-use behaviors over time among smokers at the intervention and comparison worksites. There were slight increases over time in the proportion of smokers who do not allow smoking in their homes/vehicles at the intervention worksite, although not statistically significant. Conclusion: Participants at the intervention worksite increased their knowledge regarding the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. Among current tobacco users, the intervention appeared to increase family rules regarding secondhand smoke exposure in their homes and vehicles.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.353-364
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• 2016

Objectives: Determining the time activity patterns of urban populations is critical when performing an exposure assessment. The purposes of this study were to classify urban populations in Korea by their time activity patterns and to identify factors that influence these patterns. Methods: The time activity patterns of 31,634 and 20,263 individuals were obtained from two national databases collected in 2004 and 2009, respectively. The two largest metropolitan cities in Korea, Seoul and Busan, were selected for this analysis. For each city, multivariate linear regressions were performed to determine factors affecting the time spent in a residence and in transit. We also used cluster analysis to classify each urban population by activity pattern. Results: Nine distinctive activity patterns were identified in the Seoul and Busan populations, respectively, and the resulting classified population groups had specific characteristics. The identified patterns were similar for Seoul and Busan. The most significant factors affecting time spent in a residence were employment status, age, marriage status, education, and gender. Gender, education, employment status, and monthly income were significant factors affecting time spent in transit. Conclusion: These results indicate that, in addition to region, exposure scientists in Korea should consider classifying populations based on age, gender, and occupation.