• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.385-395
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess exposure to VOCs and PAHs and the health effects on volunteers who participated in an oil spill cleanup in Yeosu. Methods: Atmospheric VOCs were evaluated in the vicinity of the accident site and questionnaire surveys were conducted to identify personal characteristics and acute health symptoms of clean-up workers seven days after the accident. The levels of metabolites of VOCs (t,t-MA, HA, PGA, MA, MHA) and PAHs (2-NAP, 1-OHP, 2-HF, 1-HPH), oxidative stress markers (TABARS, 8-OHdG) in the urine of workers were analyzed. Their correlation was determined by multiple regression analysis with SAS ver. 9.4. Results: Although the concentration of atmospheric VOCs in the residential areas were low at the time of survey, the levels of VOCs and PAHs metabolites in clean-up workers were higher than those in the control group after clean-up activities. The levels of urinary VOC and PAH metabolites were significantly increased after clean-up compared to those measured before participation. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentrations were also increased and showed significant correlations with those of metabolites of benzene. Conclusion: This study shows that oil spill clean-up activities affect exposure to VOCs and PAHs and the health of clean-up workers. The results suggest the need for check-ups of participants in oil spill cleaning work.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2024

In this study, a thermomechanical numerical model was developed to evaluate the stability of energy slabs. First, a wall-type energy slab was installed in a residential underground parking lot, and thermal performance tests were conducted. Based on the tests, a numerical thermohydraulics model of the energy slab was developed to accurately simulate the thermal behavior in thermal performance tests. Finally, utilizing the temperature data acquired using the developed model, a thermomechanical numerical model of the energy slab was established. The thermomechanical model was then used to simulate the thermal stresses induced by operating the energy slab. The results demonstrated a maximum thermal stress of 5,300 kPa, which highlights the need to utilize cement mortar with sufficient tensile strength to realize stable operation of the energy slab.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.59-70
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• 2022

There is a growing interest in evaluating earthquake damage and determining disaster prevention measures due to the magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Pohang, Korea. Since the liquefaction phenomena occurred extensively in the residential area as a result of the earthquake, there was a demand for research on liquefaction phenomenon evaluation and liquefaction disaster prediction. Liquefaction is defined as a phenomenon where the strength of the ground is completely lost due to a sudden increase in excess pore water pressure caused due to large dynamic stress, such as an earthquake, acting on loose sand particles in a short period of time. The liquefaction potential index, which can identify the occurrence of liquefaction and predict the risk of liquefaction in a targeted area, can be used to create a liquefaction hazard map. However, since liquefaction assessment using existing field testing is predicated on a single borehole liquefaction assessment, there has been a representative issue for the whole targeted area. Spatial interpolation and geographic information systems can help to solve this issue to some extent. Therefore, in order to solve the representative problem of geotechnical information, this research uses the kriging method, one of the geostatistical spatial interpolation techniques, and constructs a geotechnical information database for liquefaction and spatial interpolation. Additionally, the liquefaction hazard map was created for each return period using the constructed geotechnical information database. Cross validation was used to confirm the accuracy of this liquefaction hazard map.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.465-473
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• 2016

This study was carried out to evaluate restoration process of a few wetlands in the National Institute of Ecology (NIE). Wetlands were composed of the former rice paddies that passive restoration was led through only natural process and by creating waterway, and an ecological pond, a reservoir that restorative treatment was practiced. As the result of analysis on landscape change in the current wetland space, existing wetland in NIE was usually from the former rice field and some parts were from the residential area or forest. Change of species composition was progressed from crops or ruderals resistant to human interferences to plant species, which has removed artificially for cultivation and grow usually in the typical wetland. Both species diversity and occurrence of exotic plants were the highest when restoration project is in progress and stages after and before restoration were followed. In an ecological pond that restorative treatment was done, vegetation introduced as riparian buffer was established successfully and thereby it was expected that it could contribute to buffer environmental stress comming from the outside. Synthesized the above mentioned results, change of wetland vegetation established in NIE resembled the typical trend of early successional stage occurring in the abandoned rice paddy and consequently, it was estimated that successful restoration is under progress. Restoration under progress in an ecological pond where artificial aid in the least level was added, could be evaluated in successful as well. In particular, successful establishment of buffering vegetation, which can play diverse ecological functions, could be evaluated as significant restoration effect. But adaptive management to improve ecological quality for the section that buffering vegetation is insufficient, is required.