• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.447-450
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• 2005

This paper describes an implementation of system based on ZIGBEE wireless communication technique to prevent for diseases of skin ailments and respiratory ailments as sensing the air pollutions that breaks out in the inside and purifying. ZIGBEE wireless communication technique has features - low battery consumption, low cost, acceptance of the maximum 256 node and simple protocol structure of below 32Kbyte. Hardware platform is implemented by using ATmega128L in ATmel corporation and 2.4GHz RF-IC CC2420 in Chipcon corporation and dust sensor(GP2Y1010AU) and gas sensor(GSBT11) that confirm degree of inside air pollution for ZIGBEE wireless communication technique.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2024

Background: Coal miners are highly prone to occupational health risks, such as black lung disease. This study aims to assess the prevalence of black lung disease and the factors associated with black lung disease among coal miners in Asia. Method: This systematic review, conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, searched through the scientific literature of the following databases: EBSCO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus. We selected articles that studied black lung disease among coal miners from 48 countries in Asia and were published between 2014 and 2023. Article quality was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program. Result: The seven articles that we review studied a total of 653,635 coal miners from various types of coal mines from three countries in Asia. Of these miners, 59,998 experienced black lung disease. Black lung disease is prevalent among 9.18% of coal miners in Asia, which is approximately four times higher than the worldwide prevalence. Common factors that influence black lung disease in Asia include age, years of dust exposure, smoking, drinking, working types, and sizes of mines, type of mines, respiratory functions, spirometry parameters, tenure, lack of attention to occupational health, inefficient surveillance, and weak occupational health service. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of black lung disease among coal miners in Asia is considerably high, it can be addressed through effective prevention measures, monitoring, control, and case reporting.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.6
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• pp.431-437
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• 2011

Background: We tried to examine the small airway diseases which can be found early, in workers exposed to inorganic dusts. This is measured in normal breath by using the impulse oscillometry (IOS). Methods: The Pulmonary function test (forced vital capacit [FVC], forced expiratory volume in one second [$FEV_1$], forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity [$FEF_{25-75}$]), IOS resistance (Rrs at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35 Hz) and reactance (Xrs at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35 Hz) were measured for 454 workers. The subjects were classified into 173 workers of normal (38.1%) and 281 patients with pneumoconiosis (61.9%). Results: There were significant differences between normal and patients with FVC ($3.82{\pm}0.61$ vs. $3.53{\pm}0.56L$), $FEV_1$ ($2.67{\pm}0.63$ vs. $2.35{\pm}0.48L$), and $FEF_{25-75}$ ($1.88{\pm}0.95$ vs. $1.47{\pm}0.80L/sec$) between groups (p<0.05). And as for IOS, there was no significant difference in resistance (Rrs) (p>0.05), and there were significant differences between normal and patients with reactance (Xrs) 15 Hz ($0.003{\pm}0.05$ vs. $-0.006{\pm}0.04kPa/L/s$), 20 Hz ($0.043{\pm}0.05$ vs. $0.031{\pm}0.04kPa/L/s$), and 35 Hz ($0.141{\pm}0.05$ vs. $0.131{\pm}0.05kPa/L/s$) between groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: We could find out that 15 Hz, 20 Hz, and 35 Hz values of reactance were significantly influenced by pneumoconiosis. When usefulness and reproducibility to carry out the IOS are considered, it is thought that in future work will be required to draw the reference values for normal Korean persons.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.540-547
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• 1993

Backgrounds: The measurement of volume of isoflow has been considered as a sensitive test for detecting small airway diseases showing normal pulmonary function in a routine pulmonary function test. To evaluate the functions of small airway among dust exposed workers, the changes of volume of isoflow were measured and its applicability of managing early stage pneumoconiosis patients was studied. Method: The subjects were 67 male, pneumoconiosis with small opacity and FEV1>80%, FEV1/FVC>75% in spirometry and the controls were 20 male, no dust-exposed office workers. The maximal epiratory volume curves after inhalation of indoor air and $He-O_2$ gas mixtures were measured and ${\Delta}V_{max50},\;{\Delta}V_{max75},\;V_{iso}V/VC$ between the dust exposed and control workers were compaired. Results: 1) There were no significant differences between two group in ${\Delta}V_{max50}$ and ${\Delta}V_{max75}$. But the ratio of $V_{iso}V/VC$ of the subjects was siginificantly higher than that of the control (p<0.01). This study confirms that $V_{iso}V/VC$ is a very useful index in early detection of small airway dysfunction. 2) The ratio of $V_{iso}V/VC$ of the subjects was signigicantly different between only smoker group and mixed group(smoker and nonsmoker). It suggestes that smoking is an important cousative factor of small airway dysfunction. 3) As the profusion of the chest X-ray increased, the rartio of $V_{iso}V/VC$ increased, but no significant difference of $V_{iso}V/VC$ was found between categories of pneumoconiosis. The categories of pneumoconiosis and small airway dysfunction may not be related. 4) No significant relationship was established between the duration of work and the ratio of $V_{iso}V/VC$. Conclusions : It is concluded that the measurement of $V_{iso}V/VC$ is useful to detect small airway dysfuction of early stage pnuemoconiosis patents with small opacities but showing normal pulmonary function in a routine pulmonary function test.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1972.03a
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• pp.6-7
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• 1972

The air pollutants can be classified into the irritant gas and the asphixation gas, and the irritant gas is closely related to the otorhinolaryngological diseases. The common irritant gases are nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrogen carbon compounds, and the potent and irritating PAN (peroxy acyl nitrate) which is secondarily liberated from photosynthesis. Those gases adhers to the mucous membrane to result in ulceration and secondary infection due to their potent oxidizing power. 1. Sulfur dioxide gas Sulfur dioxide gas has the typical characteristics of the air pollutants. Because of its high solubility it gets easily absorbed in the respiratory tract, when the symptoms and signs by irritation become manifested initially and later the resistance in the respiratory tract brings central about pulmonary edema and respiratory paralysis of origin. Chronic exposure to the gas leads to rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and olfactory or gustatory disturbances. 2. Carbon monoxide Toxicity of carbon monoxide is due to its deprivation of the oxygen carrying capacity of the hemoglobin. The degree of the carbon monoxide intoxication varies according to its concentration and the duration of inhalation. It starts with headache, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and tinnitus, which can progress to respiratory difficulty, muscular laxity, syncope, and coma leading to death. 3. Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory disturbances by formation of methemoglobin. In acute poisoning, it can cause pulmonary congestion, pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and pneumonia due to its strong irritation on the eyes and the nose. In chronic poisoning, it causes chronic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. 4. Ozone It has offending irritating odor, and causes dryness of na sopharyngolaryngeal mucosa, headache and depressed pulmonary function which may eventually lead to pulmonary congestion or edema. 5. Smog The most outstanding incident of the smog occurred in London from December 5 through 8, 1952, because of which the mortality of the respiratory diseases increased fourfold. The smog was thought to be due to the smoke produced by incomplete combustion and its byproduct the sulfur oxides, and the dust was thought to play the secondary role. In new sense, hazardous is the photochemical smog which is produced by combination of light energy and the hydrocarbons and oxidant in the air. The Yonsei University Institute for Environmental :pollution Research launched a project to determine the relationship between the pollution and the medical, ophthalmological and rhinopharyngological disorders. The students (469) of the "S" Technical School in the most heavily polluted area in Pusan (Uham Dong district) were compared with those (345) of "K" High School in the less polluted area. The investigated group had those with subjective symptoms twice as much as the control group, 22.6% (106) in investigated group and 11.3% (39) in the control group. Among those symptomatic students of the investigated group. There were 29 with respiratory symptoms (29%), 22 with eye symptoms (21%), 50 with stuffy nose and rhinorrhea (47%), and 5 with sore thorat (5%), which revealed that more than half the students (52%) had subjective symptoms of the rhinopharyngological aspects. Physical examination revealed that the investigated group had more number of students with signs than those of the control group by 10%, 180 (38.4%) versus 99 (28.8%). Among the preceding 180 students of the investigated group, there were 8 with eye diseases (44%), 1 with respiratory disease (0.6%), 97 with rhinitis (54%), and 74 with pharyngotonsillitis (41%) which means that 95% of them had rharygoical diseases. The preceding data revealed that the otolaryngological diseases are conspicuously outnumbered in the heavily polluted area, and that there must be very close relationship between the air pollution and the otolaryngological diseases, and the anti-pollution measure is urgently needed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.713-722
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• 1995

Background: Chest X-ray of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and shipyard welders' lung show similar and regular opacities mostly, it is very difficult that we distinguish the former from the latter by only chest X-ray. so we performed this study to understand the progression of the disease and to provide the disease by considering pulmonary function and other factors in proportion to the profusion of small regular opacities of chest X-ray in both groups. Method: 430 coal workers' pneumoconiosis were compared with 311 shipyard welders' lung by the number, the age, the duration of dust exposure, %vital capacity(%VC), %FEV1.0, the type of ventilatory impairment, the combined pulmonary disease according to the profusion of small regular opacities on the chest radiographs, which were classified into category 0/1, category 1, and category 2. Result: 1) the percent of category 2 in coal workers' pneumoconiosis was 54.4%. the percent of category 1, and category 2 in welders' lung were 60.0%, 7.4%. the progression to the category 2 was higher in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung 2) The mean age was higher in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung, significantly increased in proportion to the progresion of profusion of small regular opacities in both groups 3) There was no difference in the duration of dust exposure by category 1/0, but the duration of dust exposure by category 1, 2 in coal workers' pneumoconiosis more significantly increased than in welders' lung. the duration in the proportion of category 2 to category 0/1, 1 significantly increased in the proportion to small regular opacities in coal workers' pneumoconiosis. but there was no significant difference in the proportion to small regular opacities in duration of dust exposure in welders' lung. 4) There was no significant difference of mean values of %VC(%vital capacity)in both groups except for category 1. the mean values of %VC had no relationship between the progression of small regular opacities in both groups. 5) The mean values of %FEV1.0 decreased more significantly in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung except for category 0/1. and decreased significantly in proportion to the profusion of small regular opacities in coal workers' pneumoconiosis. there was significant difference of %FEV1.0 in the proportion of category 2 to category 011 in welders' lung. 6) there were no significant difference of %FEV1.0, %VC in smoker and nonsmoker in both groups. 7) With regard to the type of ventilation in both groups in coal workers' pneumoconiosis 21.4 percent of patients belonged to the restrictive type, 11.6 percent to the obstructive type, 5.6 percent to the combined type, but in welders' lung 21.8 percent to the restrictive type, 2.9 percent to the obstructive type, 1.9 percent to the combined type. 8. in the pulmonary disease, the incidence of the pulmonary tuberculosis was the most in both groups, was more in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than welders' lung Conclusion: If we compare coal workers' pneumoconiosis with electric arc welders'lung by considering pulmonary function and other factors in proportion to the profusion of chest X-ray, I think that we will have the better result in understanding the progression of the disease and provision of the disease in both groups.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.3 s.54
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• pp.471-482
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• 1996

Early recognition of coalescence in pneumoconiotic lesions is important because such coalescence is associated with the respiratory symptoms and deterioration of lung function. This complicated form of pneumoconiosis also has worse prognosis than does simple pneumoconiosis. High resolution computerized tomography(HRCT) provides significant additional information on the stage of the pneumoconiosis because it easily detects coalescence of nodules and emphysema that may not be apparent on the simple radiograph. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of HRCT in detection of large opacity and the relationship of change between the coalescence of nodules or emphysema and lung function in dust exposed workers. 1. There was good correlation between the HRCT grade of pneumoconiosis and ILO category of profusion. 5(9.09%) in 55 study population had confluent nodule extending eve, two o, more cuts on HRCT. HRCT could identify the pneumoconiotic nodules which was not found by simple radiogrphy in 6 workers with category 0/0. 2. No significant difference was observed coalescence of nodules and emphysema by dust type. 3. There was no significant difference in pulmonary function according to ILO and HRCT classification. 4. HRCT could detect the significant reduction in $FEV_1,\;FEV_1/FVC$, PEFR, $FEF_{25},\;FEF_{50},\;and\;FEF_{75}$ and remarkable increase in RV and TLC in study persons with emphysema compared with non-emphysema group. 5. Emphysema was found more often in nodules-coalescence group than small opacity group by HRCT. We found that HRCT could easily detect areas of coalescence and complicated emphysema compared to plain chest X-ray. Also our data suggest that it is primarily the degree of emphysema rather than the degree of pneumoconiosis that determines the level of pulmonary function.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.2
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• pp.150-154
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• 2011

We report a case of Caplan's Syndrome, which presented as multiple pulmonary nodules. A 58-year-old male was admitted to hospital due to multiple pulmonary nodules. In addition, the patient presented with multiple arthritis, and dyspnea on exertion. Rheumatoid arthritis had been diagnosed 35 years ago. The patient had worked as a stonemason for 20 years. Computed Tomography (CT) revealed numerous well-defined tiny nodules scattered in both lungs, which was suspicious of miliary tuberculosis or malignancy. The patient was started on antituberculous medications and referred to our hospital. First, a transbronchial lung biopsy was performed, which showed no evidence of granuloma. It was our opinion that the biopsy was insufficient, and a follow-up video-associated thoracoscopy was performed. The pathological report determined necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and silicosis on background. According to imaging studies, pathologic reports, and clinical symptoms, we concluded that the patient had Caplan's syndrome. We controlled his rheumatic medications, and instructed him to avoid exposure to hazardous dust.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.817-823
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• 1999

Background: The prevalence of allergic disease has increased substantially over the past decades. The reasons for these trends are complex but include increased environmental allergen exposure. Environmental control measures are of particular importance in the prevention and management of allergic disease. Thus, we purposed to evaluate the changes of causative allergens in allergic patients in Chonbuk provincial area that began industralized recently. Method: To evaluate the allergens epidemiologically, we performed skin prick tests and RAST in 201 allergic patients from February, 1984 to February, 1985 and 339 patients from February, 1997 to February, 1998. Results: The Following results were obtained. 1) Total sensitization rates did not change significantly(74.2% vs 75.8%, p=0.664). 2) Positive reaction rates to pollens were similar(35.8% vs 30.1%, p=0.17). 3) Positive rates to HDM(house dust mite) were decreased(66.1% vs 56.3%, p=0.02). 4) Positive rates to fungi and animal danders were decreased significantly(p<0.001). Conclusion : Environmental allergens associated with hygine in Chonbuk provincial areas such as HDM and fungi are decreased significantly during 13 years.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.182-189
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• 1996

Background : RANTES is associated with chemotaxis and activation of eosinophils. RANTES is up-regulated in allegic inflammation and play a critical role in the pathogenesis of allegic inflammation. Recently, circulating form of RANTES have been identified in the peripheral blood. Method : In the present study, we measured soluble RANTES levels in 17 patients with atopic brochial asthma (8 patients: early response to allegen challenge, 8 patients : early and late response to allergen challenge) on 30mins, 2hrs and 8 hrs after allergen challenge with house dust mite, prechallenge period. Result : RANTES levels in sera from patients with bronchial astma in prechallenge conditions were higher than in normal control subjects. But, RANTES levels in sera from patients with bronchial asthma in 30mins, 2hrs and 8hrs after challenge were no significantly higher than prechallenge conditions. Conclusion : These results suggest that RANTES plays a role in the pathogenesis of patients with atopic bronchial asthma and may be related to persistence of subclinical allergic inflammation.