• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.96-101
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• 2024

Background: Silicosis among workers who fabricate engineered stone products in micro or small-sized enterprises (MSEs) was reported from several countries. Workplace exposure data of these workers at high risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust are limited. Methods: We surveyed workers performing cutting, shaping and polishing tasks at 6 engineered stone fabricating MSEs in Sydney, Australia prior to regulatory intervention. Personal exposure to airborne RCS dust in 34 workers was measured, work practices were observed using a checklist and worker demography recorded. Results: Personal respirable dust measurements showed exposures above the Australian workplace exposure standard (WES) of 0.1 mg/m³ TWA-8 hours for RCS in 85% of workers who performed dry tasks and amongst 71% using water-fed tools. Dust exposure controls were inadequate with ineffective ventilation and inappropriate respiratory protection. All 34 workers sampled were identified as overseas-born migrants, mostly from three linguistic groups. Conclusions: Workplace exposure data from this survey showed that workers in engineered stone fabricating MSEs were exposed to RCS dust levels which may be associated with a high risk of developing silicosis. The survey findings were useful to inform a comprehensive regulatory intervention program involving diverse hazard communication tools and enforcing improved exposure controls. We conclude that modest occupational hygiene surveys in MSEs, with attention to workers' demographic factors can influence the effectiveness of intervention programs. Occupational health practitioners should address these potential determinants of hazardous exposures in their workplace surveys to prevent illness such as silicosis in vulnerable workers.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 2020

This study was conducted to survey levels of heavy metals, benzopyrene and mycotoxins in teas purchased from online markets, supermarkets, and traditional markets in Gwangju, Korea. We examined the arsenic, cadmium and lead content in heavy metals. We also tested for benzo(a)pyrene, which is classified as a carcinogen. In addition, we tested for the mycotoxins aflatoxin (AFB₁, AFB₂, AFG₁, AFG₂), ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin (FUB₁, FUB₂), and zearalenone (ZON). According to our results, heavy metals were detected within the allowable range (below 5.0 mg/kg for lead) and all samples met with the standards for tea as presented in the Korean Food Code. The Benzo(a)pyrene showed a detection rate of 12.8% in 16 of 125 samples and mycotoxins showed 23.2% in 29 of 125 samples. However, safe levels regarding benzo(a)pyrene and mycotoxin in tea were not ascertainable since the standards are not set in the Korean Food Code.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.159-165
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• 2022

In this study, heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury) and shellfish poisoning toxins (diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins, amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins) were investigated in a total of 104 shellfishes. According to the analysis of heavy metals, lead (Pb) was detected in the range of 0.0177-0.5709 mg/kg, cadmium (Cd) was detected in the range of 0.0226-1.4602 mg/kg, and mercury (Hg) was detected in the range of 0.0015-0.0327 mg/kg. Levels of Pb, Cd, and Hg were acceptable by Korean standards. Okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) were investigated for monitoring of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins and OA and DTX-1 were not detected. As a result of monitoring of amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins, domoic acid was detected in 5 of 104 samples and detection ratio was 4.8%. The detection period was found as follows; 1 case in January, 1 case in February, 1 case in May, 2 cases in September. These showed that continuous monitoring for the management of shellfish poisoning toxins and heavy metals is required. In addition, this study can be used as reference data to strengthen managing heavy metals in fishery products.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.156-160
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• 2016

Background: Workers in pesticide manufacturing industries are constantly exposed to pesticides. Genetic biomonitoring provides an early identification of potential cancer and genetic diseases in exposed populations. The objectives of this biomonitoring study were to assess DNA damage through comet assay in blood samples collected from industry workers and compare these results with those of classical analytical techniques used for complete blood count analysis. Methods: Samples from controls (n = 20) and exposed workers (n = 38) from an industrial area in Multan, Pakistan, were subjected to various tests. Malathion residues in blood samples were measured by gas chromatography. Results: The exposed workers who were employed in the pesticide manufacturing industry for a longer period (i.e., 13-25 years) had significantly higher DNA tail length ($7.04{\mu}m$) than the controls ($0.94{\mu}m$). Workers in the exposed group also had higher white blood cell and red blood cell counts, and lower levels of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), MCH concentration, and mean corpuscular volume in comparison with normal levels for these parameters. Malathion was not detected in the control group. However, in the exposed group, 72% of whole blood samples had malathion with a mean value of 0.14 mg/L (range 0.01-0.31 mg/L). Conclusion: We found a strong correlation ($R^2=0.91$) between DNA damage in terms of tail length and malathion concentration in blood. Intensive efforts and trainings are thus required to build awareness about safety practices and to change industrial workers' attitude to prevent harmful environmental and anthropogenic effects.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.538-541
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• 2009

Humans have a long history of asbestos use. There are reports from the Roman era, of asbestos victims among the slaves who worked in asbestos mines. The fact that asbestos can induce lung cancer and mesothelioma was verified epidemiologically in the 1960s. Asbestos related diseases are predominantly occupational in nature but can be caused by environmental exposure. Environmental mesothelioma is mainly associated with tremolite asbestos and this information comes from many countries including Turkey, Greece, Corsica, New Caledonia and Cyprus. In 1993, the first case of mesothelioma in Korea was reported in an asbestos textile worker. Recently, some asbestos disease victims who lived near an asbestos factory have their cases before the courts. A series of recent asbestos-related events in Korea, for example, the shocking revelation of asbestos containing talc in baby powders have caused the general public to become aware of the health risks of asbestos exposure. Asbestos related diseases are characterized by a long latency period, especially, mesothelioma which has no threshold of safety. Hence the best strategy for preventing asbestos related diseases is to decrease asbestos exposure levels to as low as possible.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.2222-2229
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• 2023

Radon and radon progeny being natural radioactive pollutants, seriously affect the health of uranium miners. Radon reduction by ventilation is an essential means to improve the working environment. Firstly, the relational model is built between the radon exhalation rate of the loose body and the ventilation parameters in the stope with radon percolation-diffusion migration dynamics. Secondly, the model parameters of radon exhalation dynamics are uncertain and described by triangular membership functions. The objective functions of the left and right equations of the radon exhalation model are constructed according to different possibility levels, and their extreme value intervals are obtained by the immune particle swarm optimization algorithm (IPSO). The fuzzy target and fuzzy constraint models of radon exhalation are constructed, respectively. Lastly, the fuzzy aggregation function is reconstructed according to the importance of the fuzzy target and fuzzy constraint models. The optimal control decision with different possibility levels and importance can be obtained using the swarm intelligence algorithm. The case study indicates that the fuzzy aggregation function of radon exhalation has an upward trend with the increase of the cut set, and fuzzy optimization provides the optimal decision-making database of radon treatment and prevention under different decision-making criteria.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.544-547
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• 2003

The objective of this study is to investigate the contamination levels and dispersion patterns of arsenic and heavy metals and to estimate the bioaccessible fraction of the metals in soil and plant samples in the vicinity of the abandoned Songcheon Au-Ag mine. Tailings, soils, plants (Chinese cabbage, red pepper, soybean, radish, sesame leaves, green onion, lettuce, potato leaves, angelica and groundsel) and waters were collected around the mine site. After appropriate preparation, all samples were analyzed for As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. Elevated levels of As and heavy metals were found in tailings. Mean concentrations of As in agricultural soils were higher than the permissible level. Especially, maximum level of As in farmland soil was 513 mg/kg. The highest concentrations of As and Zn were found in Chinese cabbage (6.7 mg/kg and 359 mg/kg, respectively). Concentrations of As, Cd, and Zn in most stream waters which are used for drinking water around this mine area were higher than the permissible levels regulated in Korea. Maximum levels of As, Cd and Zn in stream waters were 0.78 mg/L, 0.19 mg/L and 5.4 mg/L, respectively. These results indicate that mine tailings can be the main contamination sources of As and heavy metals in the soil-water system in the mine area. The average of estimated bioaccessible fraction of As in farmland soils were $3.7\%$ (in simulated stomach) and $10.8\%$ (in simulated small intestine). The highest value of bioaccessible fraction of metal in farmland soils was $46.5\%$ for Cd.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.331-341
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate perceptions of safety and risk among Korean industrial hygienists and the change between before and after the Sewol Ferry Disaster in 2014. Two surveys with questionnaires composed of 51 questions were completed by attendees of the Korea Industrial Hygiene Association(KIHA) conference. Methods: One was conducted at the 2013 KIHA Fall Conference(N=181) and the other was from the 2014 KIHA Summer Conference(N=123). Between these two surveys was the Sewol Ferry Disaster on April 14, 2014, which was believed to seriously affect safety and risk perceptions in Korea. Results: It was revealed that industrial hygienists' awareness of safety rules strengthened after the Sewol Ferry Disaster(p<0.05). It was apparent that people over the age of 30 were more sensitive to social safety. There was no significant difference in the evaluation and attitude regarding governmental safety policy between the years of 2013 and 2014. The credibility of public organizations responsible for the disaster management system decreased. The self-evaluation of respondents' safety level also decreased. This trend shows mainly in the younger generation. It was evaluated that the overall social safety level decreased and the anxiety level increased. The score on social safety on a ±5 Likert scale was 0.68 in the 2013 survey and -0.33 in the 2014 survey(p<0.05). It was reported that the most serious threat factors for accident or disaster were 'building collapse > illegalities and corruption > side effects of radiation therapy >accidents in normal activity > occupational disease,' in order. They picked 'safety ignorance > hurry-up habits and culture > focusing on short-term benefit > easy-going attitude > insufficient safety education' for the causes of low social safety levels in 2013. In 2014, they were 'safety ignorance > easy-going attitude > focusing on short-term benefit > insufficient safety education > hurry-up habits and culture'. Conclusions: This study has some limitations because it was originally not designed to survey attitudes prior to the Sewol Ferry disaster in 2013. In addition, the survey targets are industrial hygienists who are familiar with occupational disease and injury.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the difficulties and coping that advanced practice nurses (APNs) experience in home health nursing field. Methods: The participants were 12 APNs who had experience in home health nursing for over 5 years. Data were collected through two focus group interviews between August and September, 2017. The results were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Results: Out of 10 sub-categories and 29 codes, 4 categories emerged: "crushed by the responsibilities as the only healthcare professional", "worn out by family who interfere with work", "anxiety about my safety being threatened" and "using self-learned know-hows". Conclusion: APNs face difficulties due to the environmental characteristics of the homes, the characteristics of chronically critically ill (CCI) patients and their families, and legal or systematical limitations when dealing with problems based on their personal competence. In order to ensure that professional nursing care is more readily provided to CCI patients through home health nursing services in local communities, it is imperative that support systems at the organizational and institutional levels be established in a systematic way to resolve the issues faced by APNs.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.195-204
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• 2018

Pesticide residue in the eggs in the market has become a significant problem in Korea. In particular, the detection of fipronil indicated that unregulated pesticide residue can be present in livestock products, including eggs. Institutionally unregulated pesticides are a risk to human health and the ecosystem. In this study, we analyzed the system of agricultural pesticide management in Korea, the European Union, and the United States of America (USA) and discussed the problems of the Korean management system and the possible improvement directions. Based on the analysis, we considered three tasks: registration of pesticides, pesticide residue levels in food, and pesticide residue levels in environmental media. The registration of pesticides was conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs in Korea; the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety in the European Commission (EC); and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in the USA. The work regarding pesticide residue levels in food was conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea, the Directorate-General for the Health and Food Safety in the EC, and the USEPA and Food and Drug Administration in the USA. The work regarding pesticide residue levels in environmental media was conducted by the Ministry of Environment in Korea, the Directorate-General for Environment in the EC, and the USEPA in the USA. Therefore, Korea should review the extension of pesticide residue standards in the environmental media for strengthening the system of management of unregulated agricultural pesticides.