• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.86-90
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• 2014

Background: Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) was selected as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to explore the accumulation level in the bodies of workers at rubber smoke sheet factories in southern Thailand. Methods: Spot urine samples were taken from four groups of workers from June 2006 to November 2007. The nonexposure or control groups included habitual cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. The other two groups were workers exposed to particle-bound PAHs from rubber wood smoke and they were nonsmokers. All spot urine samples were analyzed for 1-OHP and creatinine levels. Results: The mean${\pm}$standard deviation urinary 1-OHP in the control group of habitual smokers and the nonsmokers was $0.24{\pm}0.16{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine and not-detected to $0.14{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine, respectively. In the workers, the 1-OHP levels on workdays had no significant difference from the 1-OHP levels on the days off. The yearly average 1-OHP level was $0.76{\pm}0.41{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine whereas the average 1-OHP level during 10 consecutive workdays was $1.06{\pm}0.29{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The urinary 1-OHP levels of workers exposed to PAHs were high. The accumulation of 1-OHP in the body was not clear although the workers had long working hours with few days off during their working experience. Therefore, a regular day off schedule and rotation shift work during high productive RSS should be set for RSS workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.210-215
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• 2018

Background: The aims of this study were to determine the extent of workplace bullying perceptions among the employees of a Faculty of Medicine, evaluating the variables considered to be associated, and determining the effect of workplace bullying perceptions on their psychological symptoms evaluated by the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed involving 355 (88.75%) employees. Results: Levels of perceived workplace bullying were found to increase with the increasing scores for BSI and BSI sub-dimensions of anxiety, depression, negative self, somatization, and hostility (all p < 0.001). One point increase in the workplace bullying perception score was associated with a 0.47 point increase in psychological symptoms evaluated by BSI. Moreover, the workplace bullying perception scores were most strongly affected by the scores of anxiety, negative self, depression, hostility, and somatization (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The present results revealed that young individuals, divorced individuals, faculty members, and individuals with a chronic disease had the greatest workplace bullying perceptions with our study population. Additionally, the BSI, anxiety, depression, negative self, somatization, and hostility scores of the individuals with high levels of workplace bullying perceptions were also high.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2012

Objectives: To describe the time perspective of return to work and the factors that facilitate and hinder return to work in a group of survivors of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Retrospective semi-structured telephone survey 2 to 3 years after hospitalization with 84 employed Dutch ACS-patients from one academic medical hospital. Results: Fifty-eight percent of patients returned to work within 3 months, whereas at least 88% returned to work once within 2 years. Two years after hospitalization, 12% of ACS patients had not returned to work at all, and 24% were working, but not at pre-ACS levels. For all ACS-patients, the most mentioned categories of facilitating factors to return to work were having no complaints and not having signs or symptoms of heart disease. Physical incapacity, co-morbidity, and mental incapacity were the top 3 categories of hindering factors against returning to work. Conclusion: Within 2 years, 36% of the patients had not returned to work at their pre-ACS levels. Disease factors, functional capacity, environmental factors, and personal factors were listed as affecting subjects' work ability level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.217-222
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• 2004

This study was conducted to estimate if the level of several chemical ingredients including alkanolamines or ethanolamines (EA) examined in the specific synthetic metalworking fluid (MWF) ‘A’ can cause anti-microbial activity and health effect. Three water-based MWF products (‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’) were studied every week for two months. Chemical ingredients such as formaldehyde, boron, EA, and copper were examined. In the sump where MWF ‘A’ was used, not only the total level of EA, monoethanolamine(MEA), diethanolamine(DEA) and triethanolamine(TEA), but also boron level were significantly higher than those of the other MWFs. ANOVA statistical tests indicated that levels of pH, alkalinity, boron, MEA, DEA and TEA in MWF ‘A’ were significantly higher than those in other MWF types. Correlation tests also found that levels of pH, alkalinity, boron, MEA, DEA and TEA in MWF ‘A’ are significantly correlated. We suggested the assumptions that excessive concentrations of EA, and borate at a high pH level, may cause anti-microbial resistance synergically. To demonstrate this assumption, additional study is needed to examine the relationship between the levels of microbes and excessive concentrations of EA, and borate at a high pH level.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.103-106
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• 2010

We develop a theoretical framework for international cooperation that can be used for the elimination of asbestos-related diseases(ARDs). The framework is based on the similarities in the temporal patterns of asbestos use and occurrence of ARDs in diverse countries. The status of each nation can be characterized by observing asbestos use and ARD frequency therein using a time window. Countries that supply technology for prevention of ARDs can be classified as donors and countries that receive these technologies as recipients. We suggest identification of three levels of core preventative technologies. Development of a common platform to gather and manage core preventative technologies will combine the strengths of donor countries and the needs of recipient countries.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.240-248
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• 2015

Background: Recovery from fatigue is important in maintaining night workers' health. This study compared the course of self-reported recovery after 2-week 12-hour schedules consisting of either night shifts or swing shifts (i.e., 7 night shifts followed by 7 day shifts) to such schedules consisting of only day work. Methods: Sixty-one male offshore employees-20 night workers, 16 swing shift workers, and 25 day workers-rated six questions on fatigue (sleep quality, feeling rested, physical and mental fatigue, and energy levels; scale 1-11) for 14 days after an offshore tour. After the two night-work schedules, differences on the $1^{st}$ day (main effects) and differences during the follow-up (interaction effects) were compared to day work with generalized estimating equations analysis. Results: After adjustment for confounders, significant main effects were found for sleep quality for night workers (1.41, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.89) and swing shift workers (1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.94) when compared to day workers; their interaction terms were not statistically significant. For the remaining fatigue outcomes, no statistically significant main or interaction effects were found. Conclusion: After 2-week 12-hour night and swing shifts, only the course for sleep quality differed from that of day work. Sleep quality was poorer for night and swing shift workers on the $1^{st}$ day off and remained poorer for the 14-day follow-up. This showed that while working at night had no effect on feeling rested, tiredness, and energy levels, it had a relatively long-lasting effect on sleep quality.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2001

Bacterial reverse mutation assays were performed for 20 workplace chemicals in Korea, which were selected among workplace chemicals under the Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KISHA) with the occupational exposure levels (OELs). The assays were carried out by using the pre-incubation method ($37 ^{\circ}C$, 20 min) with and without metabolic activation using Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and E. coli WP2uvrA. The chemicals were tested at 5 concentrations both in the preliminary and the second assays. Despite the cell toxicities, there were no chemical-induced mutagenicities with or without metabolic activation in any of 20 chemicals.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.105-115
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• 2017

Background: The goal of this study is to develop a general population job-exposure matrix (GPJEM) on asbestos to estimate occupational asbestos exposure levels in the Republic of Korea. Methods: Three Korean domestic quantitative exposure datasets collected from 1984 to 2008 were used to build the GPJEM. Exposure groups in collected data were reclassified based on the current Korean Standard Industrial Classification ($9^{th}$ edition) and the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations code ($6^{th}$ edition) that is in accordance to international standards. All of the exposure levels were expressed by weighted arithmetic mean (WAM) and minimum and maximum concentrations. Results: Based on the established GPJEM, the 112 exposure groups could be reclassified into 86 industries and 74 occupations. In the 1980s, the highest exposure levels were estimated in "knitting and weaving machine operators" with a WAM concentration of 7.48 fibers/mL (f/mL); in the 1990s, "plastic products production machine operators" with 5.12 f/mL, and in the 2000s "detergents production machine operators" handling talc containing asbestos with 2.45 f/mL. Of the 112 exposure groups, 44 groups had higher WAM concentrations than the Korean occupational exposure limit of 0.1 f/mL. Conclusion: The newly constructed GPJEM which is generated from actual domestic quantitative exposure data could be useful in evaluating historical exposure levels to asbestos and could contribute to improved prediction of asbestos-related diseases among Koreans.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.110-113
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• 2024

Numerous studies have indicated that organic fertilizers (OFer) might contain heavy metals (HMs) that present health risks to organic farmers (OFar). This study compared the concentrations of six HMs (Zn, Ni, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr) in the blood of two distinct groups of farmers: 30 OFar from a designated organic area in eastern Taiwan, and 74 conventional farmers (CFar) from neighboring non-organic designated regions. The findings revealed that the OFar exhibited higher levels of Zn (1202.70 ± 188.74 ㎍/L), Cr (0.20 ± 0.09 ㎍/L), and Ni (2.14 ± 1.48 ㎍/L) in their blood compared to the CFar (988.40 ± 163.16 ㎍/L, 0.18 ± 0.15 ㎍/L, and 0.77 ± 1.23 ㎍/L), respectively. The disparities in Zn, Cr, and Ni levels were measured at 214.3 ㎍/L, 0.02 ㎍/L, and 1.37 ㎍/L, respectively. Furthermore, among the OFar, those who utilized green manures (GM) displayed significantly elevated blood levels of Zn (1279.93 ± 156.30 ㎍/L), Cr (0.24 ± 0.11 ㎍/L), and Ni (1.94 ± 1.38 ㎍/L) compared to individuals who exclusively employed chemical fertilizers (CFer) (975.42 ± 165.35 ㎍/L, 0.19 ± 0.16 ㎍/L, and 0.74 ± 1.20 ㎍/L), respectively. The differences in Zn, Cr, and Ni levels were measured at 304.51 ㎍/L, 0.05 ㎍/L, and 1.20 ㎍/L, respectively. As a result, OFar should be careful in choosing OFer and avoid those that may have heavy metal contamination.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.88-96
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to clarify effects of long term, low-level monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure (MAHs) such as styrene, toluene and xylene on physiological levels of epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NEP) and these hormones influences diagnosis indices of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: Blood pressure and serum biochemical parameters were measured using digital sphygmomanometer and autochemical analyzer. EP and NEP were analyzed by using ELISA kit and exposure level of MAHs was measured by NIOSH method. Results: The differences of general characteristics such as age, smoking and drinking habits in both groups were not significantly different except working hours per day. In exposed workers, exposure levels of MAHs showed very low concentrations. Serum HDL-cholesterol concentration was significantly higher in exposed group, but concentration of NEP was significantly higher in control group. On multiple logistic regression analysis for the diagnosis indices of MetS, EP was WC (OR=0.970), NEP was blood pressure (OR=1.002) and MAHs exposure were significantly associated with HDL-cholesterol (OR=0.257), fasting glucose (OR=3.028) and MetS (OR=0.372). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the chronic exposure of low level MAHs maycontribute to glucose metabolism and induction of MetS. And also, changes of EP and NEP levels by exposure of MAHs affect blood pressure.