• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.88-94
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• 1998

Korea has been rapidly industrialized during the past 35 years. During this period, Korea has emphasized only production and workers health has been ignored. Workers are most frequently exposed to organic vapors, such as thinners. This study was performed to evaluate worker exposures to organic solvents by size and type of industry. Results are summarized below. Workers were exposed to mixtures of toluene, xylenes, trichloroethylene, n-hexane, acetone, methanol, n-butanol, n-butyl acetate, and MIBK. Considering additive effects of the compounds, exposure indices (EIs) were calculated. It was found that worker exposures to organic solvents were highest in small industries and lowest in large industries. During a day shift, the highest exposure was indicated 3 - 5 p.m. in the afternoon. Workers in small industries had potential exposures exceeding permissible exposure limits for organic solvents. Local exhuast systems were inappropriate and respiratory protective devices were not supplied to the workers in small industries. Neither program for safe use and storage of toxic materials nor program for respirators was found in any of the plants investigated. Based on the results of the study, workers of small scale industries should be considered first in industrial health.

• Journal of odor and indoor environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.396-403
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• 2018

In this study, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from printing industries were analyzed, and an inorganic adsorbent, ${\gamma}-alumina$, was selected for the effective control of the VOC emissions. Printing processes commonly require inks, thinners, and cleaners, and they were mixed organic solvents containing aromatic compounds, ketones, and alcohols. Therefore, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) were selected as model compounds for this study. The adsorptive properties using ${\gamma}-alumina$ were determined for the model compounds. Both batch isotherm and continuous flow column tests demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of MEK and IPA was 3~4 times higher than that of toluene. The column test performed at an inlet toluene concentration of 100 ppm showed that an 80% breakthrough for toluene was observed after 3 hours, but both MEK and IPA were continuously adsorbed during the same time period. A numerical model simulated that the ${\gamma}-alumina$ could remove toluene at a loading rate of 0.4 mg/min only for a 4-hour period, which might be too short of a duration for real applications. Consequently, lifetime enhancement for ${\gamma}-alumina$ must be implemented, and ozone oxidation and regeneration would be feasible options.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.82-89
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• 2011

Methylcyclohexane is frequently used in industrial sites (2,592tons/year) as rubber adhesives, ink, paint thinners, organic solvents, and so on. However, there are limited data on the toxic evaluation of methylcyclohexane. This study aims to predict the hazards and neurological effects of methylcyclohexane using SD rats in order to prevent health disorders of workers. The OECD Guideline for Testing of Chemicals (OECD, 2001) was used as a reference during the tests. For 13 weeks (once a day, five days per week) 0, 10, 100 and 1,000mg/kg/day of methylcyclohexane was injected to SD rats to observe any changes in the body or organ weight, hematology, histopathology, mobility, blood pressure, and neurotransmitter. As a result, some male and female SD rats injected with 1,000mg/kg/day of methylcyclohexane died. On the other hand, surviving rats showed significant changes such as hematological changes involving the decrease in the number of red blood corpuscles, and the decrease or increase in the weight of the lungs, kidneys, spleens, and livers (p< 0.05, p<0.01). Also histopathological lesions were observed in the hearts and kidneys. In the test for the effect on the nervous system, SD rats injected with 100mg/kg/day of methylcyclohexane had higher blood pressure levels compared to the control group. However, no abnormal effects was observed in the mobility, serotonin, neurotransmitter, and the biopsy of the brain and coronary arteries. The study results revealed that the livers, hearts, and kidneys were affected by methylcyclohexane. The absolute toxic dose of methylcyclohexane is 1,000mg/kg/day, NOAEL is 100 mg/kg/day, and it is not a toxic substance to the nervous system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.101-118
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• 1990

This study was intended to investigate actual conditions and problems relating to a variety of substance which have been used by students. A Questionnaire survey was carried out with the subject of 2411 students in an academic boys' high school, academic girls' high school, technical boys' high school and technical girls' high school in Pusan, from the 15th day to 29th day of March, 1989. The summarized results were as follows. There was not a remarkable difference in distribution of these subjects in boys' & girls' high school. The common and good health condition of subjects accounted for 90 percent or higher. 24.4 percent of them also had smoking experience, 11.6 percent of which continues to smoking. The understanding rate of these substances name other than sedative, psychostimulants and antihypnotic accounted for 90 percent or higher. The experience rate taking these substances for one year showed that anodyne, digestive and nutritive tonic accounted for 70 percent, antihypnotic for 15.6 percent, sedative for 1.4 percent, respectively, and psychostimulants for 0.5 percent. Moreover. it was shown that drugs accounted for 1.5 percent, bond for 1.4 percent, and thinner for 0.5 percent. The rate of the daily experiencers who took anodyne, digestive, nutritive tonic, sedatives, and psychostimulants and so on was 7.7 percent, 6.2 percent, 5.2 percent, 5.9 percent, and 5.0 percent respectively. This fact implied that there was a serious problem in high school students' non - narcotic abuse. The usage rate of these substances for treatment purpose showed that anodyme accounted for 90 percent or higher, and digestive for 70-80 percent, respectively, where girl students showed higher rate than one of boy students. Additionally, there was higher the usage rate for other purposes. The usage rate of drugs was highest when these students felt melancholy and curiousity. Their obtaining place appeared that these students mainly obtained these drugs, bonds and thinners from a small shop or peddler and their friend while they usually obtained other substance from the pharmacy and medical institute. The first usage time of these substances appeared during the middle school (the age of 14-15) which was the highest rate. The smoker of all subjects used remarkly large substances as compared with one of no-smoker. Particularly, it appeared that the usage of drugs was very closely related to smoking. The large number of students did not use these substances for oesrable purposes even though they understood the name of these substances. For this reason, from primasy schools it is required to teach the students dependence and harmful effects caused by these substances abuse. Moreover, it was shown that these students firstly used these substances during the middle school (the age of 14-15)due to curiosity. As a result, it is very urgent to give the students health education suitabale for prevention of these substance abuse, when considering harmful effects of these substances. And so health education for no-smoking. Finally, considering that it is very easy to obtain these substances from a small shop and pharmacy, the regulation of these substances control should be considered and completed in the future.