• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2016

Through the systematic analysis on articles about the environment in newspapers, the news reports were considered as effective materials, so after being reconstructed, they were used as learning materials in a lesson on environment contamination which is newly introduced in Earth Science I from the 2009 curriculum revision. To examine students' attitude toward science, before and after NIE application to the students, Test of Science Related Attitudes(TOSRA) as a test tool was carried out which was composed of 7 categories - four optional questionnaires for each category, 28 in total were used. The result was as follows: in a pretest, based upon the average scores by factors the factors ranked from the highest to the lowest as follows: the social meaning of science, the acceptance of the scientific attitude, the commonness of a scientist, the attitude to scientific exploration, the pleasure in science class, the vocational interest in science, the concern over science as a hobby, and in posttest, their ranking as follows: the acceptance of the scientific attitude, the pleasure in science class, the commonness of a scientist, the social meaning of science, the attitude to scientific exploration, the vocational interest in science, the concern over science as a hobby. Also they were all statistically significant at a significant level p<0.05. However, the test revealed that there were some negative effects on the social meaning of science and the attitude to scientific exploration and therefore it is judged that in order to overcome those influences, some bright articles about solving the environment contamination should be applied to the lessons and be complemented effectively by experiments and various media: NIE as well as science magazines, data from Internet search and treatises on science.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.175-192
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• 2001

We have collected hydrogeochemical data of shallow groundwaters in the Uljin area located at eastern coastal area of Korea. Geostatistical analysis (ANOVA test, cluster analysis, and factor analysis) of the collected data sets was pert'onned, in order to evaluate both the spatial and/or temporal variation of water quality data and the groundwater contamination, as weJl as the principal reactions occurring in the aquifer. Results of the ANOVA test show that regional water chemistry are not significantly changed spatially in eight watersheds. However, some ions such as $Ca^{2+}$, $HCO_{3}^{-}$ and $SO_{4}^{2-}$ show a meaningful watershed variation. Water chemistry variation according to sampling time (season) is not shown, except for $SO_{4}^{2-}$. The cluster analysis shows that significant water chemistry variation is eXplained by the distance from the coast. Factor analysis indicates that the water chemistry is changed according to various factors as follows: in the order of decreasing importance, water-rock interaction (mainly, carbonate dissolution), sea-salt spraying, and then contamination by fertilizers and agrochemicals.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2009

Concrete materials in nuclear facilities may become contaminated or activated by various radionuclides through different mechanism. Decommissioning and dismantling of these facilities produce considerable quantities such as concrete structure, rubble. In this paper, the characteristics distribution of the radionuclide have been investigated for the effects of the heating and grinding test for aggregate size such as gravel, sand and paste from decommissioning of the TRIGA MARK II research reactor and uranium conversion plant. The experimental results showed that most of the radionuclide could be removed from the gravel, sand aggregate and concentrated into a paste. Especially, we found that the heating temperature played an important role in separating the radionuclide from the concrete waste. Contamination of concrete is mainly concentrated in the porous paste and not in the dense aggregate such as the gravel and sand. The volume reduction rate could be achieved about 80% of activated concrete waste and about 75% of dismantled concrete waste generated from UCP.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.500-506
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• 2017

Kimchi cabbage is one of the four major vegetable crops in Korea. The total annual production of kimchi cabbage, the main material of kimchi, was 20,559 tons in 2015. Kimchi cabbage is one of the majer crops produced by farmers which accounts for about 80% of the total leaf vegetable production in Korea. As the consumption of environmental-friendly agricultural products increases, food safety is one of the major public health concerns. We analyzed the biological hazards of kimchi cabbage produced by two types of cultivation methos such as organic farming and conventional farming using various culture media and microscopy. A total of 432 samples were analysed for presence of sanitary indicator microorganisms (aerobic plate count, coliform count, yeast & mold) and food-borne pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, environmental Listeria, Bacillus cereus). The population of sanitary indicating microorganisms and food borne pathogens was under 5 Log CFU/g in all tested samples. The results of total microorganism numbers of leaf surface showed a positive correlation to those of soil samples. Additionally, we examined chemical factors such as pesticide residues and heavy metals in soil samples. All tested samples did not shown contamination levels higher than the standard limit.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.652-664
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• 2008

In this study, a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan was developed for the sanitary mass production of commercial Korean rice cake products (Gaepidduk, Injulmi, and Julpyon). The microbiological properties of manufacturing flow were evaluated in order to develop the HACCP Plan. The moisture contents of the rice cakes ranged between 36.2${\sim}$55.3%, whereas the water activity of all samples ranged between 0.954${\sim}$1.0. Microorganisms testing was conducted during various phases of the product flow of Korean rice cake preparation, and included assessments of food equipment, work environment, and cooking employees on a small scale. During the manufacture of Injulmi, Julpyon and Gaepidduk, CCPs were purchasing & storage, steaming and cooling, molding, and holding in the A and B manufactories. At the critical limit of CCPs, storage was conducted below at $5^{\circ}C$ in soybean powder, oil, and paste with redbeans. The steaming process was conducted above at $99^{\circ}C$ for 40 min. Cooling and holding processes were conducted for 2 hours below at $15^{\circ}C$. The molding process included sanitary education for foodhandlers and training for operators. Thus, certain prerequisite programs had to be implemented prior to the implementation of the HACCP system. High levels of bacterial contamination were detected in the aprons worn to work by some employees. Additionally, periodic sanitary education for foodhandlers and training for operators or managers was required. Cross contamination by materials was expected at the place where materials were processed or stored.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.454-461
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• 2021

Background: Fish and fishery products (FFPs) unintentionally contaminated with various environmental pollutants are major exposure pathways for humans. To protect human health from the consumption of contaminated FFPs, it is essential to develop a systematic tool for evaluating exposure and risks. Objectives: To regularly, accurately, and quickly evaluate adverse health outcomes due to FFPs contamination, we developed an automated dietary exposure and risk assessment system called HERA (the Human Exposure and Risk Assessment system for chemicals in FFPs). The aim of this study was to develop an overall architecture design and demonstrate the major features of the HERA system. Methods: For the HERA system, the architecture framework consisted of multi-layer stacks from infrastructure to fish exposure and risk assessment layers. To compile different contamination levels and types of seafood consumption datasets, the data models were designed for the classification codes of FFP items, contaminants, and health-based guidance values (HBGVs). A systematic data pipeline for summarizing exposure factors was constructed through down-scaling and preprocessing the 24-hour dietary recalls raw dataset from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNAHES). Results: According to the designed data models for the classification codes, we standardized 167 seafood items and 2,741 contaminants. Subsequently, we implemented two major functional workflows: 1) preparation and 2) main process. The HERA system was developed to enable risk assessors to accumulate the concentration databases sustainably and estimate exposure levels for several populations linked to seafood consumption data in KNAHES in a user-friendly manner and in a local PC environment. Conclusions: The HERA system will support policy-makers in making risk management decisions based on a nation-wide risk assessment for FFPs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.4122-4129
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• 2021

The counting efficiencies obtained using anthropomorphic physical phantoms are generally used in whole-body counting measurements to determine the level of internal contamination in the body. Geometrical discrepancies between phantoms and measured individuals affect the counting efficiency, and thus, considering individual physical characteristics is crucial to improve the accuracy of activity estimates. In the present study, the counting efficiencies of whole-body counting measurements were calculated considering individual physical characteristics by employing Monte Carlo simulation for calibration. The NaI(Tl)-based stand-up and HPGe-based bed type commercial whole-body counters were used for calculating the counting efficiencies. The counting efficiencies were obtained from 19 computational phantoms representing various shapes and sizes of the measured individuals. The discrepancies in the counting efficiencies obtained using the computational and physical phantoms range from 2% to 33%, and the results indicate that the counting efficiency depends on the size of the measured individual. Taking into account the body size, the equations for estimating the counting efficiencies were derived from the relationship between the counting efficiencies and the body-build index of the subject. These equations can aid in minimizing the size dependency of the counting efficiency and provide more accurate measurements of internal contamination in whole-body counting measurements.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.559-567
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• 2020

The abnomal responseses on growth and morphology of attached diatoms by various heavy metals were studied. Ulnaria ulna (Nitzsch) Compère was employed as experimental species and exposed to the five heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and As with four concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.1, and 2 mg L-1), respectively. The samples of Ulnaria ulna were examined on the changes of cell growth and teratological forms on the 7th, 14th, 21th, and 28th day, respectively, after exposure to the heavy metals. The samples exposed to the highest concentration, 2.0 mg L-1, of all the heavy metals showed the most obvious decreases of growth. The samples exposed to Cd (μ=0.049day-1) and As (μ=0.048day-1) showed the highest decreasing rate of growth (p=0.021(Cd), p=0.002(As)) and the highest morphological changes of diatom valves were also samples exposed to Cd (10.41%) and As (10.13%) (p=0.009 (Cd), p=0.005(As)). In contrast, Pb induced the lowest decreasing rate (μ=0.090 day-1) and the least change in valve morphology (3.31%). The Cd and As showed relatively stronger effects on growth rates compared to Cu, Zn, and Pb. For the percentage of emergence of morphological species by the type, the highest percentage were observed in sampled exposed to type 1 (43.4%) and followed by type 2 (29.1%). The type 2 and 4 were most abundant in samples exposed to Zn and Pb while the type 3 was most abundant in Cd and As. The Cu induced only type 1, suggesting that the frequency of emergence of each type varied among hevay metals. This research suggests that the degrees of abnomal changes on growth rate and valve morphology of Ulnaria ulna can be used as a bioindicater species for heavy metal contamination in freshwater.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2021

Purpose: To determine the extent of environmental contamination and the effect of disinfection around patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial culture tests. Methods: The subjects of this study were 10 patients hospitalized in a single room due to CRE from April 13 to 21, 2021. One hundred and sixty samples were collected using cotton swabs from the patients' environment including the surface and drain of sinks and toilet seats before and after disinfection of the room after discharge. Twenty-one samples were collected from the nurses' personal digital assistants (PDAs), keyboards, and computer mice before disinfection. The relative light units (RLUs) and CRE colony-forming units (CFU) of 181 samples were measured using ATP test equipment and chrome agar plates, respectively. Results: The highest RLUs were measured at the sink drains before and after disinfection. Four CRE samples from the sink drains (2), sink surface (1), and toilet bowl (1) before disinfection were cultured. Based on the failure criteria (≥ 250 RLU/cm² and ≥ 1 CFU/100 cm²), 90 % and 50 % of the samples from the drain exceeded the failure criteria before and after disinfection, respectively. In the culture tests, CRE was not detected after disinfection. Conclusion: According to the RLU and CFU measurements of drain samples, disinfection was not effective. Thus, improvements in the disinfection methods of drains, as well as more efficient and systematic environmental decontamination and disinfection evaluation tools, are needed to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of disinfection in various places.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2022

In the radiology department, where radiation is used in medical institutions to perform examinations with various equipment, the field of surgical treatment is the intervention angiography room. Accordingly, strict infection control is required. The purpose of this study was to determine the contamination status by detecting pathogens before and after disinfection in the intervention angiography room, and to determine the degree of death by using a disinfectant, sodium dichloride isocyanurate, which is mainly used in the intervention angiography room. The subjects were 10 medical institutions of general hospital level or higher with an intervention angiography room in the P city, and 12 places with high contact frequency during examinations and procedures were sampled and requested to an analysis institution. As for the sample collection method, up/down, left/right directions were used to increase precision. Before disinfection, all procedures were completed, and after disinfection, exposure was performed using a disinfectant for at least 10 minutes, and detection was performed using a transport medium. As a result, in the pathogen analysis, most pathogens were detected in a humid environment or in a place with high contact frequency for microorganisms to thrive. The detected pathogens were found in the general environment or were human flora. It is a pathogen that does not cause disease under normal healthy host conditions. However, it was found to be an opportunistic infection that causes opportunistic infection depending on the case or situation in which the body's resistance is weakened. In addition, as a result of using the disinfectant mainly used in the intervention angiography room, it was found that more than 93.3% of them died. Therefore, the data of this study will be used as good basic data for the evaluation of pathogens in the intervention angiography room and will be of great help in infection control.