• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.78-88
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• 2022

Objectives: To develop the smart sensor to protect worker's health from chemical exposure by adopting ICT (Information and Communications Technology) technologies. Methods: To develope real-time chemical exposure monitoring system, IoT (Internet of Things) sensor technology and regulations were reviewed. We developed and produced smart sensor. A smart sensor is a system consisting of a sensor unit, a communication unit, and a platform. To verify the performance of smart sensors, each sensor has been certified by the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS). Results: Chemicals (TVOC; Total Volatile Organic Compounds, Cl₂: Chlorine, HF: Hydrogen fluoride and HCN: Hydrogen cyanide) were selected according to a priority logic (KOSHA Alert, acute poisoning statistics, literature review). Notifications were set according to OEL (occupational exposure limit). Sensors were selected based on OEL and the capabilities of the sensors. Communication is designed to use LTE (Long Term Evolution) and Wi-Fi at the same time for convenience. Electronic platform were applied to build this monitoring system. Conclusions: Real-time monitoring system for OEL of hazardous chemicals in workplace was developed. Smart sensor can detect chemicals to complement monitoring of traditional workplace environmental monitoring such as short term and peak exposure. Further research is needed to expand the scope of application, improve reliability, and systematically application.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.683-692
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• 2000

The volatile organic compounds emitted from food wrapping films when it was used at high temperatures. However, the testing method based on solvent extraction may not be suitable for determination of volatile organic compounds from food wrapping films. Therefore, thermal extraction device was investigated in the study for reflection of actual usage conditions at home and restaurant. In this study, PVC food wrapping films were exposed to normal use condition controlled from $50^{\circ}C$ to $120^{\circ}C$ and collected on sorbent trap. Then, emitted VOCs from the films were analyzed with On-column cryofocusing-GC/MS system. The major VOCs emitted from films were $C_{12}-C_{18}$ paraffinic hydrocarbons, dimethylphthalate, alkylphenols, known as endocrine disrupting chemical, such as tetramethylbutylphenol, tert-butylphenol, and nonylphenol. The concentration of tetramethylbutylphenol emitted from PVC films was $0.07ng/cm^2$ at $50^{\circ}C$, rapidly increased with temperature, $3.94ng/cm^2$ at $100^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.327-333
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• 2020

Performance of a portable GC that can be utilized for the real time determination of volatile organic compounds in air was evaluated. It employs purified/compressed ambient air as the carrier gas eliminating the need for high pressure gas tanks. The compact system with dimensions of 35 × 26 × 15 ㎤ and weight of 5 kg is powered by either a 24 V DC external adapter or battery pack. Chromatograms of the mixture sample including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and oxylene at concentrations of 1 ppmv and 20 ppmv represent a good reproducibility: 3.79% and 0.48% relative standard deviations (RSDs) for peak area variations; 0.40% and 0.08% RSDs for retention times. The method detection limit was 0.09 ppmv. A 30 m long, 0.28 mm I.D. column operated at an optimal condition yielded a peak capacity of 61 with good resolution for a 10 min isothermal analysis. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of the peak area variations and retention times during consecutive measurements over 27 h were less than 2.4%RSD and 0.5%RSD, respectively. Thus, this instrument makes it suitable for continuous and field analysis of low-concentration VOC mixtures in the indoor/outdoor environment as well as the spillage accident of hazardous chemicals.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.481-494
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• 2005

The monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere is a basis for the study of the fate of POPs in multimedia environments. Recently, passive air samplers (PASs) for POPs have been developed. In this paper, we deal with the principle, properties, and applications of the PAS. The principle of PAS, which has no pump, is physical sorption of semi-volatile organic chemicals on various sorbent materials. The PAS is much smaller than a high-volume air sampler and does not need electricity. These properties of the PAS make it possible to conduct various-scaled environmental monitoring all over the world including the Arctic and Antarctic, but the major disadvantage of PAS is its long sampling periods up to 2 years. To date, four kinds of PAS have been developed: polyurethane foam (PUF), polymer-coated glass (POG), semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs), and XAD resin-based PAS. Among them, SPMDs have been commercialized and are most widely used now. Meanwhile, the POPs emitted from China have a large potential to influence the levels and fates of POPs in Korea. Since characteristics of PAS are quite useful to monitor long-range transport of POPs, the use of PAS is highly recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2009

This research was performed to evaluate heavy metal leaching characteristics of the sludge from paper mill process with sintering temperature. Heavy metal leaching of the sludge was characterized with Korean Leaching Test and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure. The test sludge was composed of 70.72% of moisture, 9.5% of volatile solids and 9.76% of fixed solids. As a result of XRF analysis, Fe was the highest inorganic element in approximately 83%, which implies the recycling possibility of the sludge in reuse of Fenton chemicals and artificial lightweight aggregate. Leaching of heavy metals from sintered sludge was lower than the dry ones. However, there was no significant difference in leaching characteristics between the sludges sintered at $350^{\circ}C$ and $650^{\circ}C$. Zn and Fe were leached more greatly in TCLP and KLT methods respectively.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 1998

This study identified the fumes produced from the cooking of the seasoned meats containing various condiments such as garlic, onion, pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Concentrations, at the breathing zone of the cook, of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes included in the cooking fumes of seasoned meats were identified. Many chloro and fluoro-aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, and aldehydes, which could be carcinogen suspecting chemicals, were producing from the cooking fumes of the seasoned meats. This study also identified the ventilation efficiencies of the cooking fumes of the six exhaust ventilation systems, which were widely being used in the general apartments, houses, and small-food factories. For a comparison of the ventilation efficiencies of the systems, acetaldehyde was chosen as a marker pollutant and its concentrations at the breathing zone of the cook were identified. The laboratory fume hood showed the best ventilation efficiency of the six ventilation systems studied, and then the lateral hood ventilation and the down draft ventilation followed the laboratory fume hood. Finally, this study identified that both a wall factor nearby pollutant sources and a distance factor between the hood face and pollutant sources should be also considered for an effective local exhaust ventilation system design.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.612-622
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• 2012

Olfactory receptors (ORs) detect volatile chemicals that lead to the initial perception of smell in the brain. The olfactory receptor (OR) is the first protein that recognizes odorants in the olfactory signal pathway and it is present in over 1,000 genes in mice. It is also the largest member of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Most ORs are extensively expressed in the nasal olfactory epithelium where they perform the appropriate physiological functions that fit their location. However, recent whole-genome sequencing shows that ORs have been found outside of the olfactory system, suggesting that ORs may play an important role in the ectopic expression of non-chemosensory tissues. The ectopic expressions of ORs and their physiological functions have attracted more attention recently since MOR23 and testicular hOR17-4 have been found to be involved in skeletal muscle development, regeneration, and human sperm chemotaxis, respectively. When identifying additional expression profiles and functions of ORs in non-olfactory tissues, there are limitations posed by the small number of antibodies available for similar OR genes. This review presents the results of a research series that identifies ectopic expressions and functions of ORs in non-chemosensory tissues to provide insight into future research directions.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2000

The allelopathic effects of Artemisia lavandulaefolia were studied using several test plants and microbes. Aqueous extracts and volatile compounds of A. lavandulaefolia inhibited seed germination, seedling and root growth of the test species such as Achyranthes japonica. Lactuca sativa, Artemisia princeps var. orientalis. Oenothera odorata, Plantago asiatica. Aster yomena, Elsholtzia ciliata, and Raphanus sativus var. hortensis for. acanthiformis. The root growth of test species was more affected than shoot growth by allelochemicals of A. lavandulaefolia. Essential oil of A. lavandulaefolia had antibacterial and antifungal effects. However, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was dependent upon the microbial species and concentrations. Callus growth of Oryza sativa, Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. pekinensis and Achyranthes japonica was sensitive by the essential oil of A. lavandulaefolia. Twenty three chemicals were identified from A. lavandulaefolia essential oil by gas chromatography. Primary allelochemicals among them were 1, 8-cineole, 1-$\alpha$-terpineol, $\alpha$-terpinene. camphor, 2-buten-1-ol and azulene. We concluded that aqueous extract and essential oil of A. lavandulaefolia were responsible for allelopathic effects.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.227-231
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• 2018

Indoor air pollution has become a serious issue, affecting the health and comfort of building occupants. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are among the most common indoor contaminants, and are released from numerous indoor emission sources. Among the VOCs, formaldehyde and toluene are toxic chemicals at low levels and are frequently detected indoors. Exposure to formaldehyde and toluene can irritate sensitive tissue and may increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, monitoring formaldehyde and toluene is critical for the health and comfort of residents. In addition, as human indoor activities can generate VOC gases, analysis of their influence on VOCs is needed. In this study, we compared electronic nose (E-Nose) data for formaldehyde and toluene with E-Nose data for indoor mixture gas with consideration for human indoor activities.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.541-545
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• 2008

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immunologically-mediated disease resulting from repeated exposure to sensitizing agents, such as organic dusts or chemicals. Isocyanate is a volatile and highly reactive chemical that is extensively used in the manufacturing of automobiles, upholstery, and polyurethane foam. Occupational respiratory diseases associated with isocyanate, such as bronchial asthma, are well-known. It is thought that HP is one of the rare diseases induced by isocyanate with a very low frequency worldwide. We report a case of HP in an automobile painting sprayer which appeared to be associated with isocyanate.