• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.125-155
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• 1999

The objectives of this study were (1) an investigation of the current status of the hazardous substances, (2) a comparative analysis of classification system of hazardous substances between Korea and other countries, (3) a development of the new classification system in Korea, finally a review of prerequisites for effective enforcement of the new system. The results are summarized as follows : 1) The backbone of classification system of hazardous substances in Korea is based on Japanese classification system and EC(European Committee) guideline of hazardous substance. There are many problems in managing and handling of hazardous substances due to discordant of Japanese and EC system. It is desirable to revise the classification system to be harmonized with international guideline for example, guideline of IFCS(The Inter-governmental Forum on Chemical Safety) and EC guideline. 2) There are several problems in definitions of corrosive, sensitizing and irritation in MSDS Code of Ministry of Labour. It is desirable to reform those definitions. 3) Among the hazardous substances under the current system, there are several substances such as, beta-propiolactone, methyl bromide, ethyleneimine, etc that are not used and produced in Korea. It is desirable to exclude the substances from the list of controlled substances. 4) The section 39, about 'substance that designated to attach warning label' in Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act(OSHAct) should be eliminated, because above section is unnecessary under the MSDS system. 5) The researchers recommend to establish a new list of hazardous substance which are controlled by OSHAct. It is desirable that the new list is consist of two types. The first type is 'a list of the specially controlled substances' and the other is 'the generally controlled substances'. 6) It is recommended that the specially controlled substances should include hazardous substances that are highly toxic and widely used in Korea. And the generally controlled substances should include hazardous substances that can be analysed by instrument and carry threshold. limit values(TLV's).

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.133-173
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• 2011

Since mid-1960s the reports from the Surgeon General, the World Health Organization, and other health experts state that there is no risk-free level exposure to smoking and secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke is made up of more than 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds are toxic, and at least 70 are carcinogens. The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach smoker's lungs quickly every time smoker inhale causing damages immediately. Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage smoker's DNA, which can lead to cancers. Smoking is responsible for more than 87% of lung cancers, but there are a host of other chronic diseases directly related to exposure to tobacco smoke. It's also a major cause of heart disease, stroke, aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and most of the other diseases. In the United States, each year with more than from 440,000 to 520,000 deaths caused by smoking and exposure to involuntary smoke. They conclude that smoking is the single most important source of preventable morbidity and mortality. The United States of America have about 60-year history of tobacco litigation. Tobacco litigation has been an important tool in tobacco control strategies aimed at limiting the activities of tobacco companies and providing redress to people who have become ill as a result of their use of tobacco products. Tobacco litigation is a kind of tort litigation. Quite often, as in the asbestos and other mass tort litigation episodes, tobacco litigation can play an educational role, warning the public about the magnitude of health risks that might otherwise be less clearly perceived. Tobacco litigation allows smokers, their families or other victims of smoking to sue tobacco companies in order to be compensated for the harm they have suffered. Potential benefits of tobacco litigation include compensation for smoking-related damages, strengthening regulatory activity, publicity, documents disclosure and changing tobacco industry behavior. And also tobacco litigation can limit the political activities of tobacco industry, protect human rights of smokers and non-smokers, increase burden to tobacco price-up and enhance the effects of law and politics in public health.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.457-467
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• 2003

Soil Precise Investigation(SPI) for river deposits and farmland soils around Goro abandoned Zn-mine, Korea was performed to assess the pollution level of heavy metals(As. Pb, Cd, Cu) and to estimate the remediation volume for contaminated soils. Total investigation area was about 950000 $m^2$, which was divided into each section of 1500 $m^2$ corresponding to one sampling site and 545 samples for surface soil(0-10cm in depth) and 192 samples for deep soil(10-30cm in depth) from the investigation area were collected for analysis. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb at all sample sites were shown to be lower than Soil Pollution Warning Limit(SPWL). For arsenic concentration, in surface soils, 20.5% of sample sites(104 sites) were over SPWL(6mg/kg) and 6.7%(34 sites) were over Soil Pollution Counterplan Limit(SPCL: 15mg/kg) suggesting that surface soils were broadly contaminated by As. For deep soils, 10.4% of sample sites(18 sites) were over SPWL and 0.6%(1 site) were over SPCL. Four pollution grades for sample locations were prescribed by the Law of Soil Environmental Preservation and Pollution Index(PI) for each soil sample was decided according to pollution grades(over 15.0 mg/kg, 6.00-15.00 mg/kg, 2.40-6.00 mg/kg, 1.23-6.00 mg/kg). The pollution contour map around Goro mine based on PI results was finally created to calculate the contaminated area and the remediation volume for contaminated soils. Remediation area with over SPWL concentration was about 0.3% of total area between Goro mine and a projected storage dam and 0.9% of total area was over 40% of SPWL. If the remediation target concentration was determined to over background level concentration, 1.1% of total area should be treated for remediation. Total soil volume to be treated for remediation was estimated on the assumption that the thickness of contaminated soil was 30cm. Soil volume to be remediated based on the excess of SPWL was estimated at 79,200$m^3$, soil volume exceeding 40% of SPWL was about 233,700 $m^3$, and soil volume exceeding the background level(1.23 mg/kg) was 290,760 TEX>$m^3$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2003

River deposits and farmland soils were analyzed to investigate the pollution level of heavy metals in the vicinity of the Goro abandoned Zn-mine. Surface (0-40 cm) and subsurface (40-100 cm) soils were collected around a main river located at the lower part of the Goro mine, and analyzed by ICP-MS for Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr after 0. 1N HCI extraction and by AAS for As after IN HCI extraction. Concentrations of cadmium and lead at the surface river deposits close to the mine were over the Soil Pollution Warning Limit (SPWL), and 43% of sample sites (6 of 14 samples) were over SPWL for As suggesting that river deposits were broadly contaminated by arsenic. Results from farmland soil analysis showed that surface soils were contaminated by heavy metals, while only arsenic was over SPWL at 50% of sampling sites. Main pollution mechanism around the Goro mine was the discharge of mine tailing and waste rocks from the storage site to the river and to adjacent farmland during flood season. Pollution Grades for sample locations were prescribed by the Law of Soil Environmental Preservation, suggesting that the pollution level of heavy metals around the Goro mine was serious, and the remediation operation fur arsenic and the isolation of mine tailing and waste rocks from river and farmland should be activated to protect further contamination. The area needed to clean up was estimated from pollution distribution data and the remediation methods such as a soil washing method and a soil improvement method were considered as the further remediation operation for arsenic contaminated soils and river deposits around the Goro abandoned mine.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.31-39
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• 2002

Pollutants from industry, mining, agriculture, and other sources have contaminated sediments in many surface water bodies. Sediment contamination poses a severe threat to human health and environment because many toxic contaminants that are barely detectable in the water column can accumulate in sediments at much higher levels. The purpose of this study was to make optimal treatment and disposal plan o( sediment for water quality improvement in small-scale resevoir based on an evaluation of degree of contamination. The degree of contamination were investigated for 23 samples of 9 site at different depth of sediment in small-scale J river. Results for analysis of contaminated sediments were observed that copper concentration of 4 samples were higher than the regulation of hazardous waste (3 mg/L) and that of all samples were exceeded soil pollution warning levels for agricultural areas. Lead and mercury concentration of all samples were detected below both regulations. Necessary of sediment dredge was evaluated for organic matter and nutrient through standard levels of Paldang lake and the lower Han river in Korea and Tokyo bay and Yokohama bay in Japan. The degree of contamination for organic matter and nutrient was not serious. Compared standard levels of Japan, America, and Canada for heavy metal, contaminated sediment was concluded as lowest effect level or limit of tolerance level because standard levels of America and Canada was established worst effect of benthic organisms. The optimal treatment method of sediment contained heavy metal was cement-based solidification/stabilization to prevent heavy metal leaching.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

Batch experiments for the soil washing coupled with the magnetic separation process were performed to remediate the soil contaminated with metal and oil wastes. The soil was seriously contaminated by Zn and TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon), of which concentrations were 1743.3 mg/kg and 3558.9 mg/kg, respectively, and initial concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, and TPH were higher than the 2nd SPWL (soil pollution warning limit: remediation goal). The soil washing with acidic solution was performed to remove heavy metals from the soil, but Pb and Zn concentration of the soil maintained higher than the 2nd SWPL even after the soil washing with acidic solution. The 2nd soil washing was repeated to increase the Pb and Zn removal efficiency and the Zn and Pb removal efficiencies additionally increased by only 8 % and 5 %, respectively, by the 2nd soil washing (> 2nd SPWL). The small particle separation from the soil was conducted to decrease the initial concentration of heavy metals and to increase the washing effectiveness before the soil washing and 4.1 % of the soil were separated as small particles (< 0.075 mm in diameter). The small particle separation lowered down Zn and Pb concentrations of soil to 1256.3 mg/kg (27.9 % decrease) and 325.8 mg/kg (56.3 % decrease). However, the Zn concentration of soil without small particles still was higher than the 2nd SPWL even after the soil washing, suggesting that the additional process is necessary to lower Zn concentration to below the 2nd SPWL after the treatment process. As an alternative process, the magnetic separation process was performed for the soil and 16.4 % of soil mass were removed, because the soil contamination was originated from unreasonable dumping of metal wastes. The Zn and Pb concentrations of soil were lowered down to 637.2 mg/kg (63.4 % decrease) and 139.6 mg/kg (81.5 % decrease) by the magnetic separation, which were much higher than the removal efficiency of the soil washing and the particle separation. The 1st soil washing after the magnetic separation lowered concentration of both TPH and heavy metals to below 2nd SPWL, suggesting that the soil washing conjugated with the magnetic separation can be applied for the heavy metal and TPH contaminated soil including high content of metal wastes.