• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.99-104
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• 2017

Background: Workers laboring in steel industries in tropical settings with high ambient temperatures are subjected to thermally stressful environments that can create well-known risks of heat-related illnesses and limit workers' productivity. Methods: A cross-sectional study undertaken in a steel industry in a city nicknamed "Steel City" in Southern India assessed thermal stress by wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and level of dehydration from urine color and urine specific gravity. A structured questionnaire captured self-reported heat-related health symptoms of workers. Results: Some 90% WBGT measurements were higher than recommended threshold limit values ($27.2-41.7^{\circ}C$) for heavy and moderate workloads and radiational heat from processes were very high in blooming-mill/coke-oven ($67.6^{\circ}C$ globe temperature). Widespread heat-related health concerns were prevalent among workers, including excessive sweating, fatigue, and tiredness reported by 50% workers. Productivity loss was significantly reported high in workers with direct heat exposures compared to those with indirect heat exposures ($x^2=26.1258$, degrees of freedom = 1, p < 0.001). Change in urine color was 7.4 times higher among workers exposed to WBGTs above threshold limit values (TLVs). Conclusion: Preliminary evidence shows that high heat exposures and heavy workload adversely affect the workers' health and reduce their work capacities. Health and productivity risks in developing tropical country work settings can be further aggravated by the predicted temperature rise due to climate change, without appropriate interventions. Apart from industries enhancing welfare facilities and designing control interventions, further physiological studies with a seasonal approach and interventional studies are needed to strengthen evidence for developing comprehensive policies to protect workers employed in high heat industries.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to select and predict optimal heatwave indices for describing and predicting heat-related illnesses. Regression analysis was conducted using Heat-related illness surveillance system data for a number of heat-related illnesses and meteorological data from the Korea Meteorological Administration's Automatic Weather Station (AWS) for the period from 2021 to 2023. Daily average temperature, daily maximum temperature, daily average Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), and daily maximum WBGT values were calculated and analyzed. The results indicated that among the four indicators, the daily maximum WBGT showed the highest suitability with an R² value of 0.81 and RMSE of 0.98, with a threshold of 29.94 Celsius. During the entire analysis period, there were a total of 91 days exceeding this threshold, resulting in 339 cases of heat-related illnesses. Predictions of heat-related illness cases from 2021 to 2023 using the regression equation for daily maximum WBGT showed an accuracy with less than 10 cases of error annually, demonstrating a high level of precision. Through continuous research and refinement of data and analysis methods, it is anticipated that this approach could contribute to predicting and mitigating the impact of heatwaves.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.11-43
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was, through analyzing the previous researches, to grasp the present status of environment of school building(ESB), research the sundry records of each element and, through comparative analysis of the standard of ESB in Korea, the United States, and Japan, select the normative standard of ESB, to clarify the point at issue presented in Regulation of Construction & facility Management for Elementary and and Secondary School in Korea, and to suggest an alternative preliminary standard of ESB. To carry out a research for this purpose, these were required: 1. to investigate the existing present status of ESB, 2. to make a comparative analysis of the standard of ESB in each country, 3. to suggest the normative standard of preliminary standard of ESB, 4. to analyze the controversial points of the standard of ESB in Korea, 5. to suggest an alternative preliminary standard of ESB. The conclusions were as follows: 1. Putting, through analyzing the previous researches, the existing present status of ESB together, it seemed that lighting environment, indoor air environment and noise environment were all in poor conditions. 2. In the result of a comparative analysis of the standard of ESB in Korea, Japan and the United States, in Korea the factors of each lighting and indoor air environment were not presented properly, in Japan, in lighting environment aspect, the standard on natural lighting and the factors on brightness were not presented., and in the USA the essential factors of each environment were throughly presented. In the comparison of the standards on each factor, Korea showed that the standard level presented was less properly prescribed than those of the USA and Japan but it also showed that the standard levels prescribed in the USA and in Japan were mostly similar to the standard levels in records investigated. 3. With the result of the normative standard selection on School Builiding environment factor of prescribed in this study, the controversial points of the standard of ESB in Korea were analyzed and the result was utilized to suggest new preliminary standard of ESB. 4. As the result of the analysis of the controversial points of the standard of ESB in Korea, it was found that the standard of ESB in Korea should be established on a basis of School Health Act and be concretely presented in School Health Regulation and School Health Rule. The factors of each environment was improperly presented in the existing standard of ESB in Korea. Moreover the standard of them was inferior to that of the records investigated and those of in the USA and in Japan and it also showed that the standard of it in Korea was improper to maintain Comfortable Learning Environment. 5. A suggested preliminary standard of ESB acquired through above study as follows: 1) In this study a new kind of preliminary standard of ESB is divided into lighting environment, indoor air environment, noise environment, odor environment and for above classification, reasonable factor and standard should be established and the controling way on each standard and countermeasures against it should be considered. 2) In lighting environment, the factors of natural lighting are divided into daylight rate, brightness, glare. In the standard on each factor, daylight rate should secure 5% of a mean daylight rate and 2% of a minimum daylight rate, brightness ratio of maximum illumination to minimum illumination should be under 10:1, and in glare there should not be an occurrence factor from a reflector outside of the classroom. And the factors of unnatural lighting are illumination, brightness, and glare. In the standard on each factor, illumination should be 750 lux or more, brightness ratio should be under 3 to 1, and glare should not occur. And Optimal reflection rate(%) of Colors and Facilities of Classroom which influences lighting environment should be considered. 3) In indoor air environment factors, thermal factors are divided into (1) room temperature, (2) relative humidity, (3) room air movement, (4) radiation heat, and harmful gases (5) CO, (6) $CO_2$ that are proceeded from using the heating fuel such as oval briquettes, firewood, charcoal being used in most of the classroom, and finally (7) dust. In the standard on each factor, the next are necessary; room temperature: $16^{\circ}C{\sim}26^{\circ}C$(summer : $E.T18.9{\sim}23.8^{\circ}C$, winter: $E.T16.7{\sim}21.7^{\circ}C$), relative humidity: $30{\sim}80%$, room air movement: under 0.5m/sec, radiation heat: under $5^{\circ}C$ gap between dry-bulb temperature and wet-bulb temperature, below 1000 ppm of ca and below 10ppm of $CO_2$, dust: below 0.10 $mg/m^3$ of Volume of dust in indoor air, and ventilation standard($CO_2$) for purification of indoor air : once/6 min.(about 7 times/40 min.) in an airtight classroom. 4) In the standard on noise environment, noise level should be under 40 dB(A) and the noise measuring way and the countermeasures against it should be considered. 5) In the standard on odor environment, odor level under Physical Method should be under 2 degrees, and the inspecting way and the countermeasures against it should be considered.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 1981

An apparatus for continuous measurements of sorption isotherm of dried food was manufactured to shorten the time required for equilibration. The apparatus was so designed that the temperature, air velocity and relative humidity in the experimental chamber could be controlled. The use of dynamic stream of conditioned air with a velocity of 0.2m/sec, instead of static atmosphere, allowed a faster equilibration of dried filefish muscle at $25^{\circ}C$. The mean time necessary for the equilibration of dried filefish muscle at the water activity of a given state to a higher water activity was about 45 hours. The monolayer moisture content of dried filefish muscle calculated from BET-equation was 0.092 kg water /kg dry matter at $25^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.27-34
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• 2018

Recently, liquid desiccant systems have received attention for the dehumidification of air. LiCl and LiBr are widely used in liquid desiccant systems due to their excellent thermo-physical properties. In this study, dehumidification tests were conducted with Celdek elements using LiCl and LiBr. During the tests, the dry and wet-bulb air temperatures were maintained at $35^{\circ}C$ and $28^{\circ}C$, respectively. The solution temperature was $20^{\circ}C$, the solution concentration was 50%, the solution circulation rate was 50 kg/h, and the frontal air velocity was varied from 2.0 to 4.0 m/s. The results show that the amount of dehumidification increased as the frontal velocity increased. On average, LiCl showed 27% higher dehumidification performance than LiBr, which was probably due to the lower saturation of the absolute humidity of LiCl compared with that of LiBr. On the other hand, LiBr yielded 12% larger pressure drop than LiCl. In general, the Sherwood numbers of LiCl and LiBr were approximately the same, showing that the effect of the desiccant on the Sherwood number was insignificant. Existing correlations highly overpredicted the present Sherwood numbers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.814-819
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• 2004

An investigation was carried out to study the effect of two housing systems on feed intake and nutrient utilization of sheep in a semi-arid region of India. Two types of housing managements were adopted. The first was a shed- 20'${\times}$10' structure with all the four sides of 6' chain link fencing with central height of 10'. The roof was covered with asbestos sheets, with mud floorings. The second was an open corral- 20'${\times}$10' open space with all the four sides covered with 6' chain link fencing. Thirty-four (32 ewes and 2 rams) sheep were grazed together on a 35 ha plot of native range. All the sheep were grazed as a flock from 08:00 to 17:00 h during the yearlong study. The flock was divided into two groups (16 ewes+1 ram) in the evening and housed according to two housing systems (Shed and Open Corral). Three digestion trials were conducted during three defined seasons of monsoon, winter and summer seasons to determine the effect of housing on nutrient intake and utilization. Blood samples were collected in three seasons for the estimation of hemoglobin and glucose. Dry and wet bulb temperatures were recorded at 06:00 A.M. and 09:00 P.M. using suitable thermometers both inside the shed and in the open corral and temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated. There was significant (p<0.05) difference in the THI between shed and open corral in all the seasons, indicating that the shed was always warmer compared to open corral. The daily dry matter intake (DMI, g/d) was 965, 615 and 982 in sheep housed under shed and 971, 625 and 1,001 in those housed in open corral during monsoon, winter and summer season, respectively. These differences were however non-significant (p>0.05). The digestibility of DM was 45.92, 45.13 and 50.30 in sheep housed under shed and 43.64, 45.02 and 55.02 in sheep housed in open corral during monsoon, winter and summer seasons, respectively. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in the digestibility of nutrients in sheep maintained under shed and in open corral. Blood Hb concentration was 13.97, 14.13 and 13.15 in sheep housed under shed and 15.27, 13.63 and 14.82 in those kept in open corral, whereas blood glucose concentration was 59.67, 59.70 and 52.33 in sheep under shed and 61.00, 61.00 and 57.83 in open corral, during monsoon, winter and summer, respectively. There was also no significant effect of housing on the body weight changes, wool yield and survivability in ewes. Although housing had no significant effect on nutrient intake, their utilization and blood parameters, there was significant effect on the physiological responses and energy expenditure of sheep maintained under the two housing systems (Bhatta et al., 2004). It can be concluded from this study that the housing systems didn't have any significant effect on the nutrient intake and utilization of native breed like Malpura, which were well adapted to the hot semi-arid conditions of India. However, while deciding provisions for housing of different breeds of sheep (both crossbred and native) parameters like physiological responses, energy expenditure, health conditions and overall economics of the systems should be taken into consideration.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.84-97
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• 2016

This study was to investigate the user's thermal environments of the children's parks according to pavements and sunscreen types during periods of heat waves. The measurements were conducted at the sand pits, rubber chip pavement, shelters, and green shade ground of the two children's parks located in Jinju, Korea(Chilam: $N\;35^{\circ}11^{\prime}1.4{^{\prime}^{\prim}}$, $E\;128^{\circ}5^{\prime}31.7{^{\prime}^{\prime}}$, elevation 38m, Gaho: $N\;35^{\circ}09^{\prime}56.8{^{\prime}^{\prime}}$, $E\;128^{\circ}6^{\prime}41.1{^{\prime}^{\prime}}$, elevation 24m) over three days during 11-13, August, 2016. The highest ambient air temperatures at the Jinju Meteorological Office during the three measurement days were $35.9{\sim}36.8^{\circ}C$, which corresponded with the extremely hot weather. A series of experiments measured air temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, black globe temperature, and long-wave and short-wave radiation of the six directions 0.6 m above ground level. The wet bulb globe temperature(WBGT) and the universal thermal climatic index(UTCI) were used to evaluate thermal stress. Surface temperature images of the play equipment were also taken using infrared thermography. Surface temperatures of the play equipment and grounds were used to evaluate burn risk through contact with playground materials. The results showed the following. The maximum air temperatures averaged over 1-hour period for three days were $36.6{\sim}39.4^{\circ}C$. The sun shades reduced those temperatures by up to $2.8^{\circ}C$(green shade) and $1.0^{\circ}C/2.3^{\circ}C$(shelters). The minimum relative humidity values averaged over 1-hour period for three days were 44~50%. The sun shades increased those humidity values by up to 6%(green shade) and 4%/6%(shelters). The risk of heat related illness at the measurement sites of the children's parks were extreme and high in the daytime hours. The maximum WBGT values averaged over a 30-minute period for three days were $31.2{\sim}33.6^{\circ}C$. The sun shades reduced those WBGT values by up to $2.4^{\circ}C$(green shade) and $0.5^{\circ}C/2.1^{\circ}C$(shelters) compared to sandpits, but would not block the risk of heat related illness in the daytime hours. The category of heat stress at the measurement sites of the children's parks were extreme and very strong in the daytime hours. The maximum UTCI values averaged over a 30-minute period for three days were $39.9{\sim}48.1^{\circ}C$. The sun shades reduced those UTCI values by up to $7.8^{\circ}C$(green shade) and $4.1^{\circ}C/8.2^{\circ}C$(shelters) compared to sandpits, but could not lower heat stress category from extreme and very strong to strong and moderate in the daytime hours. According to the burn threshold criteria when skin was in contact with playground materials, the maximum surface temperature of the stainless steels($70.8^{\circ}C$) surpassed three seconds $60^{\circ}C$ threshold for uncoated steel, that of the rubber chip($76.5^{\circ}C$) surpassed five seconds $74^{\circ}C$ threshold for the plastic, that of the plastic slide($68.5^{\circ}C$) and seats($71.0^{\circ}C$) surpassed the one min $60^{\circ}C$ threshold for plastic, respectively. The surface temperatures of shaded play equipment were lower approximately $20^{\circ}C$ than those of play equipment exposed to the sun. Therefore, sun shades can block the risk of burns in daytime hours. Because of the extreme and high risk of heat related illness and extreme and high heat stress at the children's parks during periods of heat waves, parents and administrators must protect children from the use of playgrounds. The risk of burn when contact with play equipments and grounds at the children's parks during periods of heat waves, was very high. The sun shades are essential to block the risk of burn from play equipments and grounds at the children's parks during heat waves.