• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.11-20
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• 2016

Korea has 17,500 irrigation dams and facing variety of causes that jeopardize dam safety. With limited resources available to manage large inventory, a portfolio risk analysis application method for numerous irrigation dam safety is essential. The purpose of this study is to find an optimum way to adopt the risk analysis to the large number of irrigation dams in Korea and to propose the portfolio risk analysis process for irrigation dams. In this study, the necessity of the risk analysis for reservoirs safety has been suggested and a phased process using pre-screening and screening methodology has been proposed. This proposed procedure will help to effectively introduce the risk analysis for reservoirs safety in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.77-87
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• 2006

The reuse of wastewater for agricultural irrigation may cause human health risk as a result of exposure to pathogens. This study conducted the quantitative microbial risk assessment in paddy field irrigated with treated wastewater. Six treatments were used to irrigate the paddy field from Year 2003 to Year 2005: biofilter-effluent, UV-disinfected water (6, 16, 40, 68 $mW s cm^{-2}$), pond-treated water, wetland-treated water, conventional irrigation water and tap water. Total coliforms, fecal coliforms and E. coli were monitored during rice growing period. Beta - Poisson model was employed to calculate the microbial risk of pathogens ingestion that may occur to farmers and neighbor children. Uncertainty of risk was estimated using Monte Carlo simulation. In this study, the microbial risk was higher during initial cultivation (end of May$\sim$June), and it decreased with time. Biofilter effluent (secondary effluent) irrigation showed higher risk values than others (>$10^{-4}$) and irrigation with UV-disinfected water has the lowest risk range ($10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-5}$). The risk value estimated in 2005 was lower than risk value in 2003 and 2004, it is likely due to clean tap water irrigation in initial transplanting stage. It is suggested that irrigation with UV-disinfected water and pond-treated water would reduce the microbial risk associated with wastewater irrigation in paddy field. In addition, the first irrigation water quality significantly affected the subsequent microbial risk.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.169-180
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• 2016

This paper assesses the role of informal institutions in determining risk preference among smallholders in Tigray, Ethiopia. We use data from a household survey conducted by the Institute of Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID). We find that households which participate in Debo, an informal labor-sharing institution, or have a friend from whom they can receive help are less likely to be risk-averse. However, participation in Iddir, a traditional form of insurance, is not significantly associated with risk preference. Hence, the existence of social institutions that provide assistance and social connections through reciprocity may be affording security against risk beyond that brought by more monetary forms of insurance. Given the importance of risk attitude in mediating the adoption of improved agricultural production, a policy suggestion is to provide selected aid to households which are less risk-averse agricultural investors. Also, Debo as a labor-sharing institution may serve as a nexus for managing aid and knowledge sharing.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: The current study was carried out to investigate Cd, Hg, Pb and As contaminations in 222 commercial medicinal plants and to estimate the potential health risk through dietary intake of commercial medicinal plants in Korea.METHODS AND RESULTS: The Cd, Hg, Pb, and As in medicinal plants were analyzed by ICP/MS and mercury analyzer.The potential health risk was estimated using risk assessment tools. Total amount of Cd in medicinal plants with 29% samples exceeded the standard limit legislated in 'Pharmaceutical Affairs Act' while all plant samples were lower than the standard limit value for As, Hg, and Pb. However, when applying the standard limit for root vegetable (fresh weight) in the Food Sanitation Act, four samples exceeded the standard limit of Pb. For health risk assessment, the values of cancer risk probability were 0.3~5.9×10^-7which were less than the acceptable cancer risk of 10^-6~10^-4for regulatory purpose. Also, Hazard quotientvalues were lower than 1.0.CONCLUSION: Therefore, these results demonstrated that human exposure to Cd, Hg, Pb, and As through dietary intake of commercial medicinal plants might notcause adverse health effects although some medicinal plants were higher than the standard limit values for Cd and Pb.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.359-362
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• 2013

This study was performed in order to assess the risk of earthworm when the picoxystrobin was sprayed in Korean orchard. The acute toxicity ($LC_{50}$) of picoxystrobin active ingredient(99.3%) and soluble concentrate (25%) against earthworm was showed 10.93 mg/kg and 8-16 mg/kg respectively. This earth worm toxicity value means that the picoxystrobin do not show the earthworm risk in present Korean risk assessment system. However, in the test which was simulated the rainfall after spraying, all the earthworm were died in 24 hours. This result indicated that the risk assessment for the earthworm should be considered the weather condition.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.1 s.94
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• pp.30-35
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• 2007

Waste policies with waste metering system and recycling in 1995 have contributed to the reduction of solid waste generation. Now rural areas as well as urban areas produce less amount of solid wastes in terms of per capita. However most policies in relation to waste issue have been concentrated in urban areas. Large portion of agricultural waste in rural region are being illegally treated such as open incineration or burned out on the road. In this study, we assessed the atmospheric air quality and health risk by illegal open incineration in rural region. In case of benzene level, worst concentration during illegal open incineration was 0.23 ppm and cancer risk by exposure was estimated to $2.29{\times}10^{-3}$.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.991-993
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• 2003

The 4 sets of environmental variables dealing with meteorology, hydrology and physiography were analyzed to generate a spatial drought risk index of Phitsanulok province of Thailand. The analysis of K-mean and discriminant were applied to the set of the selective drought variables for grouping each of spatial variable set into 4 classes. The obtained 4 classes, based on group statistics, were thus recoded in the meaning of no risk, low risk, moderate risk, and high risk. The regression coefficient between recoded classes and a set of the selective environmental variables were then applied as spatial variable weighting on thematic dataset in GIS spatial analysis. The results showed that the weighting score of drought variable was highest in meteorological variable compared to other variables.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.205-214
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• 2016

A drought-tolerant transgenic rice (Agb0103) was developed using a pepper methionine sulfoxide reductase (CaMsrB2) under the control of rice Rab21 promoter with a selection marker, the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) gene. Commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops will require the evaluation of risks associated with the release of GM crops. With the potential problems associated to GM crops safety testing, the investigation of their effects on non-target organisms is necessary for environmental risk research. This study was carried out to assess acute toxicity of a GM crop using the water flea (Daphnia magna) for non-target organism risk evaluation. The effect of acute toxicity on Daphnia magna of Agb0103 rice and a non-GM rice, Ilmibyeo, were investigated at different concentrations (0, 625, 1,250, 2,500, 5,000, and 10,000 mg/L). The Agb0103 rice used for the test was confirmed to express the CaMsrB2/PAT gene by the PCR and ELISA. Daphnia magna feeding tests showed no significant differences in cumulative immobility or abnormal response with either Agb0103 rice or non-GM rice. The 48hr-EC50 values showed no difference between Agb0103 rice (2243 mg/L) and non-GM rice (2694 mg/L). These results suggest that there is no significant difference in toxicity to Daphnia magna between Agb0103 rice and its non-GM counterpart.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.17-24
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• 2008

Exposure risk assessment of pesticide molinate using the RICEWQ model in a rice paddy plot was performed to observe the effects of various water and pesticide management scenarios. Several scenarios were developed to represent the specific water and pesticide management practices of rice cultivation in Korea. The results of the scenario analysis using the RICEWQ model simulation from the previous studies were analysed. The molinate risk for aquatic organisms is evaluated by the ratio of the predicted environmental concentration(PEC) and the predicted no-effect concentration(PNEC). The results showed that the no-effect periods for aquatic organisms for the deep, shallow and very shallow irrigation conditions were 33.3, 28.9 and 25.6 DATs for the lable rate application and 36.4, 33.7 and 30.8 DATs for the double lable rate application, respectively. The higher application rate showed greater exposure risk to the aquatic organisms. Based on this study, the withholding period of molinate practiced in Korea, that is 3 to 4 DATs, must be much longer. The results of this study can be used for the non-point source pollution control and environmental policy making regarding pesticides.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.75-95
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Increase of heavy metals in agricultural ecosystem has become a social issue nationwide as it is related to public health. This review was performed to find out more systematic and integrated future researches on heavy metals using up to date articles published in the Korean journals related to agricultural environment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Researches on heavy metals in agricultural soils and plant uptake were categorized by the establishment of criteria, analytical methods, monitoring, management of source, characteristics and behavior in soil, plant uptake, bioavailability affecting physico -chemical properties in soil, risk assessment and soil remediation. In the early 1990s, the monitoring for heavy metals in soil has been widely performed. Accumulation of heavy metals in contaminated soil and availability to plants has also attracted interests to study the soil remediation using various physico-chemical methods. The phytoavailability and phytotoxicity of heavy metals have been mainly studied to assess the safety of agro-products using risk assessment techniques in the 2000s. CONCLUSION: Future direction of research on heavy metal in agricultural environment must be carried out by ensuring food safety and sustainability. A steady survey and proper management for polluted regions should be continued. Law and regulation must be modified systematically. Furthermore, studies should expand on mitigation of heavy metal uptake by crops and remediation of polluted fields.