• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.584-590
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate quartz concentrations in airborne total and respirable dusts. Materials: Respirable dust samples were collected using a 10 mm aluminum cyclone equipped with a 37 mm$5{\mu}m$ pore size PVC filter. Total dust samples were collected with a three stage cassette from three work sections at earthwork sites located in the South Chungcheong-do Province area. Results: The geometric means of quartz concentrations were $0.008mg/m^3$ and $0.004mg/m^3$ in total dust and respirable dust, respectively. The geometric means of quartz contents analyzed by FTIR were 3.74% in total dust and 3.16% in respirable dust. The geometric mean of quartz concentrations and contents in secondary blasting operations were higher than those in other operations. Conclusions: Given that secondary blasting operations had higher quartz concentrations, there is a need to reduce respirable dust, such as through wet operations.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.414-427
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• 2019

In East Asia, the long-range transport of dust storms originating from Mongolia and northern China affects airborne dust loadings over downwind areas in the southern Korean Peninsula. Since 1997, dust loading cases caused by dust storms have been observed using the thresholds of total suspended particles (TSP, ${\geq}250{\mu}g\;m^{-3}\;hr^{-1}$) and particulate matter less than $10{\mu}g$ ($PM_{10}$, ${\geq}190{\mu}g\;m^{-3}\;hr^{-1}$) in the central-southern Korean Peninsula. There were two dust loading cases that exceeded these thresholds in 2016 and three in 2017, which reflects the downward trend of the last twenty-one years in the central-southern Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, five other dust loading cases with mass concentrations lower than the thresholds were observed from 2016 to 2017. In the moderate dust loading cases exceeding the thresholds, a descending motion of cut-off lows below $45^{\circ}N$ and a southward trough at 500 hPa gpm isopleths intensified at the western ridge, and largely extended the surface high-pressure system over southeast China. Airborne dust loadings following pronounced north-westerlies in the forward side of the high-pressure system were transported to the surface of the central-southern Korean Peninsula. However, in slight dust loading cases lower than the thresholds, the restricted descending motion of cut-off lows over $45^{\circ}N$ and the southwestward trough at 500 hPa gpm isopleths intensified the zonal flow over the Korean Peninsula. Surface high- and low-pressure systems moved eastward from the source compared to moderate dust loading cases. Due to the zonal movement of dust storms traversing eastern China, slight dust loading cases were observed with relatively higher ratios of $PM_{2.5}/TSP$ and carbon monoxide (CO) in the central-southern Korean Peninsula.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2021.05a
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• pp.313-314
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• 2021

An old building over 30 years old continue to increase. Therefore, there will be more dismantling of old buildings in the future. Safety management of dismantling works is being strengthened. However, no consideration has been given to the effects of dismantling workers and their residents due to environmental hazards arising from the demolition process. Only spray and dust prevention measures are subject to inspection to minimize dust generation considering civil complaints around the site of dismantling work. In this paper, residential buildings, which account for the largest proportion of old buildings, were collected and identify total airborne bacteria and floating fungi among environmental hazards caused by non-structural dismantling work. Measurement results showed that workers during dismantling work are working in places with 4.8 times more total airborne bacteria than indoor air quality maintenance standards. Related research is needed for the health of dismantling workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.274-281
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• 2010

The objectives of this study are (a) to investigate the distribution patterns and exposure concentrations of biological agents in sawmill industries and (b) to compare sampling methods of biological agents. The representative processes of 5 sawmills were selected to measure total airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxin as well as dust. Airborne bacteria and fungi were measured with one stage impactor, six stage impactor and gelatin filteration methods. Endotoxin was collected with polycarbonate filters and analysed by kinetic chromogenic Limulus Amebocyte Lysate method. Geometric mean levels of airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxin and dust were 1,864 CFU/$m^3$, 2,252 CFU/$m^3$, 31.5 EU/$m^3$ and 2.4 mg/$m^3$. The ratios of indoor/outdoor concentrations were 3.7 for bacteria, 4.1 for fungi, 3.3 for endotoxin and 9.7 for dust. The respiratory fractions of bacteria were 68.0, 50.9, 49.2 and 45.1% in band-saw, table-saw, rip-saw process and outdoor air. The respiratory fractions of fungi were 78.7, 90.8, 87.5 and 84.8% in band-saw, table-saw, rip-saw process and outdoor air, respectively. There was no significant differences in bacterial concentrations among single stage, six stage impaction and filteration methods. But, fungal concentrations measured with filtration methods were significantly higher than those with impaction methods. Geometric mean levels of airborne bacteria and fungi were higher than the OSHA guideline values of 1,000 CFU/$m^3$. The respiratory fractions of fungi were above 75%. The concentrations of biological agents were significantly different among culture-based sampling methods. In the exposure assessments of biological agents, further studies are needed for the comparisons of diverse sampling methods and the investigations of environmental factors.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.E1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2003

To characterize airborne particulate carbon and its temporal variation in the heavily industrialized metropolitan city, Seoul in South Korea, aerosol sampling was performed from 1986 to 1996. Correlation coefficients of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) with mass concentration of fine particles ($\underline{\leq}$2.1 ${\mu}m$) are 0.73 and 0.51, respectively. EC concentrations of the fine particle mode are 10.1, 5.9, 4.5, and 7.4 ${\mu}g\;m^{-3}$ in winter, spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. On the other hand, OC concentration shows maximum value in winter and followed by autumn, summer, and spring. A seasonal peak in the ratio of OC to EC in fine particles was observed during the summer photochemical season from June to August. Concentrations of EC and OC in Asian dust storm events are generally higher than in non- Asian dust storm events except in 1990. The difference of EC concentrations between Asian dust storm periods and non-Asian dust storm periods are much larger than those of OC concentrations. There are slight increases of EC concentration between 1987 and 1990 and a gradual decrease between 1990 and 1996.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 1991

Authors investigated size distributions of airborne mixed coal dust at drillings, coalfaces, and separating sites of underground coal mines in Taebaek, Hwasun, and Jeomchon area by ambient cascade impactors. And Respirable mass fractions were calculated from the size distributions by the ACGIH criteria.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2012

In livestock industry, damage caused by the epidemic diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Highly-Pathogenic-Avian-Influenza (HPAI) and Porcine-Reproductive-and-Respiratory-Syndrome (PRRS) was very serious. The financial loss incurred from FMD alone which occurred on Nov. 2011 in Korea was estimated at 3 billion won, 23 % of annual livestock industry production. The livestock industry in Korea has greater risk of disease infection because of high density production, etc. Investigating the spread of livestock diseases should consider both direct and indirect contact as well as other various factors including airborne. Airborne infection of livestock disease was first hypothesised in the early 1900s, however, field experimental studies are still limited. Furthermore, no protocol is available in detecting airborne viruses in the field. In this study, effective virus samplers were investigated by comparative analysis of the type of samplers used detect to airborne virus. Laboratory experiments were conducted to compare virus samplers such as Bio-sampler, Dust-sampler, Compact-Cascade-Impactor (CCI) and Microflow in detecting PRRSV. Samples were analyzed by Reverse-Transcription PCR to assess the efficiency of the instrument in detecting the airborne virus. First, samples were classified into five levels according to light intensity of gel images and then the classified results were normalized. In every case, Bio-sampler and Dust-sampler were comparable with each other and have shown to be more effective than CCI and Microflow samplers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Industrial Safety Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.89-92
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• 1998

Tannins are complex polyphenolic substances present in plants. They may be classified as either hydrolysable or condensed tannins, and extracts of the latter type have displayed carcinogenic properties in animal studies (Hausen, 1981). The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that exposure to airborne wood dust, especially hardwood dust during furniture manufacture, is a cause of sino-nasal cancer, notably nasal adenocarcinoma. (omitted)

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.154-160
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate airborne concentrations and characteristics of TSP, IPM, TPM and RPM in Seoul subway stations. Sampling was performed at 14 stations from April 11 to 29, 2002. Size-selective dust concentrations and metal concentrations were measured by gravimetric method and ICP-AES, respectively. The geometric mean of TSP, IPM, TPM and RPM concentrations in Seoul subway stations were 176$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥, 348$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥, 158$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ and 104$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥, respectively. Dust concentrations in pathway were the highest and those in lobby were the lowest. The size distribution of dusts was significantly different by location of collection. When the deposition rate into pulmonary gas exchange region was estimated by size distribution, the deposition rate of dust collected from platform was higher than those of dust collected from lobby and pathway. The lower the basement levels were, the higher the deposition rates of dusts into tracheobronchial region and gas exchange region were. Copper and iron concentrations measured in platform higher were than those in other areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted toestimate quartz concentrations and contents in the airborne respirable dust from various industries. Methods: A total of 818 samples were collected from 174 industries. Respirable dust samples were collected using a cyclone equipped with a 37 mm, $5{\mu}m$ pore size PVC filter. The quartz concentrations were identified using the intensity of the absorption peak of quartz at $799cm^{-1}$ by Fourie Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR). Results: The respective geometric means for quartz concentrations in the respirable dust were 0.0050, 0.0049, 0.0025, and $0.0019mg/m^3$ in foundries, ceramics, construction, and cement/stone. The geometric mean of quartz contents analyzed by FTIR were respectively 3.43, 1.99, 1.04, and 0.82% for ceramics, foundries, cement/stone, and construction. The rate of exceeding the Korean Occupational Exposure Limit($0.05mg/m^3$) was 2.03%, but rate of exceeding the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist(ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value($0.025mg/m^3$) was 7.12%. Conclusions: Given that foundries had a higher quartz concentration, there is a need to reduce respirable dust, such as through wet operation. In order to protect the health of workers exposed to mineral dust, it is necessary to actively consider strengthening the Korean Occupational Exposure Limit.