• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.223-234
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• 2000

Objective - To evaluate the usefulness of chromium in erythrocytes as a biological marker of exposure to hexavalent chromium in chromate producers and chrome platers Methods - Blood and urine samples were ramdomly obtained from chromate producers (n=34) and chrome platers (n=35), and non-exposed workers (n=75), chromium level in erythrocytes and plasma, and urine were measured. Different chromium exposure workers were assessed through measurements of airborne hexavalent chromium concentrations using a personal air sampler. Linear associations between variables were evaluated with correlation analysis. Results - The chromate producers had mean chromium levels in erythrocytes five fold as higher than the chrome platers, and fifteen fold higher than non-exposed group. Among the chromium exposed workers, airborne hexavalent chromium was positively and strongly correlated with in erythrocytes (r=0.689, p<0.01), and erythrocytes chromium was inversely correlated with hematocrit (r=-0.441, p<0.01), hemoglobin (r=-0.465, p<0.01) and the number of red blood cells (r=-0.28, p<0.05). Conclusions - In conclusion, this study suggests that chromium in erythrocytes is a good indicator of the chromium body burden caused by exposure to hexavalent chromium.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.98-105
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• 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the exposure level of airborne hexavalent chromium in the plating industry and the exposure level compared to domestic and international occupational exposure limits. Methods: A total 92 samples were collected from ten industrial plating sites. Hexavalent chromium samples were collected using a three-stage cassette equipped with a 37 mm, 5 ㎛ pore size PVC filter. The analysis was performed by ion chromatography. Results: The geometric mean of hexavalent chromium concentration in the plating industry was 0.052 ㎍/m², and it was found that the average exposure level was 0.8 times the South Korean exposure limit. When applying the US ACGIH TLV, however, the average concentration was more than twice as high. Conclusions: The South Korean exposure limit for hexavalent chromium needs to be strengthened due to significant differences in exposure levels according to domestic and international occupational exposure limits. Furthermore, respiratory and dermal sensitization should be labeled.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2001

This study was performed to evaluate chromium in air and chromium concentrations in whole blood and urine of workers at chrome plating factories, and to determine the correlation between environmental and biological chromium levels. This study involved 29 workers as study group and 24 undergraduate students as control group. The geometric means(GM) of airborne hexavalent chromium and total chromium concentrations in the plating factories were 3.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ and 10.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥, respectively. Hexavalent chromium levels in two of total 29 measurements exceeded the korean occupational exposure limit and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value(ACGIH-TLV) of 50$\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥. Only one sample for total chromium exceeded the Korea occupational exposure limits, the ACGIH-TLV, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Recommended Exposure Limits(NIOSH-REL) of 500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥. The GM of chromium concentrations in blood and urine of workers exposed to chromium were 8.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 11.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L. The GM of chromium concentrations in blood and urine of workers exposed to chromium were 8.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 11.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively, whereas the chromium concentrations in blood and urine of the controls were 1.6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 3.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively. There were statistically significant differences of blood and urine concentrations between study group and control group (p<0.01). The chromium concentrations in urine were most highly related to hexavalent chromium, concentration in air(r=0.642, p<0.01). Also, there was a relatively high correlation between the hexavalent chromium concentrations in air and chromium concentrations in whole blood(r=0.557, p<0.05). These results indicate that whole-blood chromium with urinary chromium could be an indicator of chromium body burden caused by exposure to chromic acid mist in plating operation.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.109-116
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new sampling and analytical method for the determination of airborne hexavalent chromium, Cr(Ⅵ), in a field plating operation. The procedures of this new method (Shin & Paik's Method) are as the following: Airborne hexavalent chromium is collected on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) filter according to the National Institute iota Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method 7600, and the filler sample is placed in a screw-capped vial and soaked with 2% NaOH/3% Na₂CO₃ solution immediately after sampling. The Cr(Ⅵ) sample is analyzed by ion chromatography/visible spectrophotometry (IC/VS) according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 218.6. The airborne Cr(Ⅵ) concentrations measured by this method were compared with those determined by three reference methods: One (NIOSH/EPA Method) consisted of sampling airborne Cr(Ⅵ) on PVC filters and storing the sample filters in strew-capped vials according to the NIOSH method, and analyzing Cr(Ⅵ) in samples using IC/VS according to the EPA method. The second method (Impinger Method/NaHCO₃) consisted of absorbing airborne Cr(Ⅵ) into 0.02 M NaHCO₃ solution in midget impinger, and analyzing the Cr(Ⅵ) in samples using IC/VS. The third method was the OSHA Method ID-215. Using these four different methods, lour replicates of air samples were collected at an electroplating process and analyzed simultaneously. Two-way ANOVA and paired t-test were used to test difference among values determined by the methods. There was no significant difference and a strong correlation (r²:0.99) between Cr(Ⅵ) concentrations measured by the Shin & Paik's Method and an impinger method (p>0.05). However, Cr(Ⅵ) concentrations determined by Shin & Paik's Method were significant1y different from those by the NIOSH/EPA Method (p<0.05) or the OSHA method (p<0.05). The Cr(Ⅵ) concentrations of Shin & Paik's Method were significantly higher than those of the NIOSH/EPA Method or the OSHA method. This result indicated that the Shin & Paik's Method may prevent Cr(Ⅵ) losses caused by reduction and give more reliable results of airborne Cr(Ⅵ) concentrations in work environments.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.41-49
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• 2002

Recently, pilot studies showed an evidence of reduction of airborne hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), on PVC filter during air sampling and storage. However, the information on this in the field was limited. Thus, we studied the reduction behaviors of airborne Cr(VI) on PVC filters during sampling and storage at three field electroplating operations. Regression between sampling time and the reduction (ratio of Cr(VI) to total Cr concentrations) was not statistically significant (p>0.05). However, the reductions in samples collected for 240 ～ 340 minutes were significantly higher than those for 30 - 60 minutes. On the other hand, another experiment showed a good correlation (r=0.96) between sampling time and the reduction without an exceptional value. Storage temperature was not a factor affecting the reduction of Cr(VI) collected on PVC filter. The loss of Cr(VI) samples stored in alkali solution (2% NaOH/3% Na$_2$CO$_3$) was significantly lower than that stored in vial according to NIOSH method (p<0.05). Thus, dipping Cr(VI) samples into alkali solution was a storage method to minimize tile reduction.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.179-187
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• 2009

This paper describes the field evaluation of a sampling and analytical method for the quantity of airborne hexavalent chromium ($Cr^{6+}$) in the industrial areas, such as Sihwa and Banwol. Ambient measurements were performed by using the cellulose filter during the four seasons (October 2006 to June 2007). The determination of hexavalent chromium was carried out by ion chromatography. Performance validations, including method detection limit, relative standard deviation, and recovery percent, were also investigated. The mean concentrations of $Cr^{6+}$ in Sihwa and Banwol were 0.767 and 0.796 $ng/m^3$, respectively, which are similar to those of other foreign industrial areas. The seasonal variations of $Cr^{6+}$ levels were not quite different, which implies that the chromium was continuously emitted from the industrial sources throughout the year. The concentration variations between total chromium and $Cr^{6+}$ have also shown the similar pattern, suggesting that these components originate from the same sources. The concentration of $Cr^{6+}$ was found to be 0.7 to 2.4% of the total chromium. From these results, the approach using the cellulose filter may be suitable to collect $Cr^{6+}$ in the ambient air.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2015

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine characteristics of workers' exposures to airborne total and hexavalent chromium by job title in electroplating processes. Methods: Total Cr was determined through a modified method based on NIOSH Method 7024. Airborne hexavalent Cr, Cr(VI), was sampled and extracted according to NIOSH Method 7600 and analyzed at 520 nm using an ion chromatograph/visible detector. Results: The geometric mean(GM) of total Cr concentrations from all factories was $11.2{\mu}g/m^3$(GSD=4.9). The GM of Cr(VI) concentrations from all factories was $2.84{\mu}g/m$ (GSD=5.2), and the concentrations among factories were significantly different (p<0.05). The Cr(VI) levels were lower than total Cr levels. Total Cr exposure levels were highest among buffing workers ($21.6{\mu}g/m^3$), but Cr(VI) levels were highest among plating workers($4.15{\mu}g/m^3$). The concentrations of Cr(VI) and total Cr from plating tasks was highly correlated(r=0.91). Conclusions: In the electroplating industry, plating workers were mainly exposed to Cr(VI), but others were not. Oxidation-reduction states of Cr and job titles should be considered in the exposure or risk assessments of chrome electroplating factories.

• 한국환경보건학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경보건학회 2001년도 춘계 학술대회
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• pp.101-102
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• 2001

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.39-49
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• 2002

In this study, limits of detection (LOD), accuracy and precision of four sampling/ analytical methods were evaluated and compared for the determination of airborne hexavalent chromium, Cr (VI). The methods include : (1) a combination of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method 7600/U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 218.6 (NIOSH/EPA Method) proposed by Shin and Paik, 2) two impinger methods using 2% NaOH/3% Na$_2$CO$_3$. (3) same as (2) but with 0.02 N NaHCO$_3$absorbing solution, and (4) the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Method ID-215. An ion chromatograph/visible absorbance detector was used for the analysis of Cr (VI) in sample solution. Limit of detection (LOD) , analytical accuracy, and precision were also tested using Cr (VI) spike samples. Recoveries (as index of accuracy) and coefficient of variation (CV) (as a index of precision) were determined. Two-way ANOVA and Turkey's test were performed to test the significance in differences among recoveries and CVs of the methods. In all the methods, the peaks of Cr (VI) were separated sharply on chromatograms and exhibited a strong linearity with Cr (VI) concentrations in solution. The correlation coefficients of calibration curves typically ranged from 0.9997 to 0.9999, and the analytical LODs from 0.025 to 0.1$\mu\textrm{g}$/sample. All the method had good sensitivities and linearities between Cr (VI) levels and peak areas. The accuracies (% mean recoveries) of the methods ranged from 80.1 to 104.2%, while the precisions (pooled coefficient of variation) ranged from 3.16 to 4.43%. The impinger methods showed higher recoveries ( > 95%) than those of the PVC filter methods (the OSHA Method and the NIOSH/EPA Method). It was assumed that Cr (VI) on PVC filter was exposed to air and reduced to trivalent chromium, Cr (III), whereas it was stabilized in alkali solution contained in impinger. Thus, a special treatment of Cr (VI) samples collected on PVC filters may be required.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.465-474
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• 2002

In order to reflect variability due to exposure factors as well as to assess uncertainty associated with cancer risk posed by airborne trace metals, a Monte Calro analysis has been made in this study. Input parameters for Monte Carlo analysis were developed or adjusted using body weight, lifetime, and exposure frequency of Koreans. Ambient distributions of toxic metals were founded to be lognormal distributions for most of them using goodness-of-fit tests. Thus, the 95% UCL and 95% LCL of carcinogenic metals were estimated by H-statistic method for lognormal distribution, respectively. The results of Monte Carlo analysis of 95% UCL showed that the 95th percentile risks for men and women were 1.2 and 1.1 times higher than an acceptable risk of 10$^{-5}$ , respectively. The probabilities which those risks exceed the acceptable risk were estimated to be 8% and 6%, respectively, while to be 95% and 94%, respectively on the basis of the minimum acceptable risk of 10$^{-6}$ , respectively. Approximately 90% of total cancer risk came from human carcinogens such as arsenic and hexavalent chromium. Therefore, it is necessary to properly manage both arsenic and hexavalent chromium emissions in the study area.