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Questions and Answers about the Humidifier Disinfectant Disaster as of February 2017 (가습기살균제 참사의 진행과 교훈(Q&A))

  • Choi, Yeyong
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.43 no.1
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    • pp.1-22
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    • 2017
  • 'The worstest environment disaster', 'World's first biocide massacre', 'Home-based Sewol ferry disaster' are all phrases attached to the recent humidifier disinfectant disaster. In the spring of 2011, four of 8 pregnant women including 1 adult man passed away at a university hospital in Seoul due to breathing failure. Epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Korean CDC soon revealed the inhalation of humidifier disinfectant, which had been widely used in Korea during the winter, to be responsible for the disease. As well as lung fibrosis hardening of the lungs, other diseases including asthma, rhinitis, skin disease, liver disease, fetal disease or cancers have been researched for their relation with exposure to the products. By February 9, 2017, 5,342 cases had registered for health problems and 1,131 of them were already dead (20.8% mortality rate). Based on studies by government agencies and a telephone survey of the general population by Seoul National University and civic groups, around 20% of the general public of Korea has used these products. Since the market release of the first product by SK Chemical in 1994, over 7.1 million items from around 20 brands were sold up to 2011. Most of the products were manufactured by well-known large conglomerates such as SK, Lotte, Samsung, Shinsegye, LG, and GS, as well as some European companies including UK-based Reckitt Benckiser and TESCO, the German firm Henkel, the Danish firm KeTox, and an Irish company. Even though this disaster was unveiled in 2011 by the Korean government, the issue of the victims was neglected for over five years. In 2016, an unexpected but intensive investigation by prosecutors found that Reckitt Benckiser manipulated and concealed animal tests for its own brand and brought several university experts and company employees to court. The matter was an intense social issue in Korea from May to June with a surge in media coverage. The prosecutor's investigation and a nationwide boycott campaign organized by victims and environmental groups against Reckitt Benckiser, whose product had been used by more than 70% of victims, led to the producer's official apology and a compensation scheme. A legislative investigation organized after the April 2016 national election revealed the producers' faults and the government's responsibility, but failed to meet expectations. A special law for the victims passed the National Assembly in January 2017 and a punitive system together with a massive environmental epidemiology investigation are expected to be the only solutions for this tragedy. Sciences of medicine, toxicology and environmental health have provided decisive evidence so far, but for the remaining problems the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology and jurisprudence are highly necessary, similar to with the Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon events. It may not be easy to follow this issue using unfamiliar terminology from medical and chemical science and the long, complicated history of the event. For these reasons the author has attempted to write this article in a question and answer format to render it easier to follow. The 17 questions are: Q1 What is humidifier disinfectant? Q2 What kind of health problems are caused by humidifier disinfectant? Q3 How many victims are there? Q4 What is the analysis of the 1,112 cases of death? Q5 What is the problem with the government's diagnostic criteria and the solution? Q6 Who made what brands? Q7 Has there been a recall? What is still on sale? Q8 Was safety not checked by any producers? Q9 What are the government's responsibilities? Q10 Is it true that these products were sold only in Korea? Q11 Why and how was it unveiled only in 2011 after 17 years of sales? Q12 What delayed the resolution of the victim issue? Q13 What is the background of the prosecutor's investigation in early 2016? Q14 Is it possible to report new victim cases without evidence of product purchase? Q15 What is happening with the victim issue? Q16 How does it compare with the cases of Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon? Q17 Are there prevention measures and lessons?

Distribution and Favorable Conditions for Mycelial Growth of Cordyceps pruinosa in Korea (한국에 자생하는 붉은자루동충하초(Cordyceps pruinosa)의 분포와 균사생장에 적합한 조건)

  • Shin, Jae-Chul;Shrestha, Bhushan;Lee, Won-Ho;Park, Young-Jin;Kim, Soo-Young;Jeong, Gwang-Ryel;Kim, Ho-Kyung;Kim, Tae-Woong;Sung, Jae-Mo
    • The Korean Journal of Mycology
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.79-88
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    • 2004
  • Cordyceps pruinosa grows upon dead pupae of Lepidoptera and produces one or $3{\sim}4$ club-shaped stromata per host. The stromata have distinct club-shaped head and long stalk. The length of stromata varies from $1{\sim}3\;cm$. Apical head consists of densely crowded semi-immersed perithecia, which are $360{\sim}400\;{\times}\;180{\sim}200\;{\mu}m$ in size. Asci are $150\;{\mu}m$ in length and $2.8{\sim}3\;{\mu}m$ in diameter. Ascospores, which are $124{\sim}141\;{\mu}m$ in length, have thin thread-like structures in the middle with part-spores attached on both sides. Each ascospore does not separate into part-spores after dispersal, but each part-spore germinates and together develops a colony. The imperfect form produces phialides of $15{\sim}24\;{\times}\;2{\sim}3\;{\mu}m$ size, with spherical or spindle shaped conidia of $4{\sim}6\;{\times}\;1.8{\sim}2.4\;{\mu}m$ size, The anamorph was identified as Mariannaea elegans Samson. YMA and SDAY agar media with pH 7 was produced abundant mycelial growth with high density. Best mycelial growth was observed when dextrin was used as a carbon source. Lactose, saccharose and sucrose also produced high mycelial growth. Peptone, yeast extract and tryptone produced abundant mycelial growth, when used as nitrogen sources. Highest mycelial growth and density was observed when C/N ratio was 1 : 1 at the concentration of 12.5 g/l each. $KH_2PO_4$ was the best mineral source for mycelial growth. Highest mycelial dry wt. was produced in YM and SDAY broths. Optimum inoculum for 100 ml of liquid broth was 6 mycelial discs. Similarly, optimum liquid culture period was 7 days.

Demand and Awareness of Dental Hygienists for Academic Credit Bank System According to Different Regions (지역별 치과위생사의 학점은행제에 대한 인식 및 요구)

  • Yang, Seung-Kyeong;Kim, Eun-Hee
    • Journal of dental hygiene science
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    • v.8 no.4
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    • pp.313-322
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    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness of dental hygienists in different regions about credit bank system and their needs for that. The subjects in this study were 312 dental hygienists in dental hospitals and clinics in Seoul, Gyeonggi province, metropolitan cities, Gangweon province and Gyeongsang province. After a survey was conducted in 2008, the collected data were analyzed with SPSS 11.5 program. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. In regard to perception of the credit bank system, 68.3 percent of the dental hygienists were cognizant of that. The dental hygienists from most of the geographic areas were aware of it, but all the forty three dental hygienists from Gangweon province who accounted for 13.8 percent didn't know about that. As for media by which they acquired information on that, many of the dental hygienists learned about it from their acquaintances (46.2%), but that was not the case for the dental hygienists from Seoul and Gyeonggi province. 2. As for expectations for the credit bank system, those from Gyeongsang province had the greatest expectations for that in six out of nine items, which included academic or job performance improvement, acquisition of credits, degree or certificates and access to new technology. 3. Concerning educational spending on the credit bank system, 18.9 percent and 8.7 percent from Seoul/Gyeonggi province and Gangweon province spent less than 30 thousand won, and 19.9 percent from the metropolitan cities spent 30 thousand to less than 50 thousand won. 4. As for the importance of the categories of their major in the credit bank system, those from Gangweon province attached the most importance to oral health education ($3.56{\pm}1.259$), and the dental hygienists from the metropolitan cities put the most stress on preventive treatment ($3.64{\pm}1.191$).

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