• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2011

Some industrial minerals used in domestic industries such as monazite, apatite, bauxite, and ilmenite belong to NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) because they show a high radioactivity. Products, semi-products, wastes, and by-products which show higher radioactivity than NORM belong to TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials). Apatite used for manufacturing phosphate fertilizer in Namhae Chemical company belongs to NORM, and its by-product, phospo-gypsum, belongs to TENORM. A geological investigation is needed for the future environmental impact assessment of the Namhae Chemical company's site. According to survey results of the Namhae Chemical company's site, soil mineral composition indicated the mixture of minerals derived from the country rock (quartz, feldspar, mica, $l4{\AA}$ mineral, kaolin and amphibole) and minerals from the gypsum open-air storage yard (gypsum and apatite). Soil samples showed average content of U 4.6 ppm and Th 10 ppm, which are similar to average crustal abundances. They also show average contents of $^{40}K$ 191-1,166 Bq/kg, $^{226}Ra$ 15.6-710 Bq/kg, and $^{232}Th$ 17.4-72.7 Bq/kg, which indicate moderate levels of radio nuclide. But $^{226}Ra$ anomaly in the gypsum open storage yard is clearly confirmed and $^{232}Th$ anomaly is also confirmed in the east road side of the factory and nearby mountain areas. Soil external hazard indices ranged 0.24-2.01 with the average 0.54. Although most external hazard indices were lower than 1, which means radiation hazard index to be negligible, 5 samples out of total 40 samples showed higher values than 1, and further detailed investigation is needed.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.152-160
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to analyze hazards for the growing stage of 6 tomato farms (A, B, C; soli farms, D, E, F; Nutriculture farms) located in Gyeongsangnam-do to establish the good agricultural practices (GAP). A total of 144 samples for analyzing hazards collected from cultivation environments (irrigation water, soil, nutrient solution, and air) and personal hygiene (hands, gloves, and cloths) were assessed for biological (sanitary indications and major food borne pathogens) and chemical hazards (heavy metals). Total bacteria, coliform, and fungi were detected at levels of 0.2-7.2, 0.0-6.1, and 0.0-5.4 log CFU/g, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$, respectively. Escherichia coli were only detected in the soil sample from B farm. In case of pathogens, Bacillus cereus was detected at levels of 0.0-4.4 log CFU/(g, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$), whereas Staphylococuus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, and Salmonella spp. were not detected in all samples. Heavy metals as a chemical hazard were detected in soil and irrigation water, but levels of them were lower than the permit limit. In conclusion, chemical hazard levels complied with GAP criteria, but biological hazards at the growing stage of tomato farms were confirmed. Therefore a proper management to prevent microbial contamination is needed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.588-598
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• 2020

Objectives: Human indices were developed to determine returning point of residents and damage restoration after the chemical accident Methods: To determine the returning point of residents after the chemical accident, a new concept, the standard man model was introduced as a human index, in which both H-code and its acute effects were main idea. To evaluate the applicability, a hydrogen fluoride leakage accident in Gumi was applied. The returning point were suggested as the conservative remission period of acute effects among relevant hazard effects and compared with actual returning point. The coverage of each age group were considered with reflecting average daily dose expected for actual residents. In addition, a relief-index as a social-scientific approach was reflected as well to apply the damage restoration Results: Actual returning point of residents in Gumi was 88 days; and that of standard man model suggested was 84 days. The expected amount of exposure at aged 12 or under was at least 2.35 times greater than that of this model, 40s, theoretically. However, their population ratio was less than 1%, so 99% of residents could be applied when the standard man model was applied. The relief-index was as an objective and quantitative methodology to apply the qualitative aspect. Conclusions: Although evaluated as a relatively positive result, there was a limitation such as the number of accident applied to the verification of standard man model. The relief index was also considered, but further research should be carried out to find threshold level for the relief.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.191-197
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• 2013

To classify the chemical hazard according to globally harmonized system of classification and labeling of chemicals (GHS), we investigated the genotoxicity of three chemicals, methyl myristate, 2-ethylhexanoic acid zinc salt, N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl) ethylenediamine, using male ICR mice bone marrow cells for the screening of micronucleus induction. Although these three chemicals have already been tested numerous times, a micronucleus test has not been conducted. The seven week-old male ICR mice were tested at three dosages for the three chemicals, respectively. After 24 h of oral administration with the three chemicals, the mice were sacrificed and their bone marrow cells were prepared for smearing slides. As a result of counting the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte (MNPCE) of 2,000 polychromatic erythrocytes, all treated groups expressed no statistically significant increase of MNPCE compared to the negative control group. There were no clinical signs related with the oral exposure of these three chemicals. It was concluded that these three chemicals did not induce micronucleus in the bone marrow cells of ICR mice, and there was no direct proportion with dosage. These results indicate that the three chemicals have no mutagenic potential under each test condition, and it is not classified these chemicals as mutagens by GHS.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.49-54
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• 2018

In the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient(API) manufacturing company, since the product is produced by the chemical reaction, fire and explosion are frequently occurred in the process of inputting the raw powder as the chemical reaction stage. There are not many studies on safety measures through analysis of cause of accident in the actual chemical reaction stage. In this study, we investigated the heat flow in the boron removal reaction process to investigate the risk in the chemical reaction stage. The study reaction process was performed by using the reaction calorimeter for the products synthesized at the actual raw material in pharmaceutical factory. The risk was estimated by comparing the maximum temperature of the synthesis reaction, which can generate heat due to the failure of cooling in the actual manufacturing process, and the technical temperature. These results are applied to commercial manufacturing sites and safety measures to control the risk of runaway reaction due to reaction heat are suggested.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.292-298
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this research is to establish Similar Exposure Groups (SEGs) for chemical and biological risk factors that occur in farm work involving 24 tasks among 15 crops. Methods: To categorize SEGs, work type, work environment, and similar tasks for each crop were considered. After confirming the chemical risk factors (pesticides, inorganic dust-total dust and PM₁₀, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide) and biological factors (organic dust-total dust and PM₁₀, and endotoxins) that occur in the crops and tasks, similar crops and tasks were selected as SEGs. Results: Among chemical risk factors, pesticides was selected for the SEGs, which was categorized by open field, greenhouse, fruit, and specialty crops. For inorganic dust, open field (plowing harrowing, seedling, planting, harvest, and sorting and packing) and specialty crops (plowing harrowing, seedling, planting, and harvest) were selected as SEGs. For ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, livestock (preparation of farm, management of nursery bed, feeding, shipment and manure treatment) were selected as SEGs. For biological risk factors such as organic dust (total dust, PM₁₀) and endotoxins, open field (manure application), greenhouse (plowing harrowing, planting, manure application, and harvest), fruit (manure application), specialty crops (manure application, making furrows, mixing mushroom media, harvest, and sorting and packing), and livestock (preparation of farm, maintaining poultry litter, feeding, shipment and manure treatment) were selected as SEGs. Conclusions: To establish similar exposure groups in agriculture, it is important that the characteristics of each hazard factor are categorized by identifying risk factors occurring by tasks.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.224-234
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• 2012

Objectives: To assess the hazard of Korea chrysotile and anthophylite, fibers were analyzed for their physicochemical properties by transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (TEM-EDS). Methods: To evaluate the biopersistence of 2 domestic asbestos, Sprague-Dawely rats were exposed to 2 mg asbestos by intratracheal instillation. Each asbestos (chrysotile ; $8,814,244{\times}10^6$ fibers/mg, average size $0.08{\mu}m{\times}4.39{\mu}m$, anthophyllite ; $5,182{\times}10^6$ fibers/mg, average size $0.95{\mu}m{\times}7.29{\mu}m$) were evaluated after a single intratracheal instillation. At times from 1 week to 4 weeks after exposure, the numbers of asbestos fivers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in the lung were calculated. Results: Anthophyllite fivers continuously have retained for 4 weeks but chrysotile fivers were rarely found at 4 weeks after exposure in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Chrysotile fivers at 4 weeks after treatment were not observed but anthophyllite was easily observed in the lung with phase contrast microscopy. According to electron microscopic observation of asbestos in the lung, within 1 week after the administration of chrysotile fivers were decreased rapidly but anthophyllite fivers were very little change for 4 weeks. When chrysotile fivers have been lost Fe in 1 week, there were no significant changes in anthophyllite fivers in the lung. Conclusions: These findings indicate that after a long time exposure to chrysotile, asbestos bodies can not be found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2019

In this review, we describe the absorption rates (Caco-2 cell permeability) and hepatic/plasma pharmacokinetics of 53 diverse chemicals estimated by modeling virtual oral administration in rats. To ensure that a broad range of chemical structures is present among the selected substances, the properties described by 196 chemical descriptors in a chemoinformatics tool were calculated for 50,000 randomly selected molecules in the original chemical space. To allow visualization, the resulting chemical space was projected onto a two-dimensional plane using generative topographic mapping. The calculated absorbance rates of the chemicals based on cell permeability studies were found to be inversely correlated to the no-observed-effect levels for hepatoxicity after oral administration, as obtained from the Hazard Evaluation Support System Integrated Platform in Japan (r = -0.88, p < 0.01, n = 27). The maximum plasma concentrations and the areas under the concentration-time curves (AUC) of a varied selection of chemicals were estimated using two different methods: simple one-compartment models (i.e., high-throughput toxicokinetic models) and simplified physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling consisting of chemical receptor (gut), metabolizing (liver), and central (main) compartments. The results obtained from the two methods were consistent. Although the maximum concentrations and AUC values of the 53 chemicals roughly correlated in the liver and plasma, inconsistencies were apparent between empirically measured concentrations and the PBPK-modeled levels. The lowest-observed-effect levels and the virtual hepatic AUC values obtained using PBPK models were inversely correlated (r = -0.78, p < 0.05, n = 7). The present simplified PBPK models could estimate the relationships between hepatic/plasma concentrations and oral doses of general chemicals using both forward and reverse dosimetry. These methods are therefore valuable for estimating hepatotoxicity.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.99-114
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• 2021

Substance identification is the first step in implementing chemical legislation, such that subsequent hazard and risk assessments can be accurately followed. Based on the web page and related guidance documents of the European Chemicals Agency and available consortia information, the procedure for substance identification carried out in Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is surveyed. In this study, the importance of substance identification and substance sameness check, as well as the necessity of generating a substance identity profile (SIP) are considered. In addition, the SIPs of several substance types are presented, which focused on information utilization in the instrumental analysis results and organization of information to generate the SIP. Analytical science can contribute to the accurate and effective implementation of chemical regulation at the starting stage of substance identification. However, understanding of the regulation and consequent final wrap-up of analytical results as a SIP should be followed for communication among registrants in Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF) as well as with related authorities.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

With the development of the chemical industry, related accidents frequently occur, and fire and explosion accidents account for a large proportion. In order to prevent fire and explosion accidents, places that handle flammable liquids are classified according to the Korean Industrial Standards (KSC IEC60079-10-1) in accordance with the relevant laws. The same applies to laboratories dealing with flammable liquids. This paper verified the applicability of the procedure for classifying explosion hazard areas according to the Korean Industrial Standards when flammable liquid release from the laboratory to form an evaporative pool, and also verified the effect of a change in ventilation speed on the release characteristics. Through this, it was found that it was difficult to apply the criteria for the classification of places at risk of explosion according to the Korean Industrial Standards, and special safety measures should be prepared.