• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.206-215
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• 2022

Background: Fragrance substances in consumer products can cause adverse health effects such as contact allergy. In South Korea, consumer chemical products must list 26 known fragrance allergens on product labels when they contain more than 0.01%. Fragrance substances are mostly used in combination, so co-exposure can occur via use of a consumer chemical product. Co-exposure to fragrance allergens may show a synergistic effect on the human body. Objectives: The aims of the study were to analyze the characteristics of fragrance allergens in consumer chemical products available on public websites and to identify the co-occurrence patterns of fragrance allergens. Methods: The chemicals in 1,443 ingredient disclosures for consumer chemical products were collected through the Ecolife database. The 26 labelled fragrance allergens were identified by category of consumer chemical product. The co-occurrence patterns of the 26 labelled fragrance allergens were analyzed by frequent pattern mining. The unlabelled fragrance allergens presented by European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety were also identified. Results: Consumer chemical products contained an average of 5.3±4.2 substances among the 26 labelled fragrance allergens. More than 85% of air fresheners, deodorizing agents, and fabric softeners contained at least one of the 26 labelled fragrance allergens. The most frequently contained fragrance allergens were limonene (50.5%), linalool (49.9%), hexyl cinnamal (34.0%), and citronellol (28.3%). 16.7% of consumer chemical products showed a co-occurrence of limonene, linalool, hexyl cinnamal, and citronellol. Thirty-eight unlabelled fragrance allergens were found in the consumer chemical products, with hexamethylindanopyran (25.2%) being the most frequently contained substance. Conclusions: The characteristics and co-occurrence patterns of 26 labelled fragrance allergens would be useful information for the management of co-exposure to fragrance allergens in consumer chemical products. It is necessary for attention to be paid to unlabelled fragrance allergens.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.24.1-24.7
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• 2016

The humidifier disinfectant disaster (HDD) was not a simple poisoning accident by biocides, but a singular disaster in history created by chemicals in household products. This disaster was a result of the failure of a system for the management of chemical and product safety. Since the management authority for chemical usage safety is different from those for chemical safety in products, many blind areas for chemical safety management in products still remain. The 'Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (ARECS)' or the new 'Biocidal Product Act' must not only address the blind areas in the management system for chemical and product safety, but also prevent a second HDD. To prevent another HDD, an integrated registration, evaluation, and management system for chemicals and consumer products must be incorporated into the 'ARECS' as an essential part for chemical safety in consumer products.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2018

This study investigated consumer innovativeness by examining a relationship model of innate innovativeness, product interest, product-specific innovativenss, and actualized innovativeness for eight product items as well as observed gender differences in the variables. The eight product items for the survey were smartphones, movies, clothing, cars, skin care products/cosmetics, traveling, AI products, and books. An online survey was conducted in January 2018, and 400 responses from male and female consumers in their twenties and thirties, were analyzed using reliability test, descriptive statistics, regression, and ANCOVA. The positive effect of innate innovativeness and product interest on product-specific innovativeness, and positive effect of innate innovativeness and product-specific innovativeness on actualized innovativeness were confirmed. Product interest was found to have a stronger power on product-specific innovativeness than innate innovativeness. Gender differences in product interest, product-specific innovativeness, and actualized innovativeness were identified as hypothesized. Female consumer's clothing interest, clothing innovativenss, and actualized clothing innovativeness were higher than male consumers; in addition, male consumer's cars and AI interest, cars and AI innovativenss, and actualized cars and AI innovativeness were higher than female's. The controversial results that indicated the higher innate innovativeness of male consumers useful to further in-depth discussion and research. This study contributed to the theory construction of consumer innovativeness research areas and offered practical implications for new product launching and customer relationship management.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.112-116
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• 2019

In this study, a chloroform consumer chemical product (CCP) reference material (RM) is successfully developed, with potential to be used in the proficiency testing of hazardous compounds in CCPs for analysis and testing agencies. Validation experiments are rigorously conducted to evaluate whether the RM meets the requirements set by the ISO 13528 and ISO Guide 35, using a reliable GC/MS method for the analysis of chloroform. The obtained calibration plot linearity, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ) are excellent. The developed RM meets the homogeneity and stability requirements; the between-unit (s_bb) and within-unit (s_wb) standard deviations are less than 2.5%, and the stability is found to be guaranteed for 50 days.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.321-325
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• 2019

The recent humidifier disinfectant disaster has caused a great change in our society and lead the Korean people to lose faith in the government and corporations. To overcome this mistrust, the government and corporations have undertaken certain efforts, including a voluntary agreement on consumer product safety. All the ingredients of a consumer product should be disclosed according to this voluntary agreement. There were also unexpected benefits occuring from this process. We found that the concept of corporate responsibility for product safety differed greatly among the various actors in Korean society. Corporations believed that a product could be considered safe if it contained no regulated substances. We have come to believe that this may be an important cause of the humidifier disinfectant disaster. The Korean government, corporations, and civil organizations have reached a consensus that it is a corporation's responsibility to evaluate the risks of products before they are introduced to the market. However, the limitations of these voluntary efforts are clear, and the legal system needs to be improved. We suggest that the concept of extreme recklessness should be introduced into regulations on product safety.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2022

Objectives: This study intends to review the impact on cleaning workers and suggest directions for improvement by reviewing the legal and institutional ways in which Article 86 Nos. 7 and 16 of the Enforcement Decree of the Occupational Safety and Health Act work on the maintenance and promotion of cleaning workers' health. Methods: The following laws and systems were reviewed and considered: First, the occupational safety and health legislation obligated or required to be applied to protect the health of cleaning workers; Second, the status of control of chemicals or mixtures used at cleaning sites through the Consumer Chemicals Product and Biocide Safety Control Act; Third, Control of consumer products according to foreign material safety data sheet related laws. Results: Legal and institutional measures necessary to protect the health of cleaning workers include the legal control of harmful substances to be controlled, work environment monitoring, and special health examinations. The application of the Consumer Chemicals Product and Biocide Safety Control Act does not satisfy the legal and practical level of health maintenance and promotion required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the communication of chemical information is insufficient. Overseas, there are restrictions on the use of consumer products in the workplace without material safety data sheets. Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the system to ensure the health of workers handling consumer chemical products. The remaining laws and regulations exempted from the obligation to prepare material safety data sheets should be additionally reviewed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.201-212
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• 2014

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are carcinogenic and persistent will be restricted in consumer products from December 27, 2015 by EU REACH regulation. Pretreatment using Soxhlet extraction and quantitative analysis by GC-MS were studied to develop the method for analyzing 18 PAHs in consumer products as well as to detect the amounts and the kinds of PAHs in consumer products such as grips of a bag and a hammer, a cable and a plastic sandal. Linearity and precisions were evaluated by analyses of the standard PAH solutions ranging from 0.3125 mg/L to 5.00 mg of each of 18 PAHs. Linearity of resulting standard curves for all 18 PAHs were obtained with $R^2$ above 0.999. Precisions of the retention times and the peak areas were found to be 0.00%~0.05% and 1.16%~3.69% of relative standard deviations, respectively. The recoveries for spiked samples were all around 95%~105% after Soxhlet extration using three different solvents such as dichloromethane, hexane and toluene. The limits of quantitation for 18 PAHs in solutions and polymer samples by GC-MS were evaluated to be 0.327 mg/L (Benzo[ghi]perylene)~0.464 mg/L (Acenaphthylene) and 1.635 mg/kg (Benzo[ghi]perylene)~2.32 mg/kg (Acenaphthylene) based upon dilution factor of 5, respectively. Under the developed analytical method, only trace amounts of phenanthrene were detected in three samples while 15 kinds of PAHs including phenanthrene were detected in a grip of hammer with concentrations of maximum 83.4 mg/kg of Phenanthrene and minimum 8.5 mg/kg of Acenaphthylene. Further studies are needed to decrease the quantitation limit and to check the feasibility of decreasing Soxhlet time as well as to demonstrate cases that the clean up is required.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2024

Background: Appropriateness issues have emerged regarding the non-application of hazardous substance safety standards for items classified as 'other textile products'. Objectives: Testing for formaldehyde (HCHO) and risk assessment were conducted on 'other textiles products' to provide reference data for promoting product safety policies. Methods: Testing was conducted on five items (102 products) classified as 'other textile products' according to relevant standards (textile products safety standards), and the risk of each product was assessed using the evaluation methodologies of the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) and European Chemical Agency (ECHA). Results: Out of the 102 products tested, HCHO was detected above the quantification limit in five. Based on these results, the screening risk assessment indicated that three products exceeded the criteria. Upon reassessing the emission and transfer rates of products exceeding the criteria, it was confirmed that there were no instances of exceeding the criteria. Conclusions: Risk assessment results can be used as supporting data for non-application of hazardous substance standards. However, it is deemed necessary to transition towards a management approach based on risks in order to addressing emerging trends such as convergence/new products.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.134-155
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• 2016

Perfluorinated chemicals are highly diverse and widely used. More than 160 substances are pre-registered under REACH and approximately 140 substances are in the existing chemicals list of Korea from this chemical group. Chemical structures of PFCs that are globally prohibited and still in uses are identified with OECD's classification of PFCs with an overall review on their uses in consumer products including textile products. Case examples for current domestic situation on use of PFCs as a major component of water-repelling agents in textile products as well as a brief summary of eight major PFC manufacturers' situation are presented from our survey study along the supply chains and the most recent report of EPA stewardship programme, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.769-780
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study is to conduct a survey of dimethylformamide(DMF) content in polyurethane(PU)-based consumer products and provide the information for the PU manufacturer and company to prepare a countermeasure for improving the quality competitiveness. Methods: This study selected PU-based consumer products(toddler shoes, children's bag, children's play mat, safety gloves), which is closely used in everyday life, and analyzed the residual DMF content in the consumer products. Results: In this study, it was confirmed that the average DMF content of toddler shoes, children's bag, children's play mat and safety gloves are 38 ppm, 119 ppm, 396 ppm and 826 ppm, respectively. In addition, most of the samples were found to meet the internationally accepted standard of 1,000 ppm and the DMF contents were reduced from at least 63 % to 85 % with a single washing process. Conclusion: The domestic PU manufacturers should seek ways to reduce the DMF through their production facility applications and introducing new materials such as water-soluble PU, and preparing the process development for their quality competitiveness.