• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.335-343
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• 2020

Objectives: The Korean Ministry of Environment has identified cases of people suspected of suffering lung disease potentially caused by polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) used in humidifier disinfectants (HDs). Exposure assessment for the HDs was conducted using a questionnaire during face-to-face interview. The main purposes of this study were to develop a methodology to effectively classify levels of exposure to HDs based on a questionnaire. Methods: We first identified the overall participants' exposure characteristics by HD exposure levels; Second, we selected misclassified subjects and investigated characteristics of overestimated and underestimated subjects, focusing on exposure cases to PHMG-containing HDs. An inhalation reference concentration (RfC) for PHMG was produced on the basis of inhalation toxicity values. We made a cross-tabulation of the exposure classes (Exposure classes 1-to-4) by clinical classes based on the RfC. When the value of the exposure class minus the clinical class was 0 or 1, we assumed these were true values. When the value was ≥2 and ≤ -2, we assigned these cases to the overestimation group and underestimation group, respectively. Results: The overestimated group may have already recovered and responded excessively due to psychological anxiety or in order to receive compensation. On the other hand, relatively high mortality rates and surrogate responses for those under 10 years of age may have resulted in inaccurate exposure assessment for underestimated groups. For the characteristics of exposure, it was shown that for the underestimated group, the exposure was relatively weaker than the overestimated group, even though a high overall clinical rating was determined. Conclusions: This study may suggest ways to reduce bias and overcome the limitations of current HD exposure assessment.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.90-104
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• 2000

This study was carried out to investigate the current state of occupational health management and characteristics of employees working in small-scale-enterprises (SSE) employing less than 50 workers. Samples were chosen among the two thousands employees working in 838 factories where located in Youngdungpo-Ku, Seoul, Korea. The study results were as followed: 1. Most factories investigated in the study were manufactures (68.6%) which were established in 5 to 10 years ago (29.2%), employing less than 5 workers (72.9%) and registered in accident compensation insurance (23.0%). 2. Health screening was undertaken in 24.9% workplaces for periodic health examination and in 1.5% for special health examination. Environmental monitoring was done in 3.3% factories. Very few factories displayed Material Substance Data Sheet (MSDS) in 3.1% among the total factories. 3. Workplaces usually had their own toilets in 75.9% and washing basin in 58.6% as types of sociowelfare facilities. 4. Employees responded in the study were mostly in the range of age from 30 to 39 in 34.7%. male in 84.8%. the married in 70.3%. manual workers in 42.0%. mostly working regularly 51 hours per a week in 48.2% and earned 710.000 Won to 1.000.000 Won per month in 35.0%. Medical utilization for employees were covered by factories sponsored medical insurance in 12.7% and by provincial sponsored medical insurance in 83.4%. 5. Two point six percents of employees were suffered by diseases. The health complaints indicated were mainly digestive problems in 46.7% and hypertension in 24.4%. 6. Employees wore personal protective equipments for work such as gloves in 48.1%. safety shoes in 30.5%. ear plug in 5.5% and mask in 6.9%. Based on the results of study, we recommend that various types of occupational health management should be developed according to workplace working condition of each factory. In addition to the development of occupational health strategies. we think that it is more important to monitor and to allocate how effectively they operate each other on the basis of longitudinal continuity. Besides, we would like to insist that these all management effort should be focused on prevention of disease and occupational health education of employees.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.357-364
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• 1988

충청북도 단양지역 착암 근로자 79명과 착암기를 사용하지 않는 광산 근로자 39명을 대상으로 1987년 6월 10일부터 1987년 6월 19일까지 면접 조사 및 집단 검사를 시행하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1. 창백지(white finger)는 오른쪽 손에 더 많이 나타났다. 2. 창백지 발현에 진동 노출량, 연령, 음주 및 흡연 여부가 통계학적으로 유의한 변수로 선정되었다. 3. 진동 증후군 증상자의 수지부 통각역치가 대조군에 비해 증가되었다. 4. 냉수 침적후 진동 증후군의 피부온도가 대조군에 비해 낮았으며 회복은 대조군에 비해 지연되는 경향을 보였다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.245-256
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• 2017

Objectives: The present study is aimed at performing real-time measurement of fibrous materials using an F-1 fiber monitor, investigating the correlations between the measurements and environmental conditions, and assessing the feasibility of the use of the monitor in actual exposure assessments based on the accuracy and reliability of the device. Methods: Asbestos specimens with a fixed asbestos content were dispersed in a chamber and collected with a particle measuring test device. Measurements obtained by the existing PCM method, and with the F-1 fiber monitor were compared. In addition, concentrations of asbestos fibers obtained by the PCM method, the TEM method, and the F-1 fiber monitor were compared with that of specific ABS scenarios in NOA regions. Correlations of asbestos contents in soil and weather conditions with each method of measurement were analyzed. Results: Laboratory results showed that levels of asbestos fibers measured with each method increased as fiber contents in soil increased. In the accuracy and reproducibility assessment, no significant differences were found between the different methods of measurement. On-site assessment results showed positive correlations among the methods, and these correlations were less significant compared with what was shown by the laboratory results. Levels of asbestos fibers increased as asbestos contents in soil increased, and as temperature increased. Levels of asbestos fibers decreased as humidity increased, and wind speed did not significantly affect the extent to which asbestos fibers were scattered. Conclusions: While it would be premature to replace existing methods with the use of F-1 fiber monitors in real sites based on the results of this study, the monitor may be useful in the screening of the sites, which assesses hazard levels in different regions. Replacement of existing methods with the use of F-1 fiber monitors may be possible after the limitations identified in this study are overcome, and additional assessment data are obtained and reviewed under different conditions to confirm the reliability of the monitor in future research. Obtained assessment results may be used as basic data for the assessment of asbestos hazard in NOA regions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.17-24
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• 2000

Objectives : To propose the referential data to evaluate the health impacts of Vietnam veterans' children whose father were exposed to herbicides in Vietnam War. Methods : Vietnam veterans who visited to Pusan Veteran Hospital for medical care were recruited from April to October, 1998. They were 71 and asked about their own combat history, symptoms and illness, and health status of their 182 children. The informations were collected by direct and phone interview. Exposure estimation was also performed as exposure score depending on year and unit of participation, and personal episodes related to exposure to herbicide in the war. It classified into three groups; lower(<18.0), moderate(18-53), high$(\geq53)$ exposure group. Results : The mean age and the period into the combat of the veterans were 52.8 years and 15.0 months. The mean exposure score was $18.1{\pm}9.9$, and mainly distributed in lower (46.5%) and moderate(52.1%) exposure group. Most(90.1%) of them were diagnosed as sequelae(21 cases) and suspected sequelae(43 cases) of the herbicides by Korean veteran's hospital diagnostic criteria. The major sequelae was peripheral neuropathy 13 cases, chloracne 5 cases, and the major suspected sequelae was hypertension 20 cases, diabetes mellitus 18 cases, liver disease 12 cases, central neuropathy 11 cases, etc. About birth, 42.2% and 16.9% experienced spontaneous abortion and stillbirth, respectively. The mean exposure score was higher in stillbirth experience group(p<0.05). About half of the children(90 cases, 49.5%) hold the abnormal health status: those were skin pigmentation 38 cases, rash 23 cases, congenital anomaly 15 cases, general weakness 12 cases, purpura 8 cases, visual disturbance 8 cases, etc. These health problems had no association with father's exposure level(p>0.05). Conclusions : These results were depend on their own answers, and expectation for compensation did not excluded, therefore, this study may have limitations: inaccuracy of informations due to recall bias and response bias. Nevertheless, through this study, we could image the fundamental aspect for health impacts of Vietnam veterans' children for preparing the national control program and policy. A large scale epidemiologic study with valid exposure assessment on the health impacts of Vietnam veterans' children is recommneded.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.134-145
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• 2015

Objectives: An objective of this study was to perform a risk assessment and social cost-benefit analysis for revising permissible exposure limits for seven substances: Nickel(Insoluble inorganic compounds), benzene, carbon disulfide, formaldehyde, cadmium(as compounds), trichloroethylene, touluene-2,4-diisocyanate. Materials and Methods: The research methods were divided into risk and hazard assessment and cost-benefit analysis. The risk and hazard assessment for the seven substances consists of four steps: An overview of GHS MSDS(1st), review of document of ACGIH's TLVs (2nd), comparison between international occupational exposure limits and domestic permissible exposure limits(3rd), and analysis of excess workplace and excess rate for occupational exposure limits based on previous work environment measurement data(4th). Total cost was estimated using cost of local exhaust ventilation, number of excess workplace and penalties for exceeding a permissible exposure limit. On the other hand, total benefit was calculated using the reduction rate of occupational disease, number of workplaces treating each substance and industrial accident compensation. Finally, the net benefit was calculated by subtracting total cost from total benefit. Results: All the substances investigated in this study were classified by CMR(Carcinogens, Mutagens or Reproductive toxicants) and their international occupational exposure limits were stricter than the domestic permissible exposure limits. As a result of excess rate analysis, trichloroethylene was the highest at 11%, whereas nickel was the lowest at 0.5%. The excess rates of all substances except for trichloroethylene were observed at less than 10%. Among the seven substances, the total cost was highest for trichloroethylene and lowest for carbon disulfide. The benefits for the seven substances were higher than costs estimated based on strengthening current permissible exposure limits. Thus, revising the permissible exposure limits of the seven substances was determined to be acceptable from a social perspective. Conclusions: The final revised permissible exposure limits suggested for the seven substances are as follows: $0.2mg/m^3$ for nickel, 0.5 ppm(TWA) and 2.5 ppm(STEL) for benzene, 1 ppm(TWA) for carbon disulfide, $0.01mg/m^3$(TWA) for cadmium, 10 ppm(TWA) and 25 ppm(STEL) for trichloroethylene, 0.3 ppm(TWA) for formaldehyde, and 0.005 ppm(TWA) and 0.02 ppm(STEL) for toluene diisocynate(isomers).

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.310-320
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• 2014

Backgrounds: Endotoxin, which found in the outer membrane of the gram-negative bacteria cell wall, makes up almost all of the lipopolysaccharide(LPS). When people are exposed to endotoxin,it can result in diverse health effects such as an airway irritation and inflammation, fever, malaise, bronchitis, allergic asthma, toxic pneumonitis, hypersensitivity lung disease. Cases among the elderly, children or pregnant can occur more frequently than a healthy adult if they are repeatedly exposed to the existing endotoxin. Therefore, we investigated and assessed the environmental characteristics associated with the airborne endotoxin concentration level in six hospital lobbies. Method: Endotoxin from indoor air in six hospital lobbies was measured by an area sampling method and analyzed according to American Society for Testing and Materials International(ASTM international) E2144-01. Total suspended particulate(TSP), carbon dioxide($CO_2$), temperature and humidity were also measured by using direct reading measurements or airborne sampling equipment at the same time. Environmental characteristics were appropriately divided into two or three groups for a statistics analysis. One-way analysis variable(one-way ANOVA) was used to examine a difference of the endotoxin concentration, depending on the environmental characteristics. In addition, only variables with p-value(p<0.25) were eventually designed to the best model by using multiple regression analysis. Results: The correlation analysis result indicated that TSP(p=0.003) and $CO_2$(p<0.0001) levels were significantly associated with endotoxin concentration levels. In contrast, temperature(p<0.068) and humidity(p<0.365) were not associated with endotoxin concentration. Levels of endotoxin concentration were statistically different among the environmental characteristics of Service time(p=0.01), Establishment of hospital(p<0.001), Scale of hospital(p=0.01), Day average people using hospital(p=0.03), Cleaning time of lobby(p=0.05), Season(p<0.001), and Cleaning of ventilation system(p<0.001) according to ANOVA. Finally, the best model(Adjusted R-square=72%) that we designed through a multiple regression test included environmental characteristics related to Service time, Area of lobby, Season, Cleaning of ventilation system, and Temperature. Conclusions: According to this study, our result showed a normal level of endotoxin concentration in the hospital lobbies and found environmental management methods to reduce the level of endotoxin concentration to a minimum. Consequently, this study recognized to be requirement for the management of ventilation systems and an indoor temperature in order to reduce the level of endotoxin concentration in the hospital lobbies.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.195-196
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• 2018

The Korean Academy of Health Policy and Management (KAHPM) has shown remarkable achievements in the field of health policy and management in Korea for the last 30 years. The KAHPM consists of experts in various fields of health policy and management, and has been the leading academic discussion forum for health policy agendas of interest to the public. Health Policy and Management (HPM), the official journal of the KAHPM, published the first issue of volume 1 in October, 1991 and is publishing the second issue of volume 28 as of 2018. Currently, it is one of Korea' main journals in the field of health policy and management. HPM has published a special issue in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the KAHPM. The HPM invited authors, including former presidents of the KAHPM and current board members, to write about main issues in health policy and management. Although the HPM tried to set up an invited author on all subjects in the health policy and management field, 19 papers are published, that completed the peer review process by August, 2018. The authors of the special issue of the 30th anniversary of the KAHPM include six former presidents, a senior professor, and 12 board members. The subjects of this issue are reform of the healthcare delivery system, health insurance and medical policy, reform of health system governance, the role of National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) and the National Evidence-based healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA), ethical aspects of health policy change, regional disparities of healthcare, healthcare accreditation, new healthcare technology evaluation system, globalization of the healthcare industry, the epidemiological investigator system, the quarantine system, safety and disaster, and official development assistance. There are some remaining topics to deal with for the KAHPM: aged society, anti-smoking, non-infectious disease, suicide, healthcare resources, emergency medical care, out-of-pocket money, medical fee payment system, medical aid system, long-term care insurance, industrial accident compensation insurance, community-centered health welfare system, and central government and local government of health. The HPM will continue to publish review articles on the main topics in health policy and management. This is because the KAHPM, which has been the leading academic society of Korea's health policy and management for the last 30 years, feels responsible for continuing its mission for the next 30 years.

• 대한물리치료과학회지
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.43-62
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• 2006

The survey was conducted with participation of the 289 handicapped persons residing at the rural area OOeup-gun in Kyungbook for the period of March 2 - May 31, 2006, to study the nature in general of the handicapped and the boundaries of their need. For the nature in general of the handicapped, the study was done by gender iscrimination, age, marital status, religion, educational level, occupation, monthly income, disability cause, disabled duration, disability type, disability level. For the boundaries of their need, the study was done by demand of financial support, educational demand, demand of voluntary workers, need of rehabilitation and medical treatment, job training, improvement of living conditions, or so. Using the Win.SPSS program, we made a frequency analysis and conclusions on the nature in general of the handicapped and the boundaries of their need on a 2-test. Conclusions are : 1. Nature in general of the handicapped The existence of the handicapped shows high at the age over 51 (71.6%), male-handicapped (65.1%), primary school graduates (62.9%), farming engaging (65.2%), monthly income less than one million Won (80.5%), cause by disease (53.8%), duration more than 10 years (61.6%), disability at level 3 (39.8%), extremity disability (66.4%). 2. Correlation of nature in general with demand of the handicapped a. In demanding the financial support, support for helper’s compensation shows high (p<0.05). In demanding the necessity of voluntary workers, the male-handicapped appears high during the absence of family assistance and the female-handicapped appears differently per week and also appears high during the absence of family assistance (p<0.05). b. In educational demand of the handicapped by their age, the age below 30 demands technical-job training and the age over 31 demands medical education for health care (p<0.01). c. In demanding the financial support by educational level, support for living cost shows high (p<0.05). d. In demanding improvement of living conditions by postnatal cause of disability, improvement of house structure shows high (p<0.05). e. In demanding assistance of voluntary workers by disabled duration, "No Need" shows high in the disabled duration more than 4 years (p<0.05). f. In demanding rehabilitation and medical treatment by disability type, home-visiting treatment, oriental medical treatment and physical therapy show high (p<0.001). g. In educational demand by disability level, medical education for health care shows high (p<0.01).

• 생명과학회지
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• 제31권12호
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• pp.1066-1071
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• 2021

본 연구의 목적은 파랑볼우럭(Lepomis macrochirus)에서 용존산소량(DO)을 급격하게 변화시켰을 때 젖산탈수소효소(EC 1.1.1.27, Lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) 동위효소들의 대사조절을 확인하는 것이다. 파랑볼우럭을 수조내에서 일정한 환경에 적응시킨 후 DO를 변화시켜 조직별 LDH 동위효소의 활성 및 하부단위체 A, B, C의 상대적 비율을 조사하였다. DO를 18 ppm에서 6 ppm으로 감소시켰을 때에 파랑볼우럭 골격근, 심장 및 뇌 조직의 LDH는 각각 12, 12 및 6시간 이내에 대조군의 활성으로 회복되었다. DO가 변화되면 LDH 활성이 변화됨으로써 보상을 빠르게 수행하였고 이는 환경변화에 적응할 때에 LDH가 중요한 기능을 담당하는 것으로 생각된다. 파랑볼우럭의 심장, 눈 및 뇌 조직에서는 하부단위체 A의 상대적 비율이 증가된 후 12시간까지 대조군의 하부단위체 비율과 유사하게 회복되는 경향을 보였다. 이는 DO가 변화된 초기에 하부단위체 A를 이용한 혐기적 대사가 증가된 것으로 생각된다. 또한 하부단위체 C는 하부단위체 B보다 A와 유사하다는 결과를 얻었다. 파랑볼우럭의 LDH는 하부단위체 A와 C가 진화상 유사한 것으로 보이며, 주로 하부단위체 A와 C를 포함하는 LDH 동위효소들이 혐기적 대사를 통하여 저산소 환경에 적응할 수 있도록 pyruvate reductase의 기능을 담당하는 것으로 사료된다.