• Title/Summary/Keyword: environmental health policy

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Life Cycle Assessment for National Electricity Generation Systems (국가전력생산 시스템에 대한 전 과정 영향평가)

  • 김태운;김성호;정환삼;하재주;민경란;고순현
    • Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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    • 2004.05a
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    • pp.353-358
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    • 2004
  • In recent, the trends in national energy Policy are established in the context of the integrated risk estimation for various national electricity generating options. The approach takes account of health, environmental, economic, and social aspects of electricity generation systems. In the present work, nuclear, coal, and LNG sources are chosen because these hold more than 90% of national total electricity generation in a descending order. A life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used for comparing environmental impacts of these options during the life cycle such as construction, operation as well as disposal stages. Here, the LCA consists of life cycle inventory analysis, classification/selection process of impact categories, characterization process, and normalization process of each category. LCA can be an useful tool for environmental impact assessment of future national energy options. At the planning stage of future energy Policies, the results of LCA would be taken into consideration. According to data update at the construction and disposal stages, the LCA needs to be conducted iteratively.

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The Recognition for Asian-dust in North-East Asia (동북아 황사문제에 대한 일반인의 인식)

  • Jung Chang-Hoon
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.13 no.12
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    • pp.1145-1150
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    • 2004
  • Dust phenomenon is a critical thing in the East Asian countries. However, it is quite recent that Asian dust has drawn much attention and the scientific investigation of dust particles began. In this study, the recognition for Asian-dust in Northeast Asia region was analyzed. The survey results show that the people generally recognize the origins and seriousness of Asian dust and understand the difficulty in solving the dust related problems. However, approaches to figure out Asian dust have many difficulties and limits in scientific, economic and political points of view and more detailed road map is needed based on government policy.

An investigation on the Improvement of the Working Environment Measurement Reporting Policy (작업환경측정 보고제도 개선 방안 도출을 위한 조사 연구)

  • Lim, Dae Sung;Kim, Chi-Nyon;Lee, Seung kil;Park, Jung-Keun;Kim, Ki-Youn
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.172-181
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    • 2022
  • Objectives: In order to reduce the burden on employers and increase the reliability of measurement results, improvements to the provisions related to the work environment measurement reporting system, such as the current Occupational Safety and Health Act and its Enforcement Rules, are planned. This study aimed to suggest improvements for the work environment measurement reporting system through a survey and Delphi investigation. Method: This survey included workplaces (health managers), national institutions (the Ministry of Employment and Labor) that use the results of the work environment measurement reporting system for policy and supervision purposes, and work environment measurement institutions that enter the results were included. In addition to the survey, we tried to derive results through meetings with stakeholders and expert advisory meetings. Results: It is difficult to abolish or partially improve the reporting system under the Enforcement Regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act at this point because the opinions of workplaces, supervisory agencies, and measuring agencies differ in terms of its intended purpose and use. In the case of high-exposure harmful factors (over 50% on the basis of exposure) in the "comprehensive opinion" described in the work environment measurement results table, it is necessary to insert unit of work with exposed harmful factors, exposure factors, and current conditions in checklists or tables so that they can be reflected in government policies. In the case of workplaces that are feared to be highly exposed to substances subject to measurement, it seems desirable to improve them so that industrial health instructors registered with the Korea Safety and Health Agency or local labor offices can provide technical guidance. As an improvement plan to increase the reliability of data and the use of big data, it is necessary to improve the input method for processes and jobs. Conclusion: The laws and regulations of the work environment measurement reporting system are difficult to revise due to a lack of consensus among current stakeholders, but improvements can be achieved by improving the Ministry of Employment and Labor's notifications and other means. In addition, in order to effectively utilize the data from the K2B system, it is necessary to improve the input method for processes and jobs.

Change of Smoking Behavior by Male White-collar Workers after a Tobacco Price Increase (담배가격 인상에 따른 사무직남성근로자들의 흡연행태 변화)

  • Kim, Ji-Hyeon;Sakong, Joon
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.43 no.1
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    • pp.64-70
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    • 2017
  • Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the raise of cigarette prices by KRW 2,000 at the beginning of 2015 on the change in smoking behavior among male office workers, and to analyze the correlation of various factors including their work behaviors and socio-economic factors with their smoking rate. Methods: In this research, a follow-up observation panel was constituted with 420 smokers as targets from among male office workers at a bank located in Daegu, South Korea. A cross-analysis and ANOVA analysis were carried out in order to examine whether changes in smoking status, amount of smoking, stop-smoking motivation, and reasons for smoking cessation failure after the passage of time since the cigarette price hike were statistically significant. The level of statistical significance was P < 0.05. Results: After the cigarette price hike, among the 420 smokers who were the target of the panel the rate of smoking cessation declined at the time-point of the survey to 15.5%, 12.4%, 8.5%, and 5.7% after one month, three months, six months, and 12 months, respectively. As a result of a follow-up observation of 65 smokers who stopped smoking immediately after the price hike, the actual non-smoking rate declined to 15.5%, 8.3%, 4.4%, and 3.1% after one month, three months, six months, and 12 months, respectively. One (1) year after the cigarette price hike, the non-smoking rate among the 420 smokers reached as low as 3.1% (13 persons). The most important reason for the failure of the attempts to quit smoking was stress for more than 60% of the smokers who attempted to stop. Conclusions: It seems that a powerful anti-smoking policy by the state targeting the nation's workers is necessary. For companies, mediation for workers' job stress can become a strategy for the success of non-smoking attempts. The government seems to require a practical policy to reduce the smoking rate by actively carrying out social, economic, and scientific research to come up with a reduction method for the cigarette hazard, an effective price hike policy, and other non-price policies.

Birth Weight of Mercury Concentrations of Maternal and Umbilical Cord Blood in Pregnant Women (산모혈액 및 태아 제대혈액의 수은 농도에 따른 출생 시 체중에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Byung-Mi;Kim, Dae-Seon;Lee, Jong-Hwa;Park, Hye-Sook;Kim, Young-Ju;Seo, Ju-Hee;Chang, Moon-Hee;Ha, Eun-Hee
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.12-19
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    • 2008
  • We evaluated the relationship between birth weight and mercury exposure levels in Seoul, Korea, by following a cohort of pregnant women and the outcomes of their pregnancies between 2001-2005. Eighty-five pregnant women were recruited into this study after obtaining informed consent. Samples were collected at delivery from normal pregnant women who were living in the city of Seoul, Korea. Mercury concentrations in 85 sets of maternal and cord blood samples were measured using a gold-amalgam collection method. We used multiple regression analysis to analyze the effect of mercury exposure on birth weight. The mean levels of total mercury concentrations were 5.41(ppb) in maternal blood of pregnant women and 3.58(ppb) in umbilical cord blood. The mean concentration of umbilical cord blood mercury exposures was higher than the level recommended by WHO. There was a significant correlation between maternal and cord blood mercury concentrations. Mercury concentrations of umbilical cord blood was associated with birth weight. In addition, after adjusting for potential confounding factors, we found that mercury exposure may reduce the birth weight. This study suggests that exposure to mercury concentration during pregnancy contributes to the risk of low birth weight. Therefore, prenatal and environmental education for various and possible sources of mercury exposure might be necessary for the good health of babies. The finding of this study supports the construction of national policy for environmental health management.

Beliefs about Tic Disorders and Tourette's Syndrome in South Korea: An Online Panel Survey

  • Lee, Minji;Park, Subin
    • Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.109-115
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    • 2019
  • Objectives: This study investigates lay beliefs about the etiology and treatments of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome, as well as identifying sociodemographic and personality variables affecting these beliefs among South Koreans. Methods: In total, 673 participants (mean age $41.77{\pm}12.03$ years) completed an online survey regarding their beliefs about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. The factors related to their lay beliefs about the disorders were analyzed, and the correlates were investigated. Results: Results indicated that lay people in South Korea held strong beliefs that the causes of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome lie within the parenting/psychological and neurological/biological categories, compared to the dietary/environmental one. Among the sociodemographic variables, sex, age, and levels of subjective mental health knowledge were primarily associated with the aforementioned beliefs. Familiarity with tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome was also associated with these beliefs. Among the personality traits investigated, extraversion and conscientiousness had significant influences on the beliefs people had about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. Conclusion: The results suggest that both policy makers and mental health service providers should adopt a strategic approach for developing and implementing health education interventions about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome because individual sociodemographic variables, familiarity with the disorders, and personality traits are all associated with the beliefs about these disorders.

A Study on the Administration for the Han River Water Quality Control (漢江 水質保全 行政에 관한 硏究)

  • Kim, Kwang Hyop
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.10 no.2
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    • pp.9-40
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    • 1984
  • This thesis purports to overview the diverse administrative and organizational factors and plannings developed by the government organizations, municipal or otherwise, to tackle the Han River water pollution issues in the past years. This thesis also looks into the ever-worsening Han River water pollution problems, in particular, in terms of the various government plans ostensibly designed to reduce the pollution level but with little success. Also dealt with are the efficiencies with which the laws and decrees on water pollution the administrative organizations put to use in the prosecution of the diverse antiwater pollution projects involving the Han River basin. From the early 1960's up to the 1970's the government had concentrated on the growth-oriented economic policy with the result that little attention had been paid to the water pollution and other environmental issues that are bound to arise from the massive economic growth. Belatedly, the five-year Hah River Development Project was initiated in 1982 with emphasis on reducing the water pollution level at Hah River to the minimum. The following are the gists of the thesis and recommendations for the future antiwater pollution plans by the administrative organizations: 1. Documents to date indicate that the irrigation projects along the Han River area had been the main focus of attention during the Yi Dynasty and under the Japanese rule of the country. 2. Despite that the water pollution issue became the subject of many debates among the academic and research institutions in the 1960's and in the 1970's, the administrative organizations in charge of the Han River water quality control failed to come up with a concrete plan for the river's water quality control. 3. Nevertheless, the water pollution of the Han River area in fact began in the 1950's, with the unprecedented concentration into Seoul of population and the industrial facilities on a larger scale, in particular, enforced by the government's strong growthoriented policy in its Economic Development plans in the 1960's. 4. Starting in the 1960's, the Han River water pollution level dramatically increased, but the government was reluctant to promulgate or put into effect strong measures to curb the many factors contributing to the river water pollution, thus worsening the environmental issues along the Han River basin. 5. The environmental protection law and other laws and decrees relating to the antiwater and air pollution issues that were subsequently put into effect underwent so many changes that efficient anti-water pollution policies could not be effected for the Han River basin. The frequent organizational reshuffle within the administrative units concerned with environmental problems has resulted in the undue waste in personnel management and finance. 6. The administration on the environmental protection could not be efficiently carried out due to the organizational overlapping. Under the existing law, frequent organizational frictions and inefficiency are bound to occur among the central government offices themselves, as well as between the central government and the Seoul city administration, and among the city's administrative offices over the conservation of the Han River basin and over the river's anti-water pollution issue. 7. In the planning and prosecution of the Han River project, political influences from the president down to the lower-level politicious appear to have been involved. These political influences in the past had certainly had negative influence on the project, nevertheless, it appears that in the recent years, these political influences are not all that negative in view of the fact that they serve as a positive contributing factor in developing a better water quality control project along the Han River basin. The following are a few recommendations based on the data from the thesis: First, officials in charge of the Han River water quality control should pay attention to a careful screening of the opinions and recommendations from the academic circles and from the public should be made so that the government could better grasp the core issues in the environmental problems that require preventive and other necessary measures. Second, vigorous redistribution policies of population and industrial facilities away from the Seoul area should be pursued. Third, the government should refrain from revising or revamping too frequently the laws and decrees on the anti-water pollution, which is feared to cause undue inconveniences in the environmental administration. Fourth, a large-scale streamlining should be made to the existing administrative organization in an effort to do away with the inter- and intra-organizational friction. It is recommended that a secretariat for the Hah River basis conservation be established. Fifth, High-level administrative officials, with a thorough knowledge and vision on the Han River water quality control, should be prepared to better deal with the budgeting and personnel management for the Han River water pollution control not only at the control government, but also at the Seoul city municipal government levels. Environmental issues should be kept distinct from political issues. Environmental issues should not serve as a window-dressing for sheer political purposes. Sixth, the Hah River proiect should also include, along with the main Han River basin, those areas covering North Han River, South Han River, and the tributaries to the main river basin. The 'Han River Basin Water Quality Control Board' should be established immediately as a means of strengthening the current Han River basin water quality control policy. Seventh, in drawing up the Han River proiect, the administrative officials should be aware that Han River basin is a life line for those people in the region, providing them with not only a sheer physical space, but with a psychological living space for their everyday life.

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Current Status and Management of Nanoplastics Exposed in Environment (환경 중 노출되는 나노플라스틱의 현황 및 관리실태)

  • Ha-neul Park;Jeonggue Park;Younghun Kim
    • Clean Technology
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.1-12
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    • 2024
  • Nanoplastics (NP) exhibit distinct material properties compared to microplastics (MP), necessitating their separate recognition. Review of research outcomes and policy documents on NP reveals that most policy frameworks predominantly define MPs as solid synthetic polymer materials measuring 5 mm or less, but do not distinguish them from NP. However, recent revisions in regulations by the EU classify NPs as particles that range in size from 1 to 1,000 nm, as confirmed by some academic studies. Research on NPs often relies on experimental investigations centered around water systems, with a focus on high-concentration experimental conditions using spherical polystyrene-based NPs in behavior and impact studies. Notably, the environmental behavior characteristics of NP show differences in influence depending on the NP type, emphasizing the need for field simulation research. These challenges are mirrored in Korean society, so it is necessary to redefine NP to be distinct from MP in both research and policy. This study aimed to assess the current state of NP management globally and domestically and highlight policy considerations and issues in the existing response to NP. Upon comprehensive review, it becomes apparent that reaching an international agreement on MP faces methodological limitations, which could potentially burden efforts to precisely define NP size. Therefore, referencing the EU's recent regulatory revisions is crucial in domestic policy. Specific adjustments should commence from the MP concept through insights from the domestic industry, guidance from the academic community, and thorough discussions to ensure social acceptance.

The Political Dynamics of Policy Networks and Advocacy Coalitions in South Korea's Healthcare Policymaking : The 20 Years of Debates to Inaugurate a Single-Payer System (한국에서의 의료보험조합 통합일원화 논의의 정치 : 정책 네트워크, 옹호연합, 그리고 보건의료 정책형성의 동태성)

  • Kim, Soon‐yang
    • Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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    • v.42 no.4
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    • pp.61-102
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    • 2011
  • The purpose of this article is to anatomize the political dynamics of South Korea's healthcare policymaking through the integrative analytical framework combining the policy network perspective and the advocacy coalition theory. This framework is expected to be advantageous to the analysis of Korea's turbulent healthcare policy change from a systematic and process-driven point of view. A target of analysis is the two decades of turbulence to transform the health insurance system into a single payer system. Through the analysis, this article tries to illuminate the dynamics of Korea's healthcare policymaking, by connecting environmental context, policy networks, advocacy coalitions, and policy outputs. For a case study, this article classifies the debates to inaugurate a single payer system into four sub-phases and conducts longitudinal comparative research.

Institutional Change and Organizational Change: A Multicase Study on the Organizational Adaptation to the Introduction of Pharmacoeconomics (제도 환경 변화와 조직 변화 : 경제성 평가의 도입과 다국적 제약기업의 조직 적응에 대한 다중사례연구)

  • Lee, Hye-Jae;You, Myoung-Soon;Lee, Tae-Jin
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.425-456
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    • 2011
  • Background: Organizations in the pharmaceutical industry are highly dependent on the institutional environment. The introduction of pharmacoeconomics to the decision-making on the price and reimbursement decisions became strong constraints to pharmaceutical companies in Korea. As little is known about the issue on organization-environment interaction in the healthcare field, this study aimed to figure out how pharmaceutical companies adapted to the environmental changes. Methods: A multicase study method was used, selecting eight cases among multi-national pharmaceutical companies in South Korea. In-depth interviews were conducted with the managers of these organizations, and secondary data were reviewed to complement the interviews. Results: Pharmaceutical companies viewed the new policies as a big threat and sought for actions against them. One of the most distinguishing organizational changes was to construct a Market Access department. Other strategies managing the environment such as co-optation, forecasting, and bargaining were also implemented. These changes were consistent with the predictions of Resource Dependency Theory and Institutional Theory. Conclusions: The interactions between pharmaceutical companies and institutional environments in healthcare were first explored. This study presents a new perspective on how organizations change and the motives for the changes. The findings of this case study will form the basis of further empirical studies.