• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.234-246
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• 1992

This study was conducted to determine the toxic effects of air pollutants on landscaping tress, Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Ginkgo biloba, Liriodendron tulipifera, Platanus occidentalis and their resistance to the pollutant toxicity in urban and industrial regions of Seoul and Taejon, Korea. Total sulfur contents and enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were analyzed in tree foliage of Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Ginkgo biloba, Liriodendron tulipifera, Platanus occidentalis. In addition, POD activity was analyzed in the foliage on tree seedlings, i.e. Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Ginkgo biloba, Lirioderdron tulipifera, with the fumigation of $SO_2$ in gas chamber 4 hours a day for six days. In Ginkgo biloba total sulfur content and POD activity had a negative correlation while other species had a positive relationship in total sulfur content and enzyme activity. Air pollutants accumulated in tree tissues were supposed to enhance the enzyme activity like POD providing the resistance mechanisms. Especially Pinus koraiensis and Platanus occidentalis had higher POD activity than other species. The increase of temporary POD activity against environmental stress appeared in sensitive trees and prolonged increase of POD activity played an important role in resistance mechanism. SOD and POD activities in all species had a positive correlation except Ginkgo biloba. Changes of SOD and POD activities were different between species and in most species SOD as well as POD seemed to participate in resistance mechanism.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2010

Oil contamination soil has been one of the most environmental social issues for decades in the inside and outside of country. The law of soil environmental preservation was carried out in the 1990s and the government controlled not only soil environment management and the remediation of contaminated soil but also promoted the development of remedial technology and cleanup business of contaminated soil by national policy. In addition to agriculture areas, the main oil contaminated sites are a gas station, oil reservoir, petro-chemical complex, site of railway carriage base and military camp. The contamination-frequency of agriculture area and effect sites are low but it has significantly important area on account of producing food for human beings. Therefore, we should be concerned about oil contamination damage of agriculture area. The oil contamination damage of agriculture area influenced drop of birth and breeding since the oil directly adheres to seeds and farm products even diffusion of contaminated soil to cultivation area. The studies of the crops and the food vegetation has not enough detailed data caused by the incident of oil contamination. This study investigated the effect of oil in germination and growth of selected plant seeds. In this study, we try to verify whether the oil contamination by accidents on farmland influenced the damage of farm produce and the mutual relation both oil contaminated soil or the vegetation of crops. The impact of oil on plant development was followed by phytotoxicity assessments. The plants exhibited visual symptoms of stress, growth reduction and perturbations in developmental parameters. The increase of the degree of pollution induced more marked effects in plants, likely because of the physical effects of oil. The relationships between the phytotoxicity contents of plants and growth reduction suggest a chemical toxicity of fuel oil. In addition, while cleaned up the contaminated soil under the standard of contaminated soil we examined it was suitable for region standard and it may have practical possibility for fill material of construction of afforestation and molding soil of landfill.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2017

Fumigation using chlorine dioxide ($ClO_2$) has been regarded as a potential control technique against stored grain insect pests. The control efficacy can be enhanced with increase of opening rates of spiracles by facilitating the toxic gas delivery to internal body. To test this hypothesis, this study used the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella, which was known to be susceptible to $ClO_2$, and analyzed the opening rate of spiracles. A total of 9 pairs of spiracles were observed in P. interpunctella larvae, in which one pair was located on the prothorax and eight pairs were on the abdomen. Within the body, the spiracles were connected to longitudinal and transverse tracheal trunks. The open spiracles were determined by the dye-infiltration method. Based on this method, the opening rate of spiracles increased up to about 60% with increase of ambient temperatures. Furthermore, exposure to carbon dioxide stimulated the opening rate of spiracles up to about 95%. In contrast, exposure to $ClO_2$ prevented the spiracle opening and resulted in only 25% of spiracles in an opening state. The addition of carbon dioxide to $ClO_2$ treatment rescued the opening rate of spiracles as much as the carbon dioxide single treatment. Based on this modulatory activity of carbon dioxide against spiracles, the combined treatment of $ClO_2$ with carbon dioxide resulted in significant increase of its toxicity against P. interpunctella compared to a single $ClO_2$ treatment.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.574-589
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• 2006

Although concentrations of hazardous air pollutants(HAPs) are very low in the atmosphere, a growing attention has been paid on such compounds due to their high toxicity and bioaccumulation potentials into human body. In order to control and manage the amount of these materials in ambient air, it is necessary to construct monitoring system of them and to know the current concentration level of HAPs above all. In this work, a wide range of HAPs has been measured in metropolitan area to recognize the present state of HAPs in this area. The measured concentration of VOCs was higher in order of Jeonnongdong, Jeongdong, and Yangsuri. The regional difference of VOCs concentration was also highest in spring. Its total VOCs was ranged from $15.17{\sim}41.45$ ppb. Benzene $0.43{\sim}2.32$ ppb showed similar concentration level with the result of previous researches in Seoul. This value is a little higher than the average concentration 0.92 ppb for national ambient air quality standards in Japan. The concentration of aldehydes in this study was lower than those of other researches. Previous works in Seoul metropolitan area showed that the concentration of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were higher than 5 ppb. The concentration of gaseous and particulate PAHs was high in order of winter, spring, and summer More than 90% of PAHs with low molecular weight such as 2-rings and 3-rings PAHs existed in gas phase. On the other hands, PAHs with high molecular weight more than 5-rings PAHs almost existed in particulate. In spring, the concentration of gaseous PAHs was 24.38 $ng/m^3$ in Jeongdong. Among the particulate PAHs, the concentrations of Naphthalene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, and Benzo(g, h, i)perylene were higher than others. Especially, the concentration of Benzo(a)pyrene, a important carcinogenic pollutant, was highest in winter 0.5 $ng/m^3$ and ranged from 0.03 to 0.3 $ng/m^3$ in spring and summer, which is lower than the monitoring result in 90's. These components were mainly originated from the vehicle exhaust or heating equipment use.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.501-505
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• 2017

Due to the rapid urbanization and increased population, there is an increase in airtight nature of buildings which causes serious indoor air pollution. Among several indoor air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from paint are of major concern. Therefore, there is an urge for the development of environmental friendly paint products. In this wok, a natural wall paint (NWP) was prepared by utilizing a natural clay material "sericite" as a main component. A small chamber test was carried out to identify the toxic substances release from NWP and the results were compared with two eco-friendly commercial paints. The total VOCs were detected in trace level inside the test chamber and their concentrations were below the recommended indoor air quality standards. Toluene was not detected for NWP, whereas formaldehyde was observed in trace level. The toxicity index results were compared with two commercial paints and found that NWP exhibited less harmful gas emission. Based on certification rating of building materials, NWP can be classified as the first grade of building materials. Due to the above advantages, the use of sericite as a major component in NWP will be a useful technique to maintain the indoor air quality.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.16-27
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• 2019

A burning test was conducted on the smoke and combustion gases generated from cypress wood treated with sodium silicate, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane sol, 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyldimethoxysilane sol, and 3-(2-aminoethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane sol. The silicone compound sol was applied to each of the cypress wood specimens three times with a brush. The smoke and combustion generation gas were analyzed using a cone calorimeter (ISO 5660-1) and the smoke was also evaluated by applying new smoke risk assessment method. The smoke performance index (SPI) of the cypress treated with silicone compound increased 1.66 to 8.42 times and the smoke growth index (SGI) was 11.8 to 88.2%, respectively. The smoke intensity (SI) is expected to be 1.0~50.5% lower than that of the base specimens, resulting in lower smoke and fire hazards. The third maximum carbon monoxide (CO_peak) concentration of the specimens treated with silicone compounds was 22.5~33.3% lower than that of the base specimens. On the other hand, it produced potentially fatal toxicity that was 1.48~1.72 times higher than the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) acceptance standard (PEL). Cypress wood itself produced a high carbon monoxide concentration, but the silicon compound played a role in reducing this level.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.23-32
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• 2019

Vacuum Insulation Panel(VIP) has the lowest thermal conductivity among present insulations. It is composed of envelope, core material and getter. Aluminum film is usually used as the envelope of VIP, and it is important component to decide the useful life of VIP. In this research, the thermophysical properties of incombustible fiber glass core VIP were investigated with the possibility of its architectural applications. The results of this research can be summarized as follows: 1) The thermal conductivity of 20mm-thick fiber glass core VIP is resulted as 0.00177W/m·K, which means that 20mm-thick VIP can meet all the reinforced insulation guideline and it can be used in any envelope of any region in Korea. 2) As a result of the test of incombustion and gas toxicity, fiber glass core VIP was suitable for incombustible material. 3) As the test result for the long term thermal conductivity, fiber glass core VIP was found out that it would keep above 10 times insulating performance than polystyrene foam and glass fiber. 4) To meet the thermal transmittance of 0.12W/㎡K, limited-combustible insulation of expanded polystyrene foam and phenolic foam should be used respectively as thick as above 280mm and 170mm, incombustible VIP can meet the same insulation level with 20mm thickness. 5) The price competitiveness of incombustible VIP to meet the thermal transmittance of 0.12W/㎡·K was about 1,500won/㎡ higher than that of phenolic foam.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.356-359
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• 2018

This case report attempts to present a case of acute toxic hepatitis in fire extinguisher manufacturing workers exposed to 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoro-ethane (HCFC-123) in August 2017 in Korea. Twenty-two-year-old male workers were exposed to HCFC-123 for 1.5 hours one day and for 2.5 hours the other day, after which one worker died, and the other recovered after treatment. The workers were diagnosed with acute toxicity of hepatitis. However, exposure levels of HCFC-123 were not known with no work environment measurement done. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the exposure concentration of HCFC-123 via a job simulation experiment. In the simulation, the HCFC-123 exposure concentration was measured with the same working practice and working time as with the workers aforementioned. As a result, the workers who infused HCFC-123 into storage tanks were estimated to be exposed to HCFC-123 at a concentration of $20.65{\pm}10.81ppm$, and a mean concentration of area samples within a working radius were estimated as $70.30{\pm}18.10ppm$. Valve assembly workers working on valves of a fire extinguisher filled with HCFC-123 were exposed to HCFC-123 at concentrations of $91.65{\pm}4.03ppm$ and $115.55{\pm}7.28ppm$, respectively, in the simulation, and area samples simulated within the working radius were also found to be high with concentrations of $122.75{\pm}91.15ppm$ and $126.80{\pm}60.25ppm$, respectively. Nitrogen gas packing workers, who did not handle HCFC-123 directly, were exposed to the agent at a concentration of $71.80{\pm}8.49ppm$. These results suggest that exposure to HCFC-123 at high concentrations for 1.5-2.5 hours caused acute toxic hepatitis in two workers.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.53
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• pp.298.1-298.10
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• 2018

Background: The renal function of individuals is one of the reasons for the variations in therapeutic response to various drugs. Patients with renal impairment are often exposed to drug toxicity, even with drugs that are usually eliminated by hepatic metabolism. Previous study has reported an increased plasma concentration of indoxyl sulfate and decreased plasma concentration of $4{\beta}$-hydroxy (OH)-cholesterol in stable kidney transplant recipients, implicating indoxyl sulfate as a cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibiting factor. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of renal impairment severity-dependent accumulation of indoxyl sulfate on hepatic CYP3A activity using metabolic markers. Methods: Sixty-six subjects were enrolled in this study; based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), they were classified as having mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment. The plasma concentration of indoxyl sulfate was quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Urinary and plasma markers ($6{\beta}$-OH-cortisol/cortisol, $6{\beta}$-OH-cortisone/cortisone, $4{\beta}$-OH-cholesterol) for hepatic CYP3A activity were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The total plasma concentration of cholesterol was measured using the enzymatic colorimetric assay to calculate the $4{\beta}$-OH-cholesterol/cholesterol ratio. The correlation between variables was assessed using Pearson's correlation test. Results: There was a significant negative correlation between MDRD eGFR and indoxyl sulfate levels. The levels of urinary $6{\beta}$-OH-cortisol/cortisol and $6{\beta}$-OH-cortisone/cortisone as well as plasma $4{\beta}$-OH-cholesterol and $4{\beta}$-OH-cholesterol/cholesterol were not correlated with MDRD eGFR and the plasma concentration of indoxyl sulfate. Conclusion: Hepatic CYP3A activity may not be affected by renal impairment-induced accumulation of plasma indoxyl sulfate.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2024

The Rapid Hardening Composite Mat (RHCM) is a product that improves the initial strength development speed of conventional Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCM). It offers the advantage of quickly securing sufficient strength in railway slopes with insufficient formation level, and provides benefits such as preventing slope erosion and inhibiting vegetation growth. In this study, an analysis of the practical applicability of RHCM in railway settings was conducted through experimentation. The on-site applicability was assessed by categorizing it into fire resistance, durability, and stability, and conducting combustibility test, ground contact pressure test, and daily displacement analyses. In the case of South Korea, where a significant portion of the territory is composed of forested areas, the prevention of slope fires is imperative. To analyze the fire resistance of RHCM, combustibility tests were conducted as an essential measure. Durability was assessed through ground contact pressure tests to analyze the deformation and potential damage of RHCM caused by the inevitable use of small to medium-sized equipment on the construction surface. Furthermore, daily displacement analysis was conducted to evaluate the structural stability by comparing and analyzing the displacement and behavior occurring during the application of RHCM with railway slope maintenance criteria. As a result of the experiments, the RHCM was analyzed to meet the criteria for heat release rate and gas toxicity. Furthermore, the ground contact pressure was observed to be consistently above 50 kPa during the curing period of 4 to 24 hours under all conditions. Additionally, the daily displacement analyzed through field site experiments ranged from -1.7 mm to 1.01 mm, confirming compliance with the criteria.