• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.193-204
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system application on microbial hazard management levels of pork and manufacturing environments. In this study, we compared and analyzed microbial levels in raw meat, finished products, and manufacturing environments (knifes, gloves, and cutting boards) of HACCP and non-HACCP meat markets. In addition, we surveyed the hygiene statuses of HACCP and non-HACCP meat markets. The general bacterial counts in raw meat, finished products, and manufacturing environments were lower in HACCP meat markets than in non-HACCP meat markets. Particularly, non-HACCP meat markets exceeded the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety microbiological recommendation criteria for raw meats (8.7%) and finished products (8.7%). Escherichia coli and coliform counts in raw meat, finished products, and manufacturing environments were also lower in HACCP meat markets than in non-HACCP meat markets. The biological hazard levels of finished products from non-HACCP meat markets were affected by raw meat and manufacturing environment. Moreover, according to questionnaire survey results, personal hygiene, manufacturing environment, and facility standards were lower in non-HACCP meat markets than in HACCP meat markets. Implementation of HACCP at meat markets is expected to minimize food poisoning by reducing the biological hazard levels to provide safe livestock products to consumers.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.1752-1757
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• 2017

The aim of this study is to evaluate the radioactivity levels and radiological impacts of representative black sand samples collected from different locations in the Rashid area, Egypt. These samples were prepared and then analyzed using the high-resolution gamma ray spectroscopy technique with a high-purity germanium detector. The activity concentration ($A_c$), minimum detectable activity, absorbed gamma dose rate, external hazard index ($H_{ex}$), annual effective dose rate equivalent, radium equivalent, as well as external and internal hazard index ($H_{ex}$ and $H_{in}$, respectively) were estimated based on the measured radionuclide concentration of the $^{238}U$($^{226}Ra$) and $^{232}Th$ decay chains and $^{40}K$. The activity concentrations of the $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$ decay series and $^{40}K$ of these samples varied from $45.11{\pm}3.1Bq/kg$ to $252.38{\pm}34.3Bq/kg$, from $64.65{\pm}6.1Bq/kg$ to $579.84{\pm}53.1Bq/kg$, and from $403.36{\pm}20.8Bq/kg$ to $527.47{\pm}23.1Bq/kg$, respectively. The activity concentration of $^{232}Th$ in Sample 1 has the highest value compared to the other samples; this value is also higher than the worldwide mean range as reported by UNSCEAR 2000. The total absorbed gamma dose rate and the annual effective dose for these samples were found to vary from 81.19 nGy/h to 497.81 nGy/h and from $99.86{\mu}Sv/y$ to $612.31{\mu}Sv/y$, which are higher than the world average values of 59 nGy/h and $70{\mu}Sv/y$, respectively. The $H_{ex}$ values were also calculated to be 3.02, 0.47, 0.63, 0.87, 0.87, 0.51 and 0.91. It was found that the calculated value of $H_{ex}$ for Sample 1 is significantly higher than the international acceptable limit of <1. The results are tabulated, depicted, and discussed within national and international frameworks, levels, and approaches.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.236-236
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• 2015

Flood is one of the major natural disasters affecting millions of people. Thailand also, frequently faces with this type of disaster. Especially, 2011 mega flood in Central Thailand, inundated highway severely attributed to the failure of national economic and risk to life. Lesson learned from such an extreme event caused flood monitoring and warning becomes one of the sound mitigations. The highway flood hazard mapping accomplished in this research is one of the strategies. This is due to highway flood is the potential risk to life and limb, and potential damage to property. Monitoring and warning therefore help reducing live and property losses. In this study, degree of highway flood hazard was assessed by weighting factors for each cause of the highway flood using Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). These weighting factors are the essential information to classify the degree of highway flood hazard to enable pinpoint on flood monitoring and flood warning in hazard areas. The highway flood causes were then investigated. It was found that three major factors influence to the highway flood are namely the highway characteristics, the hydrological characteristics and the land topography characteristics. The weight of importance for each cause of the highway flood in the whole country was assessed by weighting 3 major factors influence to the highway flood. According to the result of MCA analysis, the highway, the hydrological and the land topography characteristics were respectively weighted as 35, 35 and 30 percent influence to the cause of highway flood. These weighting factors were further utilized to classify the degree of highway flood hazard. The Weight Linear Combination (WLC) method was used to compute the total score of all highways according to each factor. This score was later used to categorize highway flood as high, moderate and low degree of hazard levels. Highway flood hazard map accomplished in this research study is applicable to serve as the handy tool for highway flood warning. However, to complete the whole warning process, flood water level monitoring system for example the camera gauge should be installed in the hazard highway. This is expected to serve as a simple flood monitor as part of the warning system during such extreme or critical event.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.79-94
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• 2016

In order to evaluate the contamination and health risk, levels of six hazardous elements i.e., Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd and Pb in soils of 12 different land-uses were measured. The average concentration of Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, As and Cd in soils were 267, 239, 206, 195, 58 and 16 mg/kg, respectively. Levels of each metal exceeded the environmental action level for soils, which could pose significant risk to human. The metal concentrations were subsequently used to establish hazard indices (for adults and children) where the 5th and 95th percentile values were used to derive the hazard index through different exposure pathways (ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation). Considering the total exposure through each of the three pathways, the hazard index elucidates that there was a potency of non-cancer risk at most of the sites for both the adults and children. The findings of this study suggested that different land-use soils were severely contaminated with hazardous elements and attention is needed on the potential health risks to the exposed inhabitants.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.555-561
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to analyze the microbiological hazards of dried fish (Jwieochae, Ojingeochae and Bugeochae), and to apply pretreatment methods to increase the safety of cooked dried fish within foodservice establishments. Microbiological inspections were conducted on Total Plate Count, Coliforms, E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. The study results are summarized as follows. According to the Hazard analysis, there are many problems showing high numbers in terms of Total Plate Count and Coliforms, which were both well over acceptable standard levels. E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus were detected at certain foodservice establishments, while E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected at all. By applying various pretreatment methods, such as washing, blanching, pan frying and microwave heating, the levels of microbiological hazards were able to be controlled and lowered. Blanching was the most effective method, followed by panfrying, microwave heating and washing. The Total Plate Counts gradually decreased with increasing number of times washed and seconds panfried. From these results, it is concluded that to guarantee food safety, cooked dried fish raw materials should be kept hygienically and appropriate pretreatment methods applied before cooking.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.248-256
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• 2018

Objectives: Several studies have investigated the effects of serum uric acid (SUA) levels on chronic kidney disease (CKD), with discrepant results. The effect of SUA levels on CKD development was studied in the Korean rural population. Methods: A total of 9695 participants aged ${\geq}40years$ were recruited from 3 rural communities in Korea between 2005 and 2009. Of those participants, 5577 who participated in the follow-up and did not have cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, cancer, or CKD at baseline were studied. The participants, of whom 2133 were men and 3444 were women, were grouped into 5 categories according to their quintile of SUA levels. An estimated glomerular filtration rate of < $60mL/min/1.73m^2$ at the time of follow-up was considered to indicate newly developed CKD. The effects of SUA levels on CKD development after adjusting for potential confounders were assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Among the 5577 participants, 9.4 and 11.0% of men and women developed CKD. The hazard ratio (HR) of CKD was higher in the highest quintile of SUA levels than in the third quintile in men (adjusted HR, 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 2.51) and women (adjusted HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.15). Furthermore, CKD development was also more common in the lowest quintile of SUA levels than in the third quintile in men (adjusted HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.90). The effect of SUA was consistent in younger, obese, and hypertensive men. Conclusions: Both high and low SUA levels were risk factors for CKD development in rural Korean men, while only high levels were a risk factor in their women counterparts.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.563-581
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• 2009

In this paper, the peak horizontal ground acceleration over the bedrock (PGA) is calculated by a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA). For this reason, at first, all the occurred earthquakes in a radius of 200 km of Sanandaj city have been gathered. After elimination of the aftershocks and foreshocks, the main earthquakes were taken into consideration to calculate the seismic parameters (SP) by Kijko (2000) method. The seismotectonic model of the considered region and the seismic sources of the region have been modeled. In this research, Sanandaj and its vicinity has been meshed as an 8 (vertical lines) * 10 (horizontal lines) and the PGA is calculated for each point of the mesh using the logic tree method and the five attenuation relationships (AR) with different weighted coefficient. These calculations have been performed by the Poisson distribution of four hazard levels. Then by using it, four regional maps of the seismic hazard regions have been provided for Sanandaj and its vicinity. The results show that the maximum and minimum value of PGA for the return periods of 75, 225, 475, 2475 years are (0.114, 0.074) (0.157, 0.101), (0.189, 0.121) and (0.266, 0.170), respectively.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.565-576
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• 2024

In this study, the earthquake risk assessment of single-story RC precast buildings in Turkey was carried out using loss curves. In this regard, Kocaeli, a seismically active city in the Marmara region, and this building class, which is preferred intensively, were considered. Quality and period parameters were defined based on structural and geometric properties. Depending on these parameters, nine main sub-classes were defined to represent the building stock in the region. First, considering the mean fragility curves and four different central damage ratio models, vulnerability curves for each sub-class were computed as a function of spectral acceleration. Then, probabilistic seismic hazard analyses were performed for stiff and soft soil conditions for different earthquake probabilities of exceedance in 50 years. In the last step, 90 loss curves were derived based on vulnerability and hazard results. Within the scope of the study, the comparative parametric evaluations for three different earthquake intensity levels showed that the structural damage ratio values for nine sub-classes changed significantly. In addition, the quality parameter was found to be more effective on a structure's damage state than the period parameter. It is evident that since loss curves allow direct loss ratio calculation for any hazard level without needing seismic hazard and damage analysis, they are considered essential tools in rapid earthquake risk estimation and mitigation initiatives.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-88
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• 2008

A number of construction practices, implemented during the design process of a reinforced concrete (RC) structural system, may have significant consequences on the behaviour of the structural system in the case of earthquake loading. Although a number of provisions are imposed by the contemporary Greek national design codes for the seismic design of RC structures, in order to reduce the consequences, the influence of the construction practices on the seismic behaviour of the structural system remains significant. The objective of this work is to perform a comparative study in order to examine the influence of three, often encountered, construction practices namely weak ground storey, short and floating columns and two combinations on the seismic performance of the structural system with respect to the structural capacity and the maximum interstorey drifts in three earthquake hazard levels.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.79-90
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• 2020

4- and 8-storey reinforced-concrete frame buildings are analyzed under the suites of the near-fault pulse-like, and the corresponding spectrally equivalent far-fault ground-motion records. Seismic fragility curves for the slight, moderate, extensive, and complete damage states are developed, and the damage probability matrices, and the mean loss ratios corresponding to the Design Basis Earthquake and the Maximum Considered Earthquake hazard levels are compared, for the investigated buildings and sets of ground-motion records. It is observed that the spectrally equivalent far-fault ground-motion records result in comparable estimates of the fragility curve parameters, as that of the near-fault pulse-like ground-motion records. As a result, the derived damage probability matrices and mean loss ratios using two suites of ground-motion records differ only marginally (of the order of ~10%) for the investigated levels of seismic hazard, thus, implying the potential for application of the spectrally equivalent ground-motion records, for seismic fragility and risk assessment at the near-fault sites.