• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.409-419
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• 2019

Although the rare earth elements (REEs) recycling industry is expected to increase worldwide in hightech industry, regulations for worker safety have yet to be established. This study was conducted to understand the potential hazard/risk of REE recycling and to support the establishment of regulations or standards. We review the extensive literature on the toxicology, occupational safety, and health issues, and epidemiological surveys related to the REEs, and propose suitable management measures. REE recycling has four key steps such as collection, dismantling, separation, and processing. In these processes, hazardous substances, such as REEs-containing dust, metals, and chemicals, were used or occurred, including the risk of ignition and explosion, and the workers can be easily exposed to them. In addition, skin irritation and toxicities for respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular systems with the liver toxicity were reported; however, more supplementary data are needed, owing to incompleteness. Therefore, monitoring systems concerning health, environmental impacts, and safety need to be established, based on additional research studies. It is also necessary to develop innovative and environment-friendly recycling technologies, analytical methods, and biomarkers with government support. Through these efforts, the occupational safety and health status will be improved, along with the establishment of advanced REE recycling industry.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.22-33
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• 2018

The amount of halogen clean fire extinguishing agents has been increased by the excellent features of extinguishing, adaptability and no residue. On the other hand in situations without a hazard assessment and safety standard of agents, chemical accidents by the agents occurs frequently. This study was performed to propose the halogen clean agents' regulatory exposure limit and safety standard including the quantitative ventilation system with gas leak monitoring, hazard recognition and optimal personal protection selection through a literature review and experimental research.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.1055-1067
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• 2013

We attempted to apply the HACCP system adopted in the food industry to a olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) aquaculture farm to ensure the hygiene safety of farmed fish. In this study, HACCP system procedures, including HACCP team organization, critical point determination, establishment of standard limits etc., were established using Codex 12 procedures. To determine whether hazards were critical elements, we evaluated the likelihood and seriousness of each hazard element. The likelihood of residual medicine exceeding the acceptable limit in shipped fish products was demonstrated to be a critical hazard element. Management of the shipment stage was determined to be a critical control point (CCP). Checking the records for stock and release and maintaining a history of medicine use before shipping the fish were suggested as monitoring methods. The standards for acceptable residual medicine were set based on relevant laws and regulations, and then the limits were adapted and established for the CCP. An HACCP plan applicable to olive flounder farms was established.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.249-260
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• 1995

6 Central commissary and 2 conventional school foodservice operations were assessed in terms of time-temperature relationship and microbiological quality, and monitoring control methods were identified through hazard analysis during the phases of prodution and distribution. 2 conventional schools from Seoul and 6 commissary schools from Kyungkido were participated in the survey. Meals produced in central commissary were distributed to satellites, therefore delivery practices of foods were identified as critical. Microbiological test results for commissary and conventional schools revealed that microbiological quality of foods was mainly related to time-temperature management, types of food, and equipment sanitation not to the foodservice system used. Time-temperature profiles at temperature danger zone (7.2-60$^{\circ}C$) observed were to be related to the following sanitary practices: cooked vegetables were held at temperature danger zone for relatively longer delayed time (15-38$^{\circ}C$: 15-226 min, 7-60$^{\circ}C$: 75-226 min), and same results were observed for deep-fat fried cutlets (15-38$^{\circ}C$: 15-151 min, 7-60$^{\circ}C$: 33-151 min). Menu items with various ingredients and frequent contacts with hands and equipments during the production flow were held at temperature danger zone for longer delaying time than other menu items with brief prodution stages. Based on hazard analysis critical control points, microbiological quality was collectively affected by time-temperature relationships, equipment sanitation, proper cooking methods, and sanitary management competencies of dietitians. Microbiological test results of working equipments and surface of dishes and trays showed that immediate action should be taken. Cutting boards used in central kitchen were also showed similar results of potential dager of cross-contamination. Effective sanitary control methods were urgently needed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권7호
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• pp.2388-2394
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• 2023

The radioactivity concentration of environmental radionuclides was analyzed for soil and sand at eight locations within a radius of 255 m centered on the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Science (DIRAMS), Korea. The average activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs, ²²⁶Ra, and ²³²Th were 661.1 Bq/kg-dry, 0.9 Bq/kg-dry, 21.9 Bq/kg-dry, and 11.1 Bq/kg-dry, respectively. The activity of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs was lower than the 3-year (2017-2019) average reported by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, respectively. Due to the nature of granite-rich soil, the radioactivity of ⁴⁰K was 0.6-fold higher than in other countries, while ¹³⁷Cs was in the normal fluctuation range (15-30 Bq/kg-dry) of the concentration of radioactive fallout from nuclear tests. The activity of ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th was lower than in Korean soils reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The average activity concentrations of ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K for the soil and sand samples from DIRAMS were within the range specified by UNSCEAR in 2000. The radium equivalent activity and internal and external hazard index values were below the recommended limits (1 mSv/y). These radionuclide concentration (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs) data can be used for regional environmental monitoring and ecological impact assessments of nuclear power plant accidents.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• 제39권7호
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• pp.403-411
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• 2017

In this study, the occurrence and temporal variation of eight pharmaceuticals comprising antibiotics (clarithromycin, sulfathiazole, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim), scabicide (carbamazepine) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (acetylsalicylic acid, naproxen) in main stream and its tributary of the Nakdong River basin, were investigated. Concentrations of the target compounds ranged from $1.076{\mu}g/L$. The highest average concentration was observed for clarithromycin ($0.0316{\mu}g/L$), followed by sulfamethazine ($0.0170{\mu}g/L$), sulfamethoxazole ($0.0161{\mu}g/L$), naproxen ($0.0129{\mu}g/L$), carbamazepine ($0.0093{\mu}g/L$), acetylsalicylic acid ($0.0047{\mu}g/L$), sulfathiazole ($0.0024{\mu}g/L$) and trimethoprim ($0.0022{\mu}g/L$). The decreasing pattern of pharmaceutical concentrations was observed along with Nakdong River and the higher concentrations in downstream were observed than those in upstream. There was no temporal variation of the target compounds although the highest level was found in February. The calculated hazard quotients (HQs) for eight pharmaceuticals were below 1, indicating no environmental hazard in Nakdong River. However, further monitoring is still needed due to the other pharmaceuticals widely used in Korea.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.93-105
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aims to quantitatively determine the impact on nearby risidents by selecting the amount of chemicals emitted from the workplace among the substances subject to the chemical emission plan and predicting the concentration with the atmospheric diffusion program. Method: The selection of research materials considered half-life, toxicity, and the presence or absence of available monitoring station data. The areas discharged from the materials to be studied were selected as the areas to be studied, and four areas with floating populations were selected to evaluate health risks. Result: AERMOD was executed after conducting terrain and meteorological processing to obtain predicted concentrations. The health hazard assessment results indicated that only dichloromethane exceeded the threshold for children, while tetrachloroethylene and chloroform appeared at levels that cannot be ignored for both children and adults. Conclusion: Currently, in the domestic context, health hazard assessments are conducted based on the regulations outlined in the "Environmental Health Act" where if the hazard index exceeds a certain threshold, it is considered to pose a health risk. The anticipated expansion of the list of substances subject to the chemical discharge plan to 415 types by 2030 suggests the need for efficient management within workplaces. In instances where the hazard index surpasses the threshold in health hazard assessments, it is judged that effective chemical management can be achieved by prioritizing based on considerations of background concentration and predicted concentration through atmospheric dispersion modeling.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.353-359
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• 2007

This survey was carried out to estimate the heavy metal contents of fishes (531 ocean fishes and 80 freshwater fishes) sold in and around Korea from April to October in 2006 . The contents of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and mercury (Hg) were estimated by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and a mercury analyzer. The concentrations [mean (minimum-maximum) mg/kg] of heavy metals in the ocean fishes were as follows: As=2.523 (0.140-65.543), Cd=0.017 (0.000-0.108), Cu=0.569 (0.040-5.634), Pb=0.023 (0.000-0.323), Hg=0.068 (0.002-0.754), Mn=0.395 (0.016-4.651) and Zn=6.086 (0.529-34.729). The concentrations of heavy metals in the freshwater fishes were: As=0.370 (0.024-2.231), Cd=0.01l (ND-0.086), Cu=0.628 (0.003-1.962), Pb=0.026 (ND-0.423), Hg=0.058 (0.006-0.349), Mn=1.150 (0.069-7.230) and Zn=9.980 (3.463-82.737). The weekly intakes of Cd, Hg and Pb from fish were 0.9, 1.6 and 0.9%, respectively, as compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWl) established by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee for food safety evaluation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.155-161
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• 2015

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and a major indoor contribution of exposure to ionizing radiation in dwellings. $^{222}Rn$ is a health hazard gas what is responsible for thousand lung cancer deaths every year. In this study, indoor radon concentrations present in thirty representative houses in Mahallat city, Iran, were determined in order to estimate lung cancer risk associated with residential radon exposure. Long-term passive method, using CR-39, was used to measure the radon concentration. The results showed an association between the age of the dwellings and the indoor radon concentration that was found, in that the concentration of radon tended to increase as the age of the dwelling also increased. The indoor radon concentrations were calculated to be within the range of $23{\pm}2$ to $350{\pm}26Bq{\cdot}m^{-3}$, with an average of $158Bq{\cdot}m^{-3}$. The annual effective dose from inhaled radon and its decay products was calculated between $0.8{\pm}0.1$ and $12.3{\pm}0.9mSv{\cdot}y^{-1}$, with an average of $5.5mSv{\cdot}y^{-1}$. By taking into consideration the EPA recommendation and ICRP statement, the average annual risk of lung cancer from inhaled radon was calculated as 0.09%, 0.06%, 0.01%, and 0.03% for current smokers (CS), those who had ever smoked (ES), never smokers (NS) and the general population, respectively.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.63-69
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• 2020

The rapid development in modern industrialization pollutant the water and atmospheric air across the globe that have a major impact on the human and livings health. In worldwide, every country government increasing the importance to improve the outdoor air pollution monitoring and control to provide quality of life and prevent the citizens and livings life from hazard disease. We proposed the environmental dust level detection method for outdoor facilities using sensor fusion technology to measure precise micro-dust level and monitor in realtime. In this proposed approach use the camera sensor and commercial dust level sensor data to predict the micro-dust level with data fusion method. The camera sensor based dust level detection uses the optical flow based machine learning method to detect the dust level and then fused with commercial dust level sensor data to predict the precise micro-dust level of the outdoor facilities and send the dust level informations to the outdoor air pollution monitoring system. The proposed method implemented on raspberry pi based open-source hardware with Internet-of-Things (IoT) framework and evaluated the performance of the system in realtime. The experimental results confirm that the proposed micro-dust level detection is precise and reliable in sensing the air dust and pollution, which helps to indicate the change in the air pollution more precisely than the commercial sensor based method in some extent.