• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2024

Background: Safety data sheets (SDSs) are hazard communication materials that accompany chemicals/hazardous products in the workplace. Many SDSs contain dense, technical text, which places considerable comprehension demands on workers, especially those with lower literacy skills. The goal of this study was to assess SDSs for readability, comprehensibility, and suitability (i.e., fit to the target audience). Methods: The Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool assessed SDSs for suitability and readability. We then amended the SAM tool to further assess SDSs for comprehensibility factors. Both the original and amended SAM tool were used to score 45 randomly selected SDSs for content, literacy demand, graphics, and layout/typography. Results: SDSs performed poorly in terms of readability, suitability, and comprehensibility. The mean readability scores were Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.6), Gunning Fog index (11.0), Coleman-Liau index (13.7), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook index (10.7), all above the recommended reading level. The original SAM graded SDSs as "not suitable" for suitability and readability. When the amended SAM was used, the mean total SAM score increased, but the SDSs were still considered "not suitable" when adding comprehensibility considerations. The amended SAM tool better identified content-related issues specific to SDSs that make it difficult for a reader to understand the material. Conclusions: In terms of readability, comprehensibility, and suitability, SDSs perform poorly in their primary role as a hazard communication tool, therefore, putting workers at risk. The amended SAM tool could be used when writing SDSs to ensure that the information is more easily understandable for all audiences.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.477-487
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• 2019

Objectives: Firefighters are known to be exposed to a variety of toxic substances, but little information is available on the exposure profile of firefighting activities. The aims of this study were to conduct exposure monitoring of toxic chemicals at fire scenes, to compare the concentrations of respective chemicals among firefighting tasks, and to assess the main factors influencing the concentrations of chemicals. Methods: Researchers performed sampling at firefighting scenes during four weeks in 2013. At the scene, we collected samples based on firefighters' own activities and examined the situation and scale of the accident. Collected samples were classified into three categories, including fire extinguishing and overhaul, and were analyzed in the laboratory according to respective analysis methods. Results: A total of fourteen fire activity events were surveyed: five fire extinguishing, six overhaul, and three fire investigations. Although no substance exceeded the ACGIH TLV, PAHs were detected in every sample. Naphthalene ranged from 0.24 to 279.13 mg/㎥ (median 49.6 mg/㎥) and benzo(a)pyrene was detected in one overhaul case at 10.85 ㎍/㎥. Benzene (0.01-12.2 ppm) was detected in every task and exceeded the ACGIH TLV. No significant difference in concentrations between tasks was shown. Conclusions: These results indicate that all firefighting tasks generated various hazardous combustion products, including possible carcinogens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.402-413
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• 2001

Food safety is a term broadly applied to food quality that may adversely affect human health. These include zoonotic diseases and acute and chronic effects of ingesting natural and human-made xenobiotics. There are two major areas of concern over the presence of residues of antibiotics in animal-derived foodstuffs with regard to human health. The first is allergic reactions. Some antibiotics, such as penicillins can evoke allergic reactions even though small amounts of them are ingested or exposed by parenteral routes. The second is development of antibiotic resistance in gut bacteria of human. Recently multi-resistant pneumococcal, glycopeptide-resistant enterococci and gram negative bacteria with extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamases have spread all over the world, and are now a serious therapeutic problem in human. Although it is evident that drugs are required in the efficient production of meat, milk and eggs, their indiscriminate use should never be substituted for hygienic management of farm. Drug should be used only when they are required. In addition to veterinary drugs, environmental contaminants that were contaminated in feed, water and air can make residues in animal products. Mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals derived from industries can be harmful both to animal and human health. Most of organic contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, and metals are persistent in environment and biological organisms and can be accumulated in fat and hard tissues. Some of them are suspected to have endocrine disrupting, carcinogenic, teratogenic, immunodepressive and nervous effects. The governmental agencies concerned make efforts to prevent residue problems; approval of drugs including withdrawal times of each preparation of drugs, establishment of tolerances, guidelines regarding drug use and sanitation enforcement of livestock products. National residue program is conducted to audit the status of the chemical residues in foods. Recently HACCP has been introduced to promote food safety from farm to table by reducing hazardous biological, chemical and physical factors. Animal Production Food Safety Program, Quality Assurance Programs, Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank are para- or non-governmental activities ensuring food safety. This topic will cover classification and usage or sources of chemical residues, their adverse effects, and chemical residue status of some countries. Issues are expanded to residue detection methodologies, toxicological and pharmacokinetic backgrounds of MRL and withdrawal time establishments, and the importance of non-governmental activities with regard to reducing chemical residues in food.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.65-87
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to perform basic study on environmental and respiratory diseases in Ulsan and vicinities. Also, this study evaluated the actual state of environmental disease and health education at middle and high schools in Ulsan and surroundings. Methods: For this study, we conducted a survey on the health of the general public, environmental effects, and investigated the characteristics of environmental disease, health and hygiene education, etc. The populations of this study were middle and high school students in Ulsan, Korea. This study investigated the knowledge of environmental disease and health education at schools in Ulsan and vicinities from November 2009 to December 2009. All statistical calculations were performed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, and gained the following results by implementing Frequency Analysis, Cross-tabulation Analysis and ANOVA. Results: As more and more environmental diseases are increased, the interest of the people has been increasing on this. The incidence rates of asthma and atopy were represented the top 25% of the country in Korea. The source of heavy metal, PAHs and VOCs in Ulsan includes the Petrochemical Complex at Nam-gu and Ulju-gun, the Nonferrous Metal Industrial Complex at Onsan-eup, Ulju-gun, and the Heavy Industrial Complex at Dong-gu and Buk-gu. Especially, there are a number of fossil fuel combustion facilities such as waste incineration plants and boilers at Nam-gu and the Onsan Industrial Complex. It may help greatly to investigate the characteristics of environmental pollutants such as environmental air pollutant and indoor contaminant to better manage the local student's health. Conclusions: It has been revealed that the hazardous chemicals and environmental contaminants are main substances of cause for asthma, atopy, dermatitis, and allergy disease. Therefore, through with collecting basic data such as environmental disease of inhabitants, health education, conscious and knowledgeable level in parents of students and students, We have to exert to improve knowledge and prevention with health life in school through development of health education program systematically for preventing of environmental disease.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to establish the assessment techniques of hazardous chemicals by the development of analytical method of biological samples. In this study, we have developed an extraction method of nine pesticides used for rice paddy that resulted in high recovery from the spiked human urine by the liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether at pH 7.0. Calibration curve obtained from each pesticide standard using by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/selected ion monitoring has shown good linearity and detection limits were the range of $0.4{\sim}2.0$ ng/mL in urine. As a biological monitoring, urine samples of local farmers exposed directly to nine pesticides in the field were collected and analyzed by GC/MS. Of the tested pesticides, metabolites of phenthoate assumed were identified by GC/MS analysis. No parent compound was detected.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.287-295
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• 2010

Dust samples have been collected from streets, schools, subway stations and households in Daegu metropolitan city. Samples were sieved through a 100 ${\mu}m$ mesh and the concentration of 14 elements have been determined using by ICP after acid extraction. Results showed that Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and V were influenced by natural sources while Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were influenced by anthropogenic sources. The measured values were remarkably higher in components from natural sources than in components from anthropogenic sources. In particular, school dust had higher levels of Ca and Pb and subway station dust had higher levels of Cu and Zn. The percentage composition of chemicals from subway stations, households, and schools were remarkably higher in components from anthropogenic sources than that from streets. It is well recognized that anthropogenic sources were affected by indoor dust. Results of pollution index of hazardous heavy metals indicated that schools, households, and subway stations were more contaminated than streets and urban areas typically had higher pollution index than rural areas. The correlation analysis among trace elements seem to suggest that there were correlations between components of soil/road dust resuspension, and components of waste incineration and fuel combustion.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.223-232
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• 2017

Objectives: In response to increased interest in the safety of children's products, a risk management system is being prepared through exposure assessment of hazardous chemicals. To estimate exposure levels, risk assessors are using deterministic and probabilistic approaches to statistical methodology and a commercialized Monte Carlo simulation based on tools (MCTool) to efficiently support calculation of the probability density functions. This study was conducted to analyze and discuss the usage patterns and problems associated with the results of these two approaches and MCTools used in the case of probabilistic approaches by reviewing research reports related to exposure assessment for children's products. Methods: We collected six research reports on exposure and risk assessment of children's products and summarized the deterministic results and corresponding underlying distributions for exposure dose and concentration results estimated through deterministic and probabilistic approaches. We focused on mechanisms and differences in the MCTools used for decision making with probabilistic distributions to validate the simulation adequacy in detail. Results: The estimation results of exposure dose and concentration from the deterministic approaches were 0.19-3.98 times higher than the results from the probabilistic approach. For the probabilistic approach, the use of lognormal, Student's T, and Weibull distributions had the highest frequency as underlying distributions of the input parameters. However, we could not examine the reasons for the selection of each distribution because of the absence of test-statistics. In addition, there were some cases estimating the discrete probability distribution model as the underlying distribution for continuous variables, such as weight. To find the cause of abnormal simulations, we applied two MCTools used for all reports and described the improper usage routes of MCTools. Conclusions: For transparent and realistic exposure assessment, it is necessary to 1) establish standardized guidelines for the proper use of the two statistical approaches, including notes by MCTool and 2) consider the development of a new software tool with proper configurations and features specialized for risk assessment. Such guidelines and software will make exposure assessment more user-friendly, consistent, and rapid in the future.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.531-536
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• 2014

Recently, the amounts of dredge sea soil in south Korea have been increasing because of various maintenance works at harbors and rivers. Dredged sea soil contains various contaminants. Hence, prior to recycling the dredged sea soil, the various contaminants should be removed to prevent a secondary contamination due to the leaching of hazardous chemicals. Pretreated dredged sea soil can be buried under the ground or used for land reclamation. In this study, however, pretreated dredged sea soil was used to investigate the level of pozzolanic activity. The properties of pretreated dredged sea soil were investigated, the method for heat treatment was determined, and the compressive strength of mortar using dredged sea soil was examined. According to the XRF result, the main components of dredged sea soil were $SiO_2$ of over 55%, and $Al_2O_3$ and $SO_3$ of some amounts. Results from XRD and TG/DTA showed that pretreated dredged sea soil can be used as a pozzolanic material. When dredged sea soil was thermally treated for 90 min at $550^{\circ}C$, a compressive strength result was similar to that of control mortar.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.12-26
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• 1998

The occupational health problems are the major issue in the modern industrial society. Especially the small scale industries have many hazardous factors and not any occupational health programs in itself. Fortunately. the government-funded subsidiary program was developed and carried out in the past six years in our country. The purposes of this study were to find out the actual condition of the occupational health personnel's accomplishments for the government-funded subsidiary program for small scale industries and to provide basic data for setting up more developed subsidiary occupational health program. Data were collected through 6 kinds of service records review. These service records were written by 3 occupational health personnels were attached to the one subject center of KIHA. were undertaken during March to December, 1997. at 95 small scale industries which were applied the government-funded subsidiary occupational health program. Results were as follows 1. Concerning 95 small scale industries showed characteristics of a typical small scale industry. 2. A doctor visited in industries total 190 times per year, average 19 industries per month, twice per year and industry. A hygienist visited in industries total 378 times per year, average 38 industries per month, four times per year and industry. A nurse visited in industries total 477 times per year. average 47 industries per month, 5 times per year and industry. 3. 3 occupational health personnels accomplished total 3,869 items. A doctor accomplished total 539 items per year, each time 3 items In an industry. A hygienist accomplished total 1.581 items per year, each time 4 items in an industry. A nurse accomplished total 1.749 items per year, each time 4 items in an industry. 4. The major contents of doctor's accomplishment were 'health consultation for suspicious worker with general & occupational disease', 'a check of the workplace & special health education', 'guidance of special medical examination in the second half of year', etc. The major contents of hygienist's accomplishment were 'pretest & guidance of planning for evaluation of working environment'. 'evaluation for ventilating facilities & suporting self inspection', 'guidance of MSDS recording & chemicals management', etc. The major contents of nurse's accamplishment were 'health counseling of general & special medical examination results'. 'health education of preventing occupational disease & health disorder'. 'guidance of subsidiary program planning', 'selecting & guidance of health monitor', etc. It was concluded that the occupaional health personnels implemented the subsidiary program according to the order of health management guide. The current health management guide of subsidiary occupational health program in which the fixed contents, visiting number & periods is not desirable. That guide is left the characteristics of small scale industries out of consideration. It is suggested that occupational health management guide should be developed according to the general & environmental characteristics of each small scale industry, and on the other hand, the more specific guide for each occupational health personnel should be developed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2007

By comparing the proteins from the workers exposed to styrene with the ones from controls, it may be possible to identify proteins that play a role in the occurrence and progress of occupational disease and thus to study the molecular mechanisms of occupational disease. In order to find the biomarkers for assessing the styrene effects early, before clinical symptoms develop and to understand the mechanisms of adverse health effects, we surveyed 134 employees, among whom 52 workers(30 male and 22 female) were chronically exposed to styrene in 10 glass-reinforced plastic boat manufacturing factories in Korea and 82 controls had never been occupationally exposed to hazardous chemicals including styrene. The age and drinking habits and serum biochemistry such as total protein, BUN and serum creatinine in both groups were significantly different. Exposed workers were divided into three groups according to exposure levels of styrene(G1, below 1/2 TLV; G2, 1/2 TLV to TLV; G3, above TLV). The mean concentration of airborne styrene in G1 group was $10.93{\pm}11.33ppm$, and those of urinary mandelic acid(MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid(PGA) were $0.17{\pm}0.21$ and $0.13{\pm}0.11g/g$ creatinine, respectively. The mean concentration of airborne styrene in G2 and G3 groups were $47.54{\pm}22.43$ and $65.33{\pm}33.47ppm$, respectively, and levels of urinary metabolites such as MA and PGA increased considerably as expected with the increase in exposure level of styrene. The airborne styrene concentration were significantly correlated to the urinary concentration of MA(r=0.784, p=0.000) and PGA(r=0.626, p<0.001). In the 2D electrophoresis, the concentration of five proteins including complement C3 precursor, alpha-1-antitrypsin(AAT), vitamin D binding protein precursor(DBP), alpha-1-B-glycoprotein(A1BG) and inter alpha trypsin inhibitor(ITI) heavy chain-related protein were significantly altered in workers exposed to styrene compared with controls. While expression of complement C3 precursor and AAT increased by exposure to styrene, expression of DBP, A1BG and ITI heavy chain-related protein decreased. These results suggest that the exposure of styrene might affects levels of plasma proteinase, carriers of endogenous substances and immune system. In particular, increasing of AAT with the increase in exposure level of styrene can explain the tissue damage and inflammation by the imbalance of proteinase/antiproteinase and decrease of DBP, A1BG and ITI heavy chain-related protein in workers exposed to styrene is associated with dysfunction and/or declination in immune system and signal transduction