• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2017

Objectives: The hazardous metals content of medicinal herbs distributed in the Daegu area was investigated, and the place of origin and the content of herbicides and medicinal components were studied. Methods: An analysis of hazardous metals content (10 types) was carried out on 164 samples of 99 types of herbal medicines. Among the total samples, 45 were domestic and 119 were imported. Hg was analyzed by the amalgamation method. Other hazardous metals content (nine types) was digested using the microwave method and measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results: The mean values of the hazardous metals content in the herbal medicines were Pb 1.0833 mg/kg, As 0.0136 mg/kg, Cd 0.0840 mg/kg, Cr 3.7120 mg/kg, Cu 4.2666 mg/kg, Mn 40.080 mg/kg, Ni 1.4330 mg/kg, Sb 0.1053 mg/kg, Al 202.64 mg/kg and Hg 0.0062 mg/kg. Three of the samples violated the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) regulatory guidance on cadmium (less than 0.3 mg/kg). The measured values of heavy metals (Pb, As, Cd, Hg) showed levels below the recommended levels for herbal medicines in MFDS regulatory guidance. In the comparison of domestic samples with imported herbal medicines, it was found that one domestic and two imported samples surpassed the maximum residue limits for cadmium. The median values of the hazardous metals detected in the three medicinal parts of the root, leaf (branch), and flower (seed and fruit) were as follows. Cr, Ni, Sb and Al were highly detected in roots, Pb, Cd, Mn, Hg in leafs (branch), and As, Cu in flowers (seed and fruit). Conclusion: There were various kinds of hazardous metals which were detected at high levels according to the place of origin of the medicinal herb and the parts the plant. For hazardous metals for which no acceptance criteria have been established, safety standards should be further studied and managed to ensure the safety of herbal medicines.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.478-483
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• 2014

Objectives: The main objective of this study is to assess the levels of hazardous substances in floor dust in primary schools located in the city of Busan in Korea. Materials and Methods: An on-site investigation of three primary schools was performed between April and May 2013. The hazardous substances measured in this study were 14 heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cr, Cd, As, Al, Sn, Co, Mo and Si) and the biological agents were bacteria, fungi and endotoxin). Results: Among the heavy metals, Cd, Co, Pb and Cr were not detected in the floor dust from the three primary schools. The mean levels of other heavy metals were as follows: $20({\pm}10)ng/cm^2$ for As, $30({\pm}20)ng/cm^2$ for Al, $5({\pm}4)ng/cm^2$ for Sn, $20({\pm}20)ng/cm^2$ for Mo, $1,340({\pm}620)ng/cm^2$ for Si, $110({\pm}100)ng/cm^2$ for Cu, $240({\pm}50)ng/cm^2$ for Fe, $30({\pm}30)ng/cm^2$ for Mn, $10({\pm}10)ng/cm^2$ for Ni, and $50({\pm}30)ng/cm^2$ for Zn. It was found that mean concentrations of bacteria, fungi and endotoxin in the floor dust of primary schools were $4.7{\time}10^7({\pm}2.2{\time}10^7)cfu/cm^2$, $6.3{\time}10^6({\pm}6.4{\time}10^6)cfu/cm^2$, and $8,140({\pm}5,801)EU/cm^2$, respectively. The predominant species identified in the floor dust of the primary schools were Pseudomonas spp. for bacteria and Penicillium spp.,Cladosporidium spp.,and Aspergillus spp. for fungi, which would be somewhat similar to the microbial distribution pattern of other general environments. Conclusions: Based on the results obtained from this study, the levels of heavy metals, microbes and endotoxin distributed in the floor dust of primary school were higher than those reported for other general facilities. Thus, preventive measures should be prepared for the health care of children.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.27-27
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• 1993

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2002

The emission characteristics of particulate matter (PMs) and heavy metals from hazardous industrial wast incinerators were investigated. The particle size distribution (PSD) of PM-10 showed different patterns for two tripes of incinerators; stoker and rotary kiln. However both types showed bimodal form at inlet of air pollution control devices (APCD) and each peak (mode) is located at smaller than 1 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and near 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. It could explain the growth of fine PM by nucleation/coagulation/condensation of metal vapors for fine mode. The PSD of PM-10 after APCD was also influenced by APCD types that had different collection mechanism, and both electrostatic precipitator and bag filter showed less collection efficiency for particles ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and led to a mode in the range of 0.2 to 0.8 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. However the hag filter showed two modes of PSD, while the electrostatic precipitator had one peak. The PMs and heavy metals emission factors, the representative value of emission quantity for sources, for tested facilities were developed. The emission factor of uncontrolled total PM and PM-10 were 14.7 and 7.05 kg/ton waste, respectively. The emission factors from this study were a little bit different with those from US EPA AP-42. It may thus be appropriate to use these results in the course of developing national emission factors.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.45-56
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• 2017

Coal power plants produce electricity for the nation's power grid, but they also produce more hazardous air emissions than any other industrial pollution sources. The quantity is staggering, over 386,000 tons of 84 separate hazardous air pollutants spew from over 400 plants in 46 states. In South Korea also, annual coal ash generation from coal-fired power plants were about 6 million tons in 2015. Pollutants containing particulate matter 10, 2.5 (PM10, PM2.5), heavy metals and dioxins from coal-fired power plant. The emissions threaten the health of people who live near these power plants, as well as those who live hundreds of miles away. These pollutants that have long-term impacts on the environment because they accumulate in soil, water and animals. The present study is to investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of coal-fired power plant fly ash and bottom ash contains particulate matter, whose particulate sizes are lower than $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ and heavy metals. There are wide commercial technologies were available for monitoring the PM 2.5 and ultra-fine particles, among those carbonation technology is a good tool for stabilizing the alkaline waste materials. We collected the coal ash samples from different coal power plants and the chemical composition of coal fly ash was characterized by XRF. In the present laboratory research approach reveals that potential application of carbonation technology for particulate matter $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$ and stabilization of heavy metals. The significance of this emerging carbonation technology was improving the chemical and physical properties of fly ash and bottom ash samples can facilitate wide re use in construction applications.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.16 no.2 s.76
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• pp.40-47
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• 2007

This paper described recycling of the bottom ash, sourced from the local incinerators as a fine sand for concrete. 10% bottom ash was substituted for the ordinary beach sand in the mortar(on a weigh basis), in conjunction with the pozzolznic diatomite. The specimens were tested according to KS L 5105 and analysed by TCLP(Toxic Chemical Leaching Procedure). The results showed that the hazardous heavy metals in the bottom ash are within the maximum permissible limit of TCLP. The compressive strength of the mortar with 10% bottom ash was highly improved, compared to the control mortar when the pozzolanic diatomite was used. It revealed that the hazardous heavy metals of the mortar with 10% bottom ash were leached within the maximum permissible limit of TCLP. It was concluded that the bottom ash can be reused as a fine sand for concrete when the pozzolanic diatomite was used as a stabilizer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3393-3402
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• 2013

The increasing scourge of cancer epidemiology is a global concern. With WHO emphasizing that 40% of all cancer cases are preventable, exposure to known and suspected carcinogens must be discouraged. The battle with communicable diseases and other third world challenges has greatly de-emphasized anti-cancer campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa. The abundant deposit of mineral resources in sub-Saharan Africa has attracted high mining activity with its negative environmental aftermath. Poor regulatory mechanisms have led to environmental contamination by products of mining including heavy metals. In addition to poor urban planning, the springing up of settlements in industrial areas has led to generation and exposure to more hazardous wastes consequent on poor disposal systems. Studies establishing close association between exposure to heavy metals and cancer epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa are increasing. The current review assesses the level of environmental pollution by heavy metals in sub-Saharan Africa, and brings to the fore available evidence implicating such in the increasing cancer epidemiology in the sub-continent.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.793-804
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• 2009

In this study, high school students' perceptions of chemically ill-defined ‘heavy metals’ were examined through questionnaires. Nineteen classes of 11th graders (N = 611) were divided into two groups according to completion of 'Chemistry I', which were 10 science-classes and 9 liberal art-classes and compared each other. Three terms of students' cognition and definition, impact on the formation of their cognition, and their chemical knowledge of 'heavy metals' were analyzed by SPSS. The findings revealed that most of students recognized ‘the heavy metal’ as the metal which causes to be accumulated on any living thing and is hazardous in human body regardless of different major between liberal art and science. Mass media and school instruction were found to be the greatest impact on the formation of these cognitions. Especially, school instruction had more effects on students majoring in science than students majoring in liberal art, which bring the result that students in science-classes have more misconception about the definition of 'heavy metals' with human toxicant regardless of metal species and its content in human body and physical density due to the ill-defined terminology of the textbook than students in liberal art-classes do. It is interesting that students in science-classes understood hazard and chemical structure of 'heavy metals' better, while students in liberal art-classes answered the question better about hazardous properties of heavy metals.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.105-110
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• 2006

In order to utilize coal fly ash (hereafter : coal ash ) discharged from coal boiler as a material for civil engineering usage such as snow melter or soil improver, we have to prevent leaching hazardous elements such as fluorine boron and heavy metals from the coal ash because the leaching concentrations of some elements in the ash exceed the Japanese standards for environmental soil quality. Through the laboratory experiments and mill trials we confirmed that the leaching concentrations of fluorine, boron and heavy metals were maintained below their environmental standards by mixing with fixation chemicals and curing for a short time.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.85-91
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• 2003

In this study, We have investigated leaching characteristics of heavy metals for recycled plastic composites containing EAF(Electric Arc Furnace) dust & EAF slag. EAF dust & EAF slag used that is generated in the 3 steel-making compaines in domestic. The physical and chemical properties of EAF dust & slag was examined by measuring specific surface area. porosity, oil absorption test and chemical wetting analysis etc. Results of total analysis indicated that EAF dust, slag contained significant amount of hazardous metals such as Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr. But, In the leaching test of the recycled plastic composites containing EAF dust, slag by Korean Standard Leaching Procedure, composites shows much lower leaching concentration of heavy metals. It was concluded that the recycled plastic composites containing EAF dust, slag showed good physical and chemical characteristics. This means that the EAF dust, slag can be effectively used as a functional filler.