• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the correlation of urinary NMF concentration in workers exposed to DMF and concentration of DMF in the workplace. Samples were collected in workers exposed to high dose solvent in the synthetic leather factory by using silicagel tubes for 5-15 minutes, and were analyzed by GC. Geometric mean concentrations of DMF in the workplaces were 4.67 ppm in normal operation and 63.95 ppm in high exposure operation. The concentration of case uppers and machine cleaning process were more than 100 ppm in short time. The correlation of urinary NMF in workers and DMF in workplace was statistically significant in normal operation and high exposure operation. Correlation coefficient are 0.215(p<0.05) and 0.263(p<0.05). The result implied that STEL of DMF should be established in normal operation processes as well as high exposure operation processes.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2008

Personal noise exposure was assessed in railroad operators working in 40 operation units including the Gyeongbu line, Honam line, and Janghang line between 2004 and 2006. 8-hour TWA were assessed based on the MOL (Ministry of Labor) guideline on noise evaluation, and 17% of these measurements exceeded 85 dBA while 70% were over 80 dBA. When the ACGIH TLV is adopted, 40% of measurements were over TLV (85 dBA). The noise exposure risk of railroad operators was higher for diesel locomotive operation and longer operational distances; in addition, the risk was higher for passenger car operation compared to freight car driving. Given that in Korea, over the past 30 years diesel locomotives have provided most of the railway's motive power and that hearing protective equipment is not likely to be used by workers during operation, railroad operators are at a high risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The result of audiometric test among 568 railroad operators showed that 32.6% of those tested had a hearing threshold shift of more than 40 dB. In conclusion, this study calls for more fundamental measures including noise control countermeasures within the operation areas, development of equipment that generates less noise and adopting limitation on the operation distance for a work shift.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.152-165
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• 1993

This study was performed at eleven small-sized plating factories located in Seoul, Incheon, Ansan, and Taejeon from July 21 to October 6, 1992. The major objectives of this study were to evaluate worker exposure to hexavalent chromium and local exhaust ventilation (L.E.V.) systems at the chromium plating operations. The most suitable L.E.V. systems for chromium plating tanks were designed as examples for recommendation to the industry. The results are summarized as follows. The range of chromium plating operations investigated included decorative, hard, and black chromium plating on several kinds of parts. Most of plating tanks were not equipped with proper control methods against emission of hexavalent chromium mists and workers were not wearing appropriate personal protectives. The ariborne hexavalent chromium concentrations showed an approximate lognormal distribution. The geometric means of both personal and area samples were within the Korean and ACGIH standards, $50{\mu}g/m^3$. However, in comparison with the NIOSH criterion, $1{\mu}g/m^3$, the geometric means of personal samples at two factories and the geometric means of area samples at two factories exceeded it. The geometric means of personal and area samples of high exposure groups (above the NIOSH criterion) were 7 and 27 times higher than those of low exposure groups (below the NIOSH criterion), respectively. The L.E.V. systems of high exposure groups were improperly designed, and the factory with the highest exposure level had no L.E.V. systems at all on chemical etching process. Whereas at factories of low exposure groups, mist control methods such as mist suppressants, tank cover, and/or auxillary L.E.V. systems were added to L.E.V systems. The evaluation of L.E.V. systems showed that there was no chromium plating operation satisfying the ACGIH criteria for capture velocity, slot velocity, and exhaust rate simultaneously. To increase performance of L.E.V. systems, it must be designed to minimize the impact of boundary layer separation. Push-pull ventilation hood and downward plenum ventilation hood were suggested for the Korean industry.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.264-270
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• 2010

Agricultural workers are often exposed to high levels of dust during field operations. A systematic exposure assessment of annual task-weighted exposure has not been thoroughly examined. The occupational dust exposure in two wine grape vineyards was measured. Exposure levels to total and respirable dust were determined for a 1-year cycle of work. An operation profile including the frequency of tasks was established. The means of total and respirable dust exposure were $1.08\;mg/m^3$ and $0.07\;mg/m^3$, respectively. Based on the exposure for each task and the task frequency, task-weighted mean exposures to total and respirable dust were estimated as $1.115\;mg/m^3$ and $0.079\;mg/m^3$, respectively. The task-weighted exposure was significantly represented by three operations and could be attributed to the exposure frequency rather than the exposure intensity of operations. The measurement of a few of the most frequent tasks may be an alternative method of estimating task-weighted exposure. Agricultural dust exposure can be significantly reduced by targeting those tasks most important to task-weighted dust exposure.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2010.07a
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• pp.232-233
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• 2010

This paper investigates occupational exposure to time-varying magnetic field generation in high power rectifier systems. Two different kinds of high power rectifier systems of 25kA are modeled and analyzed. The performance is compared and evaluated on the basis of exposure guidelines from ICNIRP. In order to focus on the qualitative effect of rectifier operation, the mechanical structure of current carrying conductors is simplified as infinite long bus-bar model and low frequency harmonic contents up to 65kHz are considered. Thyristor rectifier generates a significant amount of low frequency magnetic field harmonic contents both at ac and dc side of rectifier infringing the limit from ICNIRP. The multilevel rectifier-IGCT type has almost negligible field generation from ac input side and smaller harmonic contents in dc load side complying with ICNIRP guideline. This remarkable advantage of multilevel rectifier-IGCT type can lead to very simple site layout design for installation and cost-effective compliance to guideline of occupational exposure against magnetic field.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.672-675
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• 1997

This paper proposes a structure of the control system for the step & scan exposure tool. The step & scan exposure tool is used for the manufacturing process of the semiconductor DRAM memory of giga bit. The control system employs the VME bus instead of the conventional ISA bus so that all control signals and data can be managed separately by the 4 VME-PCs for fast and fault-free flow of signals for multi-tasking. A high speed I/O card is equipped for the real-time monitoring and control of the sub module equipment. Then all the subsystems are integrated and aligned for the operation of the step & scan exposure tool with the VME bus and, I/O card.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.241-256
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to review the characteristics of three-dimensional printing technology focusing on printing types, materials, and health hazards. We discussed the methodologies for exposure assessment on hazardous substances emitted from 3D printing through article reviews. Methods: Previous researches on 3D printing technology and exposure assessment were collected through a literature review of public reports and research articles reported up to July 2018. We mainly focused on introducing the technologies, printing materials, hazardous emissions during 3D printing, and the methodologies for evaluation. Results: 3D printing technologies can be categorized by laminating type. Fused deposition modeling(FDM) is the most widely used, and most studies have conducted exposure assessment using this type. The printing materials involved were diverse, including plastic polymer, metal, resin, and more. In the FDM types, the most commonly used material was polymers, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene(ABS) and polylactic acids(PLA). These materials are operated under high-temperature conditions, so high levels of ultrafine particles(mainly nanoparticle size) and chemical compounds such as organic compounds, aldehydes, and toxic gases were identified as being emitted during 3D printing. Conclusions: Personal desktop 3D printers are widely used and expected to be constantly distributed in the future. In particular, hazardous emissions, including nano sized particles and various thermal byproducts, can be released under operation at high temperatures, so it is important to identify the health effects by emissions from 3D printing. Furthermore, appropriate control strategies should be also considered for 3D printing technology.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2006

Fatigue properties of INVAR/AW wires have been investigated under the heat exposure in order to ensure stable operation and to estimate life span of their power line. In the case of heat exposure for 10000 hr, fatigue life and limit increased. For further heat exposure, fatigue limit decreased due to the decrease in yield strength. The variation fatigue of strand wire was strongly dependent on its amplitude. Also, cracks in wires of 7 strands were caused by stress concentration at the outer surface and fretting between each wire during vibration.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.368-375
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors of exposure to blood and body fluid by clinical nurses. Method: The participants in this descriptive study were 276 clinical nurses involved in nursing care in a general hospital located in Seoul. The collected data were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Results: The annual exposure rate to blood and body fluid by clinical nurses was 66.3%, and the ratio was higher in the exposed group than in the non-exposed group for nurses under the age of 25, nurses who were unmarried, nurses with low clinical experience, and nurses who work night shifts more than six days a week. Clinical nurses who were unmarried were 1.9 times more likely to have been exposed compared to married nurses. Nurses whose work experience was less than 18 months were 2.7 times more at risk than nurses with more than 18 months of experience. Also, nurses whose fatigue scores were high had an increased chance of exposure (1.9 times). Conclusion: It is necessary to provide intensive training programs for clinical nurses who are in the early months of their career and are likely to be young and unmarried, in order to prevent exposure to blood and body fluid. Administrative supports to self-control and hospital ward operation measures to relieve nurses' fatigue should be provided.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study is to critically review the health effects of not only direct exposure to biocide, but also indirect exposure to by-product hazardous agents generated through the use of biocide in metalworking operations. Methods: An extensive literature review was conducted of studies reporting on respiratory disease cases, particularly hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), in environments using water-soluble metalworking fluids (MWFs). Keyword search terms included 'metalworking fluids', 'machining fluids', 'metalworking operation' 'machining operation' and 'biocide', which were also used in combination. Additional articles were identified in references cited in the articles reviewed. Results: Several of the field, epidemiological and experimental studies reviewed assumed that the symptoms and signs typical of HP developed in machinists who handled water-soluble MWF could be caused by inhalation exposure to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Most NTM are known to be not only resistant to both biocide and disinfectant, but also to have acid-fast cell walls that are highly antigenic. The presence or persistence of the Mycobacterium species, referred to as NTM, in metalworking fluid-using operations may be caused by NTM contamination in either the natural water or tap water that is used to dilute the base oil and additives for water-soluble MWFs. This hypothesis that NTM contamination in water-soluble MWFs is a causative agent of HP has high biologic plausibility, such as antigenic property, hydrophobicity and small diameter (< 5 um). Conclusions: Aerosolized mycobacteria colonized from MWF are likely to be causing the HP. Inhalation exposure to mycobacteria should be considered as a possible cause for the development of HP.