• 한국산업보건학회지
• /
• 제28권2호
• /
• pp.158-165
• /
• 2018

Objectives: We analyzed the problems that work environment measurement results don't lead to workplace improvement in the Work Environment Measurement System to propose an alternative. Methods: We reviewed reports and articles written by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and academic circles to identify the problems in the current Work Environment Measurement System and suggest an alternative. Results: One of the reasons that the Work Environment Measurement has not resulted in workplace improvement is that there were no proper regulating systems for managing the workplace improvement plans or improvement results. Moreover, there are not enough professional manpower in ministry of labor to evaluate the improvement plans and results from the Work Environment Measurement. Therefore, all of the workplace whose Work Environment Measurement results exceed the occupational exposure limit (OEL) should be managed by regional ministry of labor, and outside experts and new system for verifying improvement are needed. Conclusions: To accomplish the purpose of Work Environment Measurement, it is necessary to improve the work environment according to the results of Work Environment Measure. For this, it is necessary for the government to manage the fulfillment of workplace improvement plans and for measurement agencies to secure expertise.

• 한국산업보건학회지
• /
• 제33권1호
• /
• pp.12-18
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential means for protecting workers against hazardous agents or risks that threaten their safety and health. Governmental organizations related to safety and health in the workplace regulate the PPE rules to protect workers and to minimize damage from hazardous agents. This study discussed current PPE rules overseen by the Korea Ministry of Environment and explores future perspectives on the matter. Methods: This study was based on a review of PPE regulations with which every stakeholder should comply in the workplace. Both South Korean regulations enforced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Environment and cases from other countries were reviewed. Results: Regulations related to the PPE required for handling chemical substances in the workplace are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Enforcement Decree, Enforcement Rules, and Notification of Protective Equipment Certification under the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The Ministry of Environment also regulates the PPE standards for 97 substances requiring preparation for accidents and adjustment of work conditions, but a recent amendment (partially amended on September 30, 2022) loosened some unreasonable or excessive provisions. It requires workers simply to carry or otherwise keep PPE handy instead of wearing it for some tasks in which hazardous chemicals are not handled directly. Conclusions: It is important to regularly review provisions that need to be improved or supplemented to help all stakeholders. Considerations should be also made to build a reasonable regulatory system that can induce more mature safety management in each workplace.

• 한국환경보건학회지
• /
• 제49권4호
• /
• pp.179-182
• /
• 2023

The Chemical Substances Control Act has been legislated to counter the risks posed by chemical substances to public health and the environment, but a number of small- and large-scaled incidents related to hazardous chemicals continue to occur every year. The Korean Ministry of Environment takes legal responsibility for prevention, preparedness, and response to nationwide chemical accidents under the Chemical Substances Control Act. The determination of chemical accidents that occur during hazardous chemical handling processes is based on the Article 2 (Definitions) of the law and the administrative criteria for judgement of chemical accidents. However, there are certain ambiguities in the scientific basis for determining chemical accidents under the current regulations. Whether or not a chemical accident has a direct influence on penalties and administrative measures for a workplace where an accident occurred, it is necessary to find reasonable criteria for determining chemical accident based on legal and scientific evidence.

• 한국환경농학회지
• /
• 제34권4호
• /
• pp.294-302
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND: Chemical accidents have increased owing to chemical usage, human error and technical failures during the last decades. Many countries have organized supervisory authorities in charge of enforcing related rules and regulations to prevent chemical accidents. A very important part in chemical accidents has been coping with comprehensive first aid tool. Therefore, the present research has provided information with the initial applications concern to the rapid analysis of hazardous material using instruments in vehicle of field mode after chemical accidents. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mobile measurement vehicle was manufactured to obtain information regarding field assessments of chemical accidents. This vehicle was equipped with four instruments including gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ion Chromatography (IC), and UV/Vis spectrometer (UV) to analyses of accident preparedness substances, volatile compounds, and organic gases. Moreover, this work was the first examined the evaluation of applicability for analysis instruments using 20 chemicals in various accident preparedness substances (GC/MS; 6 chemicals, FT-IR; 2 chemicals, IC; 11 chemicals, and UV; 1 chemical) and their calibration curves were obtained with high linearity ( r ² > 0.991). Our results were observed the advantage of the high chromatographic peak capacity, fast analysis, and good sensitivity as well as resolution. CONCLUSION: When chemical accidents are occurred, the posted measurement vehicle may be utilized as tool an effective for qualitative and quantitative information in the scene of an accident owing to the rapid analysis of hazardous material.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제27권1호
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2011

Systemic acquired resistance is a form of inducible resistance that is triggered in systemic healthy tissues of local-infected plants. Several candidate signaling molecules emerged in the past two years, including the methylated derivatives of well-known defense hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA). In our present study, the symptom on Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infected Arabidopsis leaves in 0.1 mM SA or 0.06 mM JA pre-treated plants was lighter (less reactive oxygen species accumulation and less oxidative damages) than that of the control group. JA followed by SA (JA${\rightarrow}$SA) had the highest inhibitory efficiency to CMV replication, higher than JA and SA simultaneous co-pretreatment (JA+SA), and higher than a JA or a SA single pretreatment. The crosstalk between the two hormones was further investigated at the transcriptional levels of pathogenesis-related genes. The time-course measurement showed JA might play a more important role in the interaction between JA and SA.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제53권12호
• /
• pp.4150-4157
• /
• 2021

The supervision mode, monitoring basis and monitoring scheme of radiation environment monitoring concerning typical research reactors in China were investigated in this study. Summary and analysis were concluded of the present situation of supervised monitoring of radiation environment, such as monitoring objects, points, frequency and so on, based on the relevant data of monitoring points of four typical research reactors in China. Some experiences and existing problems were analyzed concerning the supervised monitoring of China's research reactors. Tips on topics related to strengthen the monitoring of radiation environment around the research reactors has noted.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제20권1호
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2010

We have developed an efficient and precise method for genome manipulations in Bacillus subtilis that allows rapid alteration of a gene sequence or multiple gene sequences without altering the chromosome in any other way. In our approach, the Escherichia coli toxin gene mazF, which was used as a counter-selectable marker, was placed under the control of a xylose-inducible expression system and associated with an antibiotic resistance gene to create a "mazF-cassette". A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-generated fragment, consisting of two homology regions joined to the mazF-cassette, was integrated into the chromosome at the target locus by homologous recombination, using positive selection for antibiotic resistance. Then, the excision of the mazF-cassette from the chromosome by a single-crossover event between two short directly repeated (DR) sequences, included in the design of the PCR products, was achieved by counter-selection of mazF. We used this method efficiently and precisely to deliver a point mutation, to inactivate a specific gene, to delete a large genomic region, and to generate the in-frame deletion with minimal polar effects in the same background.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제19권11호
• /
• pp.1439-1446
• /
• 2009

Isocarbophos is a widely used organophosphorus insecticide that has caused environmental pollution in many areas. However, degradation of isocarbophos by pure cultures has not been extensively studied, and the degradation pathway has not been determined. In this paper, a highly effective isocarbophos-degrading strain, scl-2, was isolated from isocarbophos-polluted soil. The strain scl-2 was preliminarily identified as Arthrobacter sp. based on its morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties, as well as 16S rDNA analysis. The strain scl-2 could utilize isocarbophos as its sole source of carbon and phosphorus for growth. One hundred mg/l isocarbophos could be degraded to a non detectable level in 18 h by scl-2 in cell culture, and isofenphos-methyl, profenofos, and phosmet could also be degraded. During the degradation of isocarbophos, the metabolites isopropyl salicylate, salicylate, and gentisate were detected and identified based on MS/MS analysis and their retention times in HPLC. Transformation of gentisate to pyruvate and fumarate via maleylpyruvate and fumarylpyruvate was detected by assaying for the activities of gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (GDO) and maleylpyruvate isomerase. Therefore, we have identified the degradation pathway of isocarbophos in Arthrobacter sp. scl-2 for the first time. This study highlights an important potential use of the strain scl-2 for the cleanup of environmental contamination by isocarbophos and presents a mechanism of isocarbophos metabolism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제26권11호
• /
• pp.1993-2005
• /
• 2016

Bacillus pumilus is one of the most characterized microorganisms that are used for high-level production of select industrial enzymes. A novel B. pumilus SCU11 strain possessing high alkaline protease activity was obtained in our previous work. The culture supernatant of this strain showed efficient dehairing capability with minimal collagen damage, indicating promising potential applications in the leather industry. In this study, the strain's extracellular proteome was identified by LC-MS/MS-based shotgun proteomic analysis, and their related secretory pathways were characterized by BLAST searches. A total of 513 proteins, including 100 actual secreted and 413 intracellular proteins, were detected in the extracellular proteome. The functions of these secreted proteins were elucidated and four complete secretory systems (Sec, Tat, Com, and ABC transporter) were proposed for B. pumilus. These data provide B. pumilus a comprehensive extracellular proteome profile, which is a valuable theoretical and applicative basis for future genetic modifications and development of industrial enzymes.

• 환경영향평가
• /
• 제17권6호
• /
• pp.373-380
• /
• 2008

The Ministry of Environment plans to improve quality of water which is achieved over 85% in rivers and 94% in lakes of the whole country as "Good Water" until 2015. Also, the law of evaluation of water quality and water quality goal were made newly. So, the water quality has evaluated by using new law since 2007. This study evaluated whether "Good Water" and" Water Quality Goal" were achieved or not in 22 middle-sized districts and major 10 lakes of Geum river. The achievement rates of rivers decreased and the achievement rates of lakes mostly were the same for 5 years. In 2007, the achievement rates of "Good Water" were 50% in rivers and 50% in lakes. The achievement rate of "Water Quality Goal" were 59.1% in rivers and 20% in lakes. The water quality in 2007 was evaluated worse than last year in case of rivers. The evaluations of Korea-Comprehensive Water Quality Index(K-CWQI) showed that achievement rates of "Water Quality Goal" were 81.8% in rivers and 0% in lakes. The statistical correlation analysis showed that correlations between BOD and COD were meaningful at the downstream, compared to upstream, generally. In case of lakes, correlations between COD and temperature were meaningful. Also, correlations between COD and Chl-a were meaningful. The Trophic State Index ($TSI_{KO}$) showed that the half of lakes are major over eutrophic status in lakes. These analytical methods such as K-CWQI, $TSI_{KO}$, statistical correlation analysis could be additionally helpful for evaluation of water quality and provide basis data for understanding characteristics of watershed in Geum river.