• Title/Summary/Keyword: waste medicine

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A Study on Medical Waste Contaminated by Radioactivity in Nuclear Medicine Department (핵의학과 일반 의료폐기물에서의 방사능 오염에 관한 고찰)

  • Yoo, Jae-Sook;Jang, Jung-Chan;Lee, Dong-Hoon;Cha, Min-Kyeong;Nam, Ki-Pyo
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.70-74
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    • 2011
  • Purpose: In the Nuclear Medicine department of Asan Medical Center, radioactive waste has been disposed of by using several disposal boxes designed for nuclear waste. However, some quantity of radioactivity has been detected occasionally due to some radiologists' carelessness not only from radioactive waste, but also from medical waste such as uncontrolled radioactive waste related to patients, poly gloves or saline solution bottles from radiopharmaceuticals laboratory. Thus, this study is going to suggest a solution to maintain the medical wastes made from controlled areas that can be below maximum permissible surface dose limits by finding the cause of radioactive contamination. Materials and methods: This study was taken place in 17 different places-2 medical wastebaskets in the waiting room, 2 medical wastebaskets in the PET room, 5 medical wastebaskets in the in vitro laboratory and 6 medical wastebaskets in the radiopharmaceuticals laboratory of the East building, 2 medical wastebaskets in the waiting room of the New building of Nuclear Medicine Department in Asan Medical Center from April to August 2010. Mean radioactivity and its standard deviation of each place have been found by measuring surface contamination of medical wastebaskets and backgrounds twice a week, totaling 30 times. An independent t-test of SPSS (Ver. 12.0) statistic program has been used for statistical analysis. Swabs, saline solution bottles and poly gloves collected from each place also measured 30 times, respectively. Results: This study analyzed medical waste and the backgrounds of each place by using survey meter detectors that significant differences of five places did not exist, but existed statistically in twelve places (p<0.05). Also, swabs, saline solution bottles and poly gloves collected from each radioactive waste partly exceed the legal dose limit as a result of measuring by a gamma counter. Conclusion: Backgrounds and the surface doses of radioactive disposal box in all 17 places measured by the survey meter did not exceed the legal dose limit; however, it obviously showed that there were prominent differences in 12 places. Assuming that the cause of the differences was swabs, saline solution bottles and gloves, we examined them by gamma counter, and the results showed remarkably high doses of radioactivity. Consequently, swabs and poly gloves which are normally disposed in the general medical waste box should be disposed in the radioactive waste box furnished by radiopharmaceuticals laboratory. Also, saline solution discharged from radioactive pharmaceutical places is considered as radioactive liquid waste so that it should be disposed of by the septic tank specifically designed for radioactive liquid.

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A Study on the Ozonation of Organic Materials in Sewage and Waste Water (오존을 이용한 오 .폐수처리에 관한 연구)

  • 황상용;이규성;김병석
    • Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.103-108
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    • 1991
  • Visibility studies are conducted in oxidizing organic compounds with ozone to investigate the oxidation in the waste and sewage water. While the ozone has been used as one of the major oxidation of the waste and sewage water, it is not effective to distroy the polluted organic compounds with the practical concentration in waste water treatment. The result are shown follows ; 1. Upon oxidizing organic compound with ozone, the former is much oxidized under three meters and the latter under the ABS waste water. 2. In case of being oxidized organics waste water with ozone codis, much removed under medicine and chemical waste water than anothers of primary treatment process. 3. The final treated waste water of oxidizing organics is higher than that of filtered water or sedimented water. Specially in organics waste water the colority after oxidizing decrease from 95% to 99.9% this suggests that any organic compounds produced during ozonation night be dissdved in the final treated waste water.

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DNA Damage of Peripheral Lymphocytes of Animals Exposed with Pollution at Waste Depository (쓰레기 매립지로부터 발생된 오염이 동물 림프구의 DNA 이상에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim Jea-woo;;Lim Joa-jin;Lee Soo-han;Bae Chun-sik;Kim Jin-young;Jeong Soon-wuk;Park Hee-myung;Chung Byung-hyun
    • Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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    • v.22 no.1
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    • pp.36-42
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    • 2005
  • Lots of waste are produced from cities and embeded at the depository. The waste produces chemicals and organic matters. Those toxicants contaminate air and water. The pollution causes the increase of insects thereby to spray pesticide on the depository as well as its outskirts. Chemicals and pesticide ingredients are accumulated on the depository and released into outskirts. Those toxic agents are assumed to generate DNA damage to animals exposed to the water and air pollutions. To prove the possibility of DNA damage to pollution, comet assay was conducted on lymphocytes of animals exposed to the pollution of a depository at Southern part of Seoul. Peripheral lymphocytes of animals were treated with endonuclease III and electrophoresed. Broken DNA was released and measured under fluorescence microscope. The measurement showed no statistically significant DNA damage but some individuals showed higher DNA damage than in that of control group. These experiments were carried out on rabbits and dogs, the most and the least contaminated, respectively. The rate of DNA damage of cows was in between that of rabbits and dogs.

Trend Analysis on Korean and International Management for Activated Material Waste from Medical Linear Accelerator

  • Kwon, Na Hye;Jang, Young Jae;Kim, Dong Wook;Shin, Dong Oh;Kim, Kum Bae;Kim, Jin Sung;Choi, Sang Hyoun
    • Progress in Medical Physics
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.194-204
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    • 2020
  • This study investigated and analyzed the Korean and international status of radioactive waste management for medical linear accelerators (linacs) and proceed prior research to suggest radiation safety regulations and guidelines for the safe use of radiation. We analyzed the number of linacs installed in the radiation oncology departments of 103 institutions. In addition, we analyzed the procedures and standards for disposal in Korea and foreign countries. For foreign countries, we analyzed the status based on reports from the United States, Japan, Europe, and Canada. A total of 182 linacs are installed in Korea and 95% of them use more than 10 MV of energy. In Korea, standards for managing radioactive waste from a linac, disposal procedures, and clearance criteria have yet to be established. Therefore, radioactive waste is disposed of in different ways depending on the hospitals where they originate. Japan, the US, and Canada have recommended clearance levels and procedures for linacs. Other countries have provided management guidelines for research or large-scale accelerators, but not for medical purposes. In this study, we investigated the management of radioactive waste from medical linacs in Korea and abroad. Several foreign countries have suggested a clearance level and criteria for disposing of waste storage drums. For the safe management of medical linacs, it is necessary to establish safety management regulations. In Korea, standards for disposal, such as radiation or dose limits, are required for medical linacs. A system for clearance when disposing at a medical institution should be created.

Challenges of implementing the policy and strategy for management of radioactive waste and nuclear spent fuel in Indonesia

  • Wisnubroto, D.S.;Zamroni, H.;Sumarbagiono, R.;Nurliati, G.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.2
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    • pp.549-561
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    • 2021
  • Indonesia has policies and strategies for the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel that arises from the use of nuclear research and development facilities, including three research reactors, and the use of radioisotopes in medicine and industries. The Indonesian government has provided extensive facilities such as an independent regulatory organization (BAPETEN) and a centralized radioactive waste management organization (CRWT-BATAN). Further, the presence of regulations and several international conventions guarantee the protection of the public from all risks due to handling radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. However, the sustainability of radioactive waste management in the future faces various challenges, such as disposal issues related to not only to site selection but also financing of radioactive waste management. Likewise, the problem of transportation persists; as an archipelago country, Indonesia still struggles to manage the infrastructure required for the transport of radioactive materials. The waste from the production of the radioisotopes, especially from the production of 99Mo, requires special attention because BATAN has never handled it. Indonesia should also resolve the management of NORM from various activities. In Indonesia, the definition of radioactive waste does not include NORM. Therefore, the management of this waste needs revision and improvement on the regulations, infrastructure, and technology.

A NEW TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR ANIMAL WASTE WATER USING MICROORGANISM, SOIL AND VEGETATION

  • Oshida, T.;Fukuyasu, T.;Kohzaki, K.;Izumikawa, Y.;Kawanabe, S.;Konishi, S.;Oikawa, N.;Matsumoto, S.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.6 no.2
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    • pp.205-209
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    • 1993
  • A new treatment system for animal waste water has been developed as an alternative to the activated sludge process. It consists of two treatments; one is operated with 7 tanks, and the other is soil and plant cultivation bed. Aerobic microorganisms are added to the influent water in the tanks where the water is aerated so that the microbes utilize the pollutants, while sedimentation removes the indigestible solids. In the secondary treatment the water, which has already received a primary treatment, is filtered through soil where it also receives treatment by soil organisms. In addition there is transpiration of water and absorption of minerals by plants. In the primary treatment BOD, SS, coliforms (E. coli), TP and total bacteria were removed 79-99%, but COD and TN were removed only 58% and 36%, respectively. In the secondary treatment removal of nutrients proceeded further, and 93-99% of pollutants were removed. The treated waters met the quality standard of discharge water in Japan except for TN, which was in too great a concentration to meet discharge standards. This problem requires further study.

Comparison of physiological activities and of useful compounds between new and waste bulbs of different lily (Lilium davidii) varieties

  • Yi, Tae Gyu;Park, Yeri;Yang, Su Jin;Lim, Jung Dae;Park, Sang Un;Park, Kyong Cheul;Park, Nam Il
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.43 no.5
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    • pp.734-741
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    • 2016
  • Lily (Lilium davidii) is a high-yielding flowering plant. Besides roses and chrysanthemums, lily bulbs have long been used as food and in oriental medicine. However, the usage and value of cut lily bulbs has not been recognized. A bulb whose yield has been decreased is called a waste bulb, and a large amount of such bulbs is discarded every year. In this study, the functionality of waste bulbs from cut lilies was investigated to explore their potential use as a value-added product. We divided lily bulbs into two groups, one group with six varieties of new bulbs (Medusa, Siberia, Woori Tower, Yelloween, Le Reve, and Morning Star) used for cultivation and the other group with six varieties of waste bulbs (Medusa, Siberia, Woori Tower, Yelloween, Sorbonne, and Sheila). Physiological activities (${\alpha},{\alpha}$-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl: DPPH) and 3-ethlbenzthiazolne-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging capability and tyrosinase inhibiting activity), the amount of total as well as eight individual phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, rutin hydrate, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol 3-O-${\beta}$-rutinoside, phloridzin dihydrate, myricetin, and quercetin), and total flavonoid content were measured in the bulbs by high performance liquid chromatography. We detected high amounts of total phenol and total flavonoid as well as high DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging ability. More tyrosinase inhibiting activity was detected in the new bulbs than in the waste bulbs. However, both the new and waste bulbs showed a higher inhibitory activity than the standard (100 ppm ascorbic acid). Although the content of phenolic compounds differed among varieties, under the conditions of the experiment, the most abundant phenolics were epicatechins, followed by chlorogenic acid, and rutins. Overall, the waste bulbs had a higher content of these compounds than the new bulbs. Based on these results, we concluded that bulbs from cut lilies could be used as functional foods in the future and farmers could expect economic gain from the hitherto neglected waste bulbs.

Health Risk Related to Waste Incineration (폐기물 소각시설에 의한 주민 건강 영향)

  • Choi, Young-Sook;Ochirpurev, Bolormaa;Chae, Hee-Yun;Eom, Sang-Yong;Kim, Yong-Dae;Kim, Heon
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.47 no.1
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    • pp.20-35
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    • 2021
  • Objectives: Waste treatment by incineration is gradually increasing as the emission of harmful substances has decreased owing to developments in incineration technology. However, residents living near incinerators continue to express anxiety regarding the effects on their health. Therefore, we attempted to summarize the health impact of incinerators by comprehensively reviewing the recently reported literature. Methods: Sixty-two epidemiological research papers related to incineration and health effects were selected from the Google Scholar database and analyzed (from between January 2001 and December 2019). Results: When compared to older incinerators, newer incinerators established after 2000 are considered relatively safe in terms of health effects. Nevertheless, there have been some studies that have linked them to various diseases, such as malignant tumors including soft tissue cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, reproductive disorders, respiratory diseases, and more. In addition, incinerator workers and local residents are considered to be exposed to dioxins and some heavy metals from the incinerator. Since most studies included subjects exposed to older incinerators, it is difficult to apply these results to the health impact assessment of new incinerators. However, it is not appropriate to conclude that new incinerators made with state-of-the-art technology are safe, as chronic environmental diseases caused by hazardous substances tend to appear only after prolonged exposure. Conclusions: In terms of environmental health, it is necessary to continuously monitor the health effects of incinerators. Also, there is a need to develop a research methodology that can minimize various confounders in incineration-related epidemiological study.