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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.

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Background: The indoor air quality of classrooms, in which the capacity per unit area is high and students spend time together, must be managed for safety and comfort. It is necessary to develop an eco-friendly indoor air quality reduction method rather than biased management that relies solely on air purifiers.
Objectives: In this study, plants and air purifiers were installed in middle school classrooms to evaluate the indoor PM_2.5 reduction.
Methods: Four middle school classrooms were selected as test beds. Air quality was monitored in real-time every one minute using IoT equipment installed in the classrooms, corridors, and rooftops. After measuring the background concentration, plants and air purifiers were installed in the classroom and the PM_2.5 reduction effect was analyzed through continuous monitoring.
Results: After installing the plants and air purifiers, the average PM_2.5 concentration was 33.7 μg/m³ in the classrooms without plants and air purifiers, 25.6 μg/m³ in classrooms with plants only, and 21.7 μg/m³ in classrooms with air purifiers only. In the classroom where plants and air purifiers were installed together, it was 20.0 μg/m³. The reduction rates before and after installation were 4.5% for classrooms with plants only, 16.5% for classrooms with air purifiers only, and 27.6% for classrooms with both plants and air purifiers. The I/O ratio, which compares the concentration of PM_2.5 in classrooms with corridors and outside air, also showed the lowest in the order of plants and air purifiers, air purifiers, and plant-only classrooms.
Conclusions: The PM_2.5 reduction effect of using plants was confirmed, and it is expected to be used as basic data for the development of environmentally-friendly indoor air quality improvement methods.

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Background: Gunsan has been constantly affected by pollutants generated by the Saemangeum development and the construction industry since the completion of the Saemangeum seawall on April 27, 2010. However, there are limitations to its study, such as taking into consideration weather conditions, geographical factors, and foreign inflows.
Objectives: In this study, we compared the Existing-CAPSS emissions of Gunsan with Recalculated-CAPSS emissions data to analyze the differences in emissions characteristics by year (2016~2019).
Methods: Using Existing data on CAPSS emissions (2016~2019) and Recalculated-CAPSS emissions (2016~2019) for Gunsan, which were Recalculated following the improvement of emissions calculations for 2020, we organized CO, NO_X, SO_X, PM₁₀, VOC_S, and NH₃ emissions by substance and investigated the differences and characteristics of the Recalculated emissions by year.
Results: For Re-CO and Re-PM₁₀, the emission characteristics of CO were examined as energy industry combustion and PM₁₀ emission characteristics were examined as ship cargo from non-road transportation sources, as ship leisure sources were excluded from non-road transportation source emissions.
Conclusions: Comparing the emissions of Existing-CAPSS and Recalculated-CAPSS in Gunsan, the emissions of Recalculated-CAPSS by substance decreased by 39.76% for CO, 9.98% for PM₁₀, 5.53% for VOC_S, and 9.24% for NH₃, while Re-NO_X increased by 2.86% and Re-SO_X increased by 1.97%. On the other hand, when comparing the emissions characteristics of Existing-CAPSS and Recalculated-CAPSS in Gunsan, Jeonju, and Iksan, the emission characteristics of Re-NO_X, Re-SO_X, Re-VOCS and Re-NH₃ were similar to those of Ex-NO_X, Ex-SO_X, Ex-VOCS, and Ex-NH₃. As such, Gunsan, Iksan, and Jeonju, showed differences in the comparison of different emission characteristics due to the geographical characteristics of the region (population, area, topography, weather factors) and the characteristics of the industrial complex (metal, petrochemical).

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Background: To describe domain knowledge consistently and precisely, the establishment of a controlled vocabulary, a so-called ontology, is essential. Internationally, the plant ontology (PO) in the ecology field has been developed for the anatomy and developmental stages of plants in English, Spanish, and Japanese, but there is no Korean version of the PO due to a lack of knowledge on standardization for Korean plants.
Objectives: We aimed to establish a Korean plant ontology with core PO architectures.
Methods: The latest ontology web language (OWL)-formatted raw version of the PO was collected from the PO consortium site. A formal workflow process and OWL file-handing tools for efficient Korean content development were conducted and executed.
Results: The macro- and micro-perspective frameworks of the PO were presented by analyzing the upper model and the internal OWL-leveled physical structure, respectively. We developed and validated Korean knowledge content for a total of 1,957 classes included in the PO and transplanted them into an ontology modeling system.
Conclusions: A Korean plant ontology was established for international harmonization through improved compatibility and data exchangeability with multilingual environmental and ecological knowledge bases.

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Background: N-nitrosamines are carcinogenic substances often found in rubber products. They are produced when certain additives of rubber products react with nitrite in saliva or air. Exposure assessment for the proper management and communication of N-nitrosamines in rubber balloons should be carried out.
Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the concentrations of N-nitrosamines in rubber balloons in the South Korean market and assess exposure among Korean children.
Methods: Forty eight rubber balloon products in the domestic market were purchased and a total of 68 balloons were analyzed for N-nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances. Chemical analysis was conducted by HPLC-MS/MS according to the method EN 71-12. For exposure assessment, an exposure algorithm and coefficients were obtained from previous studies.
Results: Among the 68 rubber balloons, N-nitrosamines were detected in 18 (26.5%) with an average level of 60.77 μg/kg. N-Nitrosatable substances were detected in 44 products (64.7%) with an average level of 1353.33 μg/kg. As a result of the exposure evaluation, the exposure dose differed according to how exposure coefficients were applied. The median exposure (50th percentile) was higher in the age group of 6~12 years, and high exposure (95th percentile) was higher in the age group of 13~18.
Conclusions: We evaluated the N-nitrosamines contained in rubber balloons purchased in the domestic market and assessed oral exposure among South Korean children. For integrated risk management of N-nitrosamines, further studies and discussion regarding exposure and risk assessment are required.

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Background: Since 2019, the Ministry of Environment has implemented a seasonal fine dust management system from December to March, targeting high PM_2.5 levels with the aim of reducing PM_2.5 concentrations and protecting public health. The focus of improving the seasonal management system lies in the atmospheric PM_2.5 levels. Considering the primary goal of protecting public health, it is necessary to analyze the policy effects from an exposure perspective rather than a concentration-based approach.
Objectives: This study aims to quantitatively assess the improvement of indoor PM_2.5 levels and the health impacts of the seasonal management system by comparing the periods before and during its implementation in residential environments.
Methods: PM_2.5 concentrations within residential environments in a metropolitan area were measured using an optical particle counter (IAQ-C7, K-weather, Ltd, Korea) at one-minute intervals during the preimplementation period (November 21~25, 2022) and during the implementation period (December 19~23, 2022). Based on the measured PM_2.5 concentrations, a quantitative evaluation of cancer and mortality risks was conducted according to age and gender.
Results: The results of comparing indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations before and during the implementation of the seasonal management system showed a decrease of approximately 56.6% and 47.9%, respectively. Health risk assessments revealed that both the safety-limit-based and safety-target-based Hazard Quotients (HQ) exceeded the threshold of 0.1 for children under 19 years of age, both before and after the implementation. The mortality risk decreased by approximately 47.9% after the implementation, with children aged 0-9 showing the highest mortality risk at 0.9%.
Conclusions: The findings of this study confirmed the positive health impacts of the seasonal management system across all age groups, particularly children under 19 who are more vulnerable to fine dust exposure.

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Background: As the public interest in chemical substances found in daily life has increased, environmental health education content has been developed and related studies have been conducted. However, there is still insufficient research on methodologies for environmental health education.
Objectives: This study aimed to explore risk communication strategies by focusing on N-nitrosamines in rubber balloons.
Methods: In this study, two different health messages were composed: a gain-framed message emphasizing the advantages of practicing the health behavior and a loss-framed message emphasizing the negative consequences of not practicing the health behavior. The effect of the message containing risk information was evaluated by measuring the health beliefs and health behavior potential for female caregivers. As the Environmental Health Act defines a child as “a person under the age of 13,” a total of 131 women with children under the age of 13 were studied.
Results: The age, awareness, and interest of the participants in the gain frame group and these in the loss frame group were similar. In terms of message framing effect, the gain-framed message was more effective in terms of health belief and potential health behavior than was the loss-framed message. As a result of an independent t-test, among the six variables of health belief model the message effect was statistically significant at the level of p<0.05 in three variables: perceived severity (t=2.287, df=129, p=0.024), self-efficacy (t=2.123, df=129, p=0.036), and health behavior potential (t=2.094, df=129, p=0.038).
Conclusions: This study presented a direction for effective environmental health education by studying the effects of risk communication messages based on scientific evidence. It is necessary to extend the scope of environmental health education research by expanding research into various household products.

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Background: With the rise in global mobility, aircraft indoor air quality has become a significant public health concern. This study focuses on the health implications of increased travel and bleed air—air drawn from aircraft engines for cabin pressurization and air conditioning.
Objectives: This research aims to review the potential health effects related to exposure to aircraft cabin air, particularly the effects of bleed air during fume events.
Methods: We conducted a literature review of existing studies on aircraft cabin air quality. We focused on both the immediate and health effects of exposure to cabin air, particularly those related to bleed air contaminants.
Results: The review found a possible link between exposure to aircraft cabin air and certain health issues, especially in cabin crew and frequent flyers. There was an increased incidence of respiratory and neurological symptoms related to bleed air exposure. However, the cumulative health effects of frequent air travel remain inconclusive due to limited data.
Conclusions: This study highlights the need for improving air quality in aircraft to protect public health. While further research is needed to understand the cumulative effects of frequent air travel, the reduction of exposure to bleed air contaminants should be a priority. These findings underline the need for regulatory changes and technological improvements in aircraft cabin air quality.

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Background: The conducting of health effect surveys (HESs) in environmentally contaminated vulnerable areas (ECVAs) by the central and local governments has been increasing apace with the increase in demand for HESs since the Environmental Health Act was enacted in South Korea in 2008.
Objectives: This study aimed to review the HESs of residents in ECVAs conducted in South Korea.
Methods: An analysis was performed on 125 reports obtained from the Environment Digital Library, PRISM, and local government websites after selecting from 803 projects obtained as ECVAs from the Korea ONLine E-Procurement System (1997~2021), National Institute Environment Research (2000~2021), and Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (2009~2021). The reports were classified by background (residents’ demand, HES, and more), research design (cross-sectional study, cohort, ecological study, and panel), pollution source (abandoned metal mine (AMM), industrial complex (IC), and more), and assessment method of exposure and health effects. The survey area was converted into administrative district codes for geographical mapping.
Results: There were 37, 34, 18, and 10 cases associated with AMM, IC, waste incinerators, and coal-fired power plants, respectively. Most of the studies conducted were cross-sectional studies and ecological studies. The proportion of epidemiological investigations by residents’ demand showed an increase from 0.0% to 8.9% for the central government while decreasing from 16.7% to 14.3% for local governments after 2008 compared to before 2008. HESs increased at both the central and local government levels since 2014. For the evaluation method, 365 environmental hazards, 319 health outcomes, and 302 biological markers were investigated, with the most commonly investigated items being metals, cancer, and blood metals.
Conclusions: HESs of residents in ECVAs in South Korea have been continuously developed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Future improvements are expected, and systematic review and classification of the HESs is warranted.

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Background: Injury is one of the major health problems in South Korea. Few studies have evaluated both intentional and unintentional injury when investigating the association between exposure to air pollutants and injury.
Objectives: We aimed to explore the association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and years of life lost (YLLs) due to injury.
Methods: Data on daily YLLs for 2002~2019 were obtained from the the Death Statistics Database of the Korean National Statistical Office. This study estimated short-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 μm (PM₁₀), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 μm (PM_2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O₃). This time series study was conducted using a generalized additive model (GAM) assuming a Gaussian distribution. We also evaluated a delayed effect of ambient air pollution by constructing a lag structure up to seven days. The best-fitting lag was selected based on smallest generalized cross validation (GCV) value. To explore effect modification by intentionality of injury (i.e., intentional injury [self-harm, assault] and unintentional injury), we conducted stratified subgroup analyses. Additionally, we stratified unintentional injury by mechanism (traffic accident, fall, etc.).
Results: During the study period, the average daily YLLs due to injury was 307.5 years. In the intentional injury, YLLs due to self-harm and assault showed positive association with air pollutants. In the unintentional injury, YLLs due to fall, electric current, fire and poisoning showed positive association with air pollutants, whereas YLLs due to traffic accident, mechanical force and drowning/submersion showed negative associations with air pollutants.
Conclusions: Injury is recognized as preventable, and effective strategies to create a safe society are important. Therefore, we need to establish strategies to prevent injury and consider air pollutants in this regard.

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Background: An ongoing environmental exposure assessment of humidifier disinfectants (HDs) has been conducted since November 2011 among individuals who experienced HD exposure-related adverse health effects. It is being performed in order to determine and quantify exposure to humidifier disinfectants in victims and their families. To date, the assessment has encompassed Cycles I-to-V. There is no report summarizing the characteristics of the subjects from the overall cycles.
Objectives: We intended to examine the individual characteristics related to demographics, HD usage, and HD exposure using integrated data from Cycles I-to-V of the environmental exposure assessment of HDs and the changes with the cycles.
Methods: We included 7,543 individuals who participated in Cycles I-to-V of the environmental exposure assessment of HDs. We summarized the participants’ characteristics regarding their demographics (e.g., sex, education level, and age), HD usage history (e.g., product name, ingredient, and frequency of HD use), and HD exposure (e.g., daily time of HD use, cumulative time of HD use, and exposure intensity). In addition, their characteristics were compared across the cycles of the exposure assessment.
Results: Among the 7,543 participants from Cycles I-to-V, there were more male participants than females (51.05% overall), except for Cycles I and III. Across all cycles, a higher proportion of survivors was observed than deceased individuals. While PHMG was the most prevalent ingredient in HDs throughout all the cycles, its proportion gradually decreased over the course of the examination cycles. Participants in Cycle I reported longer daily times of HD use compared to those in the subsequent cycles. On the other hand, cumulative time of HD use was shorter in the earlier cycles than in the later cycles.
Conclusions: Using the integrated data from the full cycles of the environmental exposure assessment, this study identified changes in demographic characteristics as well as the HD exposure characteristics between the participants across different cycles.

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Background: The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has identified cases of people suspected of suffering lung disease potentially caused by chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (CMIT/MIT) used in humidifier disinfectants (HDs). The Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) epidemiological investigation and toxicity test study found that HDs caused health damage such as asthma and lung disease.
Objectives: The main purposes of this study were to classify the HD exposure rating and to analyze the exposure characteristics that affect exposure to CMIT/MIT HDs.
Methods: The exposure characteristics and socio-demographic characteristics of victim participants using CMIT/MIT HDs were investigated through questionnaires. An inhalation no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for CMIT/MIT was produced based on inhalation toxicity values. Exposure ratings (class 1~class 2) were cross-tabulated with clinical ratings (acceptable~unacceptable). A correlation analysis was conducted with the main exposure characteristics that affect the exposure concentration of CMIT/MIT HDs.
Results: The concentration in indoor air of CMIT/MIT was 8.75±25.40 μg/m³, and the exposure concentration was 2.30±6.29 μg/m³. The CMIT/MIT exposure rating of 67 participants with high exposures of not more than MOE 100 were evaluated as 14.5%, while the damage participants who matched the clinical rating made up 4.5%. The exposure concentration of CMIT/MIT showed a positive correlation with the daily usage amount and usage frequency, and a negative correlation with volume of the indoor environment.
Conclusions: A new exposure rating could be suggested and calculated based on the MOE, and the factors affecting the exposure concentration could be identified.