This study investigated the relationship between heat-related illnesses obtained from healthcare big data and daily maximum temperature observed in seven metropolitan cities in summer during 2013~2015. We found a statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.4~0.6) between daily maximum temperature and number of the heat-related patients from Pearson's correlation analyses. A time lag effect was not observed. Relative Risk (RR) analysis using the Generalized Additive Model (GAM) showed that the RR of heat-related illness increased with increasing threshold temperature (maximum RR = 1.21). A comparison of the RRs of the seven cities, showed that the values were significantly different by geographical location of the city and had different variations for different threshold temperatures. The RRs for elderly people were clearly higher than those for the all-age group. Especially, a maximum value of 1.83 was calculated at the threshold temperature of 35℃ in Seoul. In addition, relatively higher RRs were found for inland cities (Seoul, Gwangju, Daegu, and Daejeon), which had a high frequency of heat waves. These results demonstrate the significant risk of heat-related illness associated with increasing daily maximum temperature and the difference in adaptation ability to heat wave for each city, which could help improve the heat wave advisory and warning system.

Purpose: The study was to identify the differences between individuals' own health risk perceptions and those of others at the same age. Moreover, this study tried to explore the differences in perception bias toward health risks by gender and the physical activity level. Methods: Three hundred fifty questionnaires were initially distributed to company employees and sports center members. Among them, total 332 were finally used in this study(male: 166, female: 166, Mage=49.32 years). Self and other risk judgment profile was revised into Korean and applied in the study. Frequency analysis and independent t-test were carried out by SPSS 23.0. Results: Results indicated that middle-aged adults tend to have unrealistic perceptions of their vulnerability to most health risks and perceive their own likelihood of encountering all health risks events as lower than that of others. In addition, the finding revealed that there were significant differences in perception bias toward to health risks by gender and the physical activity level. Conclusion: The significance of this study lies in the fact that it made a unique contribution to the existing knowledge about middle-aged adults' health risk perceptions.

This study was performed to evaluate the asbestos exposure levels and to calculate excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for the risk assessment of the asbestos fibers released from asbestos-cement slate roofing (ASR) building. Total number of ASR buildings was into 21,267 in Busan, and 82.03 percent of the buildings was residential houses, and 43.61 percent of the buildings was constructed in 1970s. For this study, ten buildings were selected randomly among the ASR buildings. The range of airborne asbestos concentration in the selected ten ASR buildings was from 0.0016 to 0.0067 f/mL, and the concentration around no-admitted ASR buildings was higher than that around admitted buildings. The ELCR based on US EPA IRIS (integrated risk information system) model is within 3.5E-05 ~ 1.5E-04 levels, and the ELCR of no-admitted ASR buildings was higher than 1.0E-04 (one person per million) level that is considered a more aggressive approach to mitigate risk. These results indicate that the cancer risk from ASR buildings is higher than other buildings, and systematic public management is required for control of no-admitted ASR buildings within near future.

This study was performed to evaluate the asbestos exposure levels and to calculate excess lifetime cacer risks(ELCRs) in asbestos-containing buildings for maintenance and management. The range of airborne asbestos concentration of 33 buildings was 0.0018 ~ 0.0126 f/cc and one site exceeded indoor air-quality recommended limit 0.01 f/cc. And ELCRs based on US EPA IRIS(Integrated risk information system) model are 1.5E-06 ~ 3.9E-05 levels, and there was no site showed 1.0E-04 (one person per million) level or more, and 11 sites showed 1.0E-05 (one person per 100,000 people) level or more. To prevent the release of asbestos fibers, it needs operation and maintenance of asbestos-containing building materials, and there are some methods such as removal, repairment, enclosure and encapsulation. In conclusion, a risk-based air action level for asbestos in air is an appropriate metric for asbestos-containing building management.

This research had been conducted from May to October 2007, studying 110 residents of G, Y, H industrial area in Jun-nam province. It is designed to understand the difference in levels of indoor, outdoor and personal exposure to VOCs(benzene, toluene, Ethylbenzene) and a health risk assessment was conducted to see if there was any fatal cause from carcinogenic or non - carcinogenic elements from a case group and a control group in all areas as well as each different area. In the case of benzene in the air, the geometric levels for the case group are indoor, outdoor and personal exposure; a higher than for the control group. As a results of the Monte - Carlo study about benzene, it shows that the case group’s carcinogenicity is higher than that of the control group and it also shows that, on the CTE, RME condition and Monte - Carlo analysis, all subjects are seen to exceed the carcinogenicity tolerance 10-6 of US EPA. In the case of toluene, ethylbenzene on the CTE, RME condition and Monte - Carlo analysis, these do not exceed the non - carcinogenic standard of 1, but toluene in RME condition for both groups’ personal exposure and the indoor and personal exposure of ethylbenzene in Monte - Carlo show that these seem to exceed the standard.

폐석면 광산의 위해성 평가는 통상 ABS 방식에 의해 이루어지지만, 조사지역 전반에 관한 위해성 경향을 파악하는 데 그치는 한계를 지닌다. 이 연구에서는 새로운 평가방식으로 잠재적 위해지수(PIHR)라는 개념을 도입하여 석면 위해도를 계랑화하였다. PIHR 값에 대해 석면이 인체에 위해를 주는 요인들을 고려하여 적절한 가중치를 부여한 후, 토양 내 석면 농도 값을 적용하여 지리정보시스템(GIS)의 적지선정기법을 활용하여 위해성 평가를 실시하였다. 충청남도 보령시에 위치한 어느 폐석면 광산에 적용한 결과, 잠재적 위해 지수가 매우 높은 지역은 전체 면적의 7.8%에 해당되는 27.3 ha이며, 위해성 평가는 미국 환경보호청의 종합위해정보시스템(IRIS) 모델을 적용하여 각각 만 명당 1명(석면농도 0.36% 이상), 3만 명당 1명(석면농도 0.1% 이상), 10만 명당 1명(석면농도 0.04% 이상) 평생초과 발암 위험도 기준으로 관리할 경우 3.0, 12.9, 19.5 ha로 면적이 증가한다. 이러한 결과는 향후 광해 복원범위 선정에 효과적으로 적용할 수 있다.

This study was to assess the lifetime cancer and non-cancer risk of exposure of worker and user at public facilities in Korea to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We measured the concentrations of two aldehydes and five VOCs in indoor air at 424 public buildings that 8 kinds of public facilities (70 movie theaters, 86 offices, 86 restaurants, 70 academies, 22 auditoriums, 30 PC-rooms, 30 singing-rooms and 30 bars) all over the country. There were estimated the human exposure dose and risks with averages of the using-time and frequency for facility users and office workers, respectively. Carcinogens (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and benzene) were estimated the lifetime excess cancer risks (ECRs). non-carcinogens (toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and styrene) were estimated the hazard quotients (HQs). The average ECRs of formaldehyde and benzene for facility worker and user were 1×10-3~1×10-4 and 1×10-4~1×10-5 level, respectively, in all facilities. HQs of four non-carcinogens did not exceed 1.0 for all subjects in all facilities. The estimated ECRs for restaurant and auditorium were the highest, and the PC-room and bar were the next higher facilities. Furthermore, people in a smoking facility had the highest cancer risk. Higher ECRs of formaldehyde and benzene were observed in indoor smoking facilities such as restaurant and auditorium. Higher HQs of toluene and xylene were observed at the restaurant and office building.

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was analyzed in various marine organisms of Korea. HCB was detected in all organism samples with residual concentrations from 0.51 to 222 pg/g wet weight. HCB residue was the highest content in crustacean, and followed by bivalves, fish, cephalopods and gastropods. The residues were comparable to or lower than those in marine organisms of other countries. Daily dietary intake of HCB from seafood was estimated to be 13.4 pg/kg body weight/day. The relative contribution of taxonomic group to the total dietary intake of HCB were in the order of crustaceans (40.1%), bivalves (34.2%), fish (23.1%), cephalopods (2.22%), and gastropods (0.38%). Daily dietary intake of HCB expressed as toxic equivalent (TEQ) value was estimated to be 1.34×10-3 pg TEQ/kg body weight/day. This value did not exceed tolerable daily intake (TDI) proposed by the WHO, the UK toxicity committee and the KFDA. Cancer risk and target hazard quotient (THQ) due to the consumption of the marine organism in Korean adult population were evaluated using the exposure equation of food ingestion. This result suggests that dietary intake of HCB by the consumption of Korean seafood seems to be safe for human health with negligible cancer and non-cancer risks so far.