Ki Youn Kim

Hazard and Risk Assessment and Cost and Benefit Analysis for Revising Permissible Exposure Limits in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of Korea

Objectives: An objective of this study was to perform a risk assessment and social cost-benefit analysis for revising permissible exposure limits for seven substances: Nickel(Insoluble inorganic compounds), benzene, carbon disulfide, formaldehyde, cadmium(as compounds), trichloroethylene, touluene-2,4-diisocyanate. Materials and Methods: The research methods were divided into risk and hazard assessment and cost-benefit analysis. The risk and hazard assessment for the seven substances consists of four steps: An overview of GHSㆍMSDS(1st), review of document of ACGIHs TLVs (2nd), comparison between international occupational exposure limits and domestic permissible exposure limits(3rd), and analysis of excess workplace and excess rate for occupational exposure limits based on previous work environment measurement data(4th). Total cost was estimated using cost of local exhaust ventilation, number of excess workplace and penalties for exceeding a permissible exposure limit. On the other hand, total benefit was calculated using the reduction rate of occupational disease, number of workplaces treating each substance and industrial accident compensation. Finally, the net benefit was calculated by subtracting total cost from total benefit. Results: All the substances investigated in this study were classified by CMR(Carcinogens, Mutagens or Reproductive toxicants) and their international occupational exposure limits were stricter than the domestic permissible exposure limits. As a result of excess rate analysis, trichloroethylene was the highest at 11%, whereas nickel was the lowest at 0.5%. The excess rates of all substances except for trichloroethylene were observed at less than 10%. Among the seven substances, the total cost was highest for trichloroethylene and lowest for carbon disulfide. The benefits for the seven substances were higher than costs estimated based on strengthening current permissible exposure limits. Thus, revising the permissible exposure limits of the seven substances was determined to be acceptable from a social perspective. Conclusions: The final revised permissible exposure limits suggested for the seven substances are as follows: 0.2 ㎎/㎥ for nickel, 0.5 ppm(TWA) and 2.5 ppm(STEL) for benzene, 1 ppm(TWA) for carbon disulfide, 0.01 ㎎/㎥(TWA) for cadmium, 10 ppm(TWA) and 25 ppm(STEL) for trichloroethylene, 0.3 ppm(TWA) for formaldehyde, and 0.005 ppm(TWA) and 0.02 ppm(STEL) for toluene

Characteristic of Odorous Compounds Emitted from Livestock Waste Treatment Facilities Combined Methane Fermentation and Composting Process

악취는　이웃주민들로　하여금　민원을　유발시키는　주요　원인이기　때문에　악취관리는　지속가능한 축산과　매우 밀접한 관계가 있다. 본 연구는 메탄발효와 퇴비화 공정이 연계된 가축분뇨 처리시설에서 각 공정별로 기기분석과 직접 관능법을 병행하여 악취 물질의 농도, 악취 강도 및 악취 불쾌도를 측정하고자 수행하였으며, 하계와 동계로 구분하여 처리 공정과 부지경계선에서 각각 암모니아, 황화합물 및 휘발성 저급지방산의 농도를 분석하였다. 높은 외기온에 기인하여 하계의 악취농도가 동계보다 높은 것으로 나타났다. 공정별로는 혼합된 분뇨를 교반하는 퇴비화 공정에서 악취 농도가 가장 높게 검출되었으며, 분뇨 투입조, 퇴비 후숙조, 분뇨 유출조 및 퇴비 선별과 포장 공정의 순으로 악취 농도가 낮았다. 검출된 악취 물질 중 가장 높은 농도는 암모니아로 3.4에서 224.7 ppm의 농도 범위로 분석되었다. 황화합물 중에서는 황화수소가 가장 높은 농도인 2.3 ppm인 것으로 분석되었으며, 대부분의 황화합물 농도가 기존에 보고된 최소감지한계농도를 초과하는 것으로 측정되었다. 또한 아세트산은 휘발성 저급지방산 가운데 51에서 89%로 가장 놓은 비율을 차지하고 있으며, 다음으로는 프로피온산과 부트르산이 각각 1.9에서 35% 및 1.8에서 15%의 비율을 보이는 것으로 나타났다. 처리공정에서 발생되는 주요 악취원인 물질을 예측하고자 각각의 공정에서 측정된 악취물질의 농도를 최소감지한계농도로 나누어 악취농도지수를 계산하였다. 그 결과 퇴비화 공정에서는 황화수소, 암모니아, 황화메틸 및 메틸머캅탄이 악취원인 물질로 밀접한 연관이 있는 것으로 나타났으며, 분뇨 투입조에서는 황화수소, 메틸머캅탄 및 부트르산이 주요 악취물질인 것으로 나타났다. 【Odor management is significantly concerned with sustainable livestock production because odor nuisance is a primary cause for complaint to neighbors. This study was conducted to measure the concentration of odorous compounds, odor intensity, and odor offensiveness at unit process in animal waste treatment facility combined composting and methane fermentation process by an instrumental analysis and direct olfactory method. Ammonia, sulfur-containing compounds, and volatile fatty acid were analyzed at each process units and boundary area in summer and winter, respectively. Higher concentration of odorants occurred in the summer than in the winter due to high ambient temperature. The maximum concentration of odorants was detected in composting pile when mixed manure was being turned followed by inlet, curing, outlet, and screen & packing process. Highest concentration of detected odorous compounds was ammonia ranging from 3.4 to 224.7 ppm. Among the sulfur-containing compounds measured, hydrogen sulfide was a maximum level of 2.3 ppm and most of them exceeded reported odor detection thresholds. Acetic acid was the largest proportion of VFA generated, reaching a maximum of 51 to 89%, followed by propionic and butyric acid at 1.9 to 35% and 1.8 to 15%, respectively. Malodor assessment by a human panel appeared a similar tendency in instrumental analysis data. Odor quotient for predicting major odor-causing compounds was calculated by dividing concentrations measured in process units by odor detection thresholds. In the composting process, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, dimethyl sulfide, and methyl mercaptan were deeply associated with odor-causing compounds, while the major malodor compounds in the inlet process were methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, and butyric acid.】

Evaluation of Air Quality in the Compost Pilot Plant with Livestock Manure by Operation Types

Air quality in the livestock waste compost pilot plant at the Colligate Livestock Station was assessed to quantity the emissions of aerial contaminants and evaluate the degree of correlation between them for different operation strategies; with the ventilation types and agitation of compost pile, in this study. The parameters analyzed to reflect the level of air quality in the livestock waste compost pilot plant were the gaseous contaminants; ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration, the particulate contaminants; inhalable dust and respirable dust, and the biological contaminants; total airborne bacteria and fungi. The mean concentrations of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration in the compost pilot plant without agitation were 2.45ppm, 19.96ppb, and 15.8 when it was naturally ventilated, and 7.61ppm, 31.36ppb, and 30.2 when mechanically ventilated. Those with agitation were 5.50ppm, 14.69ppb, and 46.4 when naturally ventilated, and 30.12ppm, 39.91ppb, and 205.5 when mechanically ventilated. The mean concentrations of inhalable and respirable dust in the compost pilot plant without agitation were 368.6/ and 96.0/ with natural ventilation, and 283.9/ and 119.5/ with mechanical ventilation. They were also observed with agitation to 208.7/ and 139.8/ with natural ventilation, and 209.2/ and 131.7/ with mechanical ventilation. Averaged concentrations of total airborne bacteria and fungi in the compost pilot plant without agitation were observed to 28,673cfu/ and 22,507cfu/ with natural ventilation, and 7,462cfu/ and 3,228cfu/ with mechanical ventilation. They were also observed with agitation to 19,592cfu/ and 26,376cfu/ with the natural ventilation, and 18,645cfu/ and 24,581cfu/ with the mechanical ventilation. It showed that the emission rates of gaseous pollutants, such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration, in the compost pilot plant operated with the mechanical ventilation and with the agitation of compost pile were higher than those with the natural ventilation and without the agitation. While the concentrations of inhalable dust and total airborne bacteria in the compost pilot plant with the natural ventilation and with the agitation, the concentrations of respirable dust and total airborne fungi in the compost pilot plant with the mechanical ventilation and agitation were higher than those with the natural ventilation and without the agitation of compost pile. It was statistically proved that indoor temperature and relative humidity affected the release of particulates and biological pollutants, and ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were believed primary malodorous compounds emitted from the compost pilot plant.