• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.615-621
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• 2018

Recently, various environmentally friendly products have been developed for improving the indoor air quality while pursuing a well-being nature-friendly healthy life as a core value. In this research, we not only solve the problems of existing environmentally friendly paints, but also developed a charcoal composite seats that can reduce radon, which is a natural radioactive substance, and evaluated the reduction effect of radon, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds. In the charcoal composite seats, a sodium silicate emulsion and charcoal were mixed to prepare an charcoal liquid coating material, and the composite seats was fabricated by air-spray coating method. In order to analyze the hazardous substance reduction performance of the fabricated charcoal composite seats, radon was designed to comply with the Ministry of the Environment standard, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds were designed to comply with KCL-FIR-1085 standard. As a result of the experiment, the fabricated charcoal composite seats was evaluated as having a radon reduction capability of about 90.8% from 20 hours, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds were 3 hours, and the reduction capability of 96.7% and 96.6% was found respectively. It is considered that these results can be utilized as basic data at the time of product development for improvement of indoor air quality.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.501-505
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• 2017

Due to the rapid urbanization and increased population, there is an increase in airtight nature of buildings which causes serious indoor air pollution. Among several indoor air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from paint are of major concern. Therefore, there is an urge for the development of environmental friendly paint products. In this wok, a natural wall paint (NWP) was prepared by utilizing a natural clay material "sericite" as a main component. A small chamber test was carried out to identify the toxic substances release from NWP and the results were compared with two eco-friendly commercial paints. The total VOCs were detected in trace level inside the test chamber and their concentrations were below the recommended indoor air quality standards. Toluene was not detected for NWP, whereas formaldehyde was observed in trace level. The toxicity index results were compared with two commercial paints and found that NWP exhibited less harmful gas emission. Based on certification rating of building materials, NWP can be classified as the first grade of building materials. Due to the above advantages, the use of sericite as a major component in NWP will be a useful technique to maintain the indoor air quality.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.152-159
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• 2021

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) occur in indoor and outdoor industrial and urban areas and cause environmental problems. Malodorous VOCs, along with aesthetic discomfort, can have a serious effect on the human body. Compared with the existing method of reducing malodorous VOCs, a wet scrubbing method using an electrolytic oxidant has the advantage of reducing pollutants and regenerating oxidants. This study investigated the optimal conditions for producing OCl^-, a chlorine-oxidant. Experiments were conducted by changing the type of anode and cathode electrode, the type of electrolyte, the concentration of electrolytes, and the current density. With Ti/IrO₂ as the anode electrode and Ti as the cathode electrode, OClproduction was highest and most stable. Although OCl^- production was similar with the use of KCl or NaCl, NaCl is preferable because it is cheap and easy to obtain. The effect of NaCl concentration and current density was examined, and the OCl^- production rate and concentration were highest at 0.75 M NaCl and 0.03 A cm^-2. However, considering the cost of electric power, OCl^- production under the conditions of 1.00 M NaCl and 0.01 A cm^-2 was most effective among the conditions examined. It is desirable to produce OCl^- by adjusting the current density in accordance with the concentration and characteristics of pollutants.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2001

From July to November 1999, air samples were collected from Ansung, Korea, to identify the seasonal variation in organochlorine pesticides(OCPs). OCPs maximum(mean) concentrations were as follows: heptachlor, $14.0\;pg/m^3(3.6\;pg/m^3)$; heptachlor epoxide, $28.7\;pg/m^3(11.7\;pg/m^3)$; DDE, $40.6\;pg/m^3(20.6\;pg/m^3)$; endosulfan sulfate, $98.9\;pg/m^3(36.6\;pg/m^3)$. The higher concentration of the locally and seasonally used pesticide endosulfan[1759.2 $pg/m^3(453.4\;pg/m^3)$] was found. The concentrations of all OCPs were higher in summer than those in fall. This pattern suggests that the concentrations may be increased by evaporation from surfaces(soil, water, vegetation, etc) with increasing the temperature and by much usage in growing season, particularly in summer, for endosulfan.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.981-987
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• 2000

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) reactor was operated for treating swine wastewater containing high ammonia nitrogen to assess their performance and toxicity of free ammonia concentration. In the reactor, chemical oxygen demand(COD) removed about 70% at $2.6kgCOD/m^3.day$ of organic loading rate(OLR) and 3 days of hydraulic retention time (HRT), while it was decreased when OLR and HRT was maintained $7kg\;COD/m^3.day$ and 2 days, respectively. Also UASB reactor was evaluated the activity of methane producing bacteria(MPB) according to change of free ammonia concentrations, MPB activity of applied sludge in the 500 and $1000mg-N/{\ell}$ of free ammonia concentration was inhibited by 4% and 40%, respectively. This clearly showed that free ammonia concentration less than $500mg-N/{\ell}$ showed no inhibition to MPB in anaerobic treatment of organics, UASB reactor was stabilized easily less than $1000mgVSS/{\ell}$ due to degradation of organic solids by the high activities of anaerobes.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.209-220
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• 2006

In this study, the distribution patterns of major odorous compounds in ambient air were investigated in the areas surrounding the Ban-Wall industrial complex of Ansan, Korea (Aug. 2004 to Sep. 2005). The results indicated the environmental significance of several major odorous compounds which include carbonyl compounds, reduced sulfur compounds (RSC), and volatile organic compounds (VOC). When the results were compared on a diurnal basis, the afternoon time concentration of most odorous compounds were notably higher than their morning time counterparts. It also indicated that the odor concentrations differed greatly, in terms of spatial grouping scheme of data sets, such as between industrial area and non-industrial area. The comparison of spatial patterns indicated that the concentrations of most of the compounds at the industrial area were maintained at high concentration levels, compared to the surrounding areas. The overall results of this study thus suggest that the distribution of odorous compounds in a large industrial complex can exhibit a unique pattern of their own.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 1999

This research was investigated to examine the status of goundwater contamination in Chung-Nam area over 2 years from 1996 May to 1998 May. The results show that the overall detection rates of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) by region were as followed: industrial region > agricultural & industrial complex region > gas station region > around industrial region > downtown region, and excess rates of those were as followed: industrial region > gas station region > agricultural & industrial region > around industrial region > downtown region. Benzene and TCE of VOCs examined in Chon-An industrial region exceeded drinking water standard. At the agricultural & industrial complex region, the observed mean concentration of TCE was 3.107 mg/L and TCE was also detected at 48.152 mg/L which is 100 times higher than drinking water standard, and other VOCs were also observed at higher concentrations as well. Based on our studies, It is concluded that appropriate remedial action should be performed to protect further groundwater contamination and to restore groundwater quality in Chung-Nam area.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.254-258
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• 2006

Zeolites with excellent adsorption capacity of volatile organic compounds were attached onto inorganic fibers which were the raw materials of honeycomb-type adsorbers. The amounts of zeolite particles attached onto the fibers considerably increased by treating them with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or hydrofluoric acid. Various functional groups such as chloropropyl, aminopropyl and epoxy groups of silane compounds, and amine groups of polyethylenimine were employed as covalent linkage materials between the fibers and zeolite particles. The state of the fibers coated with zeolite particles was examined by scanning electron microscopy, and the amounts of zeolite particles bound to the fibers were estimated from their BET surface areas. The largest amount was obtained when polyethylenimine was employed as a linkage material. Polyethylenimine was the most effective for attaching zeolite particles onto the inorganic fibers among various linkers employed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1123-1134
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• 2009

This study was designed to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the pollutant compositions, which were emitted from three types of mosquito repellents(MRs)(mat-, liquid-vaporized, and coil-type) by utilizing a 50-L environmental chamber. A qualitative analysis revealed that 42 compounds were detected on the gas chromatography/mass spectrometer system, and that the detection frequency depended upon chemical types. Nine of the 42 compounds exhibited a detection frequency of 100%. Four aromatic compounds(benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene) were detected in all test MRs. The concentration equilibriums in the environmental chamber were achieved within 180 min after sample introduction. The coil-type MR represented higher chamber concentrations as compared with the mat- or liquid-vaporized-type MR, with respect to the target compounds except for naphthalene. In particular, the chamber concentrations of ethyl benzene, associated with the use of coil-type MR, were between 0.9 and $65\;mg\;m^{-3}$ whereas those of mat- and liquid-vaporized-type MRs we~e between 0.5 and $2.0\;mg\;m^{-3}$and 0.3 and $1.4\;mg\;m^{-3}$, respectively. However, naphthalene concentrations in the chamber, where a liquid-vaporized-type MR was placed, were measured as between 17.8 and $56.3\;mg\;m^{-3}$, but not detected in the chamber, where a mat- or coil-type MR was placed. The empirical model fitted well with the time-series concentrations in the environmental chamber(in most cases, determination coefficient, $R^2$ ≿ 0.9), thereby suggesting that the model was suitable for testing emissions. In regards to the target compounds except for benzene, although they were emitted from the MRs, health risk from individual exposure to them were estimated not to be significant when comparing exposure levels with no observed adverse exposure levels or lowest observed adverse exposure levels of corresponding compounds. However, it was concluded that the use of MRs could be an important indoor source as regards benzene.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.10 no.1_2
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• pp.21-35
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• 1995

Risk assessment processes, which include processes for the estimation of human cancer potency using animal bioassay data and calculation of human exposure, entail uncertainties. In the exposure assessment process, exposure scenarios with various assumptions could affect the exposure amount and excess cancer risk. We compared risk estimates among various exposure scenarios of vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene in tap water. The contaminant concentrations were analyzed from tap water samples in Seoul from 1993 to 1994. The oral and inhalation cancer potencies of the contaminants were estimated using multistage, Weibull, lognormal, and Mantel-Bryan model in TOX-RISK computer software. In the first case, human excess cancer risk was estimated by the US EPA method used to set the MCL(maximum contaminant level). In the second and third case, the risk was estimated for multi-route exposure with and without adopting Monte-Carlo simulation, respectively. In the second case, exposure input parameters and cancer potencies used probability distributions, and in the third case, those values used point estimates(mean, and maximum or 95% upper-bound value). As a result, while the excess cancer risk estimated by US EPA method considering only direct ingestion tended to be underestimated, the risk which was estimated by considering multi-route exposure without Monte-Carlo simulation and then using the maximum or 95% upper-bound value as input parameters tended to be overestimated. In risk assessment for volatile organic compounds, considering multi-route exposure with adopting Monte-Carlo analysis seems to provide the most reasonable estimations.