• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.473-481
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• 2017

It is well known that the air quality of 92% of the world is known to exceed the standard of WTO and the death caused by air pollution is almost 6 million per year. The $PM_{2.5}$ concentration in Korea is the second most serious among the OECD countries following Turkey. Since the $PM_{2.5}$ has a direct effect on the respiratory system, it has been actively studied in domestic and foreign countries. But current research on the $PM_{2.5}$ is limited in weather factor or air pollutants. In this paper, we consider the influence of spatial neighbor with weather factor or air pollutants using spatial panel model. We applied the proposed method to 25 borough of Seoul in Korea. The result shows a significant effect of spatial neighbor on the $PM_{2.5}$ concentration fields.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2003

The causative role of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in human carcinogenesis is undisputed. Measurements of PAH-DNA adduct levels in easily accessible white blood cells therefore represent useful early endpoints in exposure intervention of chemoprevention studies. The successful applicability of DNA adducts as early endpoints depends on several criteria:i.adduct levels in easily accessible surrogate tissues should reflect adduct levels in target-tissues, ii. toxicokinetics and the temporal relevance should be properly defined.iii. sources of inter- and intra-individual variability must be known and controllable, and finally iv. adduct analyses must have advantages as compared to other markers of PAH-exposure. In general, higher DNA adduct levels or a higher proportion of subjects with detectable DNA adduct levels were found in exposed individuals as compared with non-exposed subjects, but saturation may occur at high exposures. Furthermore, DNA adduct levels varied according to changes in exposure, for example smoking cessation resulted in lower DNA adduct levels and adduct levels paralleled seasonal variations of air-pollution. Intra-individual variation during continuous exposure was low over a short period of time (weeks), but varied significantly when longer time periods (months) were investigated. Inter-individual variation is currently only partly explained by genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in PAH-metabolism and deserves further investigation. DNA adduct measurement may have three advantages over traditional exposure assessment: i. they can smooth the extreme variability in exposure which is typical for environmental toxicants and may integrate exposure over a longer period of time. Therefore, DNA adduct assessment may reduce the monitoring effort. ii. Biological monitoring of DNA adducts accounts for all exposure routes. iii. DNA adducts may account for inter-individual differences in uptake, elimination, distribution, metabolism and repair amongst exposed individuals. In conclusion, there is now a sufficiently large scientific basis to justify the application of DNA adduct measurement as biomarkers in exposure assessment and intervention studies. Their use in risk-assessment, however, requires further investigation.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.197-211
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• 2004

Visibility impairment was known as an indicator of the increased air pollution. In many previous studies, it is known that both directly emitted fine particles mainly from vehicles and secondary aerosols from photochemical reactions could contribute to this visibility impairment in addition to the meteorological condition. Furthermore, the visibility showed different change patterns according to the geographical condition. In order to research into the influence of these factors on visibility, this study analyzed the visibility at 15:00, observed from 1990 to 2001 in Seoul, Ganghwa, Susan, Gwangju, Jeju. As a result, the visibility was increased in Seoul except the rainfall period, but in Susan, Gwangju, Jeju, it decreased with the relative humidity (RH). Especially, in Seoul, the number of low visibility days was larger than other sites and variations of the visibility were sensitive to the concentration of air pollutants, such as TSP, $NO_2$, $O_3$. The visibility impairment was mainly observed in meteorological condition of RH<50% and relatively stationary front. Therefore it is inferred that photochemical smog could lead to the low visibility in Seoul. On the other hands, in Ganghwa and Susan, when RH was 60~70%, the low visibility observed under the influence of the transports of air pollutants from nearby cities as well as humid air mass from coastal region. And in Jeju, sea fog and humid air mass caused the visibility impairment when the RH was larger than 80%. Finally, during the observational period, some cases of low visibility phenomena were simultaneously observed in the vast region including Seoul, Susan, Ganghwa. It not only includes the visibility aggravation by Asian Dust, but also could be caused by the movement and diffusion of flying dust or secondary aerosols. Moreover, the result shows that these phenomena could be mainly influenced by meteorological factors covering the wide regions.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.195-208
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• 2009

The power plant is well known to influence air pollution as well as emission of green house gas. Because of increasing demand on electricity, the government set up the electric support action plan every 2 years. In this research, the impacts of power plants on the environment and region was studied. The study was focused on the establishment of power plant in Incheon area based on the 3rd electric support action plan. According to the 3rd electric support action plan, almost 80% of power plant in metropolitan area is planned to be built in Incheon area. The main influences of establishment of power plant are emissions of $SO_x$, $NO_x$ and PM and exceed the allocated local industry emissions, which means the emission allocation of other industry is difficult. In additions, the power plant exhaust $CO_2$ much more than other types of fuel such as waterpower generation, atomic power station. Although several supports are given in local government, these cannot cover the whole cost due to establishment of power plant. Subsequently, this study suggest the additional policy based on local consideration is needed and the current electricity distribution system should be reconsidered fundamentally in the lang term.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.241-250
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• 2007

A study was carried out on the level of heavy metals, total coliform and benzo(a)pyrene that may be introduced through by-product fertilizers or air pollution to turfgrass in natural turfgrass playground in elementary schools around the western coast and eastern mountain areas in Jeollabuk-do, Korea. The level of heavy metals found in turfgrass was in the order of Cu > Zn > Pb > Cd. The majority of heavy metals was found in the roots. It is presumed that the absorption of some air pollutants and by-product fertilizers or chemical fertilizers. The level of benzo(a)pyrene showed an average of 0.05ng/g with a range between 0.02 to 0.08ng/g in the leaves. In the meantime, none was detected in the stems, while the average for roots was 0.02ng/g with a range between 0.01 and 0.03ng/g. The level detected is that found background level, however, benzo(a)pyrene can be introduced partly from the unstable combustion of fossil fuel or through vehicle emissions. Total coliform distributed in grass showed an average of 12MPN/100ml with a range between 2 and 36MPN/100ml. The density of total coliform displayed no regional predominance. However, in some urban areas, the density was slightly higher. The feces of pets or by-product fertilizers may have contributed to the input of pathogenic micro-organism. Yet the level was found to be negligible.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.411-419
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• 2003

The assessment of environmental impact on NO$_2$ (or TSP) emitted by vehicles is important for local residents from the point of view of their health and environmental protection. In the course of field investigations, correct concentrations are measured and meteorological data are observed for numerical simulation. To determine background concentration for numerical simulation, annual average concentrations of NO$_2$ (or TSP) are estimated using the Puff-Plume model. If the estimated result affects the environment, it must be considered in the environmental conservation activity. To make the process of a estimation of environmental assessment more easily, this system is developed. Moreover, this system was supplied a Graphic User Interface (GH) for the user who calculated the concentration of air pollution exhausted from the traffic on general roads except special roads such as interchanges and entrances to tunnels. This system can offer not only the numerical result but also a graphic display. Even a beginner who is not a professional programmer can calculate the result easily.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.22 no.7 s.78
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• pp.61-67
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• 2004

It is needed for one to design the better models estimating emission and then with the real time data, make the monitoring system simulating emission rate because of having built the basement of accepting real-time traffic information in ITS projects. The objective of the study is to develop the monitoring system visualizing air pollution to a certain place. It is based on the estimated emission from the patterns of individual vehicles and the changes of traffic flow. For constructing simulator, we loaded referring algorithm in actuality program and simulates the traffic flow movement in a microscopic viewpoint. The simulator is able to express not only the movement of each car but also to visualize processing the emission and diffusion of the air pollutant by computer program. Not only expresses the simulation process the angle of vision but it also cutting down environment expenses and improving the traffic impact assessment and the traffic impact assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2000

Removal of ammonia using the porous ceramic biofilter inoculated with earthworm casts was characterized. By assuming a plug air flow in the biofilter and applying the Michaelis-Menten equation, the maximum removal rate of $NH_3$ was $280.7g-N{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$($18.0g-N{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) at $30^{\circ}C$. $NH_3$ removal rate was increased as temperature increases from $15^{\circ}C$ to $35^{\circ}C$. The maximum removal rate was $285.8g-N{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$($18.8g-N{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) at $35^{\circ}C$. At $15^{\circ}C$, the $NH_3$ removal rate was $122.8g-N{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$($8.1g-N{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$). When 210 ppm $NH_3$ was supplied to the biofilter at space velocity of $220h^{-1}$, the removal efficiency of $NH_3$ at 15, 25, 30 and $35^{\circ}C$ was 80, 90, 95, and 96%, respectively. The removal rate of the ceramic biofilter was 3 to 15 times higher than other biofilters comparing the removal efficiency of $NH_3$ per unit volume of carrier. This result indicates that earthworm casts and porous ceramics are very good inoculum source and carrier, respectively, for the $NH_3$-degrading biofilter.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 2019

Over the last few years, air pollution ($PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$) in the Seoul metropolitan area (SMA) has emerged as one of the most concerned and threatening environmental issues among the residents. It brings about various harmful effects on human health, as well as ecosystem and industrial activities. Governments and individuals pay various costs to mitigate the level of air pollutants. This study aims to empirically find the willingness to pays (WTP) among the parents from different socio-cultural groups - international and domestic groups to mitigate air pollution ($PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$) in their residential area. Contingent Valuation Methods (CVM) is used with employing single-bounded dichotomous choice technique to elicit the respondent's WTP. Using tobit (censored regression) and probit models, the monthly mean WTP of the pooled sample for green electricity which contributes to improve air quality in the region was estimated as 3,993 KRW (3.58 USD). However, the mean WTP between the international group and domestic group through a sub-sample analysis shows broad distinction as 3,325KRW (2.98 USD) and 4,449 KRW (3.98 USD) respectively. This is because that socio-cultural characteristics of each group such as socio-economic status, personal experience, trust in institutions and worldview are differently associated with the WTP. Based on the results, the society needs to raise awareness of lay people to find a strong linkage between the current PM issue and green electricity. Also, it needs to improve trust in the government's pollution abatement policy to mobilize more assertive participation of the people from different socio-cultural background.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2021

Objectives: Acute exposure to high concentrations of chemicals can occur when a chemical accident takes place. As such exposure can cause ongoing environmental pollution, such as in the soil and groundwater, there is a need for a tool that can assess health effects in the long term. The purpose of this study was assessing the health risks of residents living near a chemical accident site due to long-term exposure while considering the temporal concentration changes of the toxic chemicals leaked during the accident until their extinction in the environment using a multimedia environmental dynamics model. Methods: A health risk assessment was conducted on three cases of formaldehyde chemical accidents. In this study, health risk assessment was performed using a multimedia environmental dynamics model that considers the behavior of the atmosphere, soil, and water. In addition, the extinction period of formaldehyde in the environment was regarded as extinction in the environment when the concentration in the air and soil fell below the background concentration prior to the accident. The subjects of health risk assessment were classified into four groups according to age: 0-9 years old, 10-18 years old, 19-64 years old, and over 65 years old. Carcinogenic risk assessment by respiratory exposure and non-carcinogenic risk assessment by soil intake were conducted as well. Results: In the assessment of carcinogenic risk due to respiratory exposure, the excess carcinogenic risk did not exceed 1.0×10-6 in all three chemical accidents, so there was no health effect due to the formaldehyde chemical accident. As a result of the evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk due to soil intake, none of the three chemical accidents had a risk index of 1, so there was no health effect. For all three chemical accidents, the excess cancer risk and hazard index were the highest in the age group 0-9. Next, 10-18 years old, 65 years old or older, and 19-64 years old showed the highest risk. Conclusion: This study considers environmental changes after a chemical accident occurs and until the substance disappears from the environment. It also conducts a health risk assessment by reflecting the characteristics of the long-term persistence and concentration change over time. It is thought that it is of significance as a health risk assessment study reflecting the exposure characteristics of the accident substance for an actual chemical accident.