• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.253-257
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• 2014

Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring metalloid that may be a significant risk factor for cancer after exposure to contaminated drinking water, cigarettes, foods, industry, occupational environment, and air. Among the various routes of arsenic exposure, drinking water is the largest source of arsenic poisoning worldwide. Arsenic exposure from ingested foods usually comes from food crops grown in arsenic-contaminated soil and/or irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water. According to a recent World Health Organization report, arsenic from contaminated water can be quickly and easily absorbed and depending on its metabolic form, may adversely affect human health. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration regulations for metals found in cosmetics to protect consumers against contaminations deemed deleterious to health; some cosmetics were found to contain a variety of chemicals including heavy metals, which are sometimes used as preservatives. Moreover, developing countries tend to have a growing number of industrial factories that unfortunately, harm the environment, especially in cities where industrial and vehicle emissions, as well as household activities, cause serious air pollution. Air is also an important source of arsenic exposure in areas with industrial activity. The presence of arsenic in airborne particulate matter is considered a risk for certain diseases. Taken together, various potential pathways of arsenic exposure seem to affect humans adversely, and future efforts to reduce arsenic exposure caused by environmental factors should be made.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2020

In this study, we compared efficiency of different aquatic plants in removing indoor pollutants and examined their potential to purify indoor air. Two liter of water in chamber was used as the control, while the other chambers containing water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), and water coin (Hydrocotyle umbellata) were used as treatment groups. Temperatures inside all the chambers were maintained between 20 ℃ and 23 ℃. Humidity in the chambers with aquatic plants increased by 30% and 50% control respectively. The removal of formaldehyde per unit leaf area was examined in each aquatic plant. It turned out that water hyacinth removed the highest amount of formaldehyde, followed by water lettuce and water coin. Both water hyacinth and water lettuce increased the amount of removal of formaldehyde until the end of the experiment. In the case of airborne dust (PM 10) and fine dust (PM 2.5), water coin, which had the highest number of leaves, removed more PM 10 and PM 2.5 than the other aquatic plants, with statistically significant difference. In addition, both water coin and water hyacinth smoothly opened and closed stomata before and after the experiment. Consequently, as the aquatic plants were effective in controlling humidity and removing pollutants, they can be used as air purifying plants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.219-224
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• 2016

Objectives: Lung cancer occurred with worker working in an urban bus garage. A survey was conducted to investigate whether lung cancer had causal relationship with work. Exposure to asbestos and diesel engine exhaust were suspected. Methods: Airborne asbestos was sampled on membrane filter and analyzed using phase-contrast microscopy. Airborne diesel exhaust was sampled using quartz filter and analyzed with thermal-optical analyzer. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons was sampled using PTFE filter and XAD-2 tube and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass selective detector. Results: Airborne asbestos concentration was under 0.01 fiber/cc. Worker who warmed up an engine of urban bus for 2 hours was exposed to elemental carbon concentration, $15.5{\mu}g/m^3$. Only naphtalene among polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons was detected. Conclusions: It was difficult to conclude about worker exposure to asbestos because working hour related asbestos was too short. In reviewing papers, the exposure to asbestos over 0.01 fiber/cc during exchange brake lining was found. It was identified that worker's occupational exposure to diesel exhaust based on elemental carbon was higher than the other occupational exposure to diesel exhaust.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.E3
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• pp.99-120
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• 2003

Visibility impairment in an urban area is mainly caused by airborne fine particulate matters. Visibility in a clean air environment is more sensitive to the change of PM$_{2.5}$ particle concentrations. However, a proportionally larger reduction in fine particle concentration is needed to achieve a small increment of visibility improvement in polluted areas. Continuous optical monitoring of atmospheric visibility and extensive aerosol measurements have been made in the urban atmosphere of Kwangju, Korea. The mean for fine particulate mass from 1999 to 2002 at Kwangju was measured to be 23.6$\pm$20.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥. The daily average seasonal visual range was measured to be 13.1, 9.2, 11.0, and 13.9 km in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. The mean light extinction budgets by sulfate, nitrate, organic carbon, and elemental carbon aerosol were observed to be 27, 14, 22, and 12%, respectively. It is highly recommended that a new visibility standard and/or a fine particle standard be established in order to protect the health and welfare of general public. Much more work needs to be done in visibility studies, including long-term monitoring of visibility, improvement of visibility models, and formulating integrated strategies for managing fine particles to mitigate the visibility impairment and climate change.e.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2013

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollinosis is the most popular pollinosis in Japan. It has been reported that Cryptomeria japonica pollen allergenic species are suspended as fine particles in the urban atmosphere. These allergenic fine particles are responsible for inducing asthma by breaking into the lower respiratory tract. It has also been found that pollinosis symptoms on the sufferers appear mainly at night-time by the results from epidemiological studies. However, the exact reason for these phenomena is not yet clarified. In this study, the diurnal and nocturnal behaviours of Cryptomeria japonica pollen grains and their allergenic species in the urban area of Saitama city of Kanto Plain were investigated. Airborne pollen grains and allergenic Cry j 1 concentrations in total suspended particulate matter (TSP) were investigated at two sampling sites, a heavy traffic road (roadside site) and at the balcony of the $10^{th}$ floor of the Building of Research and Project of Saitama University (general urban site). The latter sampling site where located about 300 m away from the roadside site was used as a general urban site unaffected by automobile traffic. The airborne pollen counts were measured with a real-time pollen monitor. Cry j 1 particles were collected with two high volume air samplers, and these concentrations were measured by surface plasmon resonance method with a Biacore J system. The diurnal variation of the airborne pollen counts was similar to the trends of temperature and wind speed during the day-time; whereas its tendency with wind speed trend was not observed during the night-time. Airborne pollen counts were lower with northern wind than with southern wind because the pollen comes from the mountainous areas, and the mountains in the south are closer, about half the distance to the northern mountains. It is suggested that the peaks of airborne pollen counts during night-time in the sampling site occurred by transport of pollen grains released during day-time in the mountainous forest areas, located c.a. 100 km away from the sampling site. On the roadside site the allergenic Cry j 1 concentrations were higher than at the general urban site, nevertheless pollen grains counts were lower. These results suggested that worsening of pollinosis symptoms during night-time in urban area was caused by transport of pollen grains during day-time in the mountainous forest areas. Moreover, pollen allergenic species become different morphology from pollen grain at roadside site, and the subsequent pollen grains re-suspension by automobile traffic.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.306-312
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• 2000

Background : Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are well known environmental pollutants. The measurement of PAH in ambient air is not commonly used, because it is quite difficult to perform and is unreliable. Using biomarkers of PAH can be an alternative approach to this problem. The PAH in ambient air is absorbed in particulate matter. Total suspended particulate(TSP) or particulate matter of less than $10{\mu}m$ in diameter (PM10) can be easily measured. Therefore, TSP or PM10 can be used as a surrogate measurements of ambient air PAH. Objectives : We investigated whether the urinary concentration of two biomarkers of PAH, 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 2-naphthol, could reflect the total suspended particulate in the general population. Methods : In order to exclude the effects of occupational exposure and smoking, first grade middle school students were included in this study. Four middle schools within a one kilometer boundary of ambient air monitoring stations were selected. Total suspended particulate was regarded as the marker of airborne PAH. Diet and smoking data were collected by self administered questionnaires, and spot urine samples were collected. Urinary 1-OHP and 2-naphthol were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Results : The correlation between urinary 1-OHP, 2-naphthol and passive smoking was not statistically significant. The correlation between urinary 1-OHP and TSP indices was not statistically significant. The correlations between urinary 2-naphthol and TSP of two lag days, one lag day, and zero lag days were statistically significant. The statistical significance of two lag days was the strongest (p=0.001), one lag day was the next (p=0.0275), and zero lag days was the weakest (p=0.0349). Conclusion : Our results imply that the urinary concentration of 2-naphthol can be applied as a PAH exposure marker for the general population with low PAH exposure.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.149-156
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to reduce the contaminants (total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), fine particle, odor and total airborne bacteria) during cooking process in cooking chamber, and to decrease the health damage in indoor space that has bad work environment. In order to solve the shortcomings of existing air purifiers and remove all kinds of pollutants effectively, this study focused on the development of indoor air purifiers which are made of bar type. Bio-ceramics filter which combines activated carbon and loess. The air cleaners developed with 4 measuring items including TVOCs, particulate matter, complex odor and total airborne bacteria were measured comparing their pre-service test to their post-service test after a period of time. The measured results showed higher removal efficiency of 91.02% as the concentration of TVOCs was reduced from $2,500{\mu}g/m^3$ to $223{\mu}g/m^3$. Second, the particulate matter removal ratio was 97.51% efficient with average concentration of $26.68{\mu}g/m^3$. Third, the odor showed 95.20% reduction as air dilution ratio averaged out at 144. Last, total airborne bacteria was eliminated by over 94% showing the changeable concentration from $787{\sim}814CFU/m^3$ to $47{\sim}40CFU/m^3$. In addition, the removal rate of harmful pollutants is excellent, and it is expected that the environment of the existing poor cooking room will be greatly improved by using the developed air purifier in combination with the ventilation device and the stove hood.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2022

Airborne fine dust (FD) particles smaller than 10 ㎛ in diameter (PM10) are one of the major causes of air pollution in East Asia, including Korea, and have become a major contributor to respiratory and skin problems. FD inordinately promotes the production of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory response in macrophages, leading to cell damage and death. Rosa rugosa, a deciduous shrub of the Rosa genus, has been used in traditional East Asian herbal medicine to treat various illnesses. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of R. rugosa organ extracts on PM10-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Compared to non-treated RAW264.7 cells, treatment with 100 ㎍.ml^-1 PM10 resulted in increased nitric oxide (NO) production, similar to lipopolysaccharide treatment. Additionally, 100 ㎍/ml stem extract reduced NO production by more than 45% compared to mock treatment. Furthermore, PM10-induced expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, inducible NO synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 was significantly reduced by stem extract treatment, indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of the stem extract is mediated by the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators in PM10-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. These results indicate that the R. rugosa stem could be considered a natural remedy with a protective effect against inflammatory responses induced by harmful airborne dust.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 1996

Airborne suspended particulates were collected by an Andersen high volume air sampler in a traffic area of Seoul from September 1990 to August 1991. Origanic matter extracted from particulates, their fractions, namely acidic, basic, neutral and carcinogenic subfractions (PAHs, nitroarenes) in neutral fractions were assayed for mutagenicity on TA98, TA100 and TA98NR deficient Salmonella strains, use of the pre-incubation method. The relative contribution to total mutanenicity of organic matters was highest in neutral fraction and was lowest in basic fraction. Among subfractions, that of neutral fraction was higher nitroarenes subfraction compared to PAHs subfraction. While the carcinogenic effect of benzo[a]pyrene was calculated as 0.96 persons/million persons based on unit risk estimates by extrapolation method, life time excess cancer risk estimate of EOM, neutral, PAH fraction based on their mutagenicity was calculated as 52, 42, 3.8 persons/million persons, respectively. These findings indicate that the mutagenic hazard of the partciculate, air organic complex mixture, may be dependent upon the mutagen composition in the particulate and interactions each of them. Therfore, health risk from air organic complex mixtures based on mutagenicity might be useful indicator for evaluation of actual risk.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Respiratory face masks are protective facepieces that are designed to filter inhaled air. They are easy-to-use devices that can protect the wearer against various hazardous particles in the air. Respiratory face masks also prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria-containing droplets that are released from the coughing or sneezing of the infected people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various types of face masks have circulated on the market. Their ability to filter sub-micron particles, which are the sizes of harmful particulate matter and airborne viruses, needs to be investigated. Their breathability, the easiness of breath through the mask, also needs to be considered. In this study, wwe evaluated the performance of filters used for different types of face masks certified by different standards including Korean (KF94, KF80, KF-AD), USA (N95), and Chinese (KN95) standards. We also tested the filters of nanofiber masks and surgical masks for which there are no standards for filtration test. The N95 mask filters showed the highest quality factor for capturing virus-sized particles. The other types of mask filters have acceptable performance except for nanofiber mask filters whose performance is very low.