• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2010

The distribution of ambient air particles varies according to climate, industries, and other sources. In this study, ambient air particles (less than 12.1 ${\mu}m$) were monitored from February to August, 2007 as 12 different fractions sorted by a cascade impactor. Particles in the size range from 0.33 ${\mu}m$ to 0.76 ${\mu}m$ comprised the main fraction of ambient air particles in Seoul, Korea. On the day of an Asian dust event, the particle fraction size increased to 1.25~2.5 ${\mu}m$. The different sized particle fractions were also monitored for metals and were found to contain toxic heavy metals including Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr and As. Particle preparations were significantly cytotoxic when exposed to cultured BEAS-2B cells. Microarray analysis of the treated cells indicated a significant up-regulation of a number of genes associated with oxidative stress, including metallothionein, heme oxygenase-1, heat shock protein 70, and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-1.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.400-401
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.249-250
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• 2002

2001년 3월 26일부터 5월 6일까지 제주 고산에서 시행된 에어로졸 국제공동관측 ACE-Asia(Aerosol Characterization Experiments)은 인위적인 원인에 의해 오염된 대기에 대한 집중관측과 인공위성을 이용한 시ㆍ공간적 분포에 대한 조사를 통하여 지구대기복사에 영향을 미치는 에어로졸들에 대한 물리ㆍ화학적인 특성을 분석하고, 이를 토대로 가까운 미래의 대기환경의 변화를 예측할 수 있도록 대기복사 모델을 구성하는 데에 그 취지를 두고 있다. (중략)

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2019

Asian Dust is a meteorological phenomenon that sand particles are raised from the arid and semi-arid regions-Taklamakan Desert, Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolia in China-and transported by westerlies and deposited on the surface. Asian dust results in a negative effect on human health as well as environmental, social and economic aspects. For monitoring of Asian Dust, Korea Meteorological Administration operates 29 stations using a continuous ambient particulate monitor. Kim et al. (2016) developed an automatic quality check (AQC) algorithm for objective and systematic quality check of observed PM₁₀ concentration and evaluated AQC with results of a manual quality check (MQC). The results showed the AQC algorithm could detect abnormal observations efficiently but it also presented a large number of false alarms which result from valid error check. To complement the deficiency of AQC and to develop an AQC system which can be applied in real-time, AQC has been modulated. Based on the analysis of instrument status codes, valid error check process was revised and 6 status codes were further considered as normal. Also, time continuity check and spike check were modified so that posterior data was not referred at inspection time. Two-year observed PM₁₀ concentration data and corresponding MQC results were used to evaluate the modulated AQC compared to the original AQC algorithm. The results showed a false alarm ratio decreased from 0.44 to 0.09 and the accuracy and the probability of detection were conserved well in spite of the exclusion of posterior data at inspection time.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.541-549
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• 2003

Aerosol measurement were carried out to investigate the characteristics of its chemical composition directly affected by the local emissions of Jeju City, Jeju Island by using an eight-stage cascade impactor from Dec. 1999 to Aug. 2000. The ambient aerosol concentrations measured at Jeju City were generally very low but the fine particle concentrations were to be higher than the US standard of PM2.5. The majority of sulfate were non sea salt and contained in the fine particles. In the fine particles, the concentrations of Na$\^$+/, K$\^$+/, Mg$\^$2+/, Ca$\^$2+/, Cl$\^$-/ and NO$\sub$3$\^$-/ had a tendency to increase during the springtime rather than the other seasons. However, the springtime sulfate and ammonium concentrations in the fine particles were slightly lower than those during the other seasons. On the other hand, associated with the coarse particles, the concentrations of ionic species except potassium and ammonium were elevated during the springtime. The calcium concentrations in the coarse particles were increased up to 8 times relative to the other seasons.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2016

Particle depolarization ratios (DPRs) at 440, 675, 870 and 1020 nm are retrieved from AERONET sun/sky radiometer observations at Gosan and Kongju in South Korea. The retrieved results show good agreement with DPRs measured by lidar at 532 nm. High DPRs are found when Asian dust passes through at the upper atmosphere over 2 km above the Earth's surface. In case of lower atmosphere less than 2 km from the ground, DPRs are relatively low due to the small amount of dust particles and mixing of dust with air pollutants.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.668-676
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• 2018

This study has developed a technique to divide the aerosol optical depth of the entire aerosol (${\tau}_{total}$) into the dust optical depth (${\tau}_D$) and the pollution particle optical depth (${\tau}_P$) using the AERONET sun/sky radiometer data provided in Version 3. This method was applied to the analysis of AERONET data observed from 2006 to 2016 in Beijing, China, Seoul and Gosan, Korea and Osaka, Japan and the aerosol optical depth trends of different types of atmospheric aerosols in Northeast Asia were analyzed. The annual variation of ${\tau}_{total}$ showed a tendency to decrease except for Seoul where observation data were limited. However, ${\tau}_D$ tended to decrease when ${\tau}_{total}$ were separated as ${\tau}_D$ and ${\tau}_P$, but ${\tau}_P$ tended to increase except for Osaka. This is because the concentration of airborne aerosols, represented by Asian dust in Northeast Asia, is decreased in both mass concentration and optical concentration. However, even though the mass concentration of pollution particles generated by human activity tends to decrease, Which means that the optical concentration represented as aerosol optical depth is increasing in Northeast Asia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.570-578
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• 2003

Background : Ambient particles during Asian dust events are usually sized less than $10{\mu}m$, known to be associated with the adverse effects on the general populations. But, there has been no considerable evidence linking these particles to the adverse effects on airways. The objectives of this study was to investigate the possible adverse effects of Asian dust events on respiratory function and symptoms in subjects with bronchial asthma. Patients and Methods : From march to June 2002, Asthmatic patients who were diagnosed with bronchial challenge test or bronchodilator response were enrolled. We divided them into three groups; mild, moderate, and severe, according to the severity. Subjects with other organ insufficiency such as heart, kidney, liver, and malignancy were excluded. All patients completed twice daily diaries and recorded peak flow rate, respiratory symptom, and daily activity. Daily and hourly mean pollutant levels of particulate matter < $10{\mu}m$ in diameter($PM_{10}$), nitrogen dioxide($NO_2$), sulphur dioxide($SO_2$), ozone($O_3$) and carbon monoxide(CO) were measured at the 10 different monitoring sites. Results : Dust events occured 14 times during the study period. Daily averages of 4 air pollutant were measured with an increased level of $PM_{10}$, decreased level of $NO_2$ and $SO_2$, and no change in CO during dust days compared to those during control days. An increase in $PM_{10}$ concentration was associated with an increase of subjects with PEF variability of >20% (p<0.05), night time symptom(p<0.05), and a decrease in mean PEF (p<0.05), which were calculated by the longitudinal data analysis. Otherwise, there was no association between $PM_{10}$ level and bronchodialtor inhaler, and daytime respiratory symptoms. Conclusion : This study shows evidence that ambient air pollution, especially $PM_{10}$, during Asian dust events, could be one of the many aggravating factors at least in patients with airway diseases. This data can be used as a primary source to set up a new policy on air environmental control and to evaluate the safety of air pollution index. We also expect that this research will help identify precise components of dust, which are more linked to the adverse effects.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2014

The $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected at Gosan Site of Jeju Island, and analyzed, in order to investigate the size distribution and pollution characteristics of their components. $NH{_4}{^+}$, nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$, $K^+$, and $CH_3COO^-$ were mostly existed in fine particles. Meanwhile, $NO{_3}{^-}$ was distributed in both fine and coarse particles, and $Na^+$, $Cl^-$, $Mg^{2+}$, nss-$Ca^{2+}$ were rich in coarse particle mode. The concentrations of nss-$Ca^{2+}$ and $NO{_3}{^-}$ were increased 36.7 and 3.2 times in coarse particles, and 15.0 and 3.1 times in fine particles during the Asian Dust periods. Especially, the concentrations of crustal elemental species such as Al, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, Ti, Mn, Sr, Ba were highly increased for those periods. In the haze events, the concentrations of secondary air pollutants were increased 1.3~2.6 and 1.5~4.2 times in coarse and fine particles, respectively. Moreover, the remarkable increase of $NO{_3}{^-}$ concentration was also observed in fine particle mode. The factor analysis showed that the composition of coarse particles was influenced mainly by marine sources, followed by soil and anthropogenic sources. On the other hand, the fine particles were influenced by anthropogenic sources, followed by marine and soil sources.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.682-692
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• 2008

Fine particles ($PM_{2.5}$) were collected and analyzed from November 2005 through August 2007 in Chuncheon, Korea to investigate the characteristics of $PM_{2.5}$ and its ionic constituents. The average $PM_{2.5}$ concentration during the study period was $39{\mu}g/m^3$, which is almost two times higher than the annual US NAAQS $PM_{2.5}$ standard of $15{\mu}g/m^3$. $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were higher in spring and winter than in summer and fall. During spring, Asian Dust events dramatically enhanced $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations, and long-range transport of $PM_{2.5}$ emitted in industrial area of China often occurred during winter based on trajectory analysis. Contribution of $PM_{2.5}$ to $PM_{10}$ concentrations ranged from $72{\mu}g/m^3$ during Asian Dust events to $457{\mu}g/m^3$, indicating that a large portion of $PM_{2.5{\sim}10}$ was transported from China during Asian Dust events. Among the major ionic constituents ${SO_4}^{2-}$ showed the highest concentration, followed by ${NH_4}^+$, ${NO_3}^-$ and ${NO_2}^-$. Chuncheon appeared to be ${NH_4}^+$ rich environment, indicating that $(NH_4)_{2}SO_4$ and ${NH_4}{NO_3}$ were the predominant forms of ${NO_3}^-$ and ${SO_4}^2$ in $PM_{2.5}$. Haze has frequently occurred in Chuncheon since So-Yang dam was constructed in 1973. Haze events were observed on 23 days during sampling period, and the average $PM_{2.5}$ concentration was approximately 1.6 times higher during haze events than during non-haze events. This result suggests that haze enhances the secondary aerosol formation because the aerosol spontaneously absorbs water to form a saturated salt solution, deriving a significant increase in the mass of the particle.