• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.369-377
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• 2013

The trends of the criteria air pollutants' concentrations over Seoul are reviewed, relative contributions of major sources are discussd, and directions for future air quality management are suggested. It was shown that the yearly average concentrations of the criteria air pollutants except nitrogen dioxide and ozone have decreased significantly over the last three decades. Though the concentration of nitrogen dioxide has not decreased, the concentration of $NO_x$ has decreased significantly. The major reason for the reduction of the criteria air pollutants has been strict government regulations such as establishment of strict emission standards and switch to cleaner fuels. However, it is not clear the major reason (s) for the reduction of the $PM_{10}$ concentration. It is suggested that to further reduce the concentrations of secondary air pollutants such as ozone and $PM_{2.5}$, understanding the major chemical pathways for them is essential. In addition, influence from outside Seoul should be quantified and effectively controlled.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.18 no.E2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively estimate the washout removal efficiencies of criteria air pollutants such as SO$_2$, TSP, PM10, CO, NO$_2$, and O$_3$corresponding to the amounts and durations of precipitation. The removal patters by washout were studied with air pollutants data and the corresponding precipitation data in Seoul, Korea during the periods of 1990 to 1999. In addition, washout patterns were classified into four seasons and four time Bones, i.e., night, morning, afternoon, and evening. In this study, natures of air pollutants by sequential precipitation were also intensively studied by examining the linear relationships between removal efficiencies and the amounts and durations of precipitation for each pollutant. The results of this study showed that SO$_2$, TSP, and O$_3$were rapidly removed by initial precipitation; however, NO$_2$was slowly removed 2-hour after precipitation. Both CO and PM10 were weakly removed by washout and their removal patters showed to be irregular.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.194-201
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• 2017

This study investigates the factors that affect China's air pollution using city-level panel data and spatial econometric models. We address three air pollutants ($PM_{10}$, $SO_2$, and $NO_2$) present in 30 cities in China between 2004-2012 using global OLS and spatial models. To develop the spatial econometric analysis, we create a spatial weights matrix to define spatial patterns based on two neighborhood criteria - the queen contiguity and k nearest neighbors. The results show that the estimated coefficients are relatively consistent across different spatial weight criteria. The OLS models indicate that the effect of green spaces is statistically significant in decreasing the concentrations of all air pollutants. In the $PM_{10}$ and $SO_2$ analyses, the OLS models find that the number of buses and population density are also positively related to a reduction in the concentration of air pollutants. In addition, an increase in the temperature and the presence of secondary industries increase $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ concentrations, respectively. All spatial models capture a positive and significant effect of green spaces on reducing the concentration of each air pollutant. Our results suggest that green spaces in cities should receive priority consideration in local planning aimed at sustainable development. Furthermore, policymakers need to be able to discern the differences among pollutants when establishing environmental policies.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2017

Policy direction for the management of air quality in Korea has been on the reduction of the average concentrations of the criteria air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and fine particles. However, recently, risk based management of air pollutants becomes an important issue. In this study, to develop an effective air quality management policy direction in Korea, (1) the fourth Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES IV) carried out in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SQAQMD) in the USA is reviewed and (2) the results are compared with in these in Seoul and (3) policy directions are suggested. It was found that (1) systematic integrated study comprising of measurement, modeling, emission inventory estimation, and risk assessment was essential to estimate the health risk of air pollutants reliably, (2) cancer risk of diesel particle was dominant over other air pollutants, and (3) health risk based emissions were different from amount based emissions. It was suggested that (1) reducing the exposure from hot spots might important to reduce health risk from air pollutants and (2) an integrated air quality management administration system is important for the efficient management of air pollution.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.429-439
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• 1996

A comprehensive air quality monitoring was carried out in this study to investigate the concentrations of criteria air pollutants in indoor and outdoor air of public facilities in Taegu area. Four different kinds of public facilities were seleced as sampling sites, which are underground stores, stations & terminals, general hospitals, and department stores. Each group of the public facilities was consisted of three different sampling sites. As a consequence, a total of 12 different sampling sites were surveyed throughout this study. Sampling was conducted simultaneously indoors, three times per day (in the morning, afternoon, and evening) and four times per year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) at each sampling site during the period of October 1994 to July 1995. A range of criteria pollutants were measured in order to obtain a broad profile of indoor and ambient air quality, including total suspended particles (TSP), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), formaldehyde (HCHO), sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$), and nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$). In addition, temperature, relative humidity, and air current were measured on site together with those air pollutants. Results of this study indicated that the indoor levels of TSP, CO, $SO_2, and NO_2$ appeared to be generally higher in stations/terminals and underground stores than those in department stores and hospitals. However, HCHO and $CO_2$ were found to have higher levels in the department stores and hospitals than other places, indicating that the effects of indoor sources for these pollutants are significantly different from other combustion related pollutants such as TSP, CO, and $SO_2$. It was also found that there are marked seasonal and daily variations both in indoor and outdoor air quality. In general, combustion related pollutants such as CO, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ showed a typical pattern of higher levels in winter than insummer, and also higher in the morning and/or in the evening than in the afternoon. However, the seasonal and daily patterns of HCHO appeared to be opposite to the combustion related pollutants, i.e., higher both in summer and in the afternoon, implying the effect of temperature on the volatilization from indoor sources of HCHO. Results of correlation analyses between indoor and outdoor air quality also indicated that the effects of outdoor sources on the indoor levels of TSP, $SO_2$, CO, and $NO_2$ and much significant, whilst no significant correlations between indoor and outdoor levels were found for HCHO and $CO_2$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2010

Recently, indoor air quality (IAQ) has been one of the major concerns of people. Indoor parking lots are subject to be exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants emitted from vehicles. This study was performed to investigate indoor air quality (IAQ) at indoor parking lots. Sampling sites were selected 5 indoor parking lots. Target indoor air quality parameters include a number of criteria pollutants such PM$_{10}$, CO, CO$_2$, and HCHO. In addition, a variation of IAQ according to ventilation system operating was measured at C site (underground parking lot). In general, all pollutants were maintained below indoor air quality maintenance standards. The indoor air quality at indoor parking lots was affected by the availability of the ventilation facility and their operation frequency. At the underground parking lot (C site) with ventilation system, TVOC concentration according to ventilation system operating were found to be lower operating (488.2 ${\mu}g/m^3$) than non-operating (1,401.2 ${\mu}g/m^3$).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.101-119
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• 2018

In this study, we analyzed long-term measurements and air quality simulation results of four criteria air pollutants ($PM_{10}$, $O_3$, $NO_2$, and $SO_2$) for 10 years, from 2006 to 2015, with emphasis on trends of annual variabilities. With the observation data, we conducted spatial interpolation using the Kriging method to estimate spatial distribution of pollutant concentrations. We also performed air quality simulations using the CMAQ model to consider the nonlinearity of the secondary air pollutants such as $O_3$ and the influence of long-range transport. In addition, these simulations are used to deduce the effect of long-term meteorological variations on trends of air quality changes because we fixed the emissions inventory while changing meteorological inputs. The nation-wide inter-annual variability of modeled $PM_{10}$ concentrations was $-0.11{\mu}g/m^3/yr$, while that of observed concentrations was $-0.84{\mu}g/m^3/yr$. For the Seoul Metropolitan Area, the inter-annual variability of observed $PM_{10}$ concentrations was $-1.64{\mu}g/m^3/yr$ that is two times rapid improvement compared to other regions. On the other hand, the inter-annual variability of observed $O_3$ concentrations is 0.62 ppb/yr which is larger than the simulated result of 0.13 ppb/yr. Magnitudes of differences between the modeled and observed inter-annual variabilities indicated that decreasing trend of $PM_{10}$ and increasing trend of $O_3$ are more influenced by emissions and oxidation states than meteorological conditions. We also found similar patterns in $NO_2$. However, $NO_2$ trends showed greater regional and seasonal differences than other pollutants. The analytic approach used in this study can be applicable to estimate changes in factors determining air quality such as emissions, weather, and surrounding conditions over a long term. Then analysis results can be used as important data for air quality management planning and evaluation of the chronic impact of air quality.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.423-425
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• 2009

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 1993

In order to study on the cause of visibility aggravation, we have selected the days of low-visibility observed in Seoul with haziness that was below 6km from 12 to 15 LST. According to the examinations, the number of low-visibility days satisfying the criteria is 30 days in 1989, 39 days in 1990, and 35 days in 1991, respectively. The annual number of low visibility days appears to increase mainly due to an increase in emission of air pollutants and in anthropogenic water vapor in the biosphere. The relationship between visibility and air pollutants(TSP, $NO_2, SO_2, O_3$) of selected days is also studied. Air pollution concentrations of selected days are much higher than those of other days. It is observed that the cause of visibility aggravation in Seoul is mainly smog and air pollutants. In particular, the visibility reduction and high $SO_2$ concentrations at Seoul in winter are similar phenomena that occurring with London smog, while the visibility reduction and high $O_3$ concentrations at Seoul in summer are also similar to the type of Los Angeles smog.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 1995

Recently, because of the worse of the air pollution, the excessive airtught of building and the inferiority of air conditioning system, the development of high efficiency air purification technology was enlarged to the environmental improvement of an indoor or a harmful working condition. The air purification technology has used chemical filters or charcoal filters or charcoal to remove hazardouse gaseous pollutants (SO$_{x}$, NO$_{x}$, NH$_{3}$, etc.) by air pollutant control technology, but they have many problems of high pressure loss, short life, wide space possession, and treatment of secondary wastes. For these reason, the object of reasearch shall be hazardous gaseous pollutants removal by the surface discharge induced plasma chemical process that is A.C. discharge of multistreams applied A.C. voltage and frequency between plane induced eletrode and line discharge eletrode of tungsten, platinum or titanium with a high purified alumina sheet having a film-like plane. As a result, the control performance for hazardous gaseous pollutants showed very high efficiency in the normal temperature and pressure. Also, after comtact oxidation decomposition of harmful gaseous pollutants, the remainded ozone concentration was found much lower than that of ACGIH or air pollution criteria in Korea.rea.