• 품질경영학회지
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.47-57
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• 2019

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Seoul area by predicting unhealthy days due to PM2.5 and comparing the regional differences. Methods: The extreme value theory is adopted to model and compare the PM2.5 concentration in each region, and each best model is selected through the goodness of fitness test. The maximum likelihood estimation technique is applied to estimate the parameters of each distribution, and the fitness of each model is measured by the mean absolute deviation. The selected model is used to estimate the number of unhealthy days (above $75{\mu}g/m^3$ PM2.5 concentrations) in each region, with which the actual number of unhealthy days are compared. In addition, the level of PM2.5 concentration in each region is analyzed by calculating the return levels for periods of 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. Results: The Mapo (MP) area revealed the most unhealthy days, followed by Gwanak (GW) and Yangcheon (YC). On the contrary, the number of unhealthy days was low in Seodaemun (SDM), Songpa (SP) and Gangbuk (GB) areas. The return level of PM2.5 was high in Gangnam (GN), Dongjak (DJ) and YC. It will be necessary to prepare for PM2.5 than other regions. On the contrary, Gangbuk (GB), Nowon (NW) and Seodaemun (SDM) showed relatively low return levels for PM2.5. However, in most of the regions of Seoul, PM25 is generated at a very poor level ($75{\mu}g/m^3$) every 6months period, and more than $100{\mu}g/m^3$ PM2.5 occur every 3 years period. Most areas in Seoul require more systematic management of PM2.5. Conclusion: In this paper, accurate prediction and analysis of high concentration of PM2.5 were attempted. The results of this research could provide the basis for the Seoul Metropolitan Government to establish policies for reducing PM2.5 and measuring its effects.

• 대한건축학회논문집:구조계
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.61-68
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• 2018

Recently, concentration of fine and ultra-fine particulate matter(PM) has been increased in KOREA. The increase of PM in KOREA is due to increase of domestic industries and yellow dust from china. PM is known to cause diseases such as dyspnoea, asthma, arrhythmia. Since PM is harmful to human, KOREA Ministry of Environment(ME) warns people to stay indoors when the outdoor PM concentration is high. However, prior studies has shown that indoor PM concentration can be relatively high when outdoor PM concentration is high due to infiltration of PM into buildings though leakage areas. In this study, airtightness, indoor and outdoor pressure difference and PM 2.5 & 10 concentration were measured in an apartment complex to observe PM infiltrating into building. Field measurement was conducted in newly-built apartment buildings to avoid the influence of indoor PM which can be generated by residents. The airtightness test was conducted to identify the leakage areas of the apartment, such as electric outlets and supply/exhaust diffusers. The airtightness test result showed that the air leakage area of the building was dominant in buildings envelop. According to indoor and outdoor pressure difference measurement result and PM concentration measurement result, it can be concluded that outdoor PM can infiltrate into indoor by leakage areas when wind is blown toward the apartment. As a result, pressure difference formed by the external weather condition and architectural characteristics such as the airtightness in building can influence PM to infiltrate into buildings. In further studies, I/O ratio, stack-effect, infiltration and penetration factor will be considered.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.237-246
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• 2011

To explore the sources of carbonaceous material in the airborne particulate matter (PM), comprehensive PM sampling was performed (3 to 14 January 2010) at a traffic hot spot site (HS), Farm Gate, Dhaka using several samplers: AirMetrics MiniVol (for $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$) and MOUDI (for size fractionated submicron PM). Long-term PM data (April 2000 to March 2006 and April 2000 to March 2010 in two size fractions ($PM_{2.2}$ and $PM_{2.2-10}$) obtained from two air quality-monitoring stations, one at Farm Gate (HS) and another at a semi-residential (SR) area (Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka Campus, (AECD)), respectively were also analyzed. The long-term PM trend shows that fine particulate matter concentrations have decreased over time as a result of government policy interventions even with increasing vehicles on the road. The ratio of $PM_{2.5}/PM_{10}$ showed that the average $PM_{2.5}$ mass was about 78% of the $PM_{10}$ mass. It was also found that about 63% of $PM_{2.5}$ mass is $PM_1$. The total contribution of BC to $PM_{2.5}$ is about 16% and showed a decreasing trend over the years. It was observed that $PM_1$ fractions contained the major amount of carbonaceous materials, which mainly originated from high temperature combustion process in the $PM_{2.5}$. From the IMPROVE TOR protocol carbon fraction analysis, it was observed that emissions from gasoline vehicles contributed to $PM_1$ given the high abundance of EC1 and OC2 and the contribution of diesel to $PM_1$ is minimal as indicated by the low abundance of OC1 and EC2. Source apportionment results also show that vehicular exhaust is the largest contributors to PM in Dhaka. There is also transported $PM_{2.2}$from regional sources. With the increasing economic activities and recent GDP growth, the number of vehicles and brick kilns has significantly increased in and around Dhaka. Further action will be required to further reduce PM-related air pollution in Dhaka.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• 제19권E3호
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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.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.30-41
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• 2019

Objectives: The effects of particulate matter and ozone on health are being reported in a number of studies. These effects are likely to be stronger on the elderly population, but studies in this regard are scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of particulate matter ${\leq}2.5{\mu}m$ and ozone on the acute health status of the elderly population. Methods: In order to analyze the health status of the elderly population, the NHIS-Senior Cohort data was used. In this study of people 60 years or older in Seoul, the number of outpatient visits and ER visits between 2002 and 2013 were calculated. Each disorder and the lag effect were analyzed separately. Particulate matter and ozone were analyzed using both the single exposure model and the adjusted multi-exposure model. Results: In the single exposure analysis with PM2.5 as the exposure variable, with each increase of $10{\mu}g/m^3$, the number of outpatient visits increased by 1.0081 times, vascular disease 1.0065 times, chronic pulmonary disease 1.0086 times, and diabetes 1.0055 times. In the multi-exposure model adjusting for ozone, the number of outpatient visits increased by 1.0066 times. There was a one-day lag effect and 1.0066 times increase between PM2.5 and ER visits in the multi-exposure model and 1.0057 times when adjusted for ozone (p value <0.10). There was a one-day lag effect in all multi-exposure models with ozone as the main variable, and when the particulate matter was adjusted, there was a one-day delay and 1.0143 times increase in ER visits. Conclusions: In our study, an increase in the number of outpatient and ER visits in the elderly population in accordance with the increase in PM2.5 and ozone was found. The association found in our study could also produce a socioeconomic burden. Future studies need to be performed in regards to younger populations and other air pollutants.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제27권7호
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• pp.543-554
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• 2018

From November 2013 to December 2016, ambient fine particulate matter ($PM_{2.5}$) was sampled in the downtown area of Jeju City, South Korea, which has seen rapid urbanization. The atmospheric concentrations of elements were measured in the $PM_{2.5}$ samples. This study focused on Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, As, Sb, Sn, V, and Zn. The concentrations of Al, Na, K, Fe, Ca, Mg, Sr, and La were also obtained for reference. The objectives of this study were to examine the contributions of these elements to $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations in downtown Jeju City, and to investigate the inter-element relationships and the elemental sources by using enrichment factors and principal components analysis (PCA). A composition analysis showed that the 19 elements constituted 6.65 % of the $PM_{2.5}$ mass, and Na, K, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, and Zn constituted 98 % of the total ion mass. Seasonal trend analysis for the sampling period indicated that the concentrations of the elements increased from November to April. However, no substantial seasonal variations were found in the concentrations of the elements. The composition ratios of some elements (Cu/Zn, Cu/Cd, Cu/Pb, V/Ni, and V/La) were found to be out of range when compared to the literature from other urban areas. The ratios between the elements and the PCA results showed that local contaminant sources in Jeju City rarely influence the composition of $PM_{2.5}$. This suggests that the major sources of $PM_{2.5}$ in Jeju City may include long-range transport of fine particulate matter produced in other areas.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제57권2호
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• pp.185-196
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• 2024

Objectives: Excess mortality associated with long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has been documented. However, research on the disease burden following short-term exposure is scarce. We investigated the cause-specific mortality burden of short-term exposure to PM_2.5 by considering the potential non-linear concentration-response relationship in Korea. Methods: Daily cause-specific mortality rates and PM_2.5 exposure levels from 2010 to 2019 were collected for 8 Korean cities and 9 provinces. A generalized additive mixed model was employed to estimate the non-linear relationship between PM_2.5 exposure and cause-specific mortality levels. We assumed no detrimental health effects of PM_2.5 concentrations below 15 ㎍/m³. Overall deaths attributable to short-term PM_2.5 exposure were estimated by summing the daily numbers of excess deaths associated with ambient PM_2.5 exposure. Results: Of the 2 749 704 recorded deaths, 2 453 686 (89.2%) were non-accidental, 591 267 (21.5%) were cardiovascular, and 141 066 (5.1%) were respiratory in nature. A non-linear relationship was observed between all-cause mortality and exposure to PM_2.5 at lag0, whereas linear associations were evident for cause-specific mortalities. Overall, 10 814 all-cause, 7855 non-accidental, 1642 cardiovascular, and 708 respiratory deaths were attributed to short-term exposure to PM_2.5. The estimated number of all-cause excess deaths due to short-term PM_2.5 exposure in 2019 was 1039 (95% confidence interval, 604 to 1472). Conclusions: Our findings indicate an association between short-term PM_2.5 exposure and various mortality rates (all-cause, non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory) in Korea over the period from 2010 to 2019. Consequently, action plans should be developed to reduce deaths attributable to short-term exposure to PM_2.5.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.228-235
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• 2015

In order to clarify the thermal and hygroscopic properties of indoor particulate matter (PM) in a semiclosed subway space, which is critically important for understanding of the distinctive particle formation processes as well as the assessment of their health effects, the size-resolved PMs (i.e., $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10-2.5}$) were intensively collected on the platform of Miasageori station on the Seoul Subway Line-4. The elemental concentrations in soluble and insoluble fractions were determined by PIXE from the bulkily pretreated $PM_{2.5}$. The thermal and hygroscopic characteristics of individual particles were investigated via a combination of the unique pretreatment techniques (i.e., the high-temperature rapid thermal process and the water dialysis) and SEM-EDX analysis. Iron and calcium were unequaled in insoluble and soluble $PM_{2.5}$ fractions, respectively, with overwhelming concentration. The SEM-EDX's elemental net-counts for the pre- and post-pyrolyzed PMs newly suggest that magnesium and several elements (i.e., silica, aluminum, and calcium) may be readily involved in the newly generated subway fine PM by a high-temperature thermal processing when trains are breaking and starting. Through the water dialysis technique, it turned out that calcium has meaningful amount of water soluble fraction. Furthermore, the concentrations of the counter-ions associated with the calcium in subway $PM_{10-2.5}$ were theoretically estimated.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.205-213
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• 2015

The objective of the current study was to assess the comparative risk associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM) while commuting via different public transport modes in Fukuoka, Japan. For the given routes and measuring days, a trip-maker carried a lightweight portable bag loaded the real-time measurement devices which take simultaneous measurement for size-fractioned particle number concentration, $PM_{2.5}$ mass concentration, and total suspended particle (TSP) collection. The results of the present study have shown significant differences between public transports as commuting modes in Fukuoka. The PM exposure levels on subway platform and inside subway train were overwhelmingly higher than those of other points on commuting route. The relative ratio between modes (i.e., the ratio of $PM_{2.5}$ inside subway to that inside bus) provides an idea for choosing a right commuting mode for our health. This study clearly provided evidence of the extremely high levels of iron exposure by subway uses compared to bus uses. The result of theoretically reconstructed mass concentration of $PM_{2.0-0.3}$ collected on subway platform suggests that the PM of underground subway will be associated with PM both generated in subway system and inleakaged from outdoor environment.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.455-460
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• 2020

In order to identify the characteristics of fine particle emissions from thermal power plants, this study conducted measurement of the primary emission concentration of TPM, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 according to Korea standard test method (ES 01301.1) and ISO 23210 method (KS I ISO 23210). Particulate matters were sampled in total 74 units of power plants such as 59 units of coal-fired power plants, 7 units of heavy oil power plants, 2 units of biomass power plant, and 6 units of liquid natural gas power plants. The average concentration of TPM, PM₁₀, PM_2.5 by fuel are 3.33 mg/m³, 3.01 mg/m³, 2.70 mg/m³ in coal-fired plant, 3.02 mg/m³, 2.99 mg/m³, 2.93 mg/m³ in heavy oil plant, 0.114 mg/m³, 0.046 mg/m³, 0.036 mg/m³ in LNG plant, respectively. These results of TPM, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were satisfied with the standards of fine dust emission allowance in all units of power plants, respectively. Also, this study evaluated the characteristics of fine particle emissions by conditions of power plants including generation sources, boiler types and operation years and calculated emission factors and then evaluated fine particle emissions by sources of electricity generation.