• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 2020

Background: Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are harmful gases generated during aerobic/anaerobic bacterial decomposition of livestock manure. We evaluated ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations generated from workplaces at livestock farms and determined environmental factors influencing the gas concentrations. Methods: Five commercial swine farms and five poultry farms were selected for monitoring. Real-time monitors were used to measure the ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations and environmental conditions during the manure-handling processes. Monitoring was conducted in the manure storage facility and composting facility. Information on the farm conditions was also collected through interview and walk-through survey. Results: The ammonia concentrations were significantly higher at the swine composting facilities (9.5-43.2 ppm) than at other manure-handling facilities at the swine and poultry farms, and high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide were identified during the manure agitation and mixing process at the swine manure storage facilities (6.9-19.5 ppm). At the poultry manure-handling facilities, the ammonia concentration was higher during the manure-handling processes (2.6-57.9 ppm), and very low hydrogen sulfide concentrations (0-3.4 ppm) were detected. The air temperature and relative humidity, volume of the facility, duration of manure storage, and the number of animals influenced the gas concentrations. Conclusion: A high level of hazardous gases was generated during manure handling, and some levels increased up to risk levels that can threaten workers' health and safety. Some of the farm operational factors were also found to influence the gas levels. By controlling and improving these factors, it would be possible to protect workers' safety and health from occupational risks.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.542-549
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• 1997

HFC-227ea and HCFC Blend A were evaluated using full-scale fire tests to obtain information on their fire suppression performance, drop-in capability, thermal decomposition products and physical behaviour of the agent such as its flow characteristics in the piping system. Also, full-scale tests were conducted with Halon 1301 to provide a basis for comparison. Halon 1301, at concentrations of 5% to 7.5%, showed effective total-flooding fire- extinguishing performance for all test scenarios. HFC-227ea, at a design concentration of 7.6% or higher, and HCFC Blend A, at a design concentration of 12%, extinguished all fires in the test facility, however, these agents produced higher concentrations of acid gases than Halon 1301. The quantity of the acid gases generated during fire suppression was dependent on agent concentration, agent discharge time, fire type and size as well as extinguishment time.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.277-288
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• 2015

Objectives: There are many hazardous agents at livestock farms. In particular, gases can be detrimental to both workers and animals. This study evaluated ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations in broiler hen barns and beef cattle barns according to sampling location and height. Methods: Three broiler hen barns and three beef cattle barns were selected for gas monitoring in this study. Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations were measured using a direct-reading instrument which could measure the target gases simultaneously. Gas monitoring was conducted at human breathing height and animal breathing height at three points in each livestock farm. Results: Ammonia concentrations at the broiler hen barns ranged from 3.3 to 12.5 ppm by sampling location and height, but hydrogen sulfide was not detected. In the beef cattle barns, ammonia ranged from 3.1 to 16.3 ppm and low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide were detected at some animal breathing heights. The gas concentrations detected at each livestock farm were significantly higher in the animal breathing zones than in human breathing zones (p<0.0001). Conclusions: We found a difference in gas concentrations between human breathing zones and animal breathing zones. Gas monitoring should be conducted to improve the related environment considering both workers' and animals' health and safety.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.395-404
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• 2011

Asian dust evens took place in Seoul on 27~28 March and 31 March~1 April 2007, during which the mass and chemical compositions of $PM_{10}$ were measured at urban area in Seoul, Korea. In conjunction with $PM_{10}$ compositions, the behaviors of gas precursors such as CO, $O_3$, $SO_2$, and $NO_2$ and meteorological parameters and air mass trajectories were thoroughly examined. The earlier case was a weak dust incidence which was characterized by elevated concentrations of CO, $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ as well as secondary aerosols. In contrast, the later showed the trait of the dust aerosols associated with high $PM_{10}$ mass and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations. In general, the fractions of ionic species against mass decreased with increase in dust loading. The ratios of ${SO_4}^{2-}$ to ${NO_3}^-$ and $SO_2$ to $NO_2$ were similar in temporal variations, suggesting the concentrations of secondary aerosols were sensitive to the level of precursor gases. In this study, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ were also highly elevated during the heavy dust episode, which is thought to have originated from alkaline soils spreading through the northeast regions of China.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.616-624
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• 2018

In this study, a previous DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to measure the concentration of formaldehyde in ambient and source environments has been improved. To improve the disadvantage of the previous HPLC method, an appropriate composition ratio of mobile phase (water: acetonitrile (ACN)) was determined and an isocratic analysis was conducted. Furthermore, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation(LOQ), accuracy, and precision were investigated to verify the reliability of the analytical conditions determined. Finally, samples of exhaust gases from five different industrial facilities were applied to HPLC analytial method proposed to determine their formaldehyde concentrations. The appropriate composition ratio of the mobile phase under the isocratic condition was a mixture of water(40%) and ACN(60%). As the volume fraction of the organic solvent ACN increases, retention time of the formaldehyde peak was reduced. Detection time of formaldehyde peak determined using the proposed isocratic method was reduced from 7 minutes(previous HPLC method) to approximately 3 minutes. LOD, LOQ, accuracy, and precision of the formaldehyde determined using standard solutions were 0.787 ppm, 2.507 ppm, 93.1%, and 0.33%, respectively, all of which are within their recommended ranges. Average concentrations of the formaldehyde in five exhaust gases ranged from 0.054 ppm to 1.159 ppm. The lowest concentration (0.054 ppm) was found at samples from waste gas incinerator in a bisphenol-A manufacturing plant. The highest was observed at samples from the absorption process in manufacturing facilities of chemicals including formaldehyde and hexamine. The analytical time of the formaldehyde in ambient air can be shortened by using the isocratic analytical method under appropriate mobile phase conditions.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.477-484
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• 2016

In general, $CH_4$ concentrations generated in combustion facilities are known to be ppm units. In most cases, $CH_4$ samples are collected in Tedlar bags and transported to laboratories for analysis. Considering this fact, in the present study, an attempt was made to find out how long samples can be stored in cases where they are kept in bags and transported as a preliminary study for sampling. According to the results of the experiment using simulated gases (1 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm) in Tedlar bag, $CH_4$ was safe up to 240 hr which is the full time. In the case of simulated gases are containing 4 kind gases ($N_2$, $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$). Field samples (samples of obtained by collecting combustion facilities' exhaust gases) are known to contain highly reactive substances (for example NOx, SOx, and VOCs) and may affect each other. In the present study, one site sample was secured from each of a bituminous coal combustion facility and an LNG combustion facility and whether the concentrations of $CH_4$ gas would change over time (24 hr, 96 hr, 144 hr, 192 hr) was checked. Since site samples could not be analyzed on the day of collection, an experiment was started 24 hr after the time point of sampling to analyze the samples. As with the results of analysis of the simulated gas (240 hr), the results of analysis using the site sample indicated that it could be stored for the full study period 192 hr. Therefore, it was judged that if 192 hr would be taken after sampling before the sample would be analyzed, the concentration value should be reliable.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.2213-2217
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• 2008

The important factor is keeping the temperature condition in quantifying several toxic components in combustion gases. In case of not keeping the temperature as it was in combustion, the change of component and concentration of smoke gases was inevitable. To solve this problem, FT-IR spectroscopy with gas cell was applied. But, there is also a difficulty in quantitative analysis of specific toxic component because of water vapor. Thus, in this study, water vapor FT-IR spectra with different concentrations were obtained and applied them to quantitative analysis.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.487-497
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• 2007

Increase of the greenhouse gases emissions during last century has led remarkable changes in our environment and climate system. Continuous monitoring of atmospheric constituents over the world is positively necessary to understand these changes around us. The concentrations of greenhouse gases ($CO_2,\;CH_4,\;N_2O,\;CFCs$) have been continuously measured at Global Climate Change Monitoring station in Gosan, Jeju since January, 2002. In this study, the variation characteristics of greenhouse gases as well as their annual, seasonal and diurnal trend using the data from January, 2002 to December, 2005 were analyzed. The raw data which was used in the analysis were validated with the methods recommended by WDCGG (World Data Center for Greenhouse Gases). The concentration of $CO_2$ was increasing continuously by 2.1 ppm/year, while $CH_4$ did not show any increasing or decreasing trend clearly for 4 years. The concentration of $N_2O$ was slightly increasing and CFCs were decreasing except CFC-12 which has longer lifetime compared with other CFCs. The variations of the greenhouse gases at Gosan were shown to be consistent with the global trend. But the concentration level of $CO_2$ in Korea was more or less higher than abroad.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.275-283
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• 2017

Objective: An experiment was conducted to investigate the environment of the deep litter system and provided theoretical basis for production. Methods: The bedding samples were obtained from a pig breeding farm and series measurements associated with gases concentrations and the bacterial diversity as well as the quantity of Escherichia coli, Lactobacilli, Methanogens were performed in this paper. Results: The concentrations of $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $NH_3$ in the deep litter system increased with the increasing of depth while the $N_2O$ concentrations increased fiercely from the 0 cm to the -10 cm depth but then decreased beneath the -10 cm depth. Meanwhile, the Shannon index, the dominance index as well as the evenness index at the -20 cm layer was significantly different from the other layers (p<0.05). On the other hand, the quantity of Escherichia coli reached the highest value at the surface beddings and there was a significant drop at the -20 cm layer with the increasing depth. The Lactobacilli numbers increased with the depth from 0 cm to -15 cm and then decreased significantly under the -20 cm depth. The expression of Methanogens reached its largest value at the depth of -35 cm. Conclusion: The upper layers (0 cm to -5 cm) of this system were aerobic, the middle layers (-10 cm to -20 cm) were micro-aerobic, while that the bottom layers (below -20 cm depth) were anaerobic. In addition, from a standpoint of increasing the nitrification pathway and inhibiting the denitrification pathway, it should be advised that the deep litter system should be kept aerobic.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.22 no.3 s.81
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• pp.34-38
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• 2007

The experiment was done to investigate extinguishing concentrations of different inert gases of verying concentrations made in contact with Kerosene. The experimental results obtained are as follows; at a standard amount of air flow was 40L/min, the extinguishing concentration of Argon, Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide and Helium for Kerosene were 36.5%, 27.3%, 17.4%, 12.3%, respectively. And, according to these results, Helium of 12.3% showed the lowest extinguishing concentration.