• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.112-116
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• 2024

Gas-sensor technology for volatile organic compounds (VOC) biomarker detection offers significant advantages for noninvasive diagnostics, including rapid response time and low operational costs, exhibiting promising potential for disease diagnosis. Colorimetric gas sensors, which enable intuitive analysis of gas concentrations through changes in color, present additional benefits for the development of personal diagnostic kits. However, the traditional method of visually monitoring these sensors can limit quantitative analysis and consistency in detection threshold evaluation, potentially affecting diagnostic accuracy. To address this, we developed a machine vision platform based on metal-organic framework (MOF) for colorimetric gas sensor arrays, designed to accurately detect disease-related VOC biomarkers. This platform integrates a CMOS camera module, gas chamber, and colorimetric MOF sensor jig to quantitatively assess color changes. A specialized machine vision algorithm accurately identifies the color-change Region of Interest (ROI) from the captured images and monitors the color trends. Performance evaluation was conducted through experiments using a platform with four types of low-concentration standard gases. A limit-of-detection (LoD) at 100 ppb level was observed. This approach significantly enhances the potential for non-invasive and accurate disease diagnosis by detecting low-concentration VOC biomarkers and offers a novel diagnostic tool.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.301-306
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• 2016

Objectives: Direct-reading instrument(Photoionization detectors, PID) and quantitative analysis using active type air sampling (Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, GC-FID) were tested to evaluate their ability to detect volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in a semiconductor manufacturing plant. Methods: The organic compounds used were acetone and ethanol which are normally used as cleaning solutions in the semiconductor manufacturing. The evaluation was based on the preparation of test solutions of known acetone and ethanol concentration in a chamber($600{\times}600{\times}1150mm$). Samples were prepared that would be equivalent to 5~100 ppm for acetone and 10~ 200 ppm ethanol. GC-FID and PID were evaluated simultaneously. Quantitative analysis was performed after sampling and the direct-reading instrument was checked using real-time data logging. Results: Positive correlations between PID and GC-FID were found for acetone and ethanol at 0.04~2.4% for acetone(TLV: 500 ppm) and 0.1~8.3% for ethanol(TLV: 1000 ppm). When the sampling time was 15 min, concentration of test solution was the most similar between measurement methods. However, the longer the sampling time, the less similar the results. PID and GC-FID had similar exposure patterns. Conclusions: The results indicate that PID and GC-FID have similar exposure pattern and positive correlation for detection of acetone and ethanol. Therefore, PID can be used for exposure monitoring for VOCs in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. This study has significance in that it validates measuring occupational exposure using a portable device.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.393-405
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• 2018

Objective: This study examines the types of hazardous factors in the working environment and the time-trend for their exposure levels over 10 years (2007 to 2016). Study Design and Method: The types of hazardous factors and exposure levels were drawn from the 19 measurement reports on the working environment over 10 years at a shock absorber manufacturing facility. Risk assessment of the types of factors and time-trend of exposure levels were evaluated using the factors and exposure levels. Results: A total of 34 hazardous factors were evaluated. The types were noise, 15 organic compounds, seven kinds of acid sand alkalis, eight kinds of heavy metals, and three other compounds. Special management materials used were nickel, hexavalent chrome, and sulfuric acid. Human carcinogens (1A) used were trichloroethylene, nickel, and sulfuric acid. There were six types of substances belonging to the IARC's 2B (body carcinogens) classification or higher, including, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethyl benzene, and trichloroethylene. No detection was found for 627 out of the 2065 total measurements in 19 exposure survey reports, representing 30.4%. Organic solvents, acid and alkali products, and heavy metals showed continuous low exposure concentrations. Noise, welding fumes, and the evaluation of mixed solvents show a gradual decrease in geometric mean and maximum over the time-trend of 10 years. Conclusions: In the case of a shock absorber manufacturing facility, the hazardous factors of noise and the evaluation of mixed solvents still indicate high concentrations exceeding the exposure limits and necessitate reduction studies. These two factors and welding fumes showed a continuous decrease in their ten-year tendency. Organic compounds, acids/alkalis, and heavy metals were managed smoothly in a work environment of continuous low concentrations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.254-259
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• 2012

The discharge characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from seven wastewater treatment plants and two industry drains at Nakdong River basin were investigated. Four Sampling campaigns were conducted between May 2008 and November 2008, and tested for 17 VOCs. As results, eight VOCs were detected at some sampling sites, but their concentration levels were low; 0.19~3.41 ${\mu}g/L$, dependent on each sampling location and substance. However, proper management plans such as supervising and monitoring systems for VOCs are needed to control those pollutants since VOCs might affect human health as well as aquatic ecosystems with extremely low concentration levels.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.192-201
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• 2014

A comprehensive profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in public spaces is needed for interpreting indoor air measurements. Seasonal differences in profiles are critical for epidemiological study and risk assessment. The purposes of this study were to establish profiles for individual VOCs in 50 indoor public places in Korea and to determine seasonal variations in their concentrations. Air samples were taken during working hours. Seventy-two of the 91 targeted VOCs were identified using multiple standards. Six VOCs detected in all summer and winter samples were toluene, acetone, m,p-xylenes, ethylbenzene, benzene, and styrene. In summer, methyl ethyl ketone and 1-butanol were also found in all samples. In both seasons, the dominant indoor VOCs were toluene, m,p-xylenes, ethylbenzene, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol. Other chemicals associated with gasoline emissions were dominant in summer. Limonene was dominant only in winter due to the consumption of tangerines. The nine VOCs with the highest concentrations comprised 64.8% and 49.6% of the TVOC in summer and winter, respectively. Comparing two types of adsorbent tube, a single adsorbent tube with Tenax-TA had similar detection performance as a double adsorbent tube with Tenax and Carbotrap.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.3963-3970
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• 2012

Headspace (HS) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) were studied for extracting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from whole blood, with chemical and instrumental variables being optimized for maximum sensitivity: incubation at $60^{\circ}C$, equilibration for 30 min, pH 11, and 2 mL injection volume. Both techniques provided accurate analyses, with detection limits of 0.05-0.1 ng $mL^{-1}$ and 0.05-0.5 ng $mL^{-1}$. HS showed better sensitivity, reproducibility, and analysis times than HS-SPME. Overall levels of chloroform in whole blood were found to be 0.05-5.84 ng $mL^{-1}$; detected levels of benzene were 0.05-2.20 ng $mL^{-1}$.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.428-434
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• 2010

In this study, a novel gas sensor based on evanescent field coupling between single mode side polished fiber and solvatochromic dye dispersed polymer waveguide was demonstrated. We fabricated a side polished optical fiber device as a volatile organic compounds gas detector. Solvatochromic dye was coated on the top of the side polished optical fiber to take advantage of evanescent field coupling. The solvatochromism can be defined as the phenomenon whereby a compound changes color, either by a change in the absorption or emission spectra of molecule, when reacted in different VOCs. The device reacted to polarity gases like a hexane, butane, xylene etc. The resonance wavelength was shifted by the xylene concentration which range was 0.1 ppm ~ 100 ppm. Also, the response with the concentration was lineer and the detection limit was 0.1 ppb.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.489-495
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• 2004

In this article, various aspects of errors involved in the measurement of TVOC were examined as part of study to develop the indoor pollution indices. For this purpose, TVOC term was computed by two different calibration approaches, i.e., by assuming all VOC are detected in the same manner as toluene and by summing up as many individual VOC as possible. The results of our study indicate that the common, toluene-based method suffers from errors inherent in the development of such theory. Consequently, it is concluded that more research efforts have to be directed to the improvement of such concept as TVOC.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.682-689
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to find out the variation between molecular size distribution (MSD) of natural organic matter (NOM) in raw waters after different water treatment processes like conventional process (coagulation, flocculation, filtration) followed by advanced oxidation process (ozonation, GAC adsorption). The MSD of NOM of Suji pilot plant were determined by Liquid Chromatography-Organic Carbon Detection (LC-OCD) which is a kine of high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) with nondispersive infrared (NDIR) detector and $UV_{254}$ detector. Five distinct fractions were generally separated from water samples with the Toyopearl HW-50S column, using 28 mmol phosphate buffer at pH 6.58 as an eluent. Large and intermediate humic fractions were the most dominant fractions in surface water. High molecular weight (HMW) matter was clearly easier to remove in coagulation and clarification than low molecular weight (LMW) matter. Water treatment processes removed the two largest fractions almost completely shifting the MSD towards smaller molecular size in DW. No more distinct variation of MSD was observed by ozone process after sand filtration but the SUVA value were obviously reduced during increase of the ozone doses. UVD results and HS-Diagram demonstrate that ozone induce not the variation of molecular size of humic substance but change the bond structure from aromatic rings or double bonds to single bond. Granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration removed 8~9% of organic compounds and showed better adsorption property for small MSD than large one.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.225-235
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• 2015

During low-pressure membrane treatments of cyanobacterial cells, including microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), there have reportedly been releases of intracellular compounds including cyanotoxins and compounds with an earthy-musty odor into the water, probably owing to cyanobacterial cell breakage retained on the membrane. However, to our knowledge, no information was reported regarding the effect of growth phase of cyanobacterial cells on the release of the intracellular compounds. In the present study, we used a geosmin-producing cyanobacterium, Anabaena smithii, to investigate the effect of the growth phase of the cyanobacterium on the release of intracellular geosmin during laboratory-scale MF experiments with the cells in either the logarithmic growth or stationary phase. Separate detection of damaged and intact cells revealed that the extent of cell breakage on the MF membrane was almost the same for logarithmic growth and stationary phase cells. However, whereas the geosmin concentration in the MF permeate increased after 3 h of filtration with cells in the logarithmic growth phase, it did not increase during filtration with cells in the stationary phase: the trend in the geosmin concentration in the MF permeate with time was much different between the logarithmic growth and stationary phases. Adsorption of geosmin to algogenic organic matter (AOM) retained on the MF membrane and/or pore blocking with the AOM were greater when the cells were in the stationary phase versus the logarithmic growth phase, the result being a decrease in the apparent release of intracellular geosmin from the stationary phase cells. In actual drinking water treatment plants employing membrane processes, more attention should be paid to the cyanobacterial cells in logarithmic growth phase than in stationary phase from a viewpoint of preventing the leakage of intracellular earthy-musty odor compounds to finished water.