• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.163-176
• /
• 1998

In this study, airborne particle samples were obtained to determine the concentrations of particulate air pollutants in indoor and outdoor air of public facilities in Taegu area. Total of 12 public facilities, regulated by the Public Sanitary Law, were selected as sampling sites, which include three underground arcades, one railway and two bus terminals, three general hospitals, and three department stores. In each place, sampling was carried out seasonally during the period of October 1994 to July 1995, and four samples per each site per season were collected both indoors and outdoors simultaneously. After determination of suspended particulate matter (SPM) mass concentrations, the particle samples were divided into two parts for subsequent chemical analysis: one for the analysis of trace elements and the other for water soluble ions. Seasonal levels of SPM appeared to be the highest in spring and the lowest in summer both indoors and outdoors, while locational variations of highest in statioyterminals, and lowest in department stores . SPM concentrations indoors and outdoors did not show any significant differences each other in most places . However, there were significant correlations between indoor and outdoor levels of SPM and other chemical species . These results indicates that indoor SPM levels are likely to be significantly affected by outdoor sources in many places. The most significant source of SPM was estimated to be the resuspension of soil/road dust both indoors and outdoors . The concentrations of toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu) in underground arcades appeared to be very much lower than the established air quality guidelines for underground environments. In addition, it is likely that micro-environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air velocity, play a less significant role than outdoor air quality as a factor affecting the levels of particulate pollutants in indoor environments of public facilities in Taegu area.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.22 no.1 s.56
• /
• pp.27-36
• /
• 2007

Cyanides and dichlorophenols were important pollutants in industrial effluents of steel, petroleum, plastics, pesticides, synthetic dye and/or fiber manufacturing. The toxic effects of cyanide and 3, 5-dichlorophenol in the unary and binary solutions to Vibrio fischeri were determined using the newly developed $N-tox^{(R)}$ bioassay system. This bioassay system relies upon the attenuation of light intensity emitted by Vibrio fischeri exposed to various pollutants including metals and organic compounds. Most of studies dealing with toxicity of pollutants concerned single chemical species, while the organisms were typically exposed to pollutant mixtures. The present study showed that the toxicity of some binary combinations of cyanide and 3, 5-dichlorophenol significantly was lower than the predicted toxicity from the addicted model. This antagonistic interaction was well explained by chemical interaction model presented in this study.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.12
• /
• pp.3755-3761
• /
• 2013

This study aims to assess the ecological risk of the hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) emitted in the semiconductor manufacturing processes in Korea by using Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR, EPA, US, EPI $Suite^{TM}$ 4.1). Owing to the absence of environmental standards of hazardous air pollutants in the semiconductor manufacturing processes in Korea, 18 HAPs in the semiconductor field included in both the US EPA NESHAPs and the hazardous air pollutant list of Ministry of Environment in Korea were selected. As a results 8 chemicals (44.4%) of the selected 18 HAPs were VOCs. Cyanides (cyanides) and ethylene oxides (epoxy resins), and tetrachloro-ethylene (aliphatic compounds, halides) showed long half-lives. Cyanide HAPs especially had the highest half-life with the estimated value of 356.533 days. Nickel compounds (heavy metal compounds) possessed the highest water solubility followed by acetaldehyde (aldehyde compounds), ethylene oxides, and 1,4-dioxanes. The halides, including tetrachloro-ethylenes, carbon tetra-chlorides, benzene (aromatic compounds), and lead (heavy metals), are estimated to take the longest time for biodegradation. Tetrachloroethylene, with the acute toxicity end point of 3.685-7.033 mg/L, was assessed to be the most highly toxic substance among the 18 HAPs. However, considering the absence of the HAPs in the common category of log $K_{ow}{\geq}4$and $BCF{\geq}500$, which indicates the standard of bioconcentration potentials, potentials of the bioconcentration are considered to be low.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 2010

As air pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing urban environmental concerns, many studies have investigated the influence of air pollutants(ex: $O^3$, $NO^2$, $SO^2$, Acid rain, etc.) on roadside trees and urban grove. In Korea, population density started to increase since the industrialization. Since dense population aggravates our living conditions, it's very important for us to preserve and keep a lively and refreshing nature in order to live with green nature in harmony under the current artificial environment-dominating world. In metropolitan cities, the production of pollutants increases in proportion to population growth. The vehicle exhaust gas and air pollutants from cooling and heating systems have been the major causes of acid rain. Furthermore, tire particles which are naturally produced by tire wearing on roads and other toxic substances in exhaust gas have caused a problem in human health directly and indirectly. In fact, a lot of studies have analyzed air pollution, roadside trees and plants in Korea. However, they are mostly limited to covering the influence of air pollution on the growth of plants. No paper has clearly explained why air pollution-resistant or-vulnerable species has shown different reactions yet. Even though a lot of urban roadside trees have died or stopped to grow from time to time, this kind of problem has not been properly examined. This paper is aimed to comparatively analyze physio-ecological characteristic such as photosynthesis, chlorophyll contents, soil volume water figure out their relationship with environmental factors against the expanding roadside trees in Cheong-ju, and provide basic data for management of roadside trees and elaboration of urban environment preservation policies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.82-91
• /
• 1992

The examination of the pollutants originated from domestic sewage, industrial and agricutural activities the existences of some toxic heavy metals, organic matters and pathogenic microorganisms. A recent report of WHO brought out that such pollutants are in existence with above roughly 2,000 kinds of chemical substances and amongst them about 750 chemicals have been indentified by drinking water. And above 600 kinds of them are organic pollutants and in addition these include carcinogenic mutagenic and poisonous substances. This is not intended to embody a study of broad confined to various approaches on organic materials, and therefore will be THM produced on injection of chlorine at water filtration plant. To specify the relations between THM and factors having an effect upon THM such as TOC, Cl$_{2}$, Temperature, pH and reaction time, first of all the recovery ratio for analytical methods of THM (Head sapce, purge and trap, Liquid/ Liquid Extraction methods) was investigated. Provided that by using it,the correction coefficients are obtained, the accuracy of data might be able to be enhanced through analysis.The result of the experiments are given in the followings. 1) Among three kinds of analytical methods, recovery rate was higher in order of purge and trap Liquid/Liquid Extraction, Head space. There is no great difference in recovery rate among three methods. 2) The higher the concentration of TOC, the more the amount of THM. 3) The higher the reaction temperature, the more the amount of THM. 4) The longer the reaction time, the more the amount of THM. 5) The higher the pH, the more the amount of THM. 6) The higher the concectration of chlorine, the more the amount of THM.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.85-96
• /
• 1990

Simultaneous removal efficiencies of hydrophilic and hydrophobic gaseous pollutants are experimentally determined, and the macroscopic removal mechanism of pollutants in a dry scrubber is analyzed using the extended model of three phase equilibrium distribution of pollutant at high temperatures that can describe the different morphological conditions of adsorbent and water at varying relative humidities. For the simplicity, the inside of spray dryer is divided into three regions of ; (1) absorption, (2) three-phase equilibrium, and (3) adsorption, and the removal efficiencies of each pollutants at three regions are observed at different experimental conditions to estimate the effects of important parameters of dry scrubber. The laboratory experiments simulate the three regions of spray dryer with the temperature control and thus evaporation rate of water from the slurry particle. $SO_2$ as a hydrophilic gaseous pollutant and vinyl chloride as a hydrophobic toxic gas are selected for the future field application to soid waste incineration, and the two types of slurry are made of the two sorbents ; 10 wt.% $Ca(OH)_2$, and 10 wt.% NaOH. Result of temperature effect shows the height of absorption plus three-phase region is decreased as the operation temperature is increased, which results in the lower removal efficiency of $SO_2$ but higher removal for vinyl chloride in the adsorption region of dry scrubber. The removal efficiency of $SO_2$ is higher by NaOH slurry than by $Ca(OH)_2$ slurry due to the hygroscopic nature of NaOH, while the removal of vinyl chloride is higher in $Ca(OH)_2$ case. From the analysis of redults using three-phase equilibrium distribution model, the effective two-phase partition coefficients can be obtained, and the possible extention in the application of the three-phase equilibrium model in a dry scrubber design has been demonstrated.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.144-154
• /
• 2021

Objectives: This study was intended to identify hazard contribution by region, media, and chemical by calculating a hazard-based index using pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) data. Methods: PRTR data for the period 2011 to 2016 was analyzed to examine the regional trends in toxic releases in terms of quantity and to create a corresponding hazard-based index. For the hazard-based index, the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) Model was used. Results: The results of the trend analysis show that total releases decreased slightly, but health hazard levels increased consistently. According to the outcome of regional contribution analysis of the hazard-based index, Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollabuk-do and Gyeonggi-do Provinces showed a high ratio in the index for air and water release pollutants, while Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do Provinces showed a high ratio in the index of soil release and waste transfer pollutants. Also, as a result of the analysis of the top ranked substances in the hazard-based index, it was found that chromium, cobalt and its compounds, and ethylene oxide contributed greatly to air release substances, while chromium, benzene, and lead and its compounds contributed greatly to water release substances. Conclusion: These results showed considerable disparities between total release and health hazard levels, especially in the analysis of contribution by regions and by chemical substance. Therefore, the hazard-based index should be used both to support a more comprehensive and robust approach to screening of chemicals for environmental health policy and for management.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.391-396
• /
• 2011

Recently it revealed that urban runoff was one of the major source that contaminates the river, lake and estuary because it contains toxic compounds such as heavy metals and Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as suspended solids, organic compounds and nutrients. The engineered polymetric media in this research were developed for reducing pollutants in urban runoff and would be used to be charged in the storm water treatment equipment. The engineered media that were composed of the polypropylene was foamed to have the buoyancy and then shattered by mechanical for the efficient filtration. In this study, Spherical Expanded Polypropylene Media (SEPM), Crushed Polypropylene Media (CPM), Large Crushed Expanded Polypropylene Media (LCEPM), Small Crushed Expanded Polypropylene Media (SCEPM) were made from polypropylene. Surface characteristics of the developed media were determined by scanning electron microscopy analyses. Also, removal efficiencies of SS, $COD_{Cr}$ in the artificial road runoff and the bed headloss by media and particle pollutants captured by media were examined. Results on the surface characteristics of media indicated that SCEPM had the largest specific surface area, $0.80m^2/g$, the lowest specific gravity, 0.091, and the biggest porosity, 0.63, because of crushing the media at the process of manufacturing. And the SCEPM's removal efficiencies of TSS and $COD_{Cr}$ in the artificial road runoff were 92.9% and 83.6%, respectively and the headloss of SCEPM was the least of them.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.557-565
• /
• 2010

Recently, regulations on toxic compounds in aquatic environment have been strengthened in korea due to the increasing public awareness of the water quality. Typically, these regulations include introduction of emerging toxic compounds and stricter effluent limitations for the already regulated compounds. However, too strict regulations may cause excessive burden on the industry. Therefore it is also important to assess the economic impacts when the new effluent limitation guidelines are introduced. The estimation of the additional cost for the wastewater dischargers to meet the new guidelines are based on the selected treatment technology to handle the hazardous substances and the regulatory levels for effluent limitations. To explore the procedures for cost estimation in enforcing new effluent limitations, a case study was performed specially for 1,4-dichlorobenzene. The pollutants of concern are surveyed for different industrial categories and various treatment technologies. For a given pollutant, the general performances of the treatment technologies are surveyed and a representative technology is selected. For a given technology, the capital cost and annual Operation and Maintenance (O&M) cost was calculated. The calculation of baseline costs to operate ordinary treatment technologies is also important. The ratio between the cost for introducing new treatment process and the baseline cost required for conventional technology was used to evaluate the economic impact on the industry. For 1,4-dichlorobenzene, steam stripping and activated carbon processes were selected as the specific treatment technologies. The cost effects to the regulation of the compound were found to be 6.4% and 14.5% increase in capital cost and O&M cost, respectively, at the flow rate over $2,000m^3/d$ for the categories of synthetic resin and other plastics manufacturing industry. For the case of petrochemical basic compounds manufacturing industry, the cost increases were 5.8% and 12.4%, respectively. It was suggested that cost effect analysis to evaluate the economic impacts of new effluent limitations on the industry is crucial to establish more balanced and reasonable effluent limitations to manage the industrial wastewater containing emerging toxic compounds in the wastewater.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.63-69
• /
• 2003

The metal finishing industry generates a variety of pollutants such as acidic or alkaline wastewater, chromic compounds, cyanide, heavy metals, and toxic materials. Especially, zinc plating process is one of the processes which cause serious environmental problems. In this study, we applied the proven optimum technology to important unit processes in terms of implement effects through the process diagnosis and analysis. This study aimed to improve the working environment and the environmental pollutions in zinc plating process.