• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.294-305
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• 2022

Recently, drones have been widely used to solve environmental problems such as environmental protection and natural disaster monitoring. This study focuses on the problem of the search altitude of drones when using drones to search for air pollution in order to maintain the urban air environment. In particular, when exploring air pollution in cities using drones, various experiments are conducted to determine the appropriate search altitude for each air pollution source and each communication module. Through the experiment, the maximum measurable altitude for the most common air pollutants, such as CO (carbon monoxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), O₃ (ozone), and P10, P2.5 (fine dust), was identified, and the effective search altitude for each air pollution source was determined. As a result of the experiment, three types of drone search altitudes including legally measurable altitudes were suggested. The communication module measurable altitude was 60m to 120m depending on the communication module, and the effective measurable altitude was analyzed from 10m to 100m.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.243-257
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• 2005

The effects of Traffic Control Program (TCP) on the ambient urban air quality of SO$_{2}$, NO$_{2}$, O$_{3}$, and PM$_{10}$ were evaluated in Seoul metropolitan area by using the lower atmospheric vertical stability index and daily mean wind speeds. The vertical stability index; temperature lapse rate between 1000 hPa and 850 hPa geopotential height fields, were used to identify daily vertical stability index during the 2002 World Cup period where traffic amount was reportedly reduced to half the number of vehicles. The indicated air quality levels of TCP days were then compared with those of the cases observed with analogous vertical stability during the recent 3 years from 2000 to 2002. The result indicates that the effect of TCP on the primary air pollutants are found to be approximately 39$\%$, 23$\%$ and 20$\%$ lower for SO$_{2}$, NO$_{2}$ and PM$_{10}$, respectively. The secondary air pollutant; ozone, showed relatively smaller decreasing rate (13$\%$) of daily mean concentrations (even increased during the night time). The comparison of daily maximum or peak concentrations reveals that the pronounced decreasing effects of TCP on the ambient air quality for both primary and secondary air pollutants, suggesting that TCP is one of the effective strategies to control peak or higher concentrations for most urban scale air pollutants in and around the Seoul metropolitan area.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.550-561
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• 2009

This study is to investigate the air pollution characteristics of an industrialized midsize west-coastal city by comparing air quality to a neighboring inland city. The hourly averaged data of $O_3$, $SO_2$, $NO_2$, CO, and $PM_{10}$ measured from continuous air quality monitoring sites in Gunsan (coastal) and Jeonju (inland) were analyzed. The data set covers the period from 2004 to 2006. The annual average concentrations of the air pollutants in two cities were compared in their abundances and temporal trends as well. $O_3$ and $SO_2$ in Gunsan were relatively higher than those in Jeonju, while vice versa in case of $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$. It seems that heavy automobile emissions from Jeonju mainly bring on higher $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ than those in Gunsan on annual base. $NO_2$ concentrations in both cities showed bimodal diurnal variations with peaks in the morning and in the late evening. These peaks correspond to the coupled effects of rush hour traffic and meteorological conditions (i.e., variation of mixing height and dispersion conditions). Maximum hourly averages of $NO_2$ ranged from 18 ppb to 28 ppb at Jeonju, and from 12 ppb to 20 ppb at Gunsan. $O_3$ showed typical diurnal variation with a maximum in the afternoon between 14:00 and 16:00 LST. Diurnal variations of CO and $PM_{10}$ were similar to $NO_2$ while $SO_2$ was similar to $O_3$. Seasonal variations of $PM_{10}$ in both cities indicated that their concentrations during spring season were significantly high. Asian dust storms occur frequently during spring and seem to affect increase in $PM_{10}$. High $O_3$ and $PM_{10}$ days were selected from both cities. The analyses based on the HYSPLIT trajectory model during the high $O_3$ and $PM_{10}$ showed these episodes (six cases) were mostly coincident with Asian dust storm originated from northern China and Mongolia. However, these high air pollution episodes in the west coastal cities may not only be caused by the Asian dust but also affected by other air pollutants transported from China accompanying the Asian dust.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2017

We, for the first time, estimated daily and monthly surface nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) volume mixing ratio (VMR) using three regression models with $NO_2$ tropospheric vertical column density (OMIT-rop $NO_2$ VCD) data obtained from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) in Seoul in South Korea at OMI overpass time (13:45 local time). First linear regression model (M1) is a linear regression equation between OMI-Trop $NO_2$ VCD and in situ $NO_2$ VMR, whereas second linear regression model (M2) incorporates boundary layer height (BLH), temperature, and pressure obtained from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and OMI-Trop $NO_2$ VCD. Last models (M3M & M3D) are a multiple linear regression equations which include OMI-Trop $NO_2$ VCD, BLH and various meteorological data. In this study, we determined three types of regression models for the training period between 2009 and 2011, and the performance of those regression models was evaluated via comparison with the surface $NO_2$ VMR data obtained from in situ measurements (in situ $NO_2$ VMR) in 2012. The monthly mean surface $NO_2$ VMRs estimated by M3M showed good agreements with those of in situ measurements(avg. R = 0.77). In terms of the daily (13:45LT) $NO_2$ estimation, the highest correlations were found between the daily surface $NO_2$ VMRs estimated by M3D and in-situ $NO_2$ VMRs (avg. R = 0.55). The estimated surface $NO_2$ VMRs by three modelstend to be underestimated. We also discussed the performance of these empirical modelsfor surface $NO_2$ VMR estimation with respect to otherstatistical data such asroot mean square error (RMSE), mean bias, mean absolute error (MAE), and percent difference. This present study shows a possibility of estimating surface $NO_2$ VMR using the satellite measurement.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 1992

Since 1960's along with industrialization and urbanization, economic growth has been . achieved, however, at the same time, environmental condition has been seriously deteriorated. . Currently, volume of wastewater has been increasing at annual rate of 7% in sewage and 20% in industrial wastewater. However, the nation's sewage treatment serves only 33% of the municipal wastewater as of 1991. Major portion of air pollutants comes from combustion of oil and coal which comprise 81% of total energy use and emission gases from motor vehicles increasing at an accelerated rate. It is known that Korea generates the highest amount of waste per capta. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient to reduce the volume of waste by means of resources recovery and recycling. Recognizing the importance of global environmental problems such as ozone layer depletion, global warming and acid rain, international society has been making various efforts since the 1972 Stockholm conference. In particular, it is expected that the Rio conference which has adopted the Rio declaration and Agenda 21 will form a crucial turning point of the emerging new world order after the Cold War confrontation. To cope with such issues as domestic pollution and global environmental problems, the fundamental national policy aims at harmonizing "environmental protection and sustainable development". The Ministry of Environment has recently set up a mid-term comprehensive plan which includes annual targets for environmental protection. According to the government plan, gradual improvement of various environmental conditions and specific measures to achieve them is planned in time frame. Additional sewage treatment plants will be constructed in urban areas with the target to treat 65% of the nation's municipal sewage by 1996. Supply of clean fuels such as LNG will also be expanded starting from large cities as a cleaner substitute energy for coal and oil. In parallel with expansion of LNG, emphasis will be placed on installation of stack monitoring system. Due to the relatively limited land, government's basic policy for solid waste treatment is to develop large scale landfill facilities rather than small sized ones. Thirty three regional areas have been designated for the purpose of waste management. For each of these regions, big scale landfill site is going to be developed. To increase the rate of waste recycling the government is planning to reinforce separate collection system and to provide industries with economic incentives. As a part of meeting the changing situation on global environmental problems after UNCED, and accommodation regulatory measures stipulated in the global environmental conventions and protocols, national policy will try to alter industrial and economic structure so as to mitigate the increasing trends of energy consumption, by encouraging energy conservation and efficiency. In this regard, more attention will be given to the policy on the development of the cleaner technology. Ultimately, these policies and programs will contribute greatly to improving the current state of national public health.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.177-190
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• 2013

Air pollution trends in Japan between 1970 and 2012 were analyzed, and the impact of air pollution countermeasures was evaluated. Concentrations of CO decreased from 1970 to 2012, and in 2012, the Japanese environmental quality standard (EQS) for CO was satisfied. Concentrations of $SO_2$ dropped markedly in the 1970s, owing to use of desulfurization technologies and low-sulfur heavy oil. Major reductions in the sulfur content of diesel fuel in the 1990s resulted in further decreases of $SO_2$ levels. In 2012, the EQS for $SO_2$ was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations. Concentrations of $NO_2$ decreased from 1970 to 1985, but increased from 1985 to 1995. After 1995, $NO_2$ concentrations decreased, especially after 2006. In 2012, the EQS for $NO_2$ was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations, except those alongside roads. The annual mean for the daily maximum concentrations of photochemical oxidants (OX) increased from 1980 to 2010, but after 2006, the $98^{th}$ percentile values of the OX concentrations decreased. In 2012, the EQS for OX was not satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations. Non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) concentrations generally decreased from 1976 to 2012. In 2011, NMHC concentrations near roads and in the general environment were nearly the same. The concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) generally decreased. In 2011, the EQS for SPM was satisfied at 69.2% of ambient air monitoring stations, and 72.9% of roadside air-monitoring stations. Impacts from mineral dust from continental Asia were especially pronounced in the western part of Japan in spring, and year-round variation was large. The concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ generally decreased, but the EQS for $PM_{2.5}$ is still not satisfied. The air pollution trends were closely synchronized with promulgation of regulations designed to limit pollutant emissions. Trans-boundary OX and $PM_{2.5}$ has become a big issue which contains global warming chemical species such as ozone and black carbon (so called SLCP: Short Lived Climate Pollutants). Cobeneficial reduction approach for these pollutants will be important to improve both in regional and global atmospheric environmental conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2018

Nation-wide systematic and comprehensive measurements of air quality criteria species have been made over 340 sites currently in Korea since 1990. Using these data, temporal and spatial trends of $SO_2$, $PM_{10}$, $NO_2$, $O_3$, CO and $O_x(NO_2+O_3)$ were analyzed to characterize and evaluate implementing efficiency of air quality policy and regulations. Due to strict and effective policy to use cleaner fuels in late 1980s and 1990s, the primary pollutants, such as $SO_2$, CO, and $PM_{10}$ decreased sharply by early 2000s in all parts of Korea. After this period, their concentrations declined with much lower rates in most parts of Korea. In addition, isolated but noticeable numbers of places, especially in major ports, newly developing towns and industrial parks, sustained high levels or even showed further degradation. Despite series of emission control strategies were enforced since early 1990s, $NO_2$ concentrations haven't changed much till 2005, due to significant increase in number of automobiles. Nevertheless, we confirmed that the staggering levels of $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ improved evidently after 2005, especially in Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), where enhanced regulations for $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ emissions was imposed to automobiles and large emission sources. However, their decreasing trends were much lessened in recent years again as current air quality improvement strategies has been challenged to revise further. In contrast to these primary species, annual $O_3$, which is secondary product from $NO_2$ and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has increased consistently with about 0.6 ppbv per year in every urban part of Korea, while yearly average of daily maximum 8-hour $O_3$ in summer season had a much higher rate of 1.2 ppbv per year. Increase of $O_3$ can be explained mainly by reductions of NO emission. Rising background $O_3$ in the Northeast Asia and increasing oxidizing capacity by changing photochemistry were likely causes of observed $O_3$ increase. The future air quality policy should consider more effective ways to lower alarming level of $O_3$ and $PM_{10}$.