• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.9-14
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to predict VOCs emission rates from multi-layers materials, which are composed of single-layer materials having various VOCs emission rates, by using effective diffusion coefficients of the single-layer materials. The study was consisted of two parts; the one is the prediction of VOCs emission rates from multi-layer materials through numerical methods. The other is the measurement of VOCs emissions rates of wall composite and floor composite in Mock-up rooms for comparing the prediction and the experiments' values. The results of the study show that the short-term VOCs emission rates of multi-layers materials can be predicted from the effective diffusion coefficients of single materials in odor accuracy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.91-100
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• 1999

Treatment conditions of DAF(Dissolved Air Flotation) and removal rates of VOCs(Volatile Organic Compounds) in mixed water of H raw water and VOCs were investigated. The used VOCs were benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in aromatic compounds and iso propyl mereaptan, n-butyl mereaptan, dimethyl disulfide, and iso butyl mercaptan in odors. The related parameters include water type, treatment method, clay concentration, pH condition, flocculation time, flotation time, per-cent recycle, water temperature, pressure. The removal rates of VOCs were different on treatment process and water condition. Treatment time was longer, removal rates of VOCs was higher. Water temperature was more important than pressure in DAF parameters. Molecular weight was related with removal rate in several kinds of VOCs were decraesed by competition of each component in II raw water. When algac blooming D water was treated by DAF, TCOD(Total chemical Oxygen Demand) and chorophyll a was removed over 96%.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.513-519
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• 1999

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed on the seawater from 17 stations in Kwangyang Bay throughtout the year. We could not detect 10 VOCs; methylene chloride, tetrachloromethane, 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane, trichloroethane, 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrachloroethane, trichloroethylene, bromoethane, dibromoethane, bromobenzene, 1-ethyl-3-methylbenzene. The other VOCs-chloroform, 1, 2-dichloroethane, ethylbenzene, benzene, toluene, m, p-xylene, methylethylketone, styrene, hexane-were detected with a little variance according to the sampling stations and the sampling seasons. The concentrations of chloroform (0.6 ~ 49.9 $\mu$g/1) and toluene (0.42 ~ 48.3 $\mu$g/1) were high and they were detected more frequently than the other detected VOCs. We also tried to seek the correlation between the physicochemical environmental factors and VOCs. Only toluene had the high correlation coefficient with the water temperature (r = -0.524) and with the pH (r = 0.319). Correlation between VOCs themselves showed some interesting results. The benzene had high correlation coefficient (r = 0.549 ~ 0.662) with three VOCs such as toluene, m, p-xylene, ethylbenzene. From these results it is suggested that VOCs might be discharged simultaneously in Kwangyang Bay.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.310-319
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• 1993

A pilot study was conducted in order to investigate the concentrations of indoor and outdoor VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) at ten homes and four building offices in Seoul during March-April, 1993. The five components of VOCs(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, o-Xylene, m/p-Xylene) were collected using charcoal tube and were analysed using Gas Chromatography(GC) with a Flame Ionization Detector(FID). The mean concentations of indoor VOCs were shown as Benzene of 38.9 .mu.g/m$^{3}$. Toluene of 165.0 .mu.g/m$^{3}$, Ethylbenzene of 21.7 .mu.g/m$^{3}$, o-Xylene of 11.6 .mu.g/m$^{3}$ and m/p-Xylene of 29.3 .mu.g/m$^{3}$, but those corresponding that indoor levels of VOCs were higher than corresponding outdoor levels. The ratio of indoor and outdoor VOCs were higher than corresponding outdoor levels. The ratio of indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations was 0.99 for Benzene, 1.23 for Toluene, 5.86 for Ethylbenzene, 5.23 for o-Xylene, 2.41 for m/p-Xylene in homes, while 2.02 for Benzene, 1.15 for Toulene, 0.96 for Ethylbenzene, 1.41 for o-Xylene, 1.38 for m/p-Xylene in offices, respectively. The mean concentrations of VOCs in homes were higher than those levels in offices, while the mean concentration of VOCs during active hour of occupants in a day were higher 1-3 times than the levels during non-active hour. Comparing VOCs levels by building's age, the mean concentrations of Benzene, o-Xylene and m/p-Xylene were higher in new building than old building, but the mean concentrations of Toluene and Etylbenzene in new building were lower than old building. The mean concentrations in all components of VOCs in smoking area were higher than non-smoking area. These results suggested that the VOC levels were affected by various indoor characteristics and behavioral activity of occupants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.57-59
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• 1998

The headspace method has been acknowledged as a cost-effective and convenient method to analyze volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in soil. The headspace analysis is based on equilibrium partitioning of VOCs among water, air and soil in a closed system. However, the headspace method cannot be applied to soils where most of the VOCs remain sorbed even at high temperature. In this study, it was investigated how the sorption characteristics of VOCs varied with soil with different organic carbon contents and temperature. This study showed that all the VOCs were volatilized, not sorved, only in the soil with 5% organic carbon at 45$^{\circ}C$ or higher. Some fraction of VOCs remained in soil with 8% organic carbon at $65^{\circ}C$ of higher. Most of the VOCs remained sorbed in soil with 12% organic content even at 95$^{\circ}C$. This result suggested that the headspace method can be applied only to soils with little organic carbon content (less than 5%). In this case, 45$^{\circ}C$ seems to be high enough to volatilize all the VOCs from soil. Large particles still showed a significant sorption capacity for VOCs from soil. Large Particles still showed a significant sorption capacity for VOCs despite of their low level of organic carbon content. It was also shown that the organic carbon sorption coefficients (Koc) of VOCs varied with soils with different organic carbon content. This suggests that not only the organic matter content of soil but also the property of the organic matter in soil influence the sorption of VOCs to soil.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.967-976
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• 2003

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in essentially all natural and synthetic materials from petrol to flowers. In this study, indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations of houses, offices and internet-cafes were measured and compared simultaneously with personal exposures of each 50 participants in Asan and Seoul, respectively. Also, factors that influence personal VOCs exposure were statistically analyzed using questionnaires in relation to house characteristics, time activities, and health effects. All VOCs concentrations were measured by OVM passive samplers (3M) and analyzed with GC/MS. Target pollutants among VOCs were Toluene, o-Xylene, m/p-Xylene, Ethylbenzene, MIBK, n-Octane, Styrene, Trichloroethylene, and 1,2-Dichlorobenzene. Indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations measured in Seoul were significantly higher than those in Asan except Ethylbenzene. Residential indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios for all target compounds ranged from 0.94 to 1.51 and I/O ratios of Asan were a little higher than those of Seoul. Relationship between personal VOCs exposure, and indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations suggested that time-activity pattern could affect the high exposure to air pollutant. Factors that influence indoor VOCs level and personal exposure with regard to house characteristics in houses were building age, inside smoking and house type. In addition insecticide and cosmetics interestingly affected the VOCs personal exposure. Higher exposure to VOCs might be caused to be exciting increase and memory reduction, considering the relationship between measured VOCs concentrations and questionnaire (p<0.05).

• 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.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2004

Air quality monitoring is a primary activity for industrial and social environment. The government identifies the pollutants that each industry must monitor. Especially, the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which are very harmful to human body and environment atmosphere, should be controlled under the government policy. However, the VOCs, which have not been confirmed in emission sources are very difficult to monitor. It is needed to develop the monitoring system that allow the continuous and in situ measurement of VOCs mixture in different environmental matrices. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are the most prevalent current techniques among those available for the analysis of VOCs. But, they need a large size analytical instrument, which costs a great deal for purchase and operation. In addition, it has some limitations for realtime environmental monitoring such as location problems and slow processing time. Recently, several companies have commercialized a portable VOCs measurement systems, which cannot classify various kinds of VOCs but total quantities. We have developed a VOCs measurement system, which recognizes various kinds and quantities of VOCs, such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX). Also, it can be used as a stand- alone type and/or fixed type in the vehicle with rack for real -time environmental monitoring.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2003

This study has been conducted to identify and quantify the emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from a new carpet. The carpet sample consists of polypropylene cushion and latex backing. The VOCs have been sampled on sorbent tubes and analyzed by thermal desorption unit and GC/MSD. For over 240 hours, concentration of VOCs has been measured in a small chamber made of stainless steel. With the measured data, emission factor and mass balance have been considered. The experiments have been conducted in accordance with ASTM D5116-97. The carpet has emitted a variety of VOCs, but in this study, 7 VOCs compounds have been considered： chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, isopropylbenzene, bromobenzene, 2-chlorotoluene, and 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene. The results show that the concentrations of VOCs and the emission factors have exponentially decayed from relatively high level to low level with time. The gradients of the concentration of VOCs and emission factors are different for various components. It is found that styrene, 2-chlorotoluene are emitted more than others with higher concentrations.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.488-496
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• 2002

SPME techniques have proven to be very useful tools in the analysis of wide VOCs in the air. In this study, we estimated VOCs in ambient and workplace air using a Tedlar ba /SPME/GC/MS system. The calibration curve was set to be linear over the range of 1-30 ppbv. The detection limits ranged from 10 pptv to 0.93 ppbv for all VOCs. Reproducibility of TO-14 target gas mixtures by SPME/GC/MS averaged at 8.8 R.S.D (%). Air toxic VOCs (hazardous air pollutants, HAPs) containing a total of forty halohydrocarbons, aromatics, and haloaro-matic carbons could be analyzed with significant accuracy, detection limit and linearity at low ppbv level. Only reactive VOCs with low molecular weight, such as chloromethane, vinylchloride, ethylchloride and 1,2-dichloro-ethane, yielded relatively poor results using this technique. In ambient air samples, ten VOCs were identified and quantified after external calibration. VOC concentration in ambient and workplace air ranged from 0.04 to 1.85 ppbv. The overall process was successfully applied to identify and quantify VOCs in ambient/workplace air.