• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.26-33
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• 2002

Ultimate objective of industrial hygiene is the prevention of health impairment that may result from exposure to chemicals at workplace. Workers in solvent thinner-using occupation environment may be highly exposed to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) because solvent thinner has been used extensively such as painting, spraying, degreasing, coating and so on in Korea. The purpose of this study was to recognize, evaluate, and propose the control methods of VOCs from solvent thinner-using workplace. Five target volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and m-xylene) were monitored in H company of Shiwa Industrial Complex and analyzed in perosnal, occupational indoor and outdoor during working hours simultaneously. Engineering control such as local ventilation should be made in considering the long-term exposure, though measured VOCs concentration did not exceed the workplace exposure standards. In addition, air cleaning device should be installed in local ventilation because Shiwa Industrial Complex has had the serious ambient air pollution. Currently, environmental purification using $TiO_2$ photocatalyst have attracted a great deal of attention with increasing number of recent environmental problems. In this study, $TiO_2$ sol coated on the ceramic bead was prepared by sol-gel method and the photodegradation of target compounds was investigated in gas phase by the exposure to UV-A lamp(365nm) in a batch system.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2001

The development of ozone SRP (Standard Reference Photometer) designated as a G-7 project by the Korean Ministry of Environment began 1997 and is now nearly completed. With the completion of the ozone SRP we will not only acquire a qualification to participate in the international ozone calibration system but also enhance calibration credibility of ozone similarly to that of other ambient air pollution monitors. As the ozone SRP uses highly cleaned blank air that can be distinguished from general ozone analyzer, it is possible to reduce errors associated with the determination of ozone via elongation of the absorption length as long as 1 meter In addition, gas chopping method hat been adopted to cut down interference of other substances and time drift. Furthermore, the system has also been modified to minimize the strayed ultra-violet noise along the light path. In this paper, a new method for uncertainty evaluation has been introduced, which is guided by the ISO (International Standard Organization) GUM (Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement) through assessments of the uncertainty type B (that was impossible to estimate before) as well as the uncertainty type A (based on statistics).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.491-502
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• 2003

In the present work, the distribution characteristics of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated at high temporal resolution from a monitoring station located in a mid-eastern area of Seoul. A total number of 587 samples were collected during December 2002 to January 2003. The measurements of VOC were conducted by a combination of on-line air sampling and thermal desorption unit (TDU) coupled with capillary GC/FID analysis. A total of five aromatic compounds (BTEX: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene, and o-xylene) were measured routinely at hourly intervals during the whole study period. The mean concentrations of BTEX measured in our study period were found in the order: toluene (8.99 $\pm$5.38 ppb) > benzene (0.92$\pm$0.52 ppb) > m, p-xylene (0.51$\pm$0.34 ppb) > 0- xylene (0.48$\pm$0.35 ppb) > ethyl benzene (0.43$\pm$ 0.32 ppb). The BTEX concentrations were generally higher during the daytime than the nighttime, exhibiting certain patterns on a weekly basis. Results of our analysis indicate that the unusually high concentrations of toluene, while showing good correlations with other VOCs, can be a good indicator of air pollution in the study area.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.1253-1259
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• 2002

This study analyzes the surface ozone, NO and $NO_2$ concentration data from 1997 to 1999 in Daegu. It investigates effect on precursor during high-ozone episode days. The high-ozone episode is defined when a daily maximum ozone concentration is higher than 100 ppb(ambient air quality standard of Korea) in at least one station among six air quality monitoring stations. The frequency of episodes is 13 days(33 hours). The frequency is the highest in May and September, and the area with the highest frequency is Nowondong and Manchondong. The average value of daily maximum ozone concentration with high ozone episode is 81.6 ppb, and that of 8-hour average ozone concentration is 58.6 ppb. It means that ozone pollution is continuous and wide-ranging in Daegu. The daily variation of NO, $NO_2$ and $O_3$ in high-ozone episodes are inversely proportional one another. Nowondong an industrial area, is affected by pollutants that are emitted from the primary sources, while Manchondong a residential area, is affected by the advection of $O_3$ or by the primary pollutants like VOCs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.131-137
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• 2022

Public interest has been increasing the focus on the management of exposure to pollutants and the related health effects. This study reviewed exposure assessment methodologies and addressed future directions. Exposure can be assessed by direct (exposure monitoring) or indirect approaches (exposure modelling). Exposure modelling is a cost-effective tool to assess exposure among individuals, but direct personal monitoring provides more accurate exposure data. There are several population exposure models: stochastic human exposure and dose simulation (SHEDS), air pollutants exposure (APEX), and air pollution exposure distributions within adult urban population in Europe (EXPOLIS). A South Korean population exposure model is needed since the resolution of ambient concentrations and time-activity patterns are country specific. Population exposure models could be useful to find the association between exposure to pollutants and adverse health effects in epidemiologic studies. With the advancement of sensor technology and the internet of things (IoT), exposure assessment could be applied in a real-time surveillance system. In the future, environmental health services will be useful to protect and promote human health from exposure to pollutants.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.353-360
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• 2006

This study identified a particle size distribution (PSD) of fine particulate matter and emission characteristics of V and Ni by the comparison between anthropogenic sources of oil combustion (industrial boiler, oil power plant, etc.) and lab-scale combustion using a drop-tube furnace. In oil combustion source, the mass fraction of fine particles (less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) was higher than that of coarse particles (larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) in $PM_{10}$ (less than 10 micrometers in diameter) as like in lab-scale oil combustion. In addition to this, it was identified that ultra-fine particles (less than 0.1 micrometers in diameter) had a large distribution in fine particles. Toxic metals like V and Ni had large mass fractions in fine particles, and most of all was distributed in ultra-fine particles. Most of ultra-fine particles containing toxic metals have been emitted into ambient by combustion source because it is hard to control by the existing air pollution control device. Hence, we must be careful on these pollutants because it is obvious that these are associated with adverse health and environmental effect.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.51.1-51.15
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• 2023

Background: Recently, there has been increasing worldwide concern about outdoor air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), which has been extensively researched for its harmful effects on the respiratory system. However, sufficient research on its effects on cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, remains lacking. In this study, we examine the associations between PM levels and hypertension and hypothesize that higher PM concentrations are associated with elevated blood pressure. Methods: A total of 133,935 adults aged ≥ 40 years who participated in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the short- (1-14 days), medium- (1 and 3 months), and long-term (1 and 2 years) impacts of PM on blood pressure. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the medium- and long-term effects of PM on blood pressure elevation after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, health-related lifestyle behaviors, and geographic areas. Results: Using multiple linear regression analyses, both crude and adjusted models generated positive estimates, indicating an association with increased blood pressure, with all results being statistically significant, with the exception of PM levels over the long-term period (1 and 2 years) in non-hypertensive participants. In the logistic regression analyses on non-hypertensive participants, moderate PM₁₀ (particulate matter with diameters < 10 ㎛) and PM_2.5 (particulate matter with diameters < 2.5 ㎛) levels over the long-term period and all high PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 levels were statistically significant after adjusting for various covariates. Notably, high PM_2.5 levels of the 1 year exhibited the highest odds ratio of 1.23 (95% confidence interval: 1.19-1.28) after adjustment. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both short- and long-term exposure to PM is associated with blood pressure elevation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.453-462
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• 1996

This study was conducted to evaluate the level of atmospheric heavy metals and the relationship of that concentration with weather conditions. This research monitored the concentration of Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) at every three hours by using High Volume Air Sampler from December 24th, of 1995 to Febuary 20th, 1996 in Kimhae area, which recently became a rapidly growing residential and industrial sitc. The items such as air-temperature, relative humidity, radition, wind speed, and wind direction were monitored by using Atmospheric Weather System at the same time. From the collected TSP, the concentration of heavy metals were analyzed by using the Atomic Absorption Spcetrophotometry. The mean concentration of TSP was 110.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m^3$, and the mean concentration of lead (Pb), copper(Cu), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), were 0.837 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m^3$, 0486 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m^3$, 0.264$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m^3$). The concentration of Pb and Mn was higher in the moring and that of Cu, Cr and Cd was higher in the afternoon and the evening. Regarding the relationship between the concentration of pollutants and weather condition, the-concentration TSP revealed positive correlation with temperature, humidity, wind speed, but negative correlation with tradition (p<0.01). The concentration of Mn revealed positive correlation with temperature and humidity, but negative correlation with wind speed (p<0.01). And the the concentration of pollutants and weather condition revealed higher correlation within the same time period. In summary, the paralleled mornitoring of air conditions and weather condition should be recommended to. get the correct informations concerning the pollution and to prevent the deterioration of air conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.451-458
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• 2006

Automotive exhaust is suspected to be one of the major reasons of the rapid increase in greenhouse effect gases in ambient air. As the concerns regarding global worming were increased, the pressure on mobile source greenhouse gas (GHG) emission were also increased. Carbon Dioxides contribute over 90% of total GHG emission and the mobile source occupies about 20% of this $CO_2$ emission. In this study, in order to investigate $CO_2$ emission characteristics from gasoline and LPG passenger cars (PC), which is the most dominant vehicle type in Korea, 53 vehicles were tested on the chassis dynamometer. $CO_2$ emissions and fuel consumption efficiency were measured. The emission characteristics by fuel type, model year, mileage, vehicle speed and transmission type were also discussed. Test modes used in this study were NIER 10 modes and CVS-75 mode, which have been used for developing emission factors and testing new vehicles respectively. The results of this study showed that the main factors which have significant influences on the $CO_2$ emissions are fuel type, transmission type, displacement of vehicle and mileage. The correlation between $CO_2$ emission and FE was also determined by comparing $CO_2$ emission and fuel consumption efficiency. The overall results of this study will greatly contribute to domestic greenhouse gas emissions calculation and designing national strategies for climate change.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.90-98
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• 2013

Objectives: Many studies have shown that air pollution and temperature have adverse effects on mortality and morbidity. But the interactive effect between air pollution and temperature on mortality has been rarely investigated. This study aims to explore whether temperature modifies the associations between ambient particulate matter less than $10{\mu}m$ in diameter ($PM_{10}$) and mortality in Seoul, Korea. Methods: The time-series analysis examined the effect of the interaction between $PM_{10}$ and temperature on mortality from 1999 to 2010 in Seoul. In order to examine the interactive effect between $PM_{10}$ and temperature on mortality, we fitted a response surface model controlling the time-trends and meteorological variables. The effects of $PM_{10}$ were stratified by temperature stratum to quantitatively estimate the $PM_{10}$-health outcome associations. Results: When temperature was low (below the threshold temperature), the percentage increases per $10{\mu}g/m^3$ increase of $PM_{10}$ increased 0.38% (95% Confidence Interval[CI]: 0.09~0.68%) and 0.31% (95% CI: - 0.07~0.68%) of mortality in the all age group and ${\geq}65$ year age group, respectively. When temperature was high (above the threshold temperature), the percentage increases per $10{\mu}g/m^3$ increase of $PM_{10}$ increased 1.09% (95% CI: 0.47~1.72%) and 1.35% (95% CI: 0.65~2.06%) for mortality in the all age group and ${\geq}65$ year age group, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study showed strong modification by temperature in the association between $PM_{10}$ and mortality. We recommend that public health strategies to minimize adverse health impact of heat and $PM_{10}$ should be considered in control and prevention measures for air pollution and weather-related health impacts.