• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2012

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), butyltins (BTs), nonylphenol (NP), and fecal sterols concentrations in sediments were investigated from Gunsan coast of Korea to evaluate organic pollution from anthropogenic activities. Sediment toxicity was also examined by bacterial bioluminescence toxicity test (Vibrio fischeri). The concentrations of 16 PAHs in sediments ranged from 67.9 to 425 ng/g dry wt; BTs ranged from 2.79 to 14.1 ng Sn/g dry wt; NP ranged from 20.7 to 2171 ng/g dry wt; and coprostanol, a fecal sterol, ranged from 7.60 to 245 ng/g dry wt. Effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) of sediments ranged from 0.38 to 23.8 mg/mL. Most of the chemicals were present at levels lower than or comparable to the previously reported values from Korea. However, NP levels in the present study were in the high range of levels reported from the Korean coast, and 40% of the measured samples exceeded screening and ecotoxicological values of NP suggested by the Netherlands and Canada. This suggests that an ongoing source of NP is a serious concern in the Gunsan coast. High levels of contaminants were found in the proximity of potential sources, such as the outfall of a wastewater treatment plant for NP, an anthracite-fired power plant for PAHs, and ports for BTs, fecal sterols, and sediment toxicity. This indicates that Gunsan coast has various potential sources of marine sediment contaminants.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2015

Objectives: This study evaluated the regional and seasonal concentrations of ambient hazardous heavy metals in an industrial complex area in Daegu City. Methods: A total of 64 SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) samples were collected in non-industrial and industrial areas during 2014 and were analyzed for hazardous heavy metals elements (As, Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb) with ICP after acid extraction. Results: SPM and hazardous heavy metals concentrations showed regional (industrial complex area>non-industrial complex area) and seasonal (spring, winter>fall, summer) variations. All of the hazardous heavy metals were influenced by anthropogenic sources. The pollution index of hazardous heavy metals was very low, showing roughly one-quarter of the level of the air quality guidelines of WHO. The correlation analysis among SPM and hazardous heavy metals indicated that components of non-industrial complex areas were more related to each other than those of industrial complex areas, and the correlation in the winter was higher than in other seasons. Conclusion: It is necessary to control air pollution sources and establish related policy because hazardous heavy metals from industrial areas can influence residential areas.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2014

The $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected at Gosan Site of Jeju Island, and analyzed, in order to investigate the size distribution and pollution characteristics of their components. $NH{_4}{^+}$, nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$, $K^+$, and $CH_3COO^-$ were mostly existed in fine particles. Meanwhile, $NO{_3}{^-}$ was distributed in both fine and coarse particles, and $Na^+$, $Cl^-$, $Mg^{2+}$, nss-$Ca^{2+}$ were rich in coarse particle mode. The concentrations of nss-$Ca^{2+}$ and $NO{_3}{^-}$ were increased 36.7 and 3.2 times in coarse particles, and 15.0 and 3.1 times in fine particles during the Asian Dust periods. Especially, the concentrations of crustal elemental species such as Al, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, Ti, Mn, Sr, Ba were highly increased for those periods. In the haze events, the concentrations of secondary air pollutants were increased 1.3~2.6 and 1.5~4.2 times in coarse and fine particles, respectively. Moreover, the remarkable increase of $NO{_3}{^-}$ concentration was also observed in fine particle mode. The factor analysis showed that the composition of coarse particles was influenced mainly by marine sources, followed by soil and anthropogenic sources. On the other hand, the fine particles were influenced by anthropogenic sources, followed by marine and soil sources.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1390-1399
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• 2007

Samples of 45 school dust were collected in Daegu in January 2007, were sieved below 100 ${\mu}m$, and 14 elements were analyzed using ICP after an acid extraction. Results obtained from the source assessment of trace elements using enrichment factor showed that dust from playground were influenced by natural sources, while dust from classroom were influenced by urban anthropogenic sources. The measured values were remarkably higher in components from natural sources than in components from urban anthropogenic sources. Dust from classroom are highly concentrated than those from playground. Concentrations of dust in urban area are similar to those of dust in rural area and there was no significant difference in concentrations between classroom with playground soil and classroom with play-ground grass. Compared with other cities in Korea, concentrations of heavy metals in Daegu city were higher in classroom and lower in playground than those of heavy metals in other cities. Dust from classroom contained lower concentrations of trace elements than those from street in Daegu. Results of pollution indices of heavy metals indicated that playground was not contaminated with heavy metals and classroom was considered to be highly contaminated. No appreciable differences in playground were found between urban and rural areas but in case of classroom pollution, heavy metal concentrations were a little bit higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The correlation analysis among trace elements indicated that components in playground were significantly correlated, while components in classroom were less correlated. Trace element components of classroom dust were not significantly affected by those of playground dust.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.87-98
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• 2005

Human exposure to nano-sized particles (NSP) has increased over the last century with anthropogenic sources, and the rapid development of nanotechnology becomes an another source of such exposure. Information regarding the safety of nanotechnology and its product, nanoparticles, is urgently needed when assuming exposure through inhalation, oral intake, and penetration across skin is ever increasing as growing nanotechnology rapidly. The recent advancement of biokinetic studies with NSP and newer epidemiologic and toxicologic studies with ultrafine particles can be the basis for the nanotoxicology. Some concepts of nanotoxicology can be known from the results of these results. Specific small size of NSP, when inhaled, facilitates deposition by difusional mechanism in all regions of the respiratory tract and uptake into cells, ranscytosis across epithelial and endothelial cells into the blood and lymph circulation to reach target sites. Translocation along axons and dendrites of neuron makes an access to CNS and ganglia. These biokinetics are dependent on NSP surface chemistry. Risk assessments of NSP include appropriate and relevant doses/concentration selections, the increase effects in the organism and the benefits of possible desirable effects. An interdisciplinary team approach is desirable for nanotoxicology research and an appropriate risk assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2005

The atmospheric transportation and dispersion processes of air pollutants are important issues in dealing with air pollution problems. Air pollutants originated from biological and anthropogenic activities are not only limited to the local emission sources, but could also be transported and dispersed to other regions by synoptic weather systems. Besides, the complexity of topography of central Taiwan helps accumulating air pollutants to promote high-concentration episodes. The techniques of tethersonding were applied to monitor the vertical profiles of winds, air temperatures and humidity, as well as to collect air samples, to be analyzed for pollutants $(O_3,\;NO_2,\;NO\;and\; NMHC)$ from the ground up to 1000m. A time period of about one week, 19-26 October 2002, was chosen as the sampling period due to the high frequency of episode occurrence in autumn based on the past records. Associating with the analysis of weather patterns, the atmospheric characteristics over high-concentration areas can be resolved in more detail. The result of the tethersonding studies showed that weak northerly sea breeze (with thickness about 300m) with low wind speed (about 1 to 2 m/sec) could help develop high ozone concentrations in the down-wind areas. It is also important to have a built-up aloft of precursors and ozone to develop high concentration on the previous day.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.729-739
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• 2017

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) were coupled to simulate atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations. The performance of the WRF-VPRM to simulate regional scale $CO_2$ concentration was estimated over coastal basin areas. Either Hestia 2011(HST) or Vulcan 2002(VUL) anthropogenic $CO_2$ emission data were used in two numerical experiments for the study regions. Simulated meteorological variables were validated with ground and background $CO_2$ measurement data, and the results show that the model captured temporal variations of $CO_2$ concentration on a daily basis. $CO_2$ directional analysis revealed that the dominant $CO_2$ emission sources are located S and SW. The simulated Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) agreed relatively well with measured $CO_2$ fluxes at each vegetation class site, showing approximately 40% at max improvement at shrub areas.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.600-618
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• 2014

The metadata for urban meteorological observation is standardized through comparison with those established at the World Meteorological Organization and the Korea Meteorological Administration to understand the surrounding environment around the sites exactly and maintain the networks and sites efficiently. It categorizes into metadata for an observational network and observational sites. The latter is again divided into the metadata for station general information, local scale information, micro scale information, and visual information in order to explain urban environment in detail. The metadata also contains the static information such as urban structure, surface cover, metabolism, communication, building density, roof type, moisture/heat sources, and traffic as well as the update information on the environment change, maintenance, replacement, and/or calibration of sensors. The standardized metadata for urban meteorological observation is applied to the Weather Information Service Engine (WISE) integrated meteorological sensor network and sites installed at Incheon area. It will be very useful for site manager as well as researchers in fields of urban meteorology, radiation, surface energy balance, anthropogenic heat, turbulence, heat storage, and boundary layer processes.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.59-71
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• 2001

In order to investigate the temporal variability of dissolved and particulate trace metals in the Han River, water samples were collected intermittently at two sites for 3 years (August 91 to December 94). Surface seawaters covering the range of salinity were also collected at the estuarine region to evaluate the role of estuary for the riverine fluxes of trace metals within the estuary during October 95 and 96. During the study period, dissolved metal concentrations in riverwaters varied by a factor of 5-10 for Fe, Ni, Co and Cu and 50-100 for Mn, Cd and Pb depending upon the water level; high concentration during the low water and low concentration in high water period except for Fe. The concentration of dissolved Fe increased with increasing water discharge. These concentration-discharge relationships of the studied trace metals are explained by the successive dilution of waters from two different origins, which can be presumably identified as anthropogenic discharges and watershed flushing. Although estuarine waters at early mixing region were not collected due to the difficulty of sampling, mixing behaviors of metals were inferred from the concentration-salinity relationships through the laboratory mixing experiment and field sampling, and distribution coefficients between dissolved and labile particulate phases. It is suggested that the Han River estuary plays a role of accumulating Fe, Mn, Co and Pb from riverine sources due to high turbidity caused by strong tidal current, whereas this system serves as a source of dissolved Cd due to release caused by extended residence time of riverine particles.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.503-510
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• 2005

An instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to measure the concentrations of about 24 elements associated with airborne particulates (PM10) that were collected in the most polluted urban region of Daejeon city, Korea from 2000 to 2002. Using the measurement data for various elements, both the extent of elemental pollution in the study area and the seasonality in their distribution characteristics were examined. Examinations of their distribution patterns indicated that most elements with crustal origin tend to exhibit seasonal peaks during spring, while most elements with anthropogenic origin tend to exhibit seasonal peaks during fall or winter. In order to explain the factors regulating their mobilization properties, the data were processed by a factor analysis. Results of the factor analysis suggested competing roles of both industrial and natural source processes, despite that the study site is located at a downwind position of the industrial complex. Based on the overall results of this study, it is concluded that the site may be strongly impacted by man-made sources but the general patterns of elemental distributions in the study area inspected over a seasonal scale are quite consistent with those typically observed from natural environment.