• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.360-372
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• 2010

Concentrations of ambient air particles such as total suspended particulates (TSP), particulate matter $(PM)_{10}$, and $PM_{2.5}$, were monitored simultaneously from May to June, 2007, at four locations at Alashan and Beijing in China, and Seoul and Gosan in South Korea. These monitoring sites are in the pathway of Asian dust (AD) storms traveling from China to the Korean peninsula. An AD event was observed in the Korean peninsula on May 25-26. During the sampling period, the average concentrations of TSP and PM10 were each higher than $150\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in Alashan and Beijing, but not in Seoul and Gosan. The concentration of TSP in Alashan (where the dust storm originated) on the day of the AD event reached $1824.7\;{\mu}g/m^3$, this being the highest concentration of air particles observed during the sampling period. The level was decreased to 15% of this ($274.7\;{\mu}g/m^3$) in Seoul and to 8.7% ($159.0\;{\mu}g/m^3$) in Gosan when the AD was observed two days later in Korea. Gosan, a representative background site in East Asia, displayed the lowest concentration of particles, with this maximal TSP concentration of $159\;{\mu}g/m^3$. Inorganic element contents in the air particles were also measured, and the concentrations in the four different regions compared. Concentrations of anthropogenically-enriched heavy metals in $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, were higher in the metropolitan cities of Beijing and Seoul compared to non-industrialized regions of Alashan and Gosan. However, the concentrations of inorganic soil elements including iron, magnesium, aluminum sodium, and manganese, were higher in Alashan compared to those in other sampling sites.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.518-528
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• 2006

The air quality index (AQI) is an index for reporting daily or hourly air quality to the general public. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. Many countries have their own AQI reporting systems, and the HAEI (hourly air environment index) method is now being used in Korea. In this study, in order to compare the AQI results from different methods, we applied three methods. i.e. US AQI, Canadian AQI, and Korean HAEI, to the same air quality data-base. The data-base was constructed from 10 monitoring sites in Gyeong-buk province for the last four years since 2000. Based on the results, a critical evaluation of the Korean HAEI method was made, and a number of suggestions and recommendations were presented to improve the AQI reporting system in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.281-292
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• 1998

Ambient concentrations of gaseous, particulate phase ionic species, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) were measured at two monitoring sites in the City of Ulsan during August 1997: one in industrial area and the other in downtown area. At each site, a three- stage filter pack sampler was used to collect fine particles and gaseous species, and air for VOC analysis was collected in stainless steel canisters. Concentrations of the ionic species at both sites were similar to each other. The VOC concentrations at the industrial site were approximately twice higher than those at the downtown site. This might be mainly due to the release of VOCs from the petrochemical industries. Daily variations of VOC concentrations at the industrial site were higher than that at the downtown site. This might be explained by the fact that emissions from industries were more irregular than those in downtown. The VOC concentrations in downtown were affected by both the local emissions and the emission from the petrochemical industries. The concentrations of selected hazardous organic components (HAPs) at the industrial site were similar to those of Yocheon industrial area but slightly higher than other cites and industrial areas, while those at the downtown site were comparable to those in other urban areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.250-260
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the current status of the possession of measurement and analytical instruments among work environment monitoring organizations that have been designated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL) in Korea. Methods: Data for measurement and analytical instruments were gathered by inspectors who had been assigned by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) and MoEL during the evaluation program for designated work environment monitoring service providers in 2012. Data for 11 monitoring instruments and nine analytical instruments were collected from 108 organizations. Basic data such as the type of service provides and the size of employment were also recorded by the inspector. Results: The total number of personal air samplers including high and low flow rates operated in Korea was 5,418, with average of 50.2. Average operation number of noise dosimeters was 35.0, while 3,780 dosimeters were used in 108 work environment monitoring organizations. There were 10,488 monitoring instruments in total. All service providers possessed at least one AAS and GC in their analytical laboratory. Total number of HPLC/MS was five, followed by ICP/MS of seven, with an average of 0.07. Conclusions: Based on the data, domestic work environment monitoring service providers possessed relatively reasonable measurement and analytical instruments. Nearly all instruments had been imported from advanced countries such as USA, UK and Japan. Periodic gathering of data on these instruments may help maintain good workplace monitoring results and the health of workers at the sites.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.577-582
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this survey was to assess the concentrations of heavy metals in the atmosphere of Pocheon City by measuring heavy metals in the industrial complex area and at the city air measuring station, and also to assess the degree of impact that the industrial area has on urban air quality. Methods: Sampling was carried out between February 2018 and November 2018 at two sites in the industrial complex and in the city air monitoring stations. Results: At the industrial complex in Pocheon City, air pollutant emitting businesses were emitting concentrations of fine dust (PM₁₀) between 45 and 60 ㎍/㎥ higher than in the city air. The daily maximum concentrations of lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and cadmium (Cd) in the industrial complex are below the WHO recommendation standard (annual average), and the impact on the urban atmosphere is judged to be insignificant. Three to five percent of fine dust (PM₁₀) consists of metallic materials, and as the fine dust increased, metals were detected proportionally. Although cadmium (Cd) and beryllium (Be) were not detected in the city air in Pocheon and chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) were found to be 50 percent or less, it is deemed that copper (Cu) was detected at unusually high levels due to unknown air pollutants, which requires regular heavy metal measurement and cause verification. Conclusions: An analysis of the heavy metals in the industrial zone and the urban atmosphere in Pocheon City in this study showed that the linear relationship of heavy metals in the industrial zone, or the direct impact relationship, on the heavy metals in the urban atmosphere could not be estimated. The sampling device for equivalent assessment of particulate matter installed at air pollution monitoring stations is highly likely to be used for analysis of fine dust and heavy metals.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2023

Nanocrystallne WO₃ and MoO₃ with several different sizes and crystal structures were prepared by simple acid precipitation and subsequent heat treatment. The photochromic (PC) properties of these samples were comparatively investigated in powder state by monitoring diffuse reflectance spectral changes after bandgap irradiation. The PC effect of hexagonal WO₃ and monoclinic WO₃ strongly depended upon crystallite size rather than crystal structure. The smaller the crystallite size, the better the PC effect. However, orthorhombic WO·H₂O and MoO₃ having hexagonal and orthorhombic structures did not follow this trend. One consistent result for all WO₃ and MoO₃ samples is that the heat treatment in air, which changes crystallinity, whether it changes the crystal structure or only the crystallite size, reduces the PC effect. Since the thermal treatment reduces the surface oxygen defect sites, we believe that the PC effect of WO₃ and MoO₃ depends critically on the surface oxygen defect sites that serve as deep trap sites for photogenerated electrons and oxygen radical holes. We also found that the proton insertion claimed by double charge injection model is not critical for the PC effect.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.208-218
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• 2014

Objectives: The major objective of this study was to develop and validate a tier 1 exposure model utilizing worker exposure monitoring data and characteristics of worker activities routinely performed at construction sites, in order to estimate worker exposures without sampling. Methods: The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals(REACH) system of the European Union(EU) allows the usage of exposure models for anticipating chemical exposure of manufacturing workers and consumers. Several exposure models have been developed such as Advanced REACH Tools(ART). The ART model is based on structured subjective assessment model. Using the same framework, a tier 1 exposure model has been developed. Worker activities at construction sites have been analyzed and modifying factors have been assigned for each activity. Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) accrued work exposure monitoring data for the last 10 years, which were retrieved and converted into exposure scores. A separate set of sampling data were collected to validate the developed exposure model. These algorithm have been realized on Excel spreadsheet for convenience and easy access. Results: The correlation coefficient of the developed model between exposure scores and monitoring data was 0.36, which is smaller than those of EU models(0.6~0.7). One of the main reasons explaining the discrepancy is poor description on worker activities in KOSHA database. Conclusions: The developed tier 1 exposure model can help industrial hygienists judge whether or not air sampling is required or not.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.275-288
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• 2009

The Korean government strengthened the environmental polices to manage and enhance Metropolitan Area air quality, and also has enforced "Special Act on Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement (SASMAQI)" issued in Dec. 2004. Recently government expanded the Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) to the outskirts satellite cities of Seoul area through the "Revised Law Draft of SASMAQI". The SMAQMD has been alloted the allowable emission loads to the local governments on the basis of the carrying $PM_{10}$ capacity. However, in order to establish the effective air quality control strategy for $PM_{10}$, it is necessary to understand the corresponding sources which have a potential to directly impact ambient $PM_{10}$ concentration. To deal with the situations, many receptor methodologies have been developed to identify the origins of pollutants and to determine the contributions of sources of interests. The objective of this study was to extensively identify $PM_{10}$ sources and to estimate their contributions at the metropolitan area. $PM_{10}$ samples were simultaneously collected at the 3 semi-industrialized local cities in the Seoul metropolitan area such as Hwasung-si, Paju-si, and Icheon-si sites from April 15 to May 31, 2007. The samples collected on the teflon membrane filter by one $PM_{10}$ cyclone sampler were analyzed for trace metals and soluble ions and samples on the quartz fiber filter by another sampler were analyzed for OC and EC. Source apportionment study was then performed by using a positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor model. A total of 6 sources were identified and their contributions were estimated in each monitoring site. Contribution results on Hwasung, Paju, and Icheon sites were as follows: 33%, 27%, and 27% from soil source, 26%, 26%, and 21% from secondary aerosol source, 11%, 11%, and 12% from biomass burning, 12%, 6%, and 5% from sea salt, 7%, 15%, and 19% from industrial related source, and finally 11%, 15%, and 16% from mobile and oil complex source, respectively. This study provides information on the major sources affecting air quality in the receptor sites and thus it will help to manage the ambient air quality in the metropolitan area by establishing reasonable control strategies, especially for the anthropogenic emission sources.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2004

Present study analyzed the temporal and spatial characteristics of PM10 pollution in Metropolitan Daegu area based on air pollution monitoring station data and measurements of PM10 concentrations in background area in order to provide essential data for efficient PM10 pollution management. The significant variation of spatial and temporal PM10 concentrations in Daegu area was observed during the study years. The highest maximum PM10 concentration(332 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥), average concentration(88 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥) and frequency exceeding PM10 daily standard(150 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥) were all observed in Namsandong located near a major roadway. The hourly and weekly variations of PM10 concentrations had different pattern for the measurement sites. The monthly and seasonal concentrations exhibited a notable characteristic： the maximum concentration was obtained in spring season, most likely due to Yellow sand effects. Furthermore, this temporal variation of PM10 pollution varied with study site. Meanwhile, the PM10 values measured at the monitoring site, Manchondong, were comparable with those of a control site. The average PM10 concentration ranged from 23 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ to 115 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ with a mean value of 53 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ in the former site and from 22 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ to 91 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ with a mean value of 45 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥ in the latter site.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.186-198
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• 2013

The present work is an attempt to improve the performance of a regional air quality model by means of liking it with a global chemistry transport model. The global chemical transport model of GEOS-Chem is used to provide BC (Boundary Condition)s which reflect temporal and spatial variations at boundaries of regional chemical transport model of CMAQ over East Asia. First, GEOS-Chem outputs are evaluated by comparing predicted concentrations with observed monthly data of gas phase species and secondary inorganic aerosols from EANET (Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia) sites. The results show that predicted PM10 concentrations are in good agreement with the observations. This implies that GEOS-Chem outputs could be used to provide BCs to CMAQ. Simulated daily and monthly mean PM10 concentrations of CMAQ with the linkage of GEOS-Chem's BCs and constant BCs are then evaluated by comparing predicted concentrations with observations at API (Air Pollution Index) sites in China as well as EANET sites in Korea. CMAQ with the GEOS-Chem outputs improves model simulation in depicting observed PM10 concentrations comparing with those with constant BCs. It is also found that influence of aerosol species are largely dependent on the BCs over East Asia and Korea. Mean biases between simulated versus observed daily and monthly mean concentrations of PM10 with the GEOS-chem were improved by 1~8 ${\mu}g/m^3$ in China region, 3.26 ${\mu}g/m^3$ in Korea.