• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
• /
• 1972.03a
• /
• pp.6-7
• /
• 1972

The air pollutants can be classified into the irritant gas and the asphixation gas, and the irritant gas is closely related to the otorhinolaryngological diseases. The common irritant gases are nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrogen carbon compounds, and the potent and irritating PAN (peroxy acyl nitrate) which is secondarily liberated from photosynthesis. Those gases adhers to the mucous membrane to result in ulceration and secondary infection due to their potent oxidizing power. 1. Sulfur dioxide gas Sulfur dioxide gas has the typical characteristics of the air pollutants. Because of its high solubility it gets easily absorbed in the respiratory tract, when the symptoms and signs by irritation become manifested initially and later the resistance in the respiratory tract brings central about pulmonary edema and respiratory paralysis of origin. Chronic exposure to the gas leads to rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and olfactory or gustatory disturbances. 2. Carbon monoxide Toxicity of carbon monoxide is due to its deprivation of the oxygen carrying capacity of the hemoglobin. The degree of the carbon monoxide intoxication varies according to its concentration and the duration of inhalation. It starts with headache, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and tinnitus, which can progress to respiratory difficulty, muscular laxity, syncope, and coma leading to death. 3. Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory disturbances by formation of methemoglobin. In acute poisoning, it can cause pulmonary congestion, pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and pneumonia due to its strong irritation on the eyes and the nose. In chronic poisoning, it causes chronic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. 4. Ozone It has offending irritating odor, and causes dryness of na sopharyngolaryngeal mucosa, headache and depressed pulmonary function which may eventually lead to pulmonary congestion or edema. 5. Smog The most outstanding incident of the smog occurred in London from December 5 through 8, 1952, because of which the mortality of the respiratory diseases increased fourfold. The smog was thought to be due to the smoke produced by incomplete combustion and its byproduct the sulfur oxides, and the dust was thought to play the secondary role. In new sense, hazardous is the photochemical smog which is produced by combination of light energy and the hydrocarbons and oxidant in the air. The Yonsei University Institute for Environmental :pollution Research launched a project to determine the relationship between the pollution and the medical, ophthalmological and rhinopharyngological disorders. The students (469) of the "S" Technical School in the most heavily polluted area in Pusan (Uham Dong district) were compared with those (345) of "K" High School in the less polluted area. The investigated group had those with subjective symptoms twice as much as the control group, 22.6% (106) in investigated group and 11.3% (39) in the control group. Among those symptomatic students of the investigated group. There were 29 with respiratory symptoms (29%), 22 with eye symptoms (21%), 50 with stuffy nose and rhinorrhea (47%), and 5 with sore thorat (5%), which revealed that more than half the students (52%) had subjective symptoms of the rhinopharyngological aspects. Physical examination revealed that the investigated group had more number of students with signs than those of the control group by 10%, 180 (38.4%) versus 99 (28.8%). Among the preceding 180 students of the investigated group, there were 8 with eye diseases (44%), 1 with respiratory disease (0.6%), 97 with rhinitis (54%), and 74 with pharyngotonsillitis (41%) which means that 95% of them had rharygoical diseases. The preceding data revealed that the otolaryngological diseases are conspicuously outnumbered in the heavily polluted area, and that there must be very close relationship between the air pollution and the otolaryngological diseases, and the anti-pollution measure is urgently needed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.153-161
• /
• 1993

This study was conducted to compare the resistance and sensitivity of trees with 6 native species exposing to 4 different levels of $SO_2$gas(0.4, 0.7, 1.5 and 3.0 ppm) respectively. The results are summarized as follows : 1. Visible injuries appeared as spots in the region of intervein on the leaves for all the species and the color of the spots changed from light green and/or brown to light brown, dark brown, and/or redish brown. 2. The sensitivity of the species to $SO_2$ was high in the descending order of Zizyphus jujuba, Cataegus pinnatifida, Viburnum sargentii, Weigela subsessilis, Euonymus japonica, and Acer ginnala. 3. The resistance of the species to $SO_2$ was high in the descending order of Acer ginnala, Eunymus japonica Viburnum sargentii, Weigela subsessilis, Zizyphus jujuba, and Crataegus pinnatifida. 4. When the trees were exposed to $SO_2$gas, the contents of chlorophyll a, b, and a+b were consostently lower than those of control, and water soluble sulfur contents in the leaves were higher than those of control. 5. There was no significant correlation between stomatal resistance and the sensitivity(or resistance) of the trees exposed to $SO_2$ gas. 6. In this study, it was concluded that Acer ginnala was more suitable species than the others for landscape in air polluted area because it showed high resistance, low sensitivity, and low stromal resistance to $SO_2$gas exposure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.88 no.4
• /
• pp.510-522
• /
• 1999

The air pollutants ; $SO_2$, $SO{_4}^{-2}$, $NO{_3}^-$, $Cl^-$ are absorbed into soils through falling with dusts and rain from the atmosphere. The sources of heavy metal contaminants in the environments are agricultural and horticultural materials, sewage sludges, fossil fuel combustion, metallurgical industries, electronics and waste disposal etc.. The soils and hydrosphere can be polluted on the way of the circulation of these heavy metals. Studied pollutant anions are $SO{_4}^{-2}$, $NO{_3}^-$ and $Cl^-$ and heavy metals are Se, Mo, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mn, Cr, Co, V, As, Cu and Ni which are the elements to be concerned with the essentials for plants, with animal and human health. This study is with the aim of selecting the species of roadside trees and green space trees which have excellent absorption of air pollutants and heavy metals from the atmosphere and the soils in the urban area. Two areas are designated to carry out this study : urban area ; Kwangju city and rural area ; the yard of Forest Environment Institute of Chollanam-do, at Sanje-ri, Sampo-myum, Naju city, Chollanam-do (23km away from Kwangju). This study is carried out to understand the movement of anions and heavy metals from the soils to the trees in both areas, the absorption of anions and heavy metals from atmosphere into leaves and the amounts of anions and heavy metals in leaves and fine roots(< 1mm dia.) of roadside trees and green space trees in Kwangju and trees in the yard of Forest Environment Institute of Chollanam-do. The tree species selected for this study in both areas are Ginkgo biloba, Quercus acutissima, Cedrus deodara, Platanus occidentalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Alnus japonica. Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Zekova serrata. Prunus serrulata var. spontanea, and Pinus densiflora. The results of the study are as follows : 1. $SO{_4}^{-2}$, $NO{_3}^-$ and $Cl^-$ concentrations are higher in the soils of the urban area than in those of the rural area, and $NO{_3}^-$ and $SO{_4}^{-2}$ are higher in the leaves than in the roots due to the absorption of the these pollutants through the stomata. 2. Ginkgo biloba, Robinia pseudoacacia. Zekova serrata, Quercus acutissima, and Platanus occidentalis can be adequated to the roadside trees and the environmental trees due to their good absorption of $NO{_3}^-$ and $SO{_4}^{-2}$. 3. Heavy metals in the soils of both areas are in the order of Mn > Zn > V > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > Mo> Cd, and in the leaves and roots of the trees in the both areas are in the order of Mn>Zn>Cr>Cu>V>Ni. Both orders are similar ones except V. There are more in the urban soils than in the rural soils in amount of Mn, Zn, Pb, V, Cu. 4. It is supposed that there is no antagonism between Mn and Zn in this study. 5. Se, Co and As are not detected in the soils, the leaves and the roots in both areas. Sn, Mo, Cd and Pb are also not detected in the leaves and roots in spite of considerable amount in the soils of both areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.82 no.3
• /
• pp.271-282
• /
• 1993

This study was conducted to investigate the absorbing and/or filtering capacity of woody landscape plants growing in urban and industrial regions of Seoul and Taejon. Korea. Total sulfur content and heavy metal content were analyzed in tree foliage of Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Ginkgo biloba. Liriodendron tulipifera, Platanus occidentalis. The total sulfur content in the leaves of woody landscape plants in Seoul and Taejon were remarkably higher than those of the tree leaves in Kwangreung. The total sulfur content of deciduous trees had 2.6 times more than that of coniferous trees. the former had better absorbing capacity of $SO_2$ gas. Especially Ginkgo biloba and Platanus occidentalis were recommanded as absorption trees of $SO_2$ because sulfur content levels of them were the highest among all species and increased until tall coloration. While coniferous trees showed no changes in total sulfur content between four seasons. deciduous trees increased in sulfur during the growing season. Pb content of all species in polluted area were higher than those in unpolluted area. In polluted area, while coniferous trees had higher absorption and accumulation of Pb, deciduous trees had higher absorption of Zn. The content of Pb, Zn and Cu in needle of Pinus koraiensis were more than those of Pinus densiflora, In Pinus koraiensis and Pinus densiflora, heavy metal content in the 2nd year needle were higher than thous in the current year needle. In Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis Liriodendron tulipifera and Platanus occidentalis there was a positive correlation between total sulfur and heavy metals [(Pb+Zn+Cu)/3] content.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.249-258
• /
• 2015

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the correlations between the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and cytokines among elementary school children in an industrial city, Ulsan, South Korea, and to identify major environmental risk factors associated with AR prevalence. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in June 2009 and February 2010 in order to evaluate the relationship between AR and related cytokines. Data on physician-treated prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors for AR were compiled through a questionnaire from a survey of 339 schoolchildren living in different urban environments. Logistic regression analysis was carried out with propensity score matched data (n=180) to assess the influences of cytokines (IL-13, IL-33, IL-4 and IL-5) on AR prevalence and to determine which environmental factors affected AR. Results: In univariate analysis, the AR prevalence was influenced by family history of AR (mother and siblings), environmental factors (odor condition and irritated symptoms of air pollution), and indoor allergens (D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus). The t-test demonstrated that eosinophils, Immunoglobulin E (IgE), and interleukins (IL-13 and IL-5) were statistically significantly different according to treatment of allergic rhinitis over the preceeding 12 months. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a statistically significant association between several factors (such as irritated symptoms of air pollution (OR 4.075, CI 1.735-9.568), IL-13 (OR 0.825, CI 0.734-0.928), odor condition (OR 2.409, CI 0.908-6.389), and AR history of siblings (OR 2.217, CI 0.999-4.921)) and the prevalence of AR was found after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: These results suggest that AR prevalence is significantly associated with cytokine level, genetic background, and outdoor environmental factors. Although living in a polluted area and genetic background can contribute to an increased risk of childhood AR, cytokine level should be considered as an important factor in the treatment of AR in the last 12 months.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.474-483
• /
• 2004

This paper analyzed the characteristics of daily ozone variations over Kangreung and Wonju. It was found that the diurnal cycle of ozone over Wonju has a primary ozone peak in the afternoon and a minimum around sunrise, which is a typical diurnal ozone cycle observable in the urban area. However, the cycle over Kangreung shows a primary peak in the afternoon and secondary peak around 3 a.m. The amounts of ozone in the secondary peak is occasionally higher than that in the primary peak. This nocturnal ozone peak is frequently observed year-round, and the highest frequency and extent are observed in spring. The possible cause of this nocturnal ozone increase was investigated using meteorological parameters and the HYSPLIT trajectory model. It was found that the nocturnal ozone peak is highly correlated with strong wind speed, which has led to positive temperature anomaly. The trajectory model revealed that when the secondary peak occurred, the air was originated from the west and a sinking motion subsequently followed. These findings suggested that when the westerly wind is strongest in spring, the polluted airs from urban areas are transported to the upper boundary layer over Kangreung area. In the case of strong wind during the night, nocturnal ozone peaks were produced by active vertical mixing between lower boundary and upper boundary layers.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.54-64
• /
• 2006

The traditional Korean diet, which is high in rice and vegetables, is fast being replaced by a Western style diet as the standard of living goes up. In addition to this, cigarette smoking has taken on serious proportions, especially amongst those of the younger generation. Because Seoul (and it's surrounding areas) is the hub of Education and Business, it is densely populated and heavily polluted Consequently health-related issues and diseases are starting to resemble those prevalent in Western communities. Historically, stomach cancer was the #1 killer-disease in Korea, but nowadays lung cancer ranks either 1st or 2nd on the list of killer-disease in Korea. This is presumably due to the lethal combination of heavy smoking and pervasive air pollution. Despite these disquieting facts, almost no study had been made of the nutritional patterns and dietary habits of smoking and non-smoking young adults in the Seoul area. Therefore the purpose of this study is to compare the dietary and nutritional patterns of young smokers with those of young non-smokers in and around Seoul. This is done with regards to their eating habits and lifestyles, as well as the dietary components that contribute towards maintaining good health. The results showed that compared to non-smokers, smokers manifested irregular eating patterns and also tended to overindulge on fast- or junk foods. In contrast to this, non-smokers enjoyed a healthier diet, which was high in brown rice, grains, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables, and 'kimchi'. Amongst the male subjects of this study, it was found that smokers consumed significantly less vitamin $B_2$, calcium, and phosphorous than non-smokers. It was also established that in general, stress-generated smoking habits were formed during the high school years of the younger generation. In conclusion: Because smokers maintain a less healthy diet and life-style, it is to recommended that a 'Health Education Program' be developed which could guide young smokers into adopting better dietary habits and life styles.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.51-63
• /
• 2013

To assess the effect of environmental factors on the sustainability of cultured production shellfish, we investigated the habitat characteristics of tidal flat (Namhae-po in Taean). We measured the physiochemical parameters (temperature, salanity, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients) and the geochemical characteristics (chemical oxygen demand, ignition loss, C/N ratio and C/S ratio). Surface sediments were collected from several site of tidal flat to examine the geochemical characteristics of both the benthic environment and heavy metal pollution. The grain size for research area of tidal flat were similar at the ratio of silt and clay in comparison with the other site of it. The C/N ratio was more than 5.0, reflecting the range arising from the mix of marine organism and organic matter. The C/S ratio (about 2.8) showed that survey area had anoxic or sub-anoxic bottom conditions. The enrichment factor (Ef) and index of accumulation rate (Igeo) of the metals showed that those research areas can be classified as heavily polluted, heavily to moderately polluted, or more or less unpolluted, respectively. Adult surf clam (Mactra veneriformis) density was highest at St. 2 (middle part of the Namhae-po), on the other hand, surf clam spat density was highest at St. 3 (lower part of the Namhae-po). Heavy rain, terrigenous suspended clay with fresh water from neighboring agricultural land, and severe high air temperature during summer could be thought as detrimental causes of spat and adult mortality in Namhae-po tidal flat. We suggested that the growth of shellfish in the tidal flat was effected by the various environmental conditions, so an improvement in the cultured method was needed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.611-622
• /
• 2000

To investigate the exchange rates of mercury(Hg) across soil-air boundary, we undertook the measurements of Hg flux using gradient technique from a major waste reclamation site, Nan-Ji-Do. Based on these measurement data, we attempted to provide insights into various aspects of Hg exchange in a strongly polluted soil environment. According to our analysis, the study site turned out to be not only a major emission source area but also a major sink area. When these data were compared on hourly basis over a full day scale, large fluxes of emission and deposition centered on daytime periods relative to nighttime periods. However, when comparison of frequency with which emission or deposition occurs was made, there emerged a very contrasting pattern. While emission was dominant during nighttime periods, deposition was most favored during daytime periods. When similar comparison was made as a function of wind direction, it was noticed that there may be a major Hg source at easterly direction to bring out significant deposition of Hg in the study area. To account for the environmental conditions controlling the vertical direction of Hg exchange, we compared environmental conditions for both the whole data group and those observed from the wind direction of strong deposition events. Results of this analysis indicated that the concentrations of pollutant species varied sensitively enough to reflect the environmental conditions for each direction of exchange. When correlation analysis was applied to our data, results indicated that windspeed and ozone concentrations best reflected changes in the magnitudes of emission/deposition fluxes. The results of factor analysis also indicated the possibility that Hg emission of study area is temperature-driven process, while that of deposition is affected by a mixed effects of various factors including temperature, ozone, and non-methane HCs. If the computed emission rate is extrapolated to the whole study area we estimate that annual emission of Hg from the study area can amount to approximately 6kg.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.100 no.1
• /
• pp.88-94
• /
• 2011

This study was conducted to provide on a basic information for maintenance of roadside trees and identify the links between environmental pollution and tree damages (Ginkgo biloba, Platanus occidentalis) in Daejeon City by analyzing photosynthetic characteristics, water use efficiency, chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll contents by the regions and plants. The investigations were conducted at Chungnam national university(CNU) considered as the least air-polluted area compared to other study sites, Daedeok science town(DS) which a new road with little traffic recently was built around, Daehwa industry complex(DIC) and Daejeon station(DS) which an old road with heavy is located around. The photosynthetic capacity of the two species were highest in CNU and lowest in the DS. However the water use efficiency was highest on the contrary to the photosynthetic capacity in DS. Chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll contents were highest in CNU and lowest in DS as the photosynthetic capacity. On all of the test, Ginkgo biloba shows the more favorable physiological responses than Platanus occidentalis.