• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2008

The variation of the particle size distribution and density as well as the chemical composition of aerosols is important to evaluate the particles. This study measured and analyzed airborne particles using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) system and an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) at the University of Seoul during every season. The highest particle number concentration of airborne particles less than $0.9\;{\mu}m$, occurred in winter, while the highest particle number concentration of airborne particles more than $0.9\;{\mu}m$, occurred in spring. Mass concentration appeared highest at spring. Also, when we compared $\beta$-ray's mass concentration with calculated mass concentration by using the SMPS-APS system during each season, density of the winter is $1.92\;g/cm^3$, spring density is $1.64\;g/cm^3$, fall density is $1.57\;g/cm^3$. We found out that PM10 density was differ every season. However, while the calculated density is whole density for PM10 the density of each diameter was different. In this study the density estimation equation of the QCM cascade impactor measured mass concentration of each diameter.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.248-255
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• 2010

Airborne nanoparticle concentrations in three metrics (particle surface area concentration, particle number concentration, and particle mass concentrations) were measured by task in a laboratory making carbon nanotubes (CNTs) films using three direct reading instruments. Because of the conducted other researcher's experiment before the tasks, airborne nanoparticle surface area and number concentrations are the highest at the first time conducted weighing and mixing by sonication task, respectively. Because of the mist generated during mixing by sonication, the highest airborne nanoparticle surface area and PM1 concentrations were measured in the task among the total. Nanoparticle surface area concentrations at the researchers' breathing zones had high correlation (r=0.93, p<0.01) with those measured at an area in the laboratory. This result indicates that nanoparticles generated during the experiment contaminated the whole room air. When the experiment performed all the fume hoods weren't operated and making CNTs films task were conducted in the out of the fume hoods. In conclusion, researchers performing making CNTs film experiments were exposed to airborne nanoparticles generated during the experiment without adequate controls. We recommend that adequate controls should be implemented so that workers' exposures to airborne nanoparticle are limited to minimum levels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2012.10a
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• pp.327-328
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• 2012

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.472-481
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• 2015

Objectives: Welding is a major task in shipbuilding yards that generates welding fumes. A significant amount of welding in shipbuilding yards is done on steel. Inevitably, manganese is present in the base metals being joined and the filler wire being used and, consequently, in the fumes to which workers are exposed. The objective of this work was to characterize manganese exposure associated with work area, total and particle size-selective mass concentration, and compare the mass concentrations obtained using a three-piece cassette sampler, size-selective impactor sampler and blood manganese concentrations. Materials: All samples were collected from the main work areas at one shipbuilding yard. We used a three piece cassette sampler and the eight stage cascade impactor sampler for the airborne manganese mass concentration of total and all size fractions, respectively. In addition, we used the results of health examination of workers sampled for airborne manganese. Results: The oder of high concentration of airborne manganese in shipbuilding processes was as follows; block assembly, block erection, outfitting installation, steel cutting, and outfitting preparation. The percentages of samples that exceeded the OES of the ministry of employment and labor by the cassette sampling method was 12.5%, however 59.1% of sampled workers by the impactor sampling method exceeded the TLV of the ACGIH. Conclusions: Even though the manganese concentrations in blood of workers exposed to higher airborne manganese concentration were higher than among those exposed to lower concentrations, there was no difference in blood manganese concentrations among work duration. The data analyzed here by characterizing size-selective mass concentrations indicates that the inhaled manganese of welders in shipbuilding yards could be mostly manganese-containing respirable particle sizes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.79-87
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• 2019

With desires for safe food, there is growing concern that pesticide spray drift will expose people, plants, and the environment to pesticide residue and potential negative effects thereof. For highly efficient, safe spray application, technologies for measuring the spray drift should be developed and improved with some urgency. This study investigated the applicability of two optical particle counters (OPCs), which are mostly used to measure airborne particle mass concentration, for measurement of airborne pesticide spray drift. Experiments were conducted in a controlled laboratory and an ash tree orchard to evaluate the handiness and accuracy of two OPCs, OPC 1 and OPC 2. The experimental results indicated that the OPC 1 was better applicable to the measurement of spray drift in the field while the use of the OPC 2 was limited due to its narrow range of measurable droplet sizes. The readings of the OPC 1 produced highly accurate results ($R^2=0.9637$) compared to the actual spray drift. For better application of OPCs, this study suggests the OPCs should be positioned properly to inhale spray droplets of the appropriate size and concentration.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1172-1176
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• 2003

This study aims to investigate the applicability of Sd/StFFF and to develop a method for size characterization of urban airborne particles, focusing primarily on particles larger than about 1 mm. It was found that the airborne concentration vary with time, although no particular seasonal trend was observed. When averaged over time, the airborne concentration was the lowest in the park areas with 99 ㎍/m³. The apartment, industrial, and central city area showed similar levels of the airborne concentrations with 166, 170, and 171 ㎍/m³, respectively. The housing area showed the highest airborne concentration with 201 μg/m³ among all tested areas. A power-programmed Sd/StFFF was used for size analysis of airborne particles with the initial field strength of 300 rpm, $t_a$ = 4, $t_i$ = -16, p = 8, and the flow rate of 7 mL/min. It was found that urban airborne samples were mostly populated by particles having diameters between about 5 to 20 ㎛, although all have broad size distributions ranging up to about 50 ㎛. Under the Sd/StFFF condition used in this study, no significant differences were found in size distributions among the airborne particles collected at different urban sites, and also among those collected at different times.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.215-221
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• 2023

Background: There is little information about the airborne hazardous agents released during the heat treatment when manufacturing a welding material. This study aimed to evaluate the airborne hazardous agents generated at welding material manufacturing sites through area sampling. Methods: concentration of airborne particles was measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer and optical particle sizer. Total suspended particles (TSP) and respirable dust samples were collected on polyvinyl chloride filters and weighed to measure the mass concentrations. Volatile organic compounds and heavy metals were analyzed using a gas chromatography mass spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, respectively. Results: The average mass concentration of TSP was 683.1±677.4 ㎍/m³, with respirable dust accounting for 38.6% of the TSP. The average concentration of the airborne particles less than 10 ㎛ in diameter was 11.2-22.8×10⁴ particles/cm³, and the average number of the particles with a diameter of 10-100 nm was approximately 78-86% of the total measured particles (<10 ㎛). In the case of volatile organic compounds, the heat treatment process concentration was significantly higher (p < 0.05) during combustion than during cooling. The airborne heavy metal concentrations differed depending on the materials used for heat treatment. The content of heavy metals in the airborne particles was approximately 32.6%. Conclusions: Nanoparticle exposure increased as the number of particles in the air around the heat treatment process increases, and the ratio of heavy metals in dust generated after the heat treatment process is high, which may adversely affect workers' health.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.265-271
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate distribution of lead particles by operation of industry, to evaluate the effect of particle size on the absorption to workers, and to recommend the Occupational Health Standard for lead. Total lead concentrations in the secondary smelting industry were higher than those in the battery and litharge manufacturing industry. Total lead concentrations in other industries except radiator manufacturing industry exceeded the standard of $50{\mu}g/m^3$. Only radiator manufacturing industry indicated lead concentrations significantly lower than those in other industries(p<0.05). Average blood lead level of workers was $85.1{\mu}g/dl$ in secondary smelting manufacturing, $51.3{\mu}g/dl$ in the battery manufacturing, and below $40{\mu}g/dl$ in the litharge and radiator manufacturing industry. Blood lead levels of workers by industry were significantly different(p<0.05). From relationship between airborne lead concentrations by size and lead in blood, confidence limits of airborne lead concentration equivalent to $40{\mu}g/dl$ of permissible limit in blood, was $147.9-489.8{\mu}g/m^3$ as total lead and $28.8-79.4{\mu}g/m^3$ as ACGIH-RPM. It is recommended that two separate occupational health standards for lead should be established by particle size. Airborne concentration of $150{\mu}g/m^3$ as fatal lead dust and $30{\mu}g/m^3$ as respirable lead dust was recommended.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 1991

Airborne suspended particulate concentration in drilling sites of underground coal mines in Taebaek area was evaluated. And respirable coal dust exposure level was evaluated. Airborne suspended particulate mass include total suspended particle(TSP) and thoracic particle(TPM). TSP (by open-face filter holder) and TPM(by elutriator) concentration were determined by low volume air samplers. Personal air samplers were attached to the coal workers including drillers, coal cutters, and their assistants. Normality and log-normality of TSP, TPM, and respirable dust(RPM) concentration were tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov one-sample test. Differences of means of TSP, TPM, and RPM concentration were tested by paired t-test. Relation between TSP, TPM, and RPM with pairs were tested by regression test and Pearson's correlation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2010

Although the usage of nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has increased in various fields, scientific researches on workers' exposures and controls of these materials are very limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the airborne nanoparticles concentrations from two university laboratories conducting experiments of CNTs growth based on containment of thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Airborne nanoparticle concentrations in three metrics (surface area concentration, particle number concentration, and mass concentrations) were measured by task using three direct reading instruments. In a laboratory where CVD was not contained, the surface area concentration, number concentration and mass(PM$_1$) concentration of airborne nanoparticles were 1.5 to 3.5 times higher than those in the other laboratory where CVD was confined. The ratio of PM$_1$ concentration to total suspended particles(TSP) in the laboratory where CVD was not confined was about 4 times higher than that in the other laboratory. This indicates that CVD is a major source of airbone nanoparticles in the CNTs growth laboratories. In conclusion, researchers performing CNTs growth experiments in these laboratories were exposed to airborne nanoparticles levels higher than background levels, and their exposures in a laboratory with the unconfined CVD were higher than those in the other laboratory with the confined CVD. It is recommended that in the CNTs growth laboratories adequate controls including containment of CVD be implemented for minimizing researchers' exposures to airborne nanoparticles.