• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.689-698
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• 2007

Particular attention is paid to the validity of PM-10 measurement using beta attenuation method. In this study, the inter-comparison studies were undertaken for PM-10 sampler with different measuring methods. The three beta attenuation monitoring instruments (BAM1020, FH C-14, and DIGS-150) and filter based gravitational method using High Volume Air Sampler were collocated and mass concentrations were compared from August to November, 2006. The results of the investigation show that beta attenuation monitoring instruments are comparable with gravitational method within 10% of measurement error. For specific conditions under high humidity and high concentrations, the inter-comparison results also showed a relatively good agreement and this can be explained as the effect of inlet heating of beta attenuation instrument. Subsequently, this study shows that beta attenuation monitoring instruments can be equivalently used with reasonable validity when compared gravimetric method.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2015

This paper focuses on the applicability of a continuous monitoring method on trace sulfur compounds in the ambient air by TD and GC/PFPD. The target compounds for monitoring include H2S(hydrogen sulfide), Methyl mercaptan, Dimethyl Sulfide, and Dimethyl disulfide. The result of QA/QC on monitoring instruments satisfies all the standards of Odor Measurement and Analysis Method, showing that the reproductivity of the compounds by concentration is within 10%, linearity is above 0.98 of a correlation efficient, method detection limit is 0.16 ppb by MM standard, and recovery rate is over 70%. Monitoring was conducted for two years from March 2006 to February 2008. As a result of the monitoring, the average concentration of H2S was 0.08 ppb, with the maximum concentration at 16.15 ppb. The result indicates that it is reasonable to do continuous monitoring as there appears a spontaneous event of high concentration by the condition of the site during monitoring odor-causing substances. Therefore, it is suggested that the continuous monitoring method used in this paper is appropriate to identify the characteristics of sudden occurrence and concentration variations of sulfur compounds.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.513-527
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• 2013

Recently, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) have been of great concern in Korea, largely due to public awareness on the importance of their impacts on environmental health. A group of HAPs includes a large number of various chemicals such as VOCs, PAHs, PCBs, dioxines, furans, organochlorinated pesticides, and some heavy metals. These groups of pollutants are generally known to have genetic toxicity and to be persistent in the environment. In addition, most of chemicals belong to the category of HAPs are widely distributed not only in air, but also in water and soil environments, and has therefore undergone considerable scrutiny for the last three decades. In this article, environmental implications and management of HAPs in Korea will be reviewed, with a particular emphasis on the monitoring of HAPs in the ambient air. A number of field studies will be introduced, which were recently conducted in large urban and industrial areas. Based on the filed studies, eight pollutants have been suggested to be intensively managed as higher priority pollutants, which are benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, acrolein, trichloroethylene, benzo(a)pyrene, hexa-valent Cr, and $PM_{2.5}$. Finally, future directions for a mega scale project for comprehensive monitoring of ambient atmosphere in large urban areas will be suggested. Such an innovative project is believed to provide more realistic information on the nature of the population exposure, which can not be simply identified by emission inventories or source investigations. Therefore, any strategy for the management of HAPs should be developed by not only emission-based approaches, but also observation-based approaches.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2010

The distribution of ambient air particles varies according to climate, industries, and other sources. In this study, ambient air particles (less than 12.1 ${\mu}m$) were monitored from February to August, 2007 as 12 different fractions sorted by a cascade impactor. Particles in the size range from 0.33 ${\mu}m$ to 0.76 ${\mu}m$ comprised the main fraction of ambient air particles in Seoul, Korea. On the day of an Asian dust event, the particle fraction size increased to 1.25~2.5 ${\mu}m$. The different sized particle fractions were also monitored for metals and were found to contain toxic heavy metals including Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr and As. Particle preparations were significantly cytotoxic when exposed to cultured BEAS-2B cells. Microarray analysis of the treated cells indicated a significant up-regulation of a number of genes associated with oxidative stress, including metallothionein, heme oxygenase-1, heat shock protein 70, and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-1.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.99-103
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• 2013

Objectives: This paper was prepared in memory of Jerry Sherwood, who provided a significant contribution to the Korean environmental and occupational health fields. Methods: Rare air quality data in Seoul were gathered by Jerry Sherwood when he visited Korea in the early 1980s. $SO_2$ and TPM concentrations were measured. These air quality measurements were based on ambient stationary monitoring and indoor air quality monitoring in various locations. Measurement during transportation was also applied. Results: Ambient $SO_2$ and TPM concentrations in Seoul were very high in the early 1980s. Ambient $SO_2$ concentrations were higher at nighttime. While ambient $SO_2$ concentrations varied by location, the Guro industrial area showed high levels. When indoor sources were presented, indoor $SO_2$ concentration was higher than outdoor level. Coal briquettes were closely associated with high indoor $SO_2$ concentration. Conclusion: This paper provided valuable historical information of air quality in Seoul.

• Environmental engineer
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• s.158
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• pp.12-15
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• 1999

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.315-325
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• 2013

The possibility of acute hepatotoxicity caused by dimethylformamide (DMF) requires regular monitoring of the workers who are using DMF to prevent the occupational disease. The authors performed ambient and biological monitoring of workers involved in synthetic leather manufacturing processes using DMF to assess the correlation between the markers of ambient and biological monitoring of DMF. The authors monitored 142 workers occupationally exposed to DMF from 19 workshops in the synthetic leather and ink manufacturing industries located in northern region of Gyeonggi-do. The subjects answered questionnaire on work procedure and use of personal protective equipment to be classified by exposure type. DMF in air samples collected using personal air samplers, diffusive and active sampler, was analysed using gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) with DB-FFAP column (length 30 m, i.d. 0.25 mm, film thickness 0.25 ${\mu}m$). Urinary N-methylformamide (NMF) was analysed using gas chromatograph-mass selective detector (GC-MSD) at selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode with DB-624 column (length 60 m, i.d. 0.25 mm, film thickness 1.40 ${\mu}m$). Geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) of the ambient DMF was $6.85{\pm}3.43$ ppm, and GM and GSD of urinary NMF was $42.3{\pm}2.7$ mg/L. The ratio of subjects with DMF level over 10 ppm was 44%, and those with urinary NMF over 15 mg/L was 87%. NMF in urine adjusted by DMF in air was $4.61{\pm}2.57$ mg/L/ppm and $9.50{\pm}2.41$ mg/L/ppm, respectively, with or without respirator. There was seasonal differences of NMF in urine adjusted by DMF in air, $7.63{\pm}2.74$ mg/L/ppm in summer and $4.53{\pm}2.29$ mg/L/ppm in winter. The urinary NMF concentration which corresponds to 10 ppm of ambient DMF was 52.7 mg/L (r=0.650, n=128). Considering the difference of the route of exposure which resulted from the compliance of wearing personal protective equipment, the estimated contribution of respiratory and dermal exposure route for DMF was 48.5% vs. 51.5%.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.181-190
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• 2016

Regional air quality regulation is a system that allows the Minister of Environment to designate the local area as air quality control region where the concentrations of air pollutants are exceeding the environmental standards, and the local governments that administrate the regulated area have to develop and practise a plan for reducing the air pollutants. From the data observed yearly by the monitoring stations in 8 provincial cities with more than 0.5 million people was judged the compliance with air quality standards in each municipality for the period of 2003 to 2013. As the result of investigation on air pollutants concentrations of each city, it was found that there was no station that exceeds the ambient air quality standards of CO, $SO_2$ and 24-hour $NO_2$. But all municipalities exceeded the standards of 8-hour $O_3$, annual and 24-hour $PM_{10}$, and therefore 8 municipalities can be designated to be under the local air regulation. For the annual $NO_2$ were the monitoring sites necessary requirements for designation of the air quality regulation region in Cheongju, Cheonan, Daejeon and Gwangju area. Incase of 1-hour $O_3$, some of stations in Pohang, Cheongju, Cheonan and Changwon area were over the designation standards for the air quality control region.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.223-230
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• 2015

Objectives: There is considerable evidence that polluted ambient air contributes to the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Heart rate variability (HRV) is defined as the variation in heartbeat intervals and has been reported as a biological marker of cardiovascular disease. This article reviews the existing literature in order to examine the association between air pollution and HRV. Methods: Literature was searched using Web of Science with the key words of "air pollution", "heart rate variability" and other related terms. A total of 156 articles were listed. For review, 21 of those listed publications were chosen after excluding studies regarding chamber studies, occupational environment, secondhand smoke and automobile exhaust. Results: Research methods employed in the publications were classified by type of participants (elderly/adult), air pollution monitoring (ambient/personal) and HRV monitoring (continuous/spot). Among HRV parameters, power in the low frequency range (LF), power in the high frequency range (HF) and standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN) were all associated with air pollutants. The chosen studies were mostly based on elderly populations. In studies based on continuous HRV monitoring, LF and SDNN significantly decreased when $PM_{2.5}$ exposure increased. Conclusion: Continuous HRV monitoring combined with personal exposure monitoring has been one of the most common study methods in recent publications. We expect that this review will be useful for the study of the association between air pollution and cardiovascular effects using HRV.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.393-405
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• 2018

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are representative air pollutants due to their detrimental effects on human health and their role in formation of secondary organic aerosols. Assessments and monitoring programs of VOCs using periodic grab sampling like Tedlar bags, canisters, and sorbent traps provide limited information, often with delay times of days or weeks. Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) is an emerging analytical technique for the real-time quantification of VOCs in air. It relies on chemical ionization of the VOCs molecules in air introduced into helium carrier gas using $H_3O^+$, $NO^+$, and $O_2{^+}$ precursor ions. Real-time monitoring method of 60 VOCs in the ambient air was developed using TO-15 standard gas mixture. Calibration curves, method detection limit, and quantitation reproducibility of the target compounds were tested. Dynamic dilution system was used to dilute standard gas from 0.174 ppbv to 100 ppbv, where calibration curves showed good linearity with $r^2$> 0.95 in all target analytes. Limit of detection (LOD) all compounds were sub ppbv, and some halogenated compounds showed pptv levels. Seven consecutive analyses of target compounds showed good repeatability with relative standard deviation of less than 10%. One day monitoring of VOCs in ambient air was conducted in Geoje. Average concentration of target VOCs in Geoje were relatively lower than other regions, among which formaldehyde showed the highest concentration ($15.4{\pm}5.78ppbv$). SIFT-MS provided good temporal resolution data (1 data per 3.2 minute), which can be used for identifying ephemeral short-term event. It is expected that SIFT-MS will be a versatile monitoring platform for VOCs in ambient air.