• 한국입자에어로졸학회지
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.179-188
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• 2009

The dry deposition fluxes of particulate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured along with their mass size distributions at Seoul and Incheon in fall in 1999. The dry deposition fluxes of PCBs were in the range of $16.7{\sim}62.2ng/m^2/day$. The ambient concentrations of particulate PCBs were in the range of 0.07 to $0.20ng/m^3$. Generally, the mass size distribution of particulate PCBs shows bi-modal distribution. The mass fraction of PCBs in the fine particle fraction ($D_p<2.1 {\mu}m$) was over than 55% of the total PCBs concentrations. It was found that Seoul and Incheon were not the major source of PCBs emissions in Korea. Based on the comparison with the measurement data in summer, 1999, it is likely that both the dry deposition fluxes and ambient particulate PCBs concentrations were not site-specific.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제17권10호
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• pp.1111-1120
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• 2008

In order to study the degree of improved air quality as an outcome of the action plan of Atmospheric Environment Improvement in Gimhae, Gyeongnam Province, we investigated the status and trends of air pollutant before and after the plan. Nitrogen dioxide and ozone, both classified as hazardous substances, were closely monitored with particular attention. The level of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particles and ozone (but for carbon monoxide) was decreased after the plan was implemented. The number of days on which ozone exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard has decreased, but the level was still often exceeded. The level of nitrogen dioxide did not surpass until the 2006 standard, but when the revised 2007 standard was implemented, it exceeded 80% of some standards. The yearly level of ozone has decreased since the plan was introduced. The concentration of nitrogen dioxide, however, has reduced in high order area while increased in low order area.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.353-368
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• 2013

All Koreans had suffered heavily from municipal and industrial air pollution problems since 1960's to 1980's. However the levels of $SO_2$, CO, and Pb have been dramatically decreased since 1990's due to various air pollutants' reduction policies under the provisions of the 1978 Environmental Preservation Act and the 1990 Air Quality Preservation Act such as increasing the supply of low-sulfur fuel, the use of cleaner fuel, no use of solid fuel, and so on. Even though the national ambient air quality standard has been strengthened to protect public health and welfare, the levels of $NO_2$, $O_3$, and $PM_{10}$ frequently exceed the corresponding standards; for example, only 4 stations (1.7%) out of 239 nationwide monitoring stations satisfied the 24-hr based PM10 standard in 2011. Moreover, upto the present time, since there are serious underlying policies of economism and growth-first which can not be solely solved by the environmental laws, it is difficult to root out undesirable social evils such as public indifference, passive academic activities, complacent government bureaucracy, insufficient social responsibility of enterprise, and radical activities of environmental groups. The paper initially reviewed air pollution history of Korea with surveying various environmental factors affecting in/out-door air pollution in the past Korea. Further this study extensively investigated legal and political changes on air pollution control and management for the last 50 years, and then intensively discussed the present environment-related laws and policies unreasonably enforced in Korea. It is necessary to practically revise many outdated legal policies based on health-oriented thinking and on our current economic levels as well.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.33-36
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• 2017

China is suffering from severe air pollution especially fine $PM_{2.5}$ pollution. In 2015, the annual average $PM_{2.5}$ concentration of the 338 municipal cities was $50{\mu}g/m^3$, 78% cities at or above the prefectural level failed to comply with the $PM_{2.5}$ concentration standards. The $13^{th}$ Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development set the goal that the annual average concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ in the municipal cities which failed to attain the ambient air quality standards shall be decreased by 18% by 2020 (CCCPC, 2016). In this study, an air pollution control scenario during the $13^{th}$ Five-Year Plan period was proposed and the $SO_2$, $NO_x$ and PM emission reductions in response to different measures in 31 provincial-level regions mainland China by 2020 were estimated. The air quality in the target year (2020) was simulated using the WRF-CMAQ model. The results showed that by 2020, the emissions of $SO_2$, $NO_x$ and primary PM in mainland China will be reduced by 4.19 million tons, 3.94 million tons and 4.41 million tons, a drop of 23%, 21% and 25% respectively compared with that in 2015, and the annual average concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ will decrease by 19%. Coal-fired power plant contributes the most pollutant emission reduction.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.147-162
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• 2020

The main objective of this study is to estimate the levels of pollution to which the community is presently exposed and to model the regimes of local air quality. Diurnal, daily, and monthly variations of NO, NO₂, SO₂, and O₃ were thoroughly investigated in three areas; namely, residential, industrial, and terminal in Ras Al-Khafji. There is obvious diurnal variation in the concentration of these pollutants that clearly follows the diurnal variation of atmospheric temperature and main anthropogenic and industrial activities. Correlation analysis showed that meteorological conditions play a vital role in shaping the pattern and transportation of air pollutants and photochemical processes affecting O₃ formation and destruction. Bivariate polar plots, an effective graphical tool that utilizes air pollutant concentrations' dependence on wind speed and wind direction, were used to identify prevailing emission sources. Non-buoyant ground-level sources like domestic heating and street transport emissions, various industrial stacks, and airport-related activities were considered dominant emission sources in observatory sites. This study offers valuable and detailed information on the status of air quality, which has considerable, quantifiable, and important public health benefits.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.330-344
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• 2015

Semi-continuous measurements of $PM_{2.5}$ mass, organic and elemental carbon were made for the period of January to October 2014, at six national air monitoring stations in Korea. OC and EC concentrations showed a clear seasonal variation with the highest in winter (January) and the lowest in summer (August). In winter, the high carbonaceous concentrations were likely influenced by increased fuel combustion from residential heating. OC and EC concentrations varied by monitoring stations with 5.9 and $1.7{\mu}g/m^3$ in Joongbu area, 4.2 and $1.2{\mu}g/m^3$ in Honam area, 4.0 and $1.3{\mu}g/m^3$ in Yeongnam area, 3.7 and $1.6{\mu}g/m^3$ in Seoul Metropolitan area, 3.0 and $0.8{\mu}g/m^3$ in Jeju Island, 2.9 and $0.7{\mu}g/m^3$ in Baengnyeong Island respectively. The concentrations of OC and EC comprised 9.6~ 15.5% and 2.4~ 4.7% of $PM_{2.5}$. Urban Joongbu area located adjacent to the intersection of several main roads showed the highest carbon concentration among six national air monitoring station. On the other hand, background Baengnyeong Island showed the lowest carbon concentration and the highest OC/EC ratio (4.5). During the haze episode, OC and EC were enhanced with increase in $PM_{2.5}$ about 1.3~ 3 and 1.3~ 4.0 times respectively. The concentrations of OC, EC in the Asian dust case are about 1~ 2.4 times greater than in the nondust case. The origins of air mass pathways arriving at Seoul, using the backward trajectory analysis, can be mostly classified into 6 groups (Sector I Northern Korea including the sea of Okhotsk, Sector II Northern China including Mongolia, Sector III Southern China, Sector IV South Pacific area, Sector V Japan, Sector VI Southern Korea area). When an air mass originating from northern China and Mongolia, the OC concentrations were the most elevated, with a higher OC/EC ratio (2.4~ 3.3), and accounting for 17% of $PM_{2.5}$ mass on average.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.73-79
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• 1986

This study is carried out to determine the concentration of the ozone and the factors affecting the variation of ozone concentration in the ambient air in Seoul. The one-hour average concentration of ozone $(O_3)$, sulfur dioxide $(SO_2)$, nitrogen oxides (NO and $NO_2$), suspended particulate (TSP), carbon monoxide (CO) and non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) at 5 sites in Seoul measured from September to October in 1983 and 1984 were analysed statistically along with meteorological data for the same period. The results were as follows; 1. The average concentrations of ozone at 5 sites during the period ranged from 3.3 to 9.1 ppb, they were below 20 ppb of the ambient air quality standard of Korea. 2. The maximum hourly concentration of ozone occurred between 2 and 3 p.m. in a day and concentration at night were very low but higher concentrations were observed at around 4 a.m. 3. The concentration ratio between NO and $NO_2$ in Seoul was relatively lower than that for the cities of foreign countries reported so far. 4. The ozone concentration has negative correlationships with the concentration of other primary pollutants$(SO_2, NO, NO_2, CO and NMHC)$ in simple regression analyses. 5. The ozone concentration was positively correlated to wind speed, temperature and insolation intensity but negatively correlated to relative humidity. 6. Stepwise multiple regression analysis of the ozone concentration to the pollutants and meteorological factors indicate that insolation intensity and $[NO_2]/[NO]$ were the primary influencing factors. 7. The three factors of insolation intensity, $[NO_2]/[NO] and NO_2$ concentration had a significant combined effect on the ozone concentration $(r^2 = 0.47-0.57)$.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제85권4호
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• pp.313-319
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• 2022

Environmental exposure to air pollution is known to have adverse effects on various organs. Air pollution has greater effects on the pulmonary system as the lungs are directly exposed to contaminants in the air. Here, we review the associations of air pollution with the development, morbidity, and mortality of pulmonary diseases. Short-and long-term exposure to air pollution have been shown to increase mortality risk even at concentrations below the current national guidelines. Ambient air pollution has been shown to be associated with lung cancer. Particularly long-term exposure to particulate matter with a diameter <2.5 ㎛ (PM_2.5) has been reported to be associated with lung cancer even at low concentrations. In addition, exposure to air pollution has been shown to increase the incidence risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been correlated with exacerbation and mortality of COPD. Air pollution has also been linked to exacerbation, mortality, and development of asthma. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) has been demonstrated to be related to increased mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Additionally, air pollution increases the incidence of infectious diseases, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. Furthermore, emerging evidence supports a link between air pollution and coronavirus disease 2019 transmission, susceptibility, severity and mortality. In conclusion, the stringency of air quality guidelines should be increased and further therapeutic trials are required in patients at high risk of adverse health effects of air pollution.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.32-45
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• 2016

The anthropogenic aerosols originated from the pollutant emissions in the eastern part of China and dust emitted in northwestern China in Yellow sand regions are subsequently transported via eastward wind to the Korean peninsula and then these aerosols induce high $PM_{10}$ concentrations in Korean peninsula. In order to estimate air quality considering anthropogenic and dust emissions, Comprehensive Air-quality Model with extension (CAMx) was applied to simulate $PM_{10}$ concentration. The predicted $PM_{10}$ concentrations without/with dust emissions were compared with observations at ambient air quality monitoring sites in China and Korea for 2008. The predicted $PM_{10}$ concentrations with dust emissions could depict the variation of measured $PM_{10}$ especially during Yellow sand events in Korea. The comparisons also showed that predicted $PM_{10}$ concentrations without dust emissions were under-predicted while predictions of $PM_{10}$ concentrations with dust emission were in good agreement with observations. This implied that dust emissions from desert and barren soil in southern Mongolia and northern China minimized the discrepancies in the $PM_{10}$ predictions in East Asia. The effect of dust emission on annual $PM_{10}$ concentrations in Korea Peninsula for year 2008 was $5{\sim}10{\mu}g/m^3$, which were about 20% of observed annual $PM_{10}$ concentrations.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.13-19
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• 2007

Storage rough rice in low temperature using the winter cold air avoids rough rice temperature increase which happens from early May, and this is possible by installing a cooling system in the top of a bin, the room between top rice level and bin ceiling. The research objective is to establish low temperature rough rice storage technique, furnishing winter cold air to rough rice, by investigating the cooling system potential of maintaining low rough rice temperature and by analyzing rough rice storage characteristics over a storage period. The rough rice storage characteristics were evaluated from January to August 2003, using a storage and dry bin of 400-ton capacity. Results of this research are as follows: Cooling bin using the cooling system in the top of the bin maintained the rice temperature less than 15$^{\circ}C$ in entire portions in August. Moisture contents and germination rates of rough rice were decreased over the storage period, on the other hand, the rough rice stored in the ambient temperature bin had relatively lower moisture contents and germination rates to compare with the bin using winter cold air. Crack ratio and acid value of brown rice in the ambient temperature bin storage had increased more than the cooling bin storage. The result indicates that the storage bin using winter cold air and the cooling system maintains moisture content and germination of rice, minimizes cracked kernel and acid value, and preserves rice quality as well.