• 한국대기환경학회지
• /
• 제28권2호
• /
• pp.109-118
• /
• 2012

Ahead of the second basic plan which starts in 2015, tasks needed to improve air quality and encourage green growth in the Seoul Metropolitan Area have been investigated. To date, many research findings indicate that climate change is ongoing and continues to accelerate in the Northeast Asia due to several factors, including unparalleled anthropogenic air emissions from China. An intensive field study is proposed that would target the Seoul Metropolitan Area and would be conducted in collaboration with the international scientific community. While focused on environmental issues in Korea, this study would also benefit the international community by providing insights that can be applied to address similar problems around the world. In addition to the basic plan's emphasis on improving air quality, there is a need to promote green growth through environment-friendly development. It is proposed that green growth be interpreted as a comprehensive concept, targeting all environmental pollution, rather than being limited to low-carbon goals. It is further proposed that the success of environment-friendly development be measured in terms of risk reduction, energy and resources conservation, economic benefits, and employment expansion.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• 제4권1호
• /
• pp.9-19
• /
• 2010

The size distribution of airborne particulate matter (PM) and the concentrations of associated metallic elements were investigated in a busy urban region of a typical Korean industrial city. The PM concentrations measured during the spring, except for those in the size range of 1.1 to 2.1 ${\mu}m$, were slightly higher than the PM concentrations in the summer. Coarse particles contributed greatly to the variation in PM concentrations in the spring, while fine and submicron particles contributed largely to the variation in PM concentrations in the summer. The difference in size modes of the PM concentrations between spring and summer may be explained by the Asian dust effect and its accompanying wind direction and speed. Extremely high enrichment factors (EFs) values (6,971 to 60,966) for all of the size distributions in PM were identified for cadmium (Cd). High EFs values (12 to 907) were also identified for other heavy metals including Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn. Low EF values (0.29 to 8.61) were identified for Ca, K, Mg and Na. These results support the common hypothesis that most heavy metals in ambient PM have anthropogenic sources and most light metals have crustal sources. The results of principal components analyses and cluster analyses for heavy metals indicate that the principal sources of PM and metals were emissions from non-ferrous metal smelters, oil combustion, incinerators, vehicular traffic and road dust.

• 수산해양교육연구
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.388-401
• /
• 2010

This research aims at analyzing impacts of climate change on fisheries. Climate change is an additional pressure on top of the many which fish stocks already experience. This implies that the impact of climate change must be evaluated in the context of other anthropogenic pressures, which often have a much greater and more immediate effect. Conversely, it is evident that fish stocks will be more resilient to climate impacts if the stresses due to other factors, such as over-fishing and pollution, are minimized. Improved management of fisheries and of marine ecosystems can undoubtedly play an important role in adapting to the impacts of climate change. Most of the improvements which are needed do not require new science or understanding, they require patient development of acceptable, effective, responsive social institutions and instruments for achieving adaptive management. Management advices must include complete and transparent information on risks and uncertainties which arise from data quality and from structural deficiencies in the assessment models. Well-designed and reliable monitoring of fish stocks and the marine ecosystem is essential in order to detect changes and give warning in advance of alterations in the productivity of individual species and of the structure and functioning of the ecosystem and fishery economy on which they depend.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• 제39권1호
• /
• pp.11-16
• /
• 2016

Declines in amphibian populations are occurring worldwide, and have been attributed to many factors, including anthropogenic environmental changes. One of the ramifications of such declines is abnormalities in many amphibian species. A strong association has been detected between human activities and abnormalities in amphibian populations, but studies on this association are largely focused on lentic species. In this study, it was analyzed whether the degree of local human activity was associated with the rate of abnormalities in Bombina orientalis which inhabited lotic environments. We found that the proportions of abnormalities in wild populations of B. orientalis increased, when i) the closest human land use was located within 100 m from the frogs' habitat, and ii) the proportion of human land use within a 300-m radius was high. Our findings suggest that human activity has a negative impact on the fitness of nearby amphibian populations, and that wild populations very close to human-induced disturbance are affected.

• ALGAE
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2010

Marked declines in seagrass meadows are increasingly being reported from coasts around Korea and many regions of the world. The transplantation of seagrasses has been attempted to mitigate and control their degradation from a range of anthropogenic factors. In this study, Zostera marina shoots, which were collected from a donor bed in Koje Bay, were transplanted in Jindong Bay in December 2004. In 2008, a comparative investigation of shoot morphology, growth, and reproduction strategy of Z. marina was carried out between the donor and transplant sites to assess their adaptation success. Shoot height, individual shoot weight, and leaf productivity at the transplant site were significantly greater than those at the donor site. However, below-/aboveground tissue ratio was significantly lower at the transplant site compared to the donor site. Z. marina survival was maintained through vegetative reproduction, while peak season for lateral shoot recruitment was late winter for both donor and transplant site populations. However, vegetative reproduction mainly occurred during late winter and spring at the transplant site, whereas lateral shoots were evident across all seasons except late spring in the donor site. More pronounced seasonal variations were found at the transplant site compared to the donor site. These results indicate that Z. marina populations at the two sites possess distinct phenotypic variations induced by different environmental conditions, and Z. marina transplants have adapted well to the new transplant environment.

• 한국대기환경학회지
• /
• 제13권2호
• /
• pp.171-174
• /
• 1997

To provide better insights into the factors and processes regulating the geochemical behavior of airborne lead (Pb), we have investigated several important aspects of its distribution characteristics using the data collected from the Kyung Hee University-Suwon Campus during 1989 through 1994. Although the Pb data in the area reflected the effects of many anthropogenic activities ongoing in the area, the data were quite useful to assess the geochemical facets affecting the temporal distributions of lead as well as particulate matter (PM). The analysis of these data indicated that the Pb patterns were characteristic of enriched Pb levels during odd-numbered years relative to even-numbered years, while those of PM were exhibiting pronouncingly different patterns. Despite many similarities and differences found between year-to-year distribution patterns, of Pb data, it was possible to discuss the facts associated with relatively high concentrations in the years 1991 and 1993 via normalization of Pb against PM data. According to this procedure, we were able to conclude that relative enrichment in Pb levels during 1991 was due to enhanced input of PM, while that of the year 1993 came from more chemically-oriented processes such as active adsorptive scavenging of Pb onto the PM surface. Based on our comparative analysis of the size-fractionated PM and Pb data sets, we propse that two distinctive mechanisms that are both of phyical (1991) and chemical nature (1993) exerted controls over the observed distribution patterns of airborne Pb in the atmosphere of Suwon.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• 제29권4호
• /
• pp.319-326
• /
• 2007

Coastal marine ecosystems continue to suffer unrelenting pressures from human population growth, increased development, and climate change. Moreover, these systems' capacity for self-repair is declining with such increases in anthropogenic production of various pollutants. What is the present health status or condition of the coastal ecosystem? If our coastal areas are unhealthy, which conditions are considered serious? To answer such questions, the United States, Canada, and Australia are currently assessing coastal ecosystem health using systematic monitoring programs as well as identifying and implementing management plans to improve the health of degraded coastal ecosystems. To evaluate marine environments, Korea is currently using a limited number of factors to estimate water quality. In fact, we are ill-prepared for assessing coastal ecosystem health because no biologically specific criteria are in place to measure the responses to various pollutants. We should select ecosystem-specific indicators from physicochemical stressors and evaluate the subsequent biological responses within each ecosystem. Furthermore, a set of practical indicators should be generated by considering the characteristics and uses of a local coastal area and the key issues at hand. The values of indicators should be presented as indices that allow understanding by the general public as well as by practitioners, policy makers, environmental managers and other stakeholders.

• 한국환경과학회지
• /
• 제19권7호
• /
• pp.799-806
• /
• 2010

In an effort to characterize temporal and spatial variability of $PM_{10}$ and to quantitatively estimate contribution of sea salt aerosol to $PM_{10}$ mass in Busan area, twenty four-hour averaged concentration of $PM_{10}$ were measured in two distinct areas, Gwaebeopdong(inland) and Dongsamdong(seashore), Busan for summer and fall, 2007. It was found that sea salt accounted for 2.9% and 9.5% of $PM_{10}$ mass in Gwaebeopdong and Dongsamdong, respectively for the study period, indicating that contribution of sea salt to $PM_{10}$ mass and total ion concentration in seashore area were consistently higher by a factor of three compared to inland area. Temporal analysis suggested that sea salt contributions to $PM_{10}$ in Dongsamdong were higher in summer due to the southerly sea breeze while there was no significant fluctuation of sea salt contribution for the summer and fall months in Gwaebeopdong. Sea salt enrichment factors($EF_{sea}$) of $K^+$ $Ca^{2+}$ and ${SO_4}^{2-}$ (>10) indicated major contributions from anthropogenic sources and EFs of $Mg^{2+}$ and $Cl^-$ exhibited strong association with oceanic origins for both areas.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• 제18권1호
• /
• pp.3-8
• /
• 2013

Collision cell technology-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (CCT-ICP-MS) was used to measure the concentrations of approximately 19 elements associated with airborne PM2.5 samples that were collected from a roadside sampling station in Daejeon, Korea. Standard reference material (SRM 2783, air particulate on filter media) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology was used for the quality assurance of CCT-ICP-MS. The elemental concentrations were compared statistically with the certified (or recommended) values. The patterns of distribution were clearly distinguished between elements with their concentrations ranging over four orders of magnitude. If compared in terms of enrichment factors, it was found that toxic trace elements (e.g., Sb, Se, Cd, As, Zn, Pb, and Cu) of anthropogenic origin are much more enriched in PM2.5 samples of the study site. To the contrary, the results of the correlation analysis showed that PM2.5 concentrations can exhibit more enhanced correlations with the elements (e.g., Fe, K, Si, and Ti) arising from earth's crust. The findings of strong correlations between PM2.5 and the elements of crustal origin may be directly comparable with the dominant role of those species by constituting a major fraction of even PM2.5 as well as PM10 at the roadside area.

• 대한의사협회지
• /
• 제61권12호
• /
• pp.749-755
• /
• 2018

Particulate matter is an air pollutant emitted from both natural and anthropogenic sources, and its adverse health effects have been well documented in time-series analyses and cohort studies. The effect size of particulate matter exposure-a roughly 0.5% increase in mortality for each $10{\mu}g/m^3$ increment of short-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ${\leq}10{\mu}m$ and approximately a 10% increase for each $10{\mu}g/m^3$ increment of long-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ${\leq}2.5{\mu}m$-is small compared to other risk factors, but the exposure is involuntary and affects the entire population, which makes particulate matter pollution an important public health issue. The World Health Organization and Korean government have both established guidelines for particulate matter concentrations, but the Korean guideline is less stringent than that of the World Health Organization. The annual mean concentration of particulate matter in Korea is decreasing, but the trend seems to be slowing. In addition to policy efforts to reduce particulate matter emission, personal approaches such as the use of face masks and air purifiers have been recommended. Personal approaches may not solve the fundamental problem, but can provide temporary mitigation until efforts to reduce emission make progress.