• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2009

Samples of subway dust were collected by the air filter system of 30 subway stations on Daegu subway line 1 in January 2008. Samples were sieved below 100 ${\mu}m$, and 14 elements were analyzed using ICP after acid extraction. Results obtained from the source assessment of trace elements using enrichment factor showed that Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, V were influenced by natural sources such as weathered rock and resuspended soil, while Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were influenced by anthropogenic sources such as fuel combustion and waste incineration. Concentrations were remarkably higher in components from natural sources than in components from anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic sources were significantly affected by indoor dusts than outdoor dusts. Results of pollution indices of heavy metals indicated that indoor dusts were more contaminated with heavy metal ions than outdoor dusts. The correlation analysis among trace elements indicated that components were much correlated in the order of natural sources-anthropogenic sources, anthropogenic sources-anthropogenic sources, natural sources-natural sources in both indoor and outdoor dusts. Trace element components of outdoor dusts were largely correlated than those of indoor dusts. In addition, indoor dusts were significantly affected by outdoor dusts rather than depth from the surface or the average daily number of subway passengers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2015

Objectives: This study evaluated the regional and seasonal concentrations of ambient hazardous heavy metals in an industrial complex area in Daegu City. Methods: A total of 64 SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) samples were collected in non-industrial and industrial areas during 2014 and were analyzed for hazardous heavy metals elements (As, Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb) with ICP after acid extraction. Results: SPM and hazardous heavy metals concentrations showed regional (industrial complex area>non-industrial complex area) and seasonal (spring, winter>fall, summer) variations. All of the hazardous heavy metals were influenced by anthropogenic sources. The pollution index of hazardous heavy metals was very low, showing roughly one-quarter of the level of the air quality guidelines of WHO. The correlation analysis among SPM and hazardous heavy metals indicated that components of non-industrial complex areas were more related to each other than those of industrial complex areas, and the correlation in the winter was higher than in other seasons. Conclusion: It is necessary to control air pollution sources and establish related policy because hazardous heavy metals from industrial areas can influence residential areas.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.617-627
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• 2010

Although many researches for heat island study have been developed, there is little attempt to link the findings to actual and hypothetical scenarios of urban developments which would help to mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) in cities. The aim of this paper is to analyze the UHI at urban area with different geometries, land use, and environmental factors, and emphasis on the influence of different geometric and environmental parameters on ambient air temperature. In order to evaluate these effects, the parameters of (i) Air pollution (i.e. Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT)), (ii) Green space Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), (iii) Anthropogenic heat (AH) (iv) Building density (BD), (v) Building height (BH), and (vi) Air temperature (Ta) were mapped. The optimum operational scales between Heat Island Intensity (HII) and above parameters were evaluated by testing the strength of the correlations for every resolution. The best compromised scale for all parameters is 275m resolution. Thus, the measurements of these parameters contributing to heat island formation over the study areas of Hong Kong were established from mathematical relationships between them and in combination at 275m resolution. The mathematical models were then tabulated to show the impact of different percentages of parameters on HII. These tables are useful to predict the probable climatic implications of future planning decisions.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.19 no.4 s.54
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• pp.9-18
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• 2004

In this study, the observation data for the yellow sandy dust phenomena from the year 1999 to 2003 at background sites in Korea were collected at Global Atmospheric Observatory at An-Myeon island and its temporal variation were analyzed. The chemical characteristics of the fine particles were also analyzed in order to evaluate sources of the yellow sandy dust particles. The results showed that the monthly average mass concentration of the fine particles was the highest in springtime and the lowest in summertime in general. The magnitude of its variation was also the highest in March in which the occurrence of yellow sandy dust was the most frequent and thus the number of samples was the largest, while the lowest in June through September. The yearly variation of ion components contributions to the total mass concentration of the fine particles was slowly decreasing, showing that $63\%$ in 1999, $59\%$ in 2000 and $56\%$ in 2003. The most prevalent ion components in the fine particles were found to be $NO_3$ and $SO_4^{2-}$, which are known to be source materials of acidic precipitation, and $NH_4^+$, a neutralizing material of the acid precipitation. Relative proportion of metal components in the fine particles was calculated as $14\%$ in average, and their concentrations are in an order of Fe > Al > Na > Ca > Zn > Pb > Cu > Mn > Ni > Cd > Cr > Co > U. The results indicated that main sources of the metals was soil-originated Fe, Al, Ca, and Mg, and the contribution of anthropogenic air Pollution-originated Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn were also high and keep slightly increasing. Statistical analysis showed that the chemical components could be divided into soil-originated group of Mg, Al, Ca, Fe, and Mn and air pollution-originated group of $NO_3$, Zn, Pb, and they are occupying more than $60\%$of all the components in the dusty sand. The results explain that An-Myeon island is more influenced by soil-originated source than ocean-originated one and also the influencing strength of anthropogenic poilution-originated source is less than $50\%$ of that of soil-originated sources. Compared to non-yellow sandy period, the yellow sandy dust period showed that the amounts of soil-originated $Mg^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ and ocean-originated $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ were increased to more than double and the metals of Mg, Al, Ca, Fe were also highly increased, while micro metal components such as Pb, Cd, Zn, which have a tendency of concentrating in air, were either decreased or maintained at nearly constant level. In the period of yellow sandy dust, a strong positive correlation was observed between water soluble ions and between metals in terms of its concentration, respectively. Factor analysis showed that the first group being comprised of about $43\%$ of the total inorganic components was affected by soil and they are ions of $Na^+,\;Mg^{2+}\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ and metals of Na, Fe, Mn and Ni. The result also showed that the metals of Mg and Cr were classified as second group and they were also highly affected by soil sources.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.503-510
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• 2005

An instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to measure the concentrations of about 24 elements associated with airborne particulates (PM10) that were collected in the most polluted urban region of Daejeon city, Korea from 2000 to 2002. Using the measurement data for various elements, both the extent of elemental pollution in the study area and the seasonality in their distribution characteristics were examined. Examinations of their distribution patterns indicated that most elements with crustal origin tend to exhibit seasonal peaks during spring, while most elements with anthropogenic origin tend to exhibit seasonal peaks during fall or winter. In order to explain the factors regulating their mobilization properties, the data were processed by a factor analysis. Results of the factor analysis suggested competing roles of both industrial and natural source processes, despite that the study site is located at a downwind position of the industrial complex. Based on the overall results of this study, it is concluded that the site may be strongly impacted by man-made sources but the general patterns of elemental distributions in the study area inspected over a seasonal scale are quite consistent with those typically observed from natural environment.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.66-74
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• 1986

Rain samples were collected at 10 sites in the Seoul area during the period of August through November, 1985. THe concentrations of the major cations $(H^+, Ca^{++}, MG^{++}, Na^+, K^+, NH_4^+)$ and the major anions $(SO_4^=, NO_3^-, Cl^-)$ were measured to characterize the main sources of chemical ions in rainwater. Correlating concentrations of ions to pH, calculated coefficients ranged from 0.1485 to 0/4296. Sulfate shows the largest coefficient indicating that sulfate is more closely associated with hydrogen ion than other ions. This may suggest that sulfuric acid contributes more to the acidity of rainwater in Seoul. It appears that the major chemicals measured in rainwater are from the anthropogenic sources of air pollution. Predominant chemicals are acidic at the Guro-, the Sinseol-, the Yangnam-, and the Ssangmun-dong with sulfate being the most predominant. IT also indicates that alkaline substances resulting from soil and dust have a significant effect on pH values of rainwater by neutralizing actions. According to Granat-model analysis, it is estimated that the relative contributions to the rainwater acidity in Seoul are 84% from sulfuric acid, 8% from nitric acid and 8% from hydrochloric acid.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.252-259
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• 1994

A ground station has been established at Kosan, Cheju Island, since January of 1992 for the monitoring of background air Pollutant levels in Korea. Anthropogenic pollutant sources and meteorological conditions of Kosan were surveyed. Concentrations of SO$_2$, NO, NO$_{y}$ and $O_3$, were measured and analyzed for the period of February through December, 1992. The annual means of NO and SO$_2$, levels were very low in comparison to other urban's levels and similiar to other country's background levels. The annual mean of $O_3$, level was higher than urban's but comparable to other coastal region's. The NO concentration showed a distinct seasonal and diurnal variations. Summer peak was detected in the monthly means of NO and smooth peak around noon was found in the annual means of hourly data. Diurnal variation of the SO$_2$ concentration was barely detected but a slice increase in winter was detected. The $O_3$, concentration data, however, showed seasonal and diurnal variations similar to the urban's.an's.

• Journal of the Korean Medical Association
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.749-755
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• 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.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.353-360
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• 2006

This study identified a particle size distribution (PSD) of fine particulate matter and emission characteristics of V and Ni by the comparison between anthropogenic sources of oil combustion (industrial boiler, oil power plant, etc.) and lab-scale combustion using a drop-tube furnace. In oil combustion source, the mass fraction of fine particles (less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) was higher than that of coarse particles (larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) in $PM_{10}$ (less than 10 micrometers in diameter) as like in lab-scale oil combustion. In addition to this, it was identified that ultra-fine particles (less than 0.1 micrometers in diameter) had a large distribution in fine particles. Toxic metals like V and Ni had large mass fractions in fine particles, and most of all was distributed in ultra-fine particles. Most of ultra-fine particles containing toxic metals have been emitted into ambient by combustion source because it is hard to control by the existing air pollution control device. Hence, we must be careful on these pollutants because it is obvious that these are associated with adverse health and environmental effect.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.567-587
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• 2018

A severe haze event occurred in October 2015 in Gwangju, Korea. In this study, the driving chemical species and the formation mechanisms of $PM_{2.5}$ pollution were investigated to better understand the haze event. Hourly concentrations of $PM_{2.5}$, organic and elemental carbon, water-soluble ions, and elemental constituents were measured at the air quality intensive monitoring station in Gwangju. The haze event occurred was attributed to a significant contribution (72.3%) of secondary inorganic species concentration to the $PM_{2.5}$, along with the contribution of organic aerosols that were strongly attributed to traffic emissions over the study site. MODIS images, weather charts, and air mass backward trajectories supported the significant impact of long-range transportation (LTP) of aerosol particles from northeastern China on haze formation over Gwangju in October 2015. The driving factor for the haze formation was stagnant atmospheric flows around the Korean peninsula, and high relative humidity (RH) promoted the haze formation at the site. Under the high RH conditions, $SO{_4}^{2-}$ and $NO_3{^-}$ were mainly produced through the heterogenous aqueous-phase reactions of $SO_2$ and $NO_2$, respectively. Moreover, hourly $O_3$ concentration during the study period was highly elevated, with hourly peaks ranging from 79 to 95ppb, suggesting that photochemical reaction was a possible formation process of secondary aerosols. Over the $PM_{2.5}$ pollution, behavior and formation of secondary ionic species varied with the difference in the impact of LTP. Prior to October 19 when the influence of LTP was low, increasing rate in $NO_3{^-}$ was greater than that in $NO_2$, but both $SO_2$ and $SO{_4}^{2-}$ had similar increasing rates. While, after October 20 when the impact of haze by LTP was significant, $SO{_4}^{2-}$ and $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations increased significantly more than their gaseous precursors, but with greater increasing rate of $NO_3{^-}$. These results suggest the enhanced secondary transformation of $SO_2$ and $NO_2$ during the haze event. Overall, the result from the study suggests that control of anthropogenic combustion sources including vehicle emissions is needed to reduce the high levels of nitrogen oxide and $NO_3{^-}$ and the high $PM_{2.5}$ pollution occurred over fall season in Gwangju.