• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.734-745
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• 2011

In this article, we reviewed the monitoring status of hazardous VOC in ambinet air in Korea and some developed countries such as USA, Japan, and UK. In many countries, two types of VOC monitoring stations are being operated, i.e., for hazardous VOC and photochemical VOC. Each country has different target VOC but all includes benzene. Korea, Japan, and UK have a national ambient air quality standard for benzene, but no national standard has been established in the USA. For sampling of the hazardous VOC, the adsorbent method is adopted in Korea and UK, while the canister method is used in the USA. Both of adsorbent and canister methods are used in Japan. USA and UK have only non-automatic method to measure the hazardous VOC, and the individual samples are being sent to their national laboratories for integrated analysis. On the other hand, Korea and Japan have automatic and nonautomatic methods to measure the hazardous VOC. Local governments or regional environmental agencies in Korea and Japan have the authorization for the sampling and analysis of VOC. According to a field study to evaluate the performance of automatic VOC monitoring system, controlling the moisture in the air sample was identified as the most important problem. However, careful attention must be given to using a moisture removing device such as Nafyon dryer, because of unexpected artifacts formation. In order to have reliable data, it is highly recommended not only to use internal standards, but to use appropriate hydrophobic adsorbents as a cold trap in any automatic on-line VOC monitoring system.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.567-574
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• 1999

Volatile organic Compounds(VOC) were measured at an industrial site in Ulsan in 1997 and 1998. Twenty-four hour integrated ambient air samples were collected in 6 L SUMMA canisters during the periods of June 3 to 8, 1997 and June 12 to 17, 1998. The daily mean concentrations of the total $C_2-C_9$ VOC in 1998 were about one third of those in 1997. This decrease of VOC levels may be attributable to the measures to control the emissions of VOC and the decrease of the plant operation. The decrease in the concentrations of oxygenated hydrocarbons and alkenes, especially, contributed to the decrease of the total VOC concentrations in 1998. Lowever concentrations of alkenes compared to aromatics in 1998 were due to the decrease of ethylene and propylene. In the present study, methanol (12.0 ppb) was the most abundant species, followed by acetone (10.1 ppb), propane (6.0 ppb), and vinyl chloride (5.9 ppb). The total concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in 1998 were reduced compared to those in 1997. However, this decrease is due to the drastic decrease of the concentration of methanol. Except methanol, the concentrations of HAPs have not varied much. It is suspected that the VOC control strategy for the Ulsan industrial area has been successful for reducing the total VOC levels but might not be effective in reducing the concentrations of HAPs.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.385-386
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• 1999

국내에서도 대기중 VOC 측정이 정부 차원에서 각 지역별로 이루어지도록 법적 시행이 2000년부터 이루질 예정이다. VOC 분석에서 가장 필요한 것은 VOC분석용 표준물질인데 이는 매우 고가로서 모두 수입에 의존하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 앞으로 시행된 대기중 VOC 측정 대상 화합물중 10개의 HAP(hazardous air pollutant) target화합물이 함유된 저농도 ppb level의 HAP CRM을 개발하였다.(중략)

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.513-517
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• 1999

Problems of secondary pollution and hazardous pollutants have rapidly come to the front in our society during the past few years. More attention should be paid to monitoring and assessment in order to identify the nature of complicated problems, but our air-quality policy is hurriedly seeking for management strategies. A typical example is air quality management in the industrial estates such as those located in Yochon and Ulsan. Yochon Industrial Estate was designated as a special air-quality management area of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in 1996. And VOCs in the air of Ulsan Industrial Estate has been specially controlled since 1997. In this paper, however, it is suggested that hazardous air pollutants(HAPs) rather than VOCs should have been managed in the industrial estates. History of studies on organic compounds in the air of the industrial estates is reviewed. A stepwise approach for air quality management in the industrial estates is recommended.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.517-525
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• 2009

We measured ambient concentrations of hazardous air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes in residential areas nearby small and medium scale shipbuilding companies. The VOC concentrations were higher during the normal operation periods than vacation at which almost all operations were shutdown. Concentrations of VOCs was higher, as the sampling site was nearer from shipbuilding companies. The major components of VOCs were m,p-xylene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, toluene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene which had been found as major VOC compounds emitted from painting processes of shipbuilding in the previous studies. The major components of aldehydes analyzed were benzaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde. The concentration of aldehydes was highest at the furthest sampling point from shipbuilding companies because the formation of aldehyde compounds could be occurred by the secondary chemical reactions of VOCs. The results of this study shows a proper counterplan need to be established for the reduction of hazardous air pollutants emitted from small and medium scale shipping companies.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.281-292
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• 1998

Ambient concentrations of gaseous, particulate phase ionic species, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) were measured at two monitoring sites in the City of Ulsan during August 1997: one in industrial area and the other in downtown area. At each site, a three- stage filter pack sampler was used to collect fine particles and gaseous species, and air for VOC analysis was collected in stainless steel canisters. Concentrations of the ionic species at both sites were similar to each other. The VOC concentrations at the industrial site were approximately twice higher than those at the downtown site. This might be mainly due to the release of VOCs from the petrochemical industries. Daily variations of VOC concentrations at the industrial site were higher than that at the downtown site. This might be explained by the fact that emissions from industries were more irregular than those in downtown. The VOC concentrations in downtown were affected by both the local emissions and the emission from the petrochemical industries. The concentrations of selected hazardous organic components (HAPs) at the industrial site were similar to those of Yocheon industrial area but slightly higher than other cites and industrial areas, while those at the downtown site were comparable to those in other urban areas.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.431-435
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• 2005

In order to evaluate the hazardous effects of environmental tobacco smoking (ETS), we measured the concentrations of major aromatic VOC from those who decided to participate in a program to quit smoking. By acquiring the air samples both before and after quitting smoking (QS), we were able to compare their BTEX concentration levels in their breathing air. The results of our study clearly showed that BTEX levels in respiring air samples were significantly high prior to the QS period. It was found that toluene maintained the highest concentration levels both before and after the QS period. However, the level of reduction was most significant in the case of benzene, as it was decreased 10 times from 4.8 to 0.46 ppb. When their reduced BTEX levels are compared to those who never smoked before, differences were not significant enough to distinguish in statistical terms. The overall results of this preliminary study suggest that BTEX levels in breathing air samples can be used as one of the most sensitive signals to judge the effect of QS.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.12 no.3_4
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• pp.43-54
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• 1997

Species, doses and routes extrapolation can be sucessfully carried out by using a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) approach. And PBPK approach to assess risk of hazardous chemicals is reasonable whatever the exposure scenarios are happened. Both partitioning coefficients of chemical between tissue and blood and enzymatic metabolic rate constants are key parameters to build up the PBPK model. In this study, we tried to estimate in vitro metabolic rate constants using a special apparatus instead to measure the in vivo constants which are used to PBPK simulation since the in vitro tests are less expensive and more convenient than in vivo tests. For the purpose, we designed and tested the new system to measure continuously the headspace concentration of VOC. The newly designed system is composed with a diffusion chamber which generates gaseous substrate, a reaction vessel with a recirculating pump to establish a closed system, an autbmatic sampler from a gas phase, a gas chromatography to analyze the headspace. In addition, a cold water condenser is attached between the reaction vessel and pump to reduce the content of gaseous moisture which interferes with chemical analysis. To validate the newly developed methodology, in vitro metabolic rate constants of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a prototype VOC were estimated by simulating observed results with an ACSL program. The simulated results are consistent to those estimated by the other research groups. This finding suggests that our newly designed closed system may be a useful apparatus to estimate in vitro metabolic rate constants for VOC.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2003

This research examined the presence of hazardous materials in chemical workplace field using an integrated chemical/biological monitoring. Chemical workplace field air for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) analysis was collected using a collection tube packed with Tena.x TA adsorbent 400 mg. Workplace field air samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Simultaneously, Tradescantia BNL 4430 clone was exposed in situ to monitor hazardous materials in chemical workplace field. GC/MS analysis showed the presence of various VOCs such as trichloroethylene, toluene, ethylbenzene, (m,p,o)-xylenes, styrene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. The results showed that in situ monitoring of VOCs with the Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN) assay gave positive results in chemical workplace field and negative response at outdoor air. In conclusion, inhalation of these field air by workers may affect chronic demage to their health by inducing micronuclei formation in Tradescantia pollen mother cells. The combination of chemical/biological monitoring is very effective to evaluate hazardous materials in workplace field and can be alternatively used for screening hazardous materials.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.499-506
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• 1998

Recently almost wastes except recycled garbage are dumped into landfill site in Korea. Landfills are significant compounds (NMOCS) are produced. NMOCS include reactive volative organic compound (VOC) and hazardous air pollutants. LAEEM (Landfill Air Emissions Estimation Model) developed by Control Technology Center, V.S. EPA is used to estimate a mount of landfill gas from all landfills. As the result, landfill gas 4,121,000 ton, carbon dioxide 2,951,000 ton, methane 1,1120,000 ton are estimated as emissions from all landfills in Korea.