• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.247-257
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• 2019

Objectives: The Korea Ministry of Environment regulates concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) through Atmosphere Environmental Standards to protect public health from HAPs. However, simply determining the exceedance of HAP concentrations has several limitations and more comprehensive assessment is required. In addition, integrated risk assessment is needed considering exposure in all microenvironments, including outdoor as well as indoor environments. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in risk by sub-population groups according to time-activity patterns and reported concentrations, as well as the lifetime risk for Koreans. Methods: In this study, we calculated time-weighted average exposure concentrations for benzene and $PM_{10}$ among preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly using residential time and concentrations for indoor (house, school or workplace, other), outdoor, and transport by the meta-analysis method. The risk assessments were conducted by excess cancer risk and disease death risk using 1,000,000 Monte-Carlo simulations for probabilistic analysis. Results: Preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly spent 91.9, 86.0, 79.8, 82.2, and 77.3% of their day in their house, workplace, or school, respectively. The more than 99% excess cancer risk for benzene exceed 1.0E-06 in all sub-populations and lifetime. The acute disease death risk for $PM_{10}$ for housewifes and workers for lifetime were 3.35E-04 and 3.18E-04, and chronic disease death risks were 2.84E-03 and 2.70E-03, respectively. Conclusions: The risk of benzene and $PM_{10}$ by sub-population group and for the lifetime of housewifes and workers were assessed. Benzene showed risky results for this study. All disease death risks of $PM_{10}$ were higher than 1.0E-04 and showed different risks by sub-population. This study can be used as a basis for lifetime exposure and risk assessment to benzene and $PM_{10}$.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.410-415
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• 2004

In order to learn the emission characteristics of hazardous pollutants associated with environmental tobacco smoking (ETS), we measured the concentrations of major aromatic VOC and carbonyl compounds released from ETS. By acquiring the different smoke types of ETS, we were able to determine that the concentrations of those species range from ppb (normal exhaled air of smoker prior to smoking) to ppm levels (direct release of ETS without filter). Using these measurement data, we also evaluated the body-retaining rate of these compounds as the result of ETS. The results of our analysis indicated that predominant portion of them (e.g., > 99%) are retained as the result of cigarette smoking. To learn more about the potential impact of ETS, more extensive study may be required to assess the gross picture of pollutant deposition inside respiratory intake and their health-effects.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2008

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) have been shown to cause nervous system disorders through skin contact or respiration, and also cause foul odors even at low densities in most cases. Also, as a compound itself, VOCs are directly harmful to the environment and to the human body, and may participate in photochemical reactions in air to create secondary pollutants. In this study, HL-60 cells were treated with volatile organic compounds, including ethylbenzene and trichloroethylene, at a value of $IC_50$. Then, the in house-prepared Human HazChem arrayer was utilized in order to compare the gene expression between the two VOCs. After hybridization, 8 upregulated genes and 8 downregulated genes were discovered in the HazChem array. The upregulated genes were identified as SG15, TNFSF10, PRNP, ME1, NCOA4, SRXN1, TXNRD1, and XBP1. The downregulated genes were identified as MME, NRF1, PRARBP, CALCA, CRP, BAX, C7 or f40, and FGFR1. Such results were highly correlated with the quantitative RT-PCR results. The majority of the 16 genes were related with the characteristics of VOCs, including respiratory mechanism, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis-associated genes. Our data showed that our human HazChem array can be used to monitor hazardous materials via gene expression profiling.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.177-188
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• 2010

The use of an activated carbon (AC) system alone has the limitation that the pollutants are not eliminated but only transferred to another phase with the consumed AC becoming hazardous waste itself. Therefore, the present study investigated the feasibility of using a combined system of granular AC (GAC) with S-doped visible-light-induced $TiO_2$ (GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$) to clean monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) with concentrations at $\leq$ 3 mg $m^{-3}$, using a continuous air-flow reactor. This study conducted three different experiments: an adsorption test of pure GAC and GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$; a long-term adsorptional photocatalytic (AP) activity test of GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$; and an AP activity test of GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$ under different conditions. For the AP activity test, three parameters were evaluated: various weights of GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$ (0.9, 4.4, and 8.9 g); various flow rates (FRs) (0.5, 1 and 2 L $min^{-1}$); and various input concentrations (ICs) of the target MAHs (0.1, 1, 2 and 3 mg $m^{-3}$). The adsorption efficiencies were similar for the pure GAC and GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$ reactors, suggesting that S-doped $TiO_2$ particles on GAC surfaces do not significantly interfere with the adsorption capacity of GAC. Benzene exhibited a clear AP activity, whereas no other target MAHs did. In most cases, the AP efficiencies for the target MAHs did not significantly vary with an increase in weight, thereby suggesting that, under the weight range tested in this study, the weights or FRs are not important parameters for AP efficiency. However, ICs did influence the AP efficiencies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.906-917
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to quantify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in gas sample using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to GC analysis. The optimal HS-SPME conditions was CAR/PDMS fiber and 30 min absorprion time for the analysis of various VOCs. In optimal conditions, 80 VOCs could be detected within 1 ppbv and even less than 0.0005 ppbv especially in the case of BTEX. However, fiber reproducibility on adsorption efficiency was 1~9.2% (between the same fiber) and 5.9~13.5% (between the other fiber). We successfully determined 35 VOCs in landfill gas with this method and found that VOCs of high concentration are emitting from vent pipe of closed/open landfill site under the HS-SPME conditions. This method may apply to VOCs/odor determination from various atmospheric environmental samples as well as landfills.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of a gasoline vapor recovery system on personal exposure levels of gasoline vapor constituents including benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene(BTEX), and methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) among gas station workers in a metropolitan area. Methods: Thirty-one gas station workers at ten gas stations in a metropolitan area were selected as subjects for this study. Test method PV2028 as recommended in the OSHA process was used for sampling and analysis. Results: The personal exposure levels of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, MTBE and gasoline vapor in the gas station workers were $0.0018{\pm}0.0069ppm$, $0.0077{\pm}0.0137ppm$, $0.0002{\pm}0.0008ppm$, $0.0016{\pm}0.0084ppm$, $0.2619{\pm}0.3340ppm$, and $1.4940{\pm}1.7984ppm$, respectively. After adjustment for refueling frequency and volume, personal exposure levelswere higher in the gas stations where gasoline vapor recovery systems(Stage II) were not installed, but the results were not statistically significant. Gasoline vapor concentrations showed a positive correlation to the level of MTBE, a gasoline additive. Conclusions: Vapor recovery systems(Stage II) were effective not only in reducing emissions of air pollutants, but also in reducing exposure to hazardous substances among gas station workers. In addition, acorrelation between gasoline vapors and MTBE concentration was confirmed.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.3 s.54
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• pp.219-228
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• 2006

폴리우레탄, 폴리에스테르, 바이페놀, PVC 외 각종 농약 등을 생산하는 울산의 모 화학공장에서, 다양한 종류의 휘발성유기화합물질들(VOCs)이 배출되고 있다. 평균적인 휘발성유기화합물질의 배출 농도는 7283 ppm으로, 톨루엔, 페놀을 포함하여 Trimethyl-pentene, trimethyl-hexene, dimethyl-cyclohexane 등이 검출되었다. Trimethyl-pentene, trimethyl-hexene, dimethyl-cyclohexane등은 인화성이 강하며 화재를 일으킬 위험성이 매우 큰 것으로 알려져 있고, 특히 톨루엔과 페놀의 경우는 호흡이나 피부접촉 등을 통한 인체로의 유입이 있을 경우 유독성을 나타내게 된다. 이러한 VOCs제거를 위하여 겨울철 기간에 파이로트-규모의 바이오필터 적용 실험이 진행되어 졌다. 본 연구의 목적은 바이오필터 운영이 진행되는 가운데 온도, 함수비, 하중, 압력손실 등의 제한요소들이 미디어 내부에서 변화하는 상황에 대한 관찰 및 평가에 있다. 이러한 제한요소들은 바이오필터의 디자인과 오염물질 제거에 심대한 영향을 미치게 된다. 바이오필터는 옥외에 설치되어 총 44일간 운영되어 졌는데, 외부 영하온도의 영향을 최소화하기 위하여, 7cm두께의 파이버-글래스 소재 단열설비가 반응기 외부에 설치되었고 또한 $150^{\circ}C$의 스팀이 바이오필터 반응기와 단열설비 사이에 제공되어 졌다. 바이오필터 반응기 내부에는 23개의 온도 측정 센서와 함수비 센서, 공기샘플포트, 습도계 등이 각기 다른 장소에 설치되어 온도, 함수비 등의 제한요소 영향연구가 진행되었다. 미디어 내부 같은 높이의 서로 반대되는 위치에서 온도차가 13.7도에서 -8.3도까지 차이가 나는 것으로 관찰되었으며, 미디어 높이 위치의 변화에 따라서도 21도에서 2도가지 차이를 나타냈다. 바이오필터 함수비는 실험기간 동안 지속적으로 변화가 발생하였는데, 스팀이 제공되는 동안에는 미디어 함수비가 훨씬 빠른 속도로 증가됨이 관찰되어 졌다.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2008

Chemical Accident Response Information System (CARIS) which has been designed for the efficient emergency response of chemical accidents produces the real-time atmospheric fields through the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System, RAMS. The previous studies were emphasized that improving an initial input data had more effective results in developing prediction ability of atmospheric model. In a continuous effort to improve an initial input data, we replaced the land-use dataset using in the RAMS, which is a high resolution USGS digital data constructed in April, 1993, with the latest land-use data of the Korea Ministry of Environment over the South Korea and simulated atmospheric fields for developing a real-time prediction in dispersion of chemicals. The results showed that the new land-use data was written in a standard RAMS format and shown the modified surface characteristics and the landscape heterogeneity resulting from land-use change. In the results of sensitivity experiment we got the improved atmospheric fields and assured that it will give more reliable real-time atmospheric fields to all users of CARIS for the dispersion forecast in associated with hazardous chemical releases as well as general air pollutants.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1519-1526
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• 2013

This study reviewed the capturing performance of a canopy hood used in some melting processes of a casting manufacturing factory through a site survey. In addition, this study compared and evaluated the flow field and pressure field for the plans to enhance the hazardous air pollutants collection capacity by using CFD model. The case-2(flange attached + double hood) can be improved in terms of collection performance, but is expected to increase in hood static pressure by about 70% more than the existing structure, so it was shown that its site applicability is not good. It is judged that the shape of case-3(flange attached + double cone attached) is most suitable to improve the suction efficiency. This is because a double cone is installed at the center of the opening to concentrate the flow rate on the edge of the hood and control the hume rising to the center of the hood without a static pressure rise via the slope of the cone.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.250-264
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• 2022

The development projects subject to health impact assessment (HIA) in the current environmental impact assessment (EIA) system are limited to some projects under Article 12 of the Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Health Act (Additional Assessment Objects Subject to Health Impact Assessment Items), but health impact-related matters are being evaluated and reviewed during consultation. In particular, when a development site is planned around some pollutant sources in a residential development plan, it is evaluated and reviewed whether the site meets the risk criteria through a current concentration survey of major hazardous air pollutants. This study prepared a quantitative method to confirm the validity of the location of the residential area to be developed in the residential development plan and proposed a plan to expand the project subject to HIA within the EIA procedure. A detailed methodology was proposed by reviewing the screening and scoping procedures of the EIA system, and a case analysis of the urban development plan discussed in the past was conducted to verify the methodology.