• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.492-504
• /
• 2013

Objectives: This analysis seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental health factors (EHF; e.g. hospital beds per capita, employees of medical institutions) on extreme-heat vulnerability assessment in Busan Metropolitan City during 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), extreme-heat vulnerability is comprised of the categories of Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity (including EHF). The indexes of the Exposure and Sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the Adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on extreme-heat vulnerability. Variables of each category were standardized by the re-scaling method, and then each regional relative vulnerability was computed with the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The extreme-heat vulnerability index (EVI) excepting EHF was much higher in urban areas than in suburban areas within the metropolitan area. When EHF was considered, the difference in the EVI between the two areas was reduced due to the increase of the Adaptive capacity index in urban areas. The low EVI in suburban areas was induced by a dominant effect of natural environmental factors (e.g. green area) within the Adaptive capacity category. Conclusions: To reduce the vulnerability to extreme heat in urban areas, which were more frequently exposed to extreme heat than others areas, public health and natural environments need to be improved in sensitive areas.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.9-20
• /
• 2019

This study was examined fire risk properties of wood specimen for the constructional interiors, especially focusing on the fire performance index (FPI) and the fire growth index (FGI) as heat hazard characteristics. Flame retardants were synthesized using boric acid, boronic acid and tetraethoxyorthosilicate. Heat release characteristics were measured by using a cone calorimeter (ISO 5660-1) and cypress was used. The external heat flux as fire intensity was maintained at 50 kW/㎡. The measured fire performance index (FPI) after burning was increased by 1.6 times for boric acid/silicone (BA/Si) sol, each 1.1 times for isobutylboronic acid/silicone (IBBA/Si) sol and phenylboronic acid/silicone (PBA/Si) sol compared with cypress. Fire risk by the fire performance index was increased BA/Si, IBBA/Si ≈ PBA/Si order. The fire growth index was decreased 94% for the BA/Si and 8% for the IBBA/Si sol, and was increased by 17% for the PBA/Si sol. Fire risk by the fire growth index was increased BA/Si, IBBA/Si, PBA/Si order. Overall fire risk was higher in the order of BA/Si < IBBA/Si < PBA/Si.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.30 no.8
• /
• pp.621-628
• /
• 2021

The characteristics of time changes in air temperature, DI (discomfort index) and WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature) were investigated for inland city (daegu) and coastal city (pohang) of Gyeongbuk Province during the 2018 consecutive heat wave season. The time when the temperature dropped below 33℃ was around 19h in both regions. As such, the two regions were similar with respect to the time up to which the heatwave warning levels continued. However, the discomfort index (DI) was higher than 27 in Pohang. Most people feel unpleasant when an discomfort index of 27 or higher appears. The results indicated that Korea's night-time thermal environment during the summers is particularly poor in the southern coastal areas. WBGT began at 09:00 and lasted until 21:00, with a score of 31 or higher; this score, in principle, corresponded with the duration of outdoor activity in both regions. Therefore, it was found that outdoor work was at a level where all day long had to be stopped in both areas during the heat wave. Although time changes in temperature and WBGT were similar in both regions, Discomfort Index (DI) differed significantly. The difference refers to the fact that Pohang is strongly affected by the high heat capacity effect and the supply of water vapor from the sea.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.137-146
• /
• 2008

This study examines one thermal index, perceived temperature (PT), over the Korean Peninsula during 2007 summer. Heat/cold stress has been described using air temperature and humidity for warm seasons and air temperature and wind velocity in the cold conditions, while PT is based on a heat budget model of the human body that considers air temperature, humidity, wind velocity and radiation effect regardless of climates, regions and seasons. PT is higher about $4-5^{\circ}C$ than air temperature in the summer. Humidity increases PT, while wind tends to reduces PT possibly by evaporation of water vapor. The geographical distribution of summer PT indicates that the lowest PT happened in the east central region, with the appearance of the highest PT in the inland of southern region in Korea. Although the latitudinal trend shows that PT decreases northward, inland PT is higher than that of coastal region. Compared to the heat index or the discomfort index that considers air temperature and humidity, PT represents distinctive regional characteristics of thermal comfort. The distribution of PT shows that it may be a useful thermal index for the assessment of thermal comfort or stress region in the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.65 no.2
• /
• pp.324-335
• /
• 2023

Korea, located in East Asia in the northern hemisphere, is experiencing severe climate changes. Specifically, the heat stress caused by global warming is negatively affecting the dairy sector, including milk production and reproductive performance, as the major dairy cattle Holstein-Friesian is particularly susceptible to heat stress. Here, we collected artificial insemination and pregnancy data of the Holstein and the Jersey cows from a dairy farm from 2014 to 2021 and analyzed the association between the conception rate and the temperature-humidity index, calculated using the data from the closest official weather station. As the temperature-humidity index threshold increased, the conception rate gradually decreased. However, this decrease was steeper in the Holstein breed than in the Jersey one at a temperature-humidity index threshold of 75. To evaluate the effects of heat stress on the oocyte quality, we examined the nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of Holstein (n = 158, obtained from six animals) and Jersey oocytes (n = 123, obtained from six animals), obtained by ovum pick-up. There were no differences in the nuclear maturation between the different conditions (heat stress: 40.5℃, non- heat stress: 37.5℃) or breeds, although the Holstein oocytes seemed to have a lower metaphase II development (p = 0.0521) after in vitro maturation under heat stress conditions. However, we found that the Holstein metaphase II oocytes exposed to heat stress presented more reactive oxygen species and a peripheral distribution of the mitochondria, compared to those of the Jersey cattle. Here, we show that weather information from local meteorological stations can be used to calculate the temperature-humidity index threshold at which heat stress influences the conception rate, and that the Jersey cows are more tolerant to heat stress in terms of their conception rate at a temperature-humidity index over 75. The lower fertility of the Holstein cows is likely attributed to impaired cytoplasmic maturation induced by heat stress. Thus, the Jersey cows can be a good breed for the sustainability of dairy farms for addressing climate changes in South Korea, as they are more resistant to hyperthermia.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
• /
• 2004.10a
• /
• pp.541-544
• /
• 2004

Recently, the heat island phenomenon in which the temperature of a city part rises from the circumference ground has developed into a big problem. In this study, we aimed at examining the impact of increasing vegetation in urban areas to reduce the heat island phenomenon by taking the Fukuoka City of Japan as a case. In order to discuss the relation between vegetation environment and the heat island phenomenon, we have calculated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and mapped the spatial vegetation distribution. These are then compared with the heat island phenomenon investigations in Fukuoka City. The results of the study revealed that the areas showing comparatively lesser heat island phenomenon are those having increased vegetation.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.326-335
• /
• 2017

Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the difference of cold-heat pattern according to sasang constitution. Methods 3891 subjects were joined in this study. The sasang cinstitution diagnosis were proceeded by sasang constitution experts. The questionnaires and anthropometric measurements of the subjects were collected. Results The effect of gender and body mass index on the cold-heat pattern according to sasang constitution were significant. The effect of age on the cold-heat pattern according to sasang constitution were not significant. The distribution of short form-12 and blood test on the cold-heat pattern according to sasang constitution were significant. Conclusions There were significant different distribution of cold-heat pattern asscording to sasang constitution by gender, body mass index, short form-12, blood test.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2004

In the summer, the irradiated solar heat gain through the roof has an effect on the thermal environment of the top floor units of apartment houses. This paper investigated the differences of the indoor air temperature and thermal comfort index between the top floor unit and the middle floor unit by measuring them at the sample houses. The purpose of this paper is to provide quantitative data about the irradiated solar heat gain during the summertime through the roof of an apartment house and these data to be the source to reevaluate the appropriate roof insulation efficiency. From this study, we obtained the brief results as follows. Indoor air temperature at the top floor unit is $1.2\sim2.2^{\circ}C$ higher than that of middle floor unit. The evaluation of the indoor thermal comfort index at each sample rooms reveals notable thermal differences between the two units. Top floor units need more cooling load during the summertime compared to middle floor units. Therefore, solutions to reduce solar Heat gain at top floor units to be considered.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.385-402
• /
• 2002

This study examined temporal and spatial patterns of bioclimatic perceived sultriness in South Korea by analyzing the climatology of heat index calculated from ambient temperature and relative humidity for the period of 26 years (1973-1998). As results, spatially, bioclimatic sultriness above all thresholds frequently occurred mainly in the central western inner area, the southwestern inner area, and the southeastern inner area of South Korea. Especially, Miryang in the southeastern inner area of South Korea was proved to be, bioclimatically, the sultriest area in South Korea that has recorded frequent high heat index. Temporally, frequency of sultriness in the contiguous South Korea significantly increased in the 1990s. Specifically, In 1994, frequencies of heat index exceeding each threshold was the highest all over South Korea. Normally, the sultriness with high heat index exceeding 40.6$^{circ}C$ occurred mainly for the period of between the end of July generally after Summer Changma and the beginning of August before another small rainy season of years. These temporal-spatial distributions of bioclimatic sultriness in South Korea showed various patterns regionally, affected by physical and anthropogenic climatic factors such as topography, latitude, altitude, water bodies or aforestration, urbanization, and industrialization as well as movements of large-scale air masses.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.1146-1151
• /
• 2004

Measurements of OH chemiluminescence in an atmospheric pressure, laboratory-scale dump combustor at equivalence ratios ranging from 0.63 to 0.89 were reported. The signal from the first electronically excited state of OH to ground state was detected through a band-pass filter with an ICCD. The objectives of this study are two: One is to see the effects of equivalence ratio on global heat release rate and local Rayleigh index distribution. To get the local Rayleigh index distribution, the line-of-sight images were inverted by tomographic method, such as Abel de-convolution. Another aim is to investigate the validity of using OH chemiluminescence acquired with an ICCD as a qualitative measure of local heat release. For constant inlet velocity and temperature, the overall intensities of OH emission acquired at different equivalence ratio showed periodic and higher value at high equivalence ratio. OH intensity averaged over one period of pressure increased exponentially with equivalence ratio. Local Rayleigh index distribution clearly showed the region of amplifying or damping the combustion instability as equivalence ratio increased. It could provide an information/insights on active control such as secondary fuel injection. Finally, local heat release rate derived from reconstructed OH images were presented for typical locations.