• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.321-328
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• 2008

The number of patient with allergic asthma and atopy have increased in the cities of Korea steadily. In order to elucidate the primary factor, we investigated whether the house dust particles collected from an apartment of the middle classes has promoting effects of allergen-related airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Mice were treated with 0.1 mL of 1 mg/mL of house dust particles suspension by intratracheal instillation once weekly for 10 weeks combined with ovalalbumin (OVA) sensitization. Intratracheal instillation of house dust particles and OVA sensitization caused an increase in the level of serum L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), immunoglobulun-E (IgE) and histamine, and an elevation in respiratory resistance. It also enhanced infiltration of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice, IgE and eotaxin expression in blood, and T helper type 2 cell derived cytokine levels such as of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13 and IL-5 in the BALF. However, it did not influence T helper type 1 cytokine such as interferon-gamma in the BALF. These results indicate that house dust particles elevate allergen-related airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in mice and may play an important role in the aggravation of asthma and atopy in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.75-85
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• 2022

Background: Various types of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) exist in the public's living environment. They occur in different forms in terms of their physical and chemical properties and partition coefficients. As a consequence, indoor exposure to SVOCs occurs via various routes, including inhalation of air and airborne particles, skin contact, and dust intake. Objectives: To propose a method for assessing human exposure to the SVOCs occurring in the air of an indoor environment, the concentrations of SVOCs in house dust and organic films measured in a real residential environment were estimated in terms of gas-phase concentration using the partition coefficient. Assessment of inhalation exposure to SVOCs was performed using this method. Methods: Phthalates were collected from samples of house dust and organic films from 110 households in a real residential environment. To perform an exposures assessment of the phthalates present in organic films, gas-phase concentration was calculated using the partition coefficient. The airborne gas-phase concentrations of phthalates from the house dust and organic films were estimated and exposure assessment was performed based on the assumption of inhalation exposure from air. Results: As a result of the exposure assessment for gas-phase phthalates from house dust and organic films, preschool children showed the highest level of inhalation of phthalates, followed by school children, adults, and adolescents. Conclusions: This study includes the limitation of not considering different SVOCs exposure pathways in the health impact assessment, including those of phthalates in the indoor living environment. However, this study has the significance of performing exposure assessment based on exposure to SVOCs present in indoor air that originated from organic films in the indoor residential environment. Therefore, the results of this study should be useful as basic data for exposure and health risk assessments of SVOCs associated with organic films in the indoor environment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.71-81
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• 2017

Organic dust generated inside livestock facilities includes toxic organic matters such as bacteria and endotoxin. Dust can cause respiratory disease for worker and livestock, and consequently, degradation of welfare and productivity. Influence of dust on livestock workers has been studied since the 1970s. However, exposure limit for cattle farmer has not been established, unlike exposure limit for pig and poultry farmer. Furthermore, study on air quality inside livestock facility, especially inside dairy farm has been rarely conducted in Korea. In this study, dust concentration of TSP, PM10, inhalable and respirable dust has been monitored in the commercial dairy house according to location and working activities. Bedding material inside the stall was one of the major sources of dust. The amount of dust was related to water content level of the bedding material. Dust concentration was relatively high in leeward location, and the highest concentration was measured during TMR mixing process. The maximum value of inhalable dust concentration was 29.1 times higher than the reference value as fine particles drop to the TMR mixer. Dust generated by TMR mixing was presumed to decrease by adjusting moisture and drop height of feed.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.623-628
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• 2008

This study was undertaken to determine the concentrations of airborne bacteria, fungi, particles, and endotoxin in swine and chicken houses. Six swine buildings and seven chicken houses were randomly selected in southern Gyonggi Province, South Korea. The geometric mean concentrations of airborne bacteria in swine and chicken houses were $2.7{\times}10^5\;CFU/m^3$ and $5.6{\times}10^7\;CFU/m^3$, respectively. The airborne bacteria concentrations in chicken houses were significantly higher than those of swine houses (p<0.05). The geometric mean concentration of airborne fungi in swine houses was $4.9{\times}10^3\;CFU/m^3$, which was higher than the value of $2.1{\times}10^3\;CFU/m^3$ found in chicken houses. The mean concentrations of airborne particles and endotoxin in swine houses were $3.48\;mg/m^3$ and $943.1\;EU/m^3$, and they were $15.43\;mg/m^3$ and $1,430.5\;EU/m^3$ in chicken houses, respectively. A significant difference between swine and chicken houses was found for total dust (p<0.05), but not for endotoxin. In this study, the concentrations of endotoxin in both swine and chicken houses as well as particles in chicken houses were high, and in about 50% of the samples exceeded the worker health safety levels of $614\;EU/m^3$ suggested in previous studies. These results may indicate a considerable respiratory hazard for workers in these environments.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.21-29
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• 2018

This study aimed to find and suggest the purpose of future plans, critical items on designing and Related standards to amend construction standards for domestic energy saving and environmentally friendly housings. It would also activate and increase the supplies of passive house minimizing the problems on current apartment housings in winter and reducing heating energy which brings fine dust pollution. After defining the standard model of Korean apartment housings(reference model), this study calculated the amount of heating energy demand per unit area annually as applying the yearly changed standards from 2008 to 2017 to existing standard model. It turned out that applying 2017 construction standards of energy saving and eco-friendly housings to reference model has saved up to 75% of heating energy demand comparing to the one applied 2008's. However, it still could not solve the fundamental problems such as winter fungus, condensation, freezing, freeze and burst, and insulation weakness space, and could not be free from fine dust particles. To solve them, this study suggested improved standards adding critical items on design related to outside insulation, cut off the heat-bridge, enforce air-tightness and heat change efficiency on heat recovery ventilator. As a result, it has reduced more than 10% of heat demand from 2017. It would be more than 90% of savings from 2008 if we make the amount of heat loss be zero on heat bridge on designing stage in the future.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the concentration and characteristics of dust originating from windowless broiler building in each season. 12.0m width and 46m tenth with side wall height of 3.0m was investigated and capacity was 12,800 birds at a stock density of 23.2 birds per square meter. Dust concentrations in terms of total suspended particles (TSP), and particulate matter of sizes $10{\mu}m(PM10),\;2.5{\mu}m (PM2.5),\;and\;1{\mu}m(PM1)$ were measured at 30-minute intervals. On the basis of broiler age, the average dust concentration in summer in TSP as follows: 1,229 904.5 558.8 and $1,053{\mu}g/m^3$ on the broilers' first to fourth week of age, respectively. But during winter, the average dust concentration showed an increasing pattern, as follows: 465.4, 1,401, 4,497, 5,097 and $6,873{\mu}g/m^3$ on the broilers' first to fifth week of age, respectively. The maximum dust concentration of $11,132{\mu}g/m^3$ was observed on the fifth week. On a daily basis, the maximum dust concentration during summer was detected in early morning, and the minimum in the afternoon. The aerial dust particle size of $0.05\~0.35{\mu}m$ was the highest in number. But on volume basis, particle size of 16~99 un had the largest percentage in the broiler house. Crude protein of the dust $(42.8\~65.2\%)$, on dry matter basis, was higher than that $(20.5\~24.5\%)$ fed to the broilers. Heavy metal concentration of the dust also had high levels compared with that of the feed.