• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.808-820
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• 2006

In regard to indoor air quality patterns, the government introduced various polices that were about managing and monitoring quality of indoor air as a major assignment, and also executed 'Indoor Air Quality Management Act' which was presented in the May, 2004. However, among the multi-usage facilities controlled by the Act, the school was not included yet. This study goal was to investigate PM 10 pollution patterns of the high school classrooms using a pattern recognition method based on cluster analysis and disjoint principal component analysis, and further to survey levels of inorganic elements in May, June, and September, 2004. A hierarchical clustering method was examined to obtain possible objects in pseudo homogeneous sample classes by transformation raw data and by applying various distance. Following the analysis, the disjoint principal component analysis was used to define homogeneous sample class after deleting outliers. Then three homogeneous Patterns were obtained as follows: the first class had been separated and objects in the class were considered to be sampled under semi-open condition. This class had high concentration of Ca, Fe, Mg, K, Al, and Na which are related with a soil and a chalk compounds. The second class was obtained in which objects were sampled while working air-conditioners and was identified low concentration of PM 10 and elements. Objects in the last class were assigned during rainy day. A chalk, soil element and various types of anthropogenic sources including combustions and industrial influenced the third class. This methodology was thought to be helpful enough to classify indoor air quality patterns and indoor environmental categories when controlling an indoor air quality.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.118-126
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• 2007

Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development (ESSD)" is a key word in recent years. The construction industry, have put a great influence on ergonomic and sustainable environment. Recently, "green building certifications", such as Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and eco-friendly material regulation have been established. With this regard, new construction and aged-housing remodeling projects are required to meet these certification criteria. Apartment residents have great concern on eco-product, since many cases are reported that Sick Building Syndrome is caused by toxic substance from building materials. Aged-housing remodeling construction has a unique characteristic in that the residents are already determined prior to construction execution. Therefore, the analysis of resident's need for building materials in aged-housing remodeling is relatively easy compared to new building construction. As such, it is very important to analyze their preferences for eco-friendly materials prior to project execution. The purpose of this study is to find the needs of residents and priority of their needs. Based on their needs and priority, this paper provides a new strategy in using environment-friendly materials and maximizing their satisfaction level when aged housing remodeling is constructed. In addition, this paper provide new criteria in selecting new developed environmental materials in remodeling projects for the purpose of improving the safety and health level in construction industry.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.17-25
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• 2016

In this study, the air quality of underground and overground railway stations was evaluated focusing on the degree of influence of the outside air quality. The measured components were particulate matter ($PM_{10}$), carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$), formaldehyde (HCHO), ozone ($O_3$), total airborne bacteria (TAB), total volatile organic carbon (TVOC), and Radon (Rn), which are included in the maintenance standards and recommended standards of the Indoor Air Quality Management Act. Also, the indoor/outdoor concentration ratios of $PM_{10}$, $NO_2$, and $O_3$ were calculated to estimate the influence of the outdoor air quality. The concentrations of $PM_{10}$ HCHO, TVOC, $NO_2$, and Rn in the underground stations were found to be higher than those in the overground stations. These results indicate that the (present) generation of contaminants are caused by the indoor source of the underground station. The ozone concentration of the overground stations was higher than that of the underground stations, which indicates that the outdoor ozone concentration influenced that of the overground stations directly. Thus, methods of improving the IAQ should take into consideration the types of contamination.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.28-38
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• 2009

In this study, a remote air quality monitoring system for underground spaces was developed by using NDIR-based CO$_2$ sensor. And the remote monitoring system based on wireless sensor networks was installed practically on the subway station platform. More than 6.5 million citizens commutate everyday by the Seoul subway transportation that is the most typical public transportation. They concern about air quality with increasing interest on public health or many workers in subway stations or underground shopping centers. Recently, the Korean Ministry of Environment has operated the air quality monitoring system in some subway stations for testing phase. However, it showed many defects which are large-scale, high-cost and maintenance of precision sensors imported from abroad. Therefore this research includes the reliability test and a theoretical study about the inexpensive commercialized CO$_2$ sensor for reliable measurement of air quality which changes rapidly by the surrounding environments. And then we develop the wireless sensor nodes and the gateway applied for remote air quality monitoring. In addition, web server program was realized to manage air quality in the subway platform. This result will be valuable for a basic research for air quality management in underground spaces for future study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.5 s.92
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• pp.404-411
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• 2006

이 연구의 목적은 유치원에서 총 휘발성 유기화합물의 농도를 평가하고, 총 휘발성 유기화합물 농도와 대표적인 8개 방향족 화합물의 상관관계를 조사하는데 있다. 도시에 위치한 11개 유치원의 실내와 실외에서 각각 30개, 11개의 지역시료를, 시골에 위치한 4개 유치원에서는 각각 10개, 4개의 시료를 테낙스 튜브를 이용하여 오전에 1-2시간 채취하였다. 채취한 시료는 열탈착하여 가스크로마토그래피-질량분석기로 분석하였다. 13가지 물질을 각각의 표준물질로 개별 정량하여 이중 빈번히 발견되는 8가지 방향족 유기화합물은 상관관계 평가에 사용하였다. 총 휘발성 유기화합물은 톨루엔을 기준으로 정량하였다. 도시에 위치한 유치원 실내의 총 휘발성 유기화합물 농도가 높았고, 조사 건수의 50%가 환경부 및 교육인적자원부의 가이드라인($400{\mu}g/m^{3}$)을 초과하였다. 도시지역의 유치원 실내 및 실외의 기하평균은 각각 $387.9{\mu}g/m^{3}$과 $134.9{\mu}g/m^{3}$이었고, 시골지역 유치원에서는 각각 $189.6{\mu}g/m^{3},;74.4{\mu}g/m^{3}$이었다. 톨루엔, 크실렌, 에틸벤젠, 정량한 유기 화합물 총합, 총 휘발성 유기화합물은 기하정규분포를 하였다. 벤젠, 톨루엔, 에틸벤젠, 크실렌(BTEX)은 도시에 위치한 유치원에서 농도도 높고, 총 휘발성 유기화합물중 함량도 높았고, 시골지역에서는 농도와 상대적 함량이 낮았다. 도시지역에서는 총 휘발성 유기화합물 중 BTEX의 비중이 25.2%였고 정량한 13가지 유기화합물 중에서는 35.6%를 차지하였다. BTEX 각각 개별물질은 미국 환경보호청이 제시하는 일일 노출 기준량(Reference Concentration; RfC) 보다는 현저히 낮았다. 총 휘발성 유기화합물읜 농도는 실내가 실외 보다 높았다(I/O ratio 2.5). BTEX의 상대적 함량도 실내가 실외보다 높아 실내에도 발생원이 있음을 암시하고 있다. 자료 분석결과 유치원 실내의 벤젠은 실외로부터 유입되고 있었고, 톨루엔, 에틸벤젠, 크실렌은 실외뿐 아니라 실내에서도 발생하고 있었다. 정량한 8개 화합물 각각과 총 휘발성 유기화합물의 스피어만 상관계수는 벤젠을 제외하고는 모두 유의하였다. 이중 톨루엔과 크실렌은 총 휘발성 유기화합물과 좋은 상관성 (톨루엔 0.76, 크실렌, 0.87)을 나타내었다. 이 연구는 톨루엔과 크실렌이 총 휘발성 유기화합물의 좋은 지표를 사용될 있고, 톨루엔, 에틸벤젠, 크실렌 등 많은 휘발성 유기화합물의 발생원은 실외뿐 아니라 실내에도 있음을 나타내고 있다.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.183-189
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• 2023

Background: The indoor air quality of classrooms, in which the capacity per unit area is high and students spend time together, must be managed for safety and comfort. It is necessary to develop an eco-friendly indoor air quality reduction method rather than biased management that relies solely on air purifiers. Objectives: In this study, plants and air purifiers were installed in middle school classrooms to evaluate the indoor PM_2.5 reduction. Methods: Four middle school classrooms were selected as test beds. Air quality was monitored in real-time every one minute using IoT equipment installed in the classrooms, corridors, and rooftops. After measuring the background concentration, plants and air purifiers were installed in the classroom and the PM_2.5 reduction effect was analyzed through continuous monitoring. Results: After installing the plants and air purifiers, the average PM_2.5 concentration was 33.7 ㎍/m³ in the classrooms without plants and air purifiers, 25.6 ㎍/m³ in classrooms with plants only, and 21.7 ㎍/m³ in classrooms with air purifiers only. In the classroom where plants and air purifiers were installed together, it was 20.0 ㎍/m³. The reduction rates before and after installation were 4.5% for classrooms with plants only, 16.5% for classrooms with air purifiers only, and 27.6% for classrooms with both plants and air purifiers. The I/O ratio, which compares the concentration of PM_2.5 in classrooms with corridors and outside air, also showed the lowest in the order of plants and air purifiers, air purifiers, and plant-only classrooms. Conclusions: The PM_2.5 reduction effect of using plants was confirmed, and it is expected to be used as basic data for the development of environmentally-friendly indoor air quality improvement methods.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.215-222
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the influence of indoor air qualities of an office environment on dry eye syndrome for wearing contact lens and non-wearing contact lens. Methods: To study the effects of indoor air qualities on dry eye syndrome for seventy-one subjects, $CO_2$, temperature, humidity, TSP, PM10, HCHO were measured. Each subject was tested by a McMonnie's dry eye syndrome questionnaire, a Schirmer Tear Test-I (S.T.T-I), a Schirmer Tear Test-II with anesthetics (S.T.T-II), and Tear film break-up time (T.B.U.T) in the their offices. Results: There was significant relation between the indoor air quality and dry eye syndrome for wearing contact lens and non-wearing when TSP was over $200{\mu}g/m^3$, PM10 was higher than $86.7{\mu}g/m^3$ and Formaldehyde was over $0.4{\sim}1.0{\mu}g/m^3$. However, there was no significant effect on dry eye syndrome with $CO_2$ (p=.0146), temperature (p=0.074) and humidity (p=0.053). Conclusions: It was indicated that $CO_2$, temperature and humidity were no effect on dry eye syndrome in the office environment. However TSP, PM10, formaldehyde, and wearing contact lens were effect on dry eye syndrome. Therefore, the entire management of wearing contact lens and the individual evaluation of the indoor air quality are required.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.4335-4347
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate $PM_{10}$ and $CO_2$ concentrations in the classrooms of 286 elementary schools in Suwon, Ansan, and Hwaseong in the province of Gyeonggi between August 2008 and December 2012. By gaining an understanding of the environmental factors that influence these concentrations, this study also aimed to establish a management plan for indoor air quality in schools, which substantially affects the health of elementary students. When the schools were classified by region, no statistically significant difference in $PM_{10}$ concentration was observed. However, $PM_{10}$ concentration was relatively high in industrial areas and low in rural areas. No difference in $CO_2$ concentration was observed among the surveyed cities. Analysis of annual $PM_{10}$ concentration showed that the highest values for Suwon and Hwaseong occurred in 2008 and 2009, respectively (p<0.01). In the case of Ansan, the highest concentration occurred during 2009, but the difference was not significant compared to the other years. Analysis of the annual $CO_2$ concentration of each city shows no significant difference among the cities (p-value=0.366,0.730,0.210). According to a time series analysis of $PM_{10}$ and $CO_2$ by season, from autumn 2008 to winter 2012, $PM_{10}$ concentration was high during 2009, then it gradually decreased until 2012, and started to increase again. While no difference in annual $CO_2$ concentration was observed, the concentration had a tendency to be higher in spring and winter than in summer. By analyzing the relationship between $PM_{10}$ and $CO_2$ and the environmental factors (years of construction, average students of classroom, temperature, and humidity), it showed a significant negative correlation was found between $CO_2$ and the environmental temperature and humidity, at -0.329 and -0.188, respectively (p<0.01).