• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.603-614
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• 2020

Background and objective: This study was conducted to understand urban residents' perception of indoor plants in order to assist in the preparation of guidelines for growing plants indoors. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to urban residents currently growing plants or with experience of growing plants. The data of 247 respondents were subjected to analysis to assess their level of interest and ability with regard to growing plants, and their recognition of the selection and function of plants. Results: Respondents showed high interest in growing plants at a level of 6.77, but their ability was moderate. This suggests that information regarding plant maintenance should be provided to urban residents. They recognized the function of plants for improving the environment as important, and expected that indoor plants would improve their mood and visual experience. Satisfaction with growing plants was high from an emotional perspective. They recognized that the function of air purification function was important even if the actual performance or effect was not great. This indicates that the function of air purification should be emphasized more. As the result of the IPA, plants should be selected in consideration of morphological characteristics such as leaf, flower and fruit, and continuously managed to maintain their characteristics. Since the performance of pots was less satisfactory compared to their importance, they should be selected so that they harmonize better with plants and are of the appropriate size to fit the space. The type of plants is an important factor in plant selection in order to perform an environmental function, and the flower color and pot size are important in terms of aesthetics and healing. Conclusion: When horticulture information on indoor plants is provided to urban residents, first, it should be provided to satisfy the functions of the plants required by urban residents and in order to promote and maintain the proper growth of plants. Second, various contents that utilize components should be developed to achieve plant function so that resident can determine the function of plants and select the type, quantity, and shape of plants to achieve the desired function.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.320-332
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• 2023

Talaromyces is a genus within the phylum Ascomycota (class Eurotiomycetes, order Eurotiales, family Trichocomaceae). Many species in this genus are known to produce diverse secondary metabolites with great potential for agricultural, medical, and pharmaceutical applications. During a survey on fungal diversity in the genus Talaromyces in Korea, six strains were isolated from soil, indoor air, and freshwater environments. Based on morphological, physiological, and multi-locus (ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses, we identified five previously unrecorded species in Korea (T. brevis, T. fusiformis, T. muroii, T. ruber, and T. soli) and a new species (T. echinulatus sp. nov.) belonging to section Talaromyces. Herein, detailed descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic tree are provided.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.421-432
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• 2018

Objectives: In this study, we started to develop an indoor garden integrated IoT solution based on IAQ (indoor air quality) and interconnection with an environmental database for smart management of indoor gardens. The purpose of this study was to develop and apply an integrated solution for customized air purification from an indoor garden through big data analysis using IoT technology. Methods: An IoT-based IAQ monitoring system was established in three households within a new apartment building. Based on real-time and long-term data collected, $PM_{2.5}$, $CO_2$, temperature, and humidity changes were compared to those of indoor garden applications and the analyzed results were indexed. Results As a result of the installation, all three households had no results exceeding the standard for indoor air pollution on average $PM_{2.5}$ and $CO_2$ indices. In the case of indoor garden installation, the IAQ index increased to the "Good" section after the installation, and readings in the "Bad" section shown before the installation disappeared. The comfort index also did not dip into the "Uncomfortable" section, where it had been preinstallation, and significantly lowered the average score from "Uncomfortable for sensitive groups" to "Good". Overall, the IAQ composite index for the generation of installations decreased the "Good" interval, but "Bad" did not appear. Conclusions In this study on developing an integrated solution for IAQ based on IoT indoor gardens, big data was analyzed to determine IAQ and comfort indexes and an IAQ composite index. Through this process, it became understood that it is necessary to monitor IAQ based on IoT.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.51-60
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• 2015

In Korea, 69.4 % of duck farms had utilized conventional plastic greenhouses. In this facilities, there are difficulties in controlling indoor environments for raising duck. High rearing density in duct farms also made the environmental control difficult resulting in getting more stressed making their immune system weaker. Therefore, a facility is needed to having structurally enough solidity and high efficiency on the environmental control. So, new design plans of duck house have recently been conducted by National Institute of Animal Science in Korea. As a study in advance to establish standard, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to estimate the aerodynamic problems according to the designs by means of overall and regional ventilation efficiencies quantitatively and qualitatively. Tracer gas decay (TGD) method was used to calculate ventilation rate according to the structural characteristics of duck houses including installation of indoor circulation fan. The results showed that natural ventilation rate was averagely 164 % higher than typically designed ventilation rate, 1 AER ($min^{-1}$). Meanwhile, mechanically ventilated duck houses made 81.2 % of summer ventilation rate requirement. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new duck house considering more structural safety as well as higher efficiency of environmental control.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.179-188
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• 2015

Although permeating injection is ideal for grouting reservoir embankments, it is usually combined with fracturing injection for grouting, which can disturb the original soil. Compaction with low expansive pressure followed by grout injection can overcome this problem. An expansive compaction (EC) packer was developed in this work to easily apply sequential injection and compaction at a work site. Furthermore, to achieve compaction around the grouting hole, a mixture of expansive admixtures and grout was injected with the EC packer to trigger an increase in volume of the grout material. This work verifies the compaction effect of the EC packer and the expansive admixture. It reports the concepts of the EC packer, the range of expansive compaction, the effectiveness of injection, and the results of indoor tests performed to verify the effectiveness of the expansive admixtures. The indoor testing comprised a preparatory test and the main test. The preparatory test assessed the admixtures for their compaction effects, while the main test measured and analyzed the admixtures' expansive force, pressure, and compaction effect with a mold to verify the effectiveness of the compaction effect.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.31 no.3 s.116
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• pp.175-181
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• 2006

Nursery pig building is imperative to provide environmental conditions favorable to maintenance of piglet health and the efficiency of growth rate. To meet the ultimate goal, it is necessary to apply proper ventilation design and construction to a confinement livestock building. This study was conducted to investigate the performance of a modified ventilation system in terms of devised slot-inlet (modification I) and exhaust fan (modification II) to improve air change rate in a confined nursery pig building, with dimension of 5.9 m(W) ${\times}$ 12.6 m(L) ${\times}$ 2.2 m(H) in an Darby Genetic Station. The experiment was carried out in August, especially when the outdoor peak temperature were above $30^{\circ}C$ and the measured indoor environmental factors were temperature, air velocity, humidity and ammonia concentration which have been known to affect the piglet health and growth. There was no difference in indoor temperature between the original and modified ventilation systems, however the air velocity and ammonia concentration in confined nursery pig building with modified ventilation system were, in most cases, better performance than original ventilation system. Therefore, it was concluded that the slot-inlet system that kept indoor environmental factors pertinent and had an economic advantage, should be considered as a ventilation system for decreasing sensible heat from piglet in confined nursery pig building during extreme summer season.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.569-577
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• 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the growth of Cichorium intybus, Brassica juncea, and Lactuca sativa at varying seed ratios, and to suggest an efficient management plan for sustainable indoor agriculture systems. It was treated with mixed sowing as follows: 30 chicory seeds (chicory alone: CC), 22 chicory seeds + 8 lettuce seeds (C₃L₁), 20 chicory seeds + 10 lettuce seeds (C₂L₁), 15 chicory seeds + 15 lettuce seeds (C₁L₁) as intraspecies, and 30 mustard seeds (mustard alone: MC), 22 mustard seeds + 8 lettuce seeds (M₃L₁), 20 mustard seeds + 10 lettuce seeds (M₂L₁), 15 mustard seeds + 15 lettuce seeds (M₁L₁) as interspecies. The study identified the competitive response in seed germination between Cichorium intybus and Lactuca sativa, and in the C₃L₁ experimental group, Lactuca sativa had the highest leaf length, root length, chlorophyll content, and fresh weight. Therefore, the higher the ratio of Cichorium intybus, the higher the growth and productivity of Lactuca sativa; however, higher the ratio of Lactuca sativa, the lower the growth of Cichorium intybus. Furthermore, the nitrogen and potassium content in the substrate was the highest in the C₃L₁ experimental grorp which had the highest seeding rate of the Cichorium intybus. Comparing the groups Brassica juncea and Lactuca sativa, the higher the seeding ratio of Lactuca sativa, the higher the growth and productivity of Brassica juncea. Therefore, a companion seeding of Brassica juncea and Lactuca sativa is beneficial; this could be effective in having a high seeding ratio of Lactuca sativa.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1415-1424
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• 2021

Objective: Portable laser methane detectors (LMDs) may be an economical means of estimating CH₄ emissions from ruminants. We validated an LMD-based approach and then used that approach to evaluate CH₄ emissions from indigenous dairy cows in a dryland area of Ethiopia. Methods: First, we validated our LMD-based approach in Simmental crossbred beef cattle (n = 2) housed in respiration chambers and fed either a high- or low-concentrate diet. From the results of the validation, we constructed an estimation equation to determine CH₄ emissions from LMD CH₄ concentrations. Next, we used our validated LMD approach to examine CH₄ emissions in Fogera dairy cows grazed for 8 h/d (GG, n = 4), fed indoors on natural-grassland hay (CG1, n = 4), or fed indoors on Napier-grass (Pennisetum purpureum) hay (CG2, n = 4). All the cows were supplemented with concentrate feed. Results: The exhaled CH₄ concentrations measured by LMD were linearly correlated with the CH₄ emissions determined by infrared-absorption-based gas analyzer (r² = 0.55). The estimation equation used to determine CH₄ emissions (y, mg/min) from LMD CH₄ concentrations (x, ppm m) was y = 0.4259x+38.61. Daily CH₄ emissions of Fogera cows estimated by using the equation did not differ among the three groups; however, a numerically greater milk yield was obtained from the CG2 cows than from the GG cows, suggesting that Napier-grass hay might be better than natural-grassland hay for indoor feeding. The CG1 cows had higher CH₄ emissions per feed intake than the other groups, without significant increases in milk yield and body-weight gain, suggesting that natural-grassland hay cannot be recommended for indoor-fed cows. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the potential of using LMDs to valuate feeding regimens rapidly and economically for dairy cows in areas under financial constraint, while taking CH₄ emissions into consideration.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.735-747
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• 2018

Radon radiation exposures in home have been posed as a potential cancer hazard. This research aims to present the basic data of the indoor radon concentration level by examining the radon exhalation rates of wood species. Radon exhalation rates from five commonly used wood species in Korean wood building construction were measured with Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM), Model 1028 (Sun Nuclear Co., USA) using the Closed Chamber Method (CCM). The mass exhalation rate was observed to vary from $0.00089Bq{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ to $0.00181Bq{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$, whereas the surface exhalation rate was observed to be $0.00677-0.01517Bq{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}h^{-1}$. The radon exhalation rate of Quercus accutissima Carruth (white oak) which has the highest density showed the highest figure among the five wood species, on the other hand, the rest of four species showed similar results which were similar to the radon exhalation rates of wood in the U.S.A. and Canada. The average of the concentration measured by the CCM represented well up to the second half-life period (7.7 days). Because result of these small quantities seems to indicate that radon exhalation from the tested wood species has almost negligible impact, the main culprit of the high indoor radon concentration is clearly derived from the background of surrounding wood house. Therefore, as a safety precaution, infrastructures made of wood materials should be designed with the consideration of influx of radon and built accordingly. Furthermore, it is highly desirable that wood will be needed to use for furniture and interior finishing material in indoor environment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.334-348
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• 2017

Objectives: We investigated the impacts of indoor plants on indoor air quality and occupational health, focusing on allergic rhinconjunctivitis and stress among employees in new office buildings. Methods: A total of 34 employees working at new public office buildings were enrolled as subjects (n=17, with indoor plants) and as a control (n=17) group. Before and after introducing indoor plants for three months, indoor air quality measurements including VOCs and aldehydes and questionnaires on sick building syndrome, AR symptoms (ARIA based), stress (DASS 42, KOSS, and SACL), and indoor characteristics were performed and statistically analysed. Results: Among the 34 enrolled subjects, 19 were included in the probable AR subject group (subjects with indoor plants, n=8, control n=11) and completed all questionnaires. Statistical analyses were done for total, AR subject groups, and controls. As a result, it was confirmed that major indoor air pollutants decreased after the introduction of indoor plants (p<0.5). Among major symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, watery rhinorrhea, nasal stuffiness, and nasal itching indexes decreased (p<0.5, respectively). A decrease was noted in some areas of work-related stress indexes (mainly KOSS) among the subject group (total and AR) and a decrease of indoor environmental attractiveness among the control group (total and AR) (p<0.5, for all). Conclusions: Indoor plants may help reduce indoor air pollutants and decrease AR symptoms and work-related stress of employees in newly built office buildings. Various further follow-up studies on the mechanism of environmental, physical, and emotional influences and utilization of indoor plants in association with allergic diseases will be needed.