• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.501-506
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• 2011

Purpose: A high level of air pollutants can increase the number of patients with allergy-related diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). To analyze the association between air pollution and allergic disease, we investigated 2 areas in Korea: Incheon, an industrial area, and Jeju, a non-industrialized area. Methods: Second grade students at elementary schools (11 schools in Incheon and 45 schools in Jeju) were examined in a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used and a skin prick test was performed. The levels of $NO_2$, $CO_2$, $O_3$, particulate matter (PM) $PM_{10/2.5}$, formaldehyde, tVOCs, and dust mites in the classrooms and grounds were determined. Results: The levels of outdoor CO, $PM_{10}$, and $PM_{2.5}$ were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The levels of indoor CO, $CO_2$, $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$ were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The prevalence rates of AR symptoms at any time, AR symptoms during the last 12 months, diagnosis of rhinitis at any time, and AR treatment during the last 12 months were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The prevalence rate of wheezing or whistling at any time, and wheezing during the last 12 months were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). Conclusion: We found that the children living in Incheon, which was more polluted than Jeju, had a higher rate of AR and asthma symptoms compared to children in Jeju. To determine the effect of air pollution on the development of the AR and asthma, further studies are needed.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2015

Seoul subway plays an important part for the public transportation service in Seoul metropolitan area. As the subway system is typically a closed environment, frequent air pollution problems occurred and passengers get malhealth impact. Especially particulate matters (PM) is well known as one of the major pollutants in subway environments. The purpose of this study was to compare the concentrations of $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ in the Seoul subway system and to provide fundamental data in order to management of subway system. $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected in the M station platform and tunnel of Subway Line 4 in Seoul metropolitan and in an outdoor location close to it from Apr. 21, 2010~Oct. 27, 2013. The samples collected on teflon filters using $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ mini-volume portable samplers and PM sequential sampler. The PM contributions were $48.6{\mu}g/m^3$ (outdoor), $84.6{\mu}g/m^3$ (platform) and $204.8{\mu}g/m^3$ (tunnel) for $PM_{10}$, and $34.6{\mu}g/m^3$ (outdoor), $49.7{\mu}g/m^3$ (platform) and $83.1{\mu}g/m^3$ (tunnel) for $PM_{2.5}$. The $PM_{10}$ levels inside stations and outdoors are poorly correlated, indicating that $PM_{10}$ levels in the metro system are mainly influenced by internal sources. In this study, we compared PM concentrations before and after operation of ventilation and Electrostatic Precipitator (EP). Despite the increased PM concentration at outdoor, $PM_{10}$ concentration at platform and tunnel showed the 31.2% and 32.3% reduction efficiency after operation the reduction system. The overall results of this study suggest that the installation and operation of the ventilating system and EP should have served as one of the important components for maintaining the air quality in the subway system.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1543-1550
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• 2008

We studied the effects of smoking, which is one of indoor-environmental pollutants and related to various cancers, on glycoconjugates of rat sebaceous glands with the lectin histochemistry. To investigate the effects of smoking on glycoconjugates, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to tabacco smoke for 10 minutes per day in an inhalation chamber for 1, 2, 3, and 5 days with active and passive exposure. For the structure of sebaceous glands we used PAS reaction, and for the glycoconjugates binding pattern 9 biotinylated lectins (DBA, SBA, PNA, BSL-1, WGA, RCA-1, UEA-1, Con A, and LCA) were used. Some remarkable changes, such as the decrease in the size of sebaceous glandular acini, the destruction of upper portion of sebaceous glands, vacuolation of central portion of sebocytes, and the immature sebaceous glandular acini were seen in the smoke-exposed rats. In the control rats, basal cells were stained with BSL-1, PNA and WGA, but the stronger reaction was founded in BSL-1 binding. Also, sebocytes were stained with PNA, WGA, Con A, BSL-1 and SBA, but stronger reactions were founded in PNA and Con A stainings. Specific changes in the lectin binding patterns were also observed in the smoke-exposed rats. In the basal cells of exposed rats, PNA binding increased, BSL-1 decreased but returned to control level, and WGA disappeared. Plus, immature glandular acini, which were not found in the control rats, were stained PNA, Con A and BSL-1, but the stronger reaction were founded in PNA and Con A binding. In conclusion, it was assumed that the tabacco smoke seriously effected on the structure and glycoconjugates metabolism of sebaceous glands.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2014

In this study we have examined the health risk factors and analyzing data of laborers working at the welding operation at large-sized casting process. In order to improve the working environment of workplace, an effective ventilation method was proposed after performing CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modeling and measurement of pollutants. As a result of examining the health risk factors of workers, oxidized steel dust is the main pollution source in the company A, welding fume in the companies B and C, and welding fume and oxidized steel dust in the company D. The fume concentration in the workers' breathing zone was $0.05{\sim}4.37mg/m^3$, and the fume concentration in the indoor air at the welding process was $0.13{\sim}7.54mg/m^3$. From a result of CFD, a local exhaust with an exhaust duct adjacent to welding point was found to be most effective in case of the exhaust process. In case of air supply, we found that a desired location of air supply fan would be at the end of the opening. If a standardizing the ventilation system for tunnel-type semi-enclosed space at a large-sized casting process is introduced in welding work places in the future, it would be more effective to protect the health of welding workers working at the casting industry and shipbuilding industry and improve the work environment.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.443-449
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• 2017

The imbalance of air supply and the exhaust on subway platforms has led to the installation of platform screen doors in underground subway stations. This imbalance causes the accumulation of pollutants on the platform and loss of comfort due to the lack of ventilation. In this study, a floor exhaust system was optimized using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and an optimization program. The optimized floor exhaust system was manufactured and tested experimentally to evaluate the particle collection efficiency. CFX 17.0 and HEEDS were used to analyze the flow field and optimize the principal dimensions of the exhaust system. As a result of the three-step optimization, the optimized floor exhaust system had a total height of 1.78 m, pressure drop of 430 Pa, and particle collection capability of 61%. A fine dust particle collection experiment was conducted using a floor exhaust system that was manufactured at full scale based on the optimized design. The experiment indicated about 65% particle collection efficiency. Therefore, the optimized design can be applied to subway platforms to draw in exhaust air and remove particulate matter at the same time.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.52-70
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• 2018

Objectives : Atopic dermatitis(AD) and environmental factors are closely related, but there is lack of oriental medical examination. So we compared the relationship between AD and various environmental factors in Oriental medicine and Western medicine. Methods : We described the relationship between AD and environmental factors through the latest papers and a review of the oriental medicine literature. Results : The regional diversity of AD incidence implies a close relationship between climate factors and AD, and high altitude and low pH springs also have an effect on AD. Air pollutants from industrialization and urbanization aggravate AD. The increase in indoor residence time and the increase in room temperature and humidity have also increased the sensitization to allergens such as house dust mite. In oriental medicine, wind(風) is one of the environmental factors and is an inflammatory state due to external irritation. Wind-Humidity(風濕) refers to erythematous wetting dermatitis with itching and exudation, Wind-Fever(風熱) refers to acute inflammatory reaction with erythematous papules and plague, and Blood-Weakness(血虛) refers to aggravation and chronicization of inflammation due to persistence of skin barrier impairment. Conclusions : We examined the relationship between AD and various environmental factors. We also described the oriental medical viewpoints of the environmental factors in the occurrence of AD and skin barrier impairment.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.80-88
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• 2020

With the issuance of one-week fine dust emergency reduction measures in March 2019, the public's anxiety about fine dust is increasingly growing. In order to assess the application of air purifying plant-based bio-filters to public facilities, this study presented a method for measuring pollutant reduction effects by creating an indoor environment for continuous discharge of particle pollutants and conducted basic studies to verify whether indoor air quality has improved through the system. In this study conducted in a lecture room in spring, the background concentration was created by using mosquito repellent incense as a pollutant one hour before monitoring. Then, according to the schedule, the fine dust reduction capacity was monitored by irrigating for two hours and venting air for one hour. PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and temperature & humidity sensors were installed two meters front of the bio-filters, and velocity probes were installed at the center of the three air vents to conduct time-series monitoring. The average face velocity of three air vents set up in the bio-filter was 0.38±0.16 m/s. Total air-conditioning air volume was calculated at 776.89±320.16㎥/h by applying an air vent area of 0.29m×0.65m after deducing damper area. With the system in operation, average temperature and average relative humidity were maintained at 21.5-22.3℃, and 63.79-73.6%, respectively, which indicates that it satisfies temperature and humidity range of various conditions of preceding studies. When the effects of raising relatively humidity rapidly by operating system's air-conditioning function are used efficiently, it would be possible to reduce indoor fine dust and maintain appropriate relative humidity seasonally. Concentration of fine dust increased the same in all cycles before operating the bio-filter system. After operating the system, in cycle 1 blast section (C-1, β=-3.83, β=-2.45), particulate matters (PM₁₀) were lowered by up to 28.8% or 560.3㎍/㎥ and fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) were reduced by up to 28.0% or 350.0㎍/㎥. Then, the concentration of find dust (PM₁₀, PM_2.5) was reduced by up to 32.6% or 647.0㎍/㎥ and 32.4% or 401.3㎍/㎥ respectively through reduction in cycle 2 blast section (C-2, β=-5.50, β=-3.30) and up to 30.8% or 732.7㎍/㎥ and 31.0% or 459.3㎍/㎥ respectively through reduction in cycle 3 blast section (C-3, β=5.48, β=-3.51). By referring to standards and regulations related to the installation of vegetation bio-filters in public facilities, this study provided plans on how to set up objective performance evaluation environment. By doing so, it was possible to create monitoring infrastructure more objective than a regular lecture room environment and secure relatively reliable data.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.283-294
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• 2004

Air quality in the livestock waste compost pilot plant at the Colligate Livestock Station was assessed to quantity the emissions of aerial contaminants and evaluate the degree of correlation between them for different operation strategies; with the ventilation types and agitation of compost pile, in this study. The parameters analyzed to reflect the level of air quality in the livestock waste compost pilot plant were the gaseous contaminants; ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration, the particulate contaminants; inhalable dust and respirable dust, and the biological contaminants; total airborne bacteria and fungi. The mean concentrations of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration in the compost pilot plant without agitation were 2.45ppm, 19.96ppb, and 15.8 when it was naturally ventilated, and 7.61ppm, 31.36ppb, and 30.2 when mechanically ventilated. Those with agitation were 5.50ppm, 14.69ppb, and 46.4 when naturally ventilated, and 30.12ppm, 39.91ppb, and 205.5 when mechanically ventilated. The mean concentrations of inhalable and respirable dust in the compost pilot plant without agitation were 368.6${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 96.0${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with natural ventilation, and 283.9${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 119.5${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with mechanical ventilation. They were also observed with agitation to 208.7${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 139.8${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with natural ventilation, and 209.2${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 131.7${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with mechanical ventilation. Averaged concentrations of total airborne bacteria and fungi in the compost pilot plant without agitation were observed to 28,673cfu/$m^3$ and 22,507cfu/$m^3$ with natural ventilation, and 7,462cfu/$m^3$ and 3,228cfu/$m^3$ with mechanical ventilation. They were also observed with agitation to 19,592cfu/$m^3$ and 26,376cfu/$m^3$ with the natural ventilation, and 18,645cfu/$m^3$ and 24,581cfu/$m^3$ with the mechanical ventilation. It showed that the emission rates of gaseous pollutants, such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration, in the compost pilot plant operated with the mechanical ventilation and with the agitation of compost pile were higher than those with the natural ventilation and without the agitation. While the concentrations of inhalable dust and total airborne bacteria in the compost pilot plant with the natural ventilation and with the agitation, the concentrations of respirable dust and total airborne fungi in the compost pilot plant with the mechanical ventilation and agitation were higher than those with the natural ventilation and without the agitation of compost pile. It was statistically proved that indoor temperature and relative humidity affected the release of particulates and biological pollutants, and ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were believed primary malodorous compounds emitted from the compost pilot plant.