• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.735-744
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• 2010

An efficient code has been developed to predict dispersion of indoor air pollutants. The computing capability of the code has been compared with that of a commercial code in a benchmark test. After that, the code has been employed to compute dispersion of a pollutant released from a new furniture, a kind of Sick Building Syndrome(SBS). A sofa which generates formaldehyde is implemented by using an immersed boundary method. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is employed to obtain time-dependent velocity and concentration fields. LES has been regarded as an academic tool, but the newly-developed code reveals a possibility of application of LES to practical problems, especially dispersion of indoor pollutants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2018.11a
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• pp.89-90
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• 2018

In recent years, harmful substances and fine dust in the air are caused by respiratory and cardiovascular diseases through various mechanisms when they are introduced into the human body through respiration, thereby exacerbating human health and causing cancer by prolonged exposure do. In order to prevent such fine dust from being introduced into the room and to improve indoor air quality, improvement of air quality has attracted attention. Among indoor air pollutants, fine dust and CO₂ are pollutants that are directly affected by indoor number and activity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the basic performance of cement matrix using photosynthetic bacteria as a basic study of fine dust and CO₂ adsorption type matrix to suppress indoor air pollution and improve air quality.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.335-343
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• 2006

Indoor air pollution has been significantly aggravated due to hazardous pollutants emitted from petrochemical finishing materials in new apartments. Pollutants emitted into indoor environment have significant effects on the health of occupants, causing undesirable symptoms related to sick building syndrome such as headache, dizziness, difficulty in concentration, etc. Therefore, this paper attempted to investigate the reduction effect of bake out on VOCs emission in new apartments. Experiments were carried out in three households, one of which was naturally ventilated. The naturally ventilated showed the lowest indoor pollutant concentration and also showed the highest reduction rate by the use of bake out. The most desirable result was observed when the household was naturally ventilated after bake out. More detailed experiments are expected to be carried out afterwards on the prediction of reduction rate of each pollutant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.160-165
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• 2005

Schools have significant and serious indoor environmental health problem, of which indoor air quality (IAQ) in school building may affect the health of the students and indirectly affect learning performance. Schools are of special concern when regarding indoor exposure to air pollutants, because students are particularly sensitive to pollutants and spend a significant amount of time in that environment. Therefore researches for improvement of indoor air quality have been developed such as installation of air cleaning device, ventilation system, titanium dioxide(TiO2) coating and so on. However, it is difficult to evaluate the magnitude of improvement of indoor air quality in field study because indoor air quality can be affected by source generation, outdoor air level, ventilation, decay by reaction, temperature, humidity, mixing condition and so on. In this study, evaluation of reduction of formaldehyde emission rate in school indoor environments by far-Infrared ray coating material was carried out using mass balance model in indoor environment. we proposed the evaluation method of magnitude of improvement in indoor air quality, considering outdoor level and ventilation. Since simple indoor concentration measurements could not properly evaluate the indoor air quality, outdoor level and ventilation should be considered when evaluate the indoor air quality.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.472-479
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of indoor air pollutants at 63 elementary schools, 41 middle schools and 51 high schools in Ulsan from the beginning of May to the end of December, 2008. To assess the indoor air quality of the various classrooms, the 8 indoor air pollutants such as $CO_2$, CO, $NO_2$, $O_3$, $PM_{10}$, TVOCs, HCHO and TBC were measured and analyzed. The mean concentrations of $PM_{10}$ and TBC in the elementary schools were significantly higher than those of middle and high schools (p < 0.01). For the HCHO, the multi-use practice rooms showed an average 1.5 times higher than general classrooms. In schools located in urban areas, the concentrations of CO, $O_3$, $PM_{10}$, HCHO and TBC were lower than in the vicinity of industrial complexes. The exceeding rate of the school air quality maintenance limits in the 6 air pollutants by law were 6.7%, 3.5%, 1.7%, 18.2%, 13.0% and 18.4% for $CO_2$, $NO_2$, $O_3$, $PM_{10}$, HCHO and TBC, respectively. Based on these results $PM_{10}$ and TBC have to be in the order of priority of need to improve the classroom air quality in elementary school of Ulsan.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.163-176
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• 1998

In this study, airborne particle samples were obtained to determine the concentrations of particulate air pollutants in indoor and outdoor air of public facilities in Taegu area. Total of 12 public facilities, regulated by the Public Sanitary Law, were selected as sampling sites, which include three underground arcades, one railway and two bus terminals, three general hospitals, and three department stores. In each place, sampling was carried out seasonally during the period of October 1994 to July 1995, and four samples per each site per season were collected both indoors and outdoors simultaneously. After determination of suspended particulate matter (SPM) mass concentrations, the particle samples were divided into two parts for subsequent chemical analysis: one for the analysis of trace elements and the other for water soluble ions. Seasonal levels of SPM appeared to be the highest in spring and the lowest in summer both indoors and outdoors, while locational variations of highest in statioyterminals, and lowest in department stores . SPM concentrations indoors and outdoors did not show any significant differences each other in most places . However, there were significant correlations between indoor and outdoor levels of SPM and other chemical species . These results indicates that indoor SPM levels are likely to be significantly affected by outdoor sources in many places. The most significant source of SPM was estimated to be the resuspension of soil/road dust both indoors and outdoors . The concentrations of toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu) in underground arcades appeared to be very much lower than the established air quality guidelines for underground environments. In addition, it is likely that micro-environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air velocity, play a less significant role than outdoor air quality as a factor affecting the levels of particulate pollutants in indoor environments of public facilities in Taegu area.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.115-120
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• 2002

This study was performed on a questionnaire survey of 500 people about their awareness for indoor air pollution, and measured efficiency of air cleaner which can remove the CO and air-borne particulate of ETS(Environmental Tobacco Smoke) in air clean chamber. The room-size cleaner for measuring indoor air contaminants has been applied to evaluation of two different air cleaner such as the mechanic air cleaner with hepafilter(HPA) and the electrostatic air cleaner with metal plate. The measuring experiment was carried out in a chamber by sampling the air. The results obtained were as follows; As respondents are having their 90% of daytime indoors a day, and 38% of them can feel indoor air pollutions degrees directly by their sense of smell, For the installation of indoor pollution control equipment, 34% of all respondents installed air cleaner because of the problem of economical charge and almost respondents was not satisfied the trust of ability purified indoor air pollutants. In the experimental results, it was found that more than 95% of CD and air-borne particulate of ETS were removed within 20 minutes. The reaction kinetics of removal pollutants was verified as the pseudo-first order, Finally, it appeared that the room-sire air cleaner can be applied to new technology for removing indoor air contaminants.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.397-412
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• 1996

This study aims to present the fundamental strategies to improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in apartment buildings. To investigate the concentration of indoor air pollutants such as radon, formaldehyde, and VOCs, both the document survey and the field measurement were conducted. In addition, to identify the source of the air pollutants, the laboratory experiment was carried out for various building materials. Finally, the minimum period to be reserved befor3e building occupation to ensure healthy IAQ, which largely depends on the ventilation rates, was simulated using a simple compuer program. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. In case of newly-constructed apartment houses, concentrations of formaldehyde, VOCs and radon were found to exceed the standard. Meanwhile, at existing apartment houses, concentrations of VOCs, particularly toluene and xylene, highly exceeded the standasrd level. Concentrations of formaldehyde and radon, however, had been lowered according to the duration of occupation. 2. The laboratory experiment of concentration of pollutants per square meter of building material surface area showed that radon gas was much emitted from the gypsumboard; formaldehyde from flooring and wallpaper; and VOCs from paints and kitchen furnishings. The emission rates of formaldehyde and VOCs were proportional to air temperature. 3. According to the simulation of the minimum period to be reserved before occupation, newly-constructed airtight houses required about 190-200 days, and naturally ventialted houses with fully-open-windows required about 20-45days, in order to keep the level of radon gas lower than standard. Therefore, with the current practice, the date of occupation should be delayed for about 15 days.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.2 s.95
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• pp.92-97
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• 2007

A series of source tests were conducted to characterize emissions of nitrogen oxide(NOx, NO, $NO_2$), carbon mon oxide(CO), carbon dioxide$(CO_2)$ and total VOCs from portable combustion devices in steady-state using well-mixed chamber. Since use of portable gas range is widespread in houses and restaurants in Korea, it is important to characterize the emission of air pollutants and suggest optimum ventilation rate. Ranges of emission rates of air pollutants from portable gas ranges were $NO \;0.551\sim0.939mg/hr,\;NO_2\;0.354\sim1.080mg/hr,\;NO_x\;1.207\sim1.631mg/hr,\;CO\;1.389\sim4.21mg/hr,\;CO_2\;2426.823\sim2973.495mg/hr$, and VOCs $0\sim0.119mg/h$. Mean of personal exposure and indoor environment level of $NO_2$ by combustion of portable gas range were 74.7 ppb and 65.4 ppb, respectively, suggesting persons using portable gas range in houses and restaurants might be highly exposed. Required ventilation rate to control the air pollutants emitted from portable gas range was maximumly $3.131m^3/hr$ on the basis of $NO_2$ indoor air quality standard.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.467-475
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• 2012

Recently, residents have been spending almost 90% of their time indoors, which presents a higher risk from inhalation of pollutants than when spending time outdoors. Therefore, controlling indoor air quality became important. It is reported that the lung diseases and mortality for occupants are increased when there is high density of ozone which is one of the pollutants among the indoor air. In addition, the reactions between ozone and building materials produce VOCs and formaldehyde. The studies to eliminate the ozone by building materials have been actively investigated. However, ozone removal and secondary pollutants from ozone reactions with building materials have not been reported in Korea. For this reason, the aim of this study is to introduce ozone removal by HVAC filters, various building materials, and eco-friendly building materials including the quantity of secondary pollutant emissions.