• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.611-617
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• 2003

The air-side particulate fouling in the heat exchangers of HVAC applications degrades the performance of cooling capacity, pressure drop across a heat exchanger, and indoor air quality. Indoor and outdoor air contaminants foul heat exchangers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the air-side particulate fouling materials in finned-tube heat exchangers of air conditioners. Air conditioners being used in the field such as inns, restaurants, and offices are collected in chronological order in use. Typical fouling materials on the heat exchangers include fibers and dusts ranged from 6.6 to 20.9 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in mass median diameter.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.645-653
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• 2004

Indoor air quality is affected by source strength of pollutants, ventilation rate, decay rate, outdoor level, and so on. Although technologies measuring these factors exist directly, direct measurements of all factors are not always practical in most field studies. The purpose of this study was to develop an alternative method to estimate these factors by application of multiple measurements. For the total duration of 30 days, daily indoor and outdoor $NO_2$ concentrations were measured in 30 houses in Brisbane, Australia, and for 21 days in 40 houses in Seoul, Korea, respectively. Using a box model by mass balance and linear regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation divided by sum of air exchange rate and deposition constant) and source strength factor (emission rate divided by sum of air exchange rate and deposition constant) were calculated, Sub-sequently, the ventilation and source strength were estimated. In Brisbane, the penetration factors were $0.59\pm0.14$ and they were unaffected by the presence of a gas range. During sampling period, geometric mean of natural ventilation was estimated to be $l.l0\pm1.5l$ ACH, assuming a residential $NO_2$ decay rate of 0.8 hr^{-1}$ in Brisbane. In Seoul, natural ventilation was $1.15\pm1.73$ ACH with residential $NO_2$ decay rate of 0.94 hr^{-1}$ Source strength of $NO_2$ in the houses with gas range $(12.7\pm9.8$ ppb/hr) were significantly higher than those in houses with an electric range $(2.8\pm2,6$ ppb/hr) in Brisbane. In Seoul, source strength in the houses with gas range were $l6.8\pm8.2$ ppb/hr. Conclusively, indoor air quality using box model by mass balance was effectively characterized.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.101-111
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• 2017

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a modified air-side economizer in improving indoor air quality (IAQ). An air-side economizer, which uses all outdoor air for cooling, affects the building's IAQ depending on the outside air quality and can significantly affect the occupants' health, leading to respiratory and heart disease. The Air Quality Index (AQI), developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), measures air contaminants that adversely affect human beings: PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO. In this study, AQI is applied as a control for the operation of an air-side economizer. The simulation is analyzed, comparing the results between the differential enthalpy economizer and AQI-modified economizer. The results confirm that an AQI-modified economizer has a positive effect on IAQ. Compared to the operating differential enthalpy economizer, energy increase in an operating AQI-modified economizer is 0.65% in Shanghai and 0.8% in Seoul.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.5 s.92
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• pp.398-403
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• 2006

Indoor air quality can be affected by indoor sources, ventilation, decay and outdoor levels. Understanding the effectiveness of indoor air quality control depends on knowledge of the characteristics of air pollutants in indoor air, especially their quantities and persistence, and the relevance of indoor sources to these factors. Toluene within new and established houses has been determined and factors significant to its presence have been identified. A total of 30 selected houses in Seoul, Asan and Daegu areas that were constructed within 4 years and over 4 years of construction were measured the concentration of toluene from July to September in 2004. Toluene emission decay of double-exponential model exhibited good fit of $Y=276.37e^{-1.21x}(R^{2}=0.34,\;P=0.06)$ for 2 years and then $Y=51.54e^{-0.11x}(R^{2}=0.40,\;P=0.0)$ from 23 years in new houses. In case of living in new houses, noncarcinogenic health effects of exposure to toluene was 1.38 of hazard quotient (HQ) comparing to toluene reference dose of 0.13 mg/kg-day.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.504-512
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indoor to outdoor ratio (I/O ratio) of time activity patterns affecting PM_2.5 concentrations in homes in Korea through a simulation. Methods: The time activity patterns of homemakers were analyzed based on the 'Time-Use Survey' data of the National Statistical Office in 2014. From September 30 to October 2, 2019, the experimenter lived in multifamily housing located in Guro-gu, Seoul. The I/O ratio of PM_2.5 concentration was measured by installing sensor-based instruments. Results: The average indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations during the three days were 33.1±48.9 and 45.9±25.3 ㎍/㎥, respectively. The average I/O ratio was 0.75±0.60. The indoor concentration tended to increase when PM_2.5 source activity such cooking and cleaning was present and outdoor PM_2.5 was supplied through ventilation. Conclusions: This study could be used as basic data for estimating indoor PM_2.5 concentrations with personal activity pattern and weather conditions using outdoor concentrations.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.230-235
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• 2009

The Desiccant air conditioning system has been designed as the industrial dehumidifier under the leadership of developed countries, considering CFC problems in 1990, indoor air quality(IAQ) and outdoor air intake rates. This could make the technical differences between them and us. Nowadays, domestic technology has been developed in some parts but there still remain many challenges to be managed. In this study, these tasks would be handled according to the desiccant air conditioning system market and prospects.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.134-140
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• 2000

The increase in traffic is a worldwide phenomenon. In Korea, it has been increased by 20% per annual in recent 1990’s and approximately 10 millions cars had been registered until 1997. This traffic could easily affect and contribute the local outdoor air quality(QAQ) concerned. The QAQ in highway in one of the examples and the subject in this study. The seoul tollgate located at the north-end of Keypngbu Highway was selected for the study. In case of highway tollgate, the local air pollution could be directly affected by the traffic to approach, wait and start the tollgate. Nitrogen dioxide (NO$_2$) concentration exceeded the EAQS(Environmental Air Quality Standards), but overall indoor air quality was a little better than the outdoor air quality. The measured TSP concentration was much higher than that of the EAQS. To apply a management to a air quality problem of Seoul tollgate, it was predicted air quality with traffic volume and weather condition. It was calculated NO$_2$ emission with traffic volume and predicted in and out of booth by CALINE3 at the Seoul tollgate. To make a comparison between measured and predicted concentration, the prediction was good. It was shown that NO$_2$ concentration was high in the morning at the from Seoul direction and in the evening at the to Seoul direction. it was thought that NO$_2$ concentration variation was reflected according to the traffic volume.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.748-753
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• 2008

In modern buildings, the air-tightness and insulation for energy saving resulted in degradation of Indoor Air Quality(IAQ). It has brought out new diseases such as New Building Syndrome(NBS) and Sick Building Syndrome(SBS) to the tenants of such buildings. As a result, researches on the Dynamic Breathing Building(DBB) are being undertaken to minimize energy loss as well as to improve IAQ. DBB is a state-of-the-art technology to build channels inside the wall so that air migrates between indoor and outdoor, which improves insulation performance and IAQ. This study attempts to evaluate the improvement of DBB employed in real buildings. As analyzing tools, IAQ improvement and particle degradation while were evaluated while the required indoor ventilation rate was satisfied. DBB were installed in the twin test cells at Korea Institute of Energy Research(KIER). From the test, IAQ was compared with outdoor air base on the concentration of particle matter(PM10). As a results, the concentration of particle dust (PM10) within the breathing walls was reduced by 80% at 0.7 ACH, 67% at 2 ACH, 63% at 3 ACH respectively. As ACH is higher, Dnamic Isulation(DI) and normal wall permit more PM10 particles being infiltrated.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.58-64
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• 2000

Indoor air quality tends to be the dominant contributor to personal exposure, because most people spend over 80% of their time indoors. In this study, indoor and outdoor NO$_2$ concentrations were measured and compared with simultaneously personal exposures of 21 university students in weekday and weekend. House characteristics and activity pattern were used to determine the impacts of these factors on personal exposure. Since university students spent most of their times in indoor, their NO$_2$ exposure was associated with indoor NO$_2$ level rather than outdoor NO$_2$ level both weekday and weekend in spite of different time activity. Using time-weighted average model, NO$_2$ exposures of university students were estimated by NO$_2$ measurements in indoor home, indoor school, and outdoor home levels. Estimated NO$_2$ personal exposures were significantly correlated with measured NO$_2$ personal exposures($r^2$=0.87). However, estimated personal NO$_2$ exposures by time-weighted average model were underestimated, comparing with the measured personal NO$_2$ exposure. Using multiple regression analysis, effect of personal NO$_2$ exposure for transportation was confirmed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.474-482
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• 2007

Daycare centers are an important indoor environment for pre-school children and exposure area with potential harmful health effects for infants and children who spend most of their daily life. Sampling was undertaken at 29 daycare centers located Seoul in Korea from January, 2006 to December 2006. The target compounds were 7 individual volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, styrene, o-xylene, TVOC). The mean concentrations of TVOC, toluene, m ,p-xylene, ethylbenzene, benzene and styrene in daycare centers were $318.7{\mu}g/m^3$, $51.6{\mu}g/m^3$, $11.7{\mu}g/m^3$, $6.5{\mu}g/m^3$, $4.2{\mu}g/m^3$, $3.6{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. Toluene occupied 17.6 % of the concentration of individual VOCs. The ratio of indoor and outdoor (I/O) of TVOC and toluene were 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. The results of characteristics according to a season of a year, the concentration of TVOC were measured $433.9{\mu}g/m^3$, and these concentrations during third quarter of the year in summer were higher than the other season. In the other four seasons, TVOC were measured 280.5 in winter, 298.3 in spring and $264.6{\mu}g/m^3$ in fall, respectively.