• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

There is increasing evidence suggestion that passive smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and other disease, though the potential health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a controversial subject. Since smoking in restaurant is prevalent in Korea, the concern on passive smoking exposure of non-smoking service-workers has been requested. ETS exposure of non-smoking service-workers at restaurant was assessed because they hare spent their times in restaurant indoors. The purpose of this study was feasibility of nitrogen dioxide($NO_2$) as exposure marker of ETS. The results of the study were as follows; 1. Average $NO_2$ concentrations in indoor and outdoor t restaurants were 57.1ppb(${\pm}12.4$) and 54.29ppb(${\pm}9.54$), respectively. Comparing office-workers, service-workers at restaurants were exposured highly. 2. The personal $NO_2$ measurement as exposure marker of ETS could cause the exposure error because $NO_2$ can be generated by combustion appliances in indoor. 3. Service-workers spent their most time(86.6%) in indoor. Mean time spent at restaurant indoors and at home was 9.4 hours and 10.9 hours, respectively. 4. Personal $NO_2$ levels correlated with indoor $NO_2$ concentrations of restaurant (r=0.70) and of their home (r=0.52) rather than of outdoor $NO_2$ concentration of restaurant (r=0.35). The cause of personal $NO_2$ exposure of non-smoking service-workers were considered as smoking of guests and combustion appliance indoors. 5. personal $NO_2$ exposures were estimated using Monte-Carlo simulation and time-weighted model. Estimated personal $NO_2$ level was 47.25ppb(${\pm}8.3$).

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.49-55
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• 2016

This study aims to present the practical Nitrogen monoxide (NO) removal capacity of cement mortar with Titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) which is one of the paving materials by considering the environment of pavement in urban areas. NO removal capacity test under designated conditions of humidity of inflow gas and the test with variation of the degree of saturation of specimen were conducted. In the test for humidity, dry specimen is subject to the test and NO removal ratio was observed. Humidity-NO removal ratio curve is a log normal distribution in shape, and the maximum NO removal ratio appears at specific humidity. NO removal capacity test relying on the degree of saturation was carried out with wet specimen to reflect the unsaturated pavement by rainfall and domestic sewage. Wet specimen presents less NO removal capacity than dry specimen and the recovering evolution of NO removal capacity follows evaporation. Moreover, $TiO_2$ under the specific depth of specimen hardly contributes to NO removal capacity.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2023

This study analyzed the ratio of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), CO and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) for cities and regionsin Korea and China using column-averaged carbon dioxide dry-air mole fraction (XCO₂) of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2/3, CO and NO₂ vertical column density (named XCO, XNO₂ in thisstudy) of TROPOspheric monitoring instrument from April 2018 to April 2022, and presented the relationship between socioeconomic indicators (population, number of vehicles, Gross Regional Domestic Product) and ratio, and differences in characteristics between Korea and China. First, CO₂ and CO were analyzed after calculating ΔXCO₂ and ΔXCO removing the background value and trend line due to the difference in atmospheric residence time of three gaseous substances (CO₂, CO, and NO₂). Comparing the three values by regions, ΔXCO and ΔXCO₂ were relatively higher in China and XNO₂ were higher in Korea and the ratio of both values (ΔXCO/ΔXCO₂, ΔXCO/XNO₂) was higher in China than in Korea. ΔXCO/ΔXCO₂, ΔXCO/XNO₂ and socioeconomic indicators have a positive correlation suggesting that the concentration of air pollutants and greenhouse gases is higher as the city is large and the economic activity is active. Regarding the differences in the ratio characteristics of Korea and China, the relationship between ΔXCO and ΔXCO₂ showed a negative correlation in Korea and a positive correlation in China. When the relationship between ΔXCO and XNO₂ was examined for summer and winter, the change of ΔXCO by season was not significant in Korea, whereasthe change of ΔXCO and XNO₂ by season waslarge in China resulting in the relationship between two countries appeared differently. These results suggest that seasonal variability and national emission characteristics should be considered in the process of analyzing the ratio of greenhouse gases to air pollutants.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2002

Workers who work at indoor and outdoor environment near busy road are suspected to be exposed to high-elevated air pollutant levels during working hours. This study evaluated the working-time nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) exposure for workers (repairmen and polishers) of shoe-stalls. Since shoe-stalls have particularly been located near busy road in Korea, workers might be high exposure to $NO_2$ from traffic exhaust as well as indoor sources of shoe-stall such as portable gas range (butane gas) during working hours. In this study, we measured the indoor and outdoor $NO_2$ concentrations of shoe-stalls. Simultaneously, outdoor $NO_2$ concentrations of building through sidewalk from shoe-stall were measured. High $NO_2$ exposure for workers of shoe-stalls was considered to be inflow of outdoor source of exhausted emission from vehicles and indoor source from usage of gas range to polish the shoe. Indoor/outdoor $NO_2$ concentration ratio ($0.94{\pm}0.22$) in Seoul was higher than that ($1.06{\pm}0.34$) in Asan, because ambient $NO_2$ level was high in Seoul and usage of gas range was prevalent in Asan. According to $NO_2$ concentrations by distance from roadside to building through sidewalk, $NO_2$ concentrations showed the decreased trend with distance. The results of this study can be utilized by municipal authorities in urban planning for evaluating effects of future traffic planning and land use.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.583-591
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• 2004

In this study, methodologies for the rational organization of air pollution monitoring network were examined by understanding the characteristics of temporal and spatial distribution of secondary air pollution, whose significance would increase hereafter. The data on $O_3$ and $NO_2$ concentrations during high ozone period in 1998~1999 recorded at the nine air pollution monitoring station in Busan were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) and cumulative semivariogram. It was found that the ozone concentration was deeply associated with the daily emission characteristics or the $O_3$ precusors, and nitrogen dioxide concentration largely depends on the emission strength of regional sources. According to the spatial distribution analysis of ozone and nitrogen dioxide in Busan using cumulative semivariograms, the number of monitoring stations for the secondary air pollution can be reduced in east-west direction, but reinforced in north-south direction to explain the spacial variability. More scientific and rational relocation of air pollution monitoring network in Busan would be needed to investigate pollution status accurately and to plan and implement the pollution reduction policies effectively.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1069-1073
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• 2008

Indoor air quality can be affected by indoor sources, ventilation, decay and outdoor levels. Although technologies exist to measure these factors, direct measurements are often difficult. The purpose of this study was to develop an alternative method to characterize indoor environmental factors by multiple indoor and outdoor measurements. Using a mass balance model and regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation rate divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) and source strength factor (source strength divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) were calculated using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements. Subsequently, the ventilation rate and $NO_2$ generation rate were estimated. Mean of ventilation rate was 1.41 ACH in houses, assuming a residential N02 deposition constant of 0.94 $hr^{-1}$. Mean generation rate of $NO_2$ was 16.5 ppbv/hr. According to house characterization, inside smoking and family number were higher $NO_2$ generation rates, and apartment was higher than single-family house. In conclusion, indoor environmental factors were effectively characterized by this method using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.223-226
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• 2006

The micro-gas sensor based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was fabricated and its gas sensing characteristics on nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) have been investigated. The sensor consists of a heater, an insulating layer, a pair of contact electrodes, and CNT-sensing film on a micromachined diaphragm. The heater plays a role in the temperature change to modify sensor operation. Gas sensor responses of CNT-film to $NO_2$ at room temperature are reported. The sensor exhibits a reversible response with a time constant of a few minutes at thermal treatment temperature of $130^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.265-274
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• 2018

Objectives: A positive association between air pollution and both the incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported in some epidemiologic and animal studies, but little research has evaluated the relationship between air pollution and diabetic coma. Diabetic coma is an acute complication of DM caused by diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, which is characterized by extreme hyperglycemia accompanied by coma. We conducted a time-series study with a generalized additive model using a distributed-lag non-linear model to assess the association between ambient air pollution (particulate matter less than $10{\mu}m$ in aerodynamic diameter, nitrogen dioxide [$NO_2$], sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone) and emergency department (ED) visits for DM with coma in Seoul, Korea from 2005 to 2009. Methods: The ED data and medical records from the 3 years previous to each diabetic coma event were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to examine the relationship with air pollutants. Results: Overall, the adjusted relative risks (RRs) for an interquartile range (IQR) increment of $NO_2$ was statistically significant at lag 1 (RR, 1.125; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.039 to 1.219) in a single-lag model and both lag 0-1 (RR, 1.120; 95% CI, 1.028 to 1.219) and lag 0-3 (RR, 1.092; 95% CI, 1.005 to 1.186) in a cumulative-lag model. In a subgroup analysis, significant positive RRs were found for females for per-IQR increments of $NO_2$ at cumulative lag 0-3 (RR, 1.149; 95% CI, 1.022 to 1.291). Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that ambient air pollution, specifically $NO_2$, is associated with ED visits for diabetic coma.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2024

Busan is the 6th largest port city in the world, where nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions from transportation and port industries are significant. This study aims to assess the NO₂ products of the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) over Busan using ground-based instruments (i.e., surface in-situ network and Pandora). The GEMS vertical column densities of NO₂ showed reasonable consistency in the spatiotemporal variations, comparable to the previous studies. The GEMS data showed a consistent seasonal trend of NO₂ with the Korea Ministry of Environment network and Pandora in 2022, which is higher in winter and lower in summer. These agreements prove the capability of the GEMS data to monitor the air quality in Busan. The correlation coefficient and the mean bias error between the GEMS and Pandora NO₂ over Busan in 2022 were 0.53 and 0.023 DU, respectively. The GEMS NO₂ data were also positively correlated with the ground-based in-situ network with a correlation coefficient of 0.42. However, due to the significant spatiotemporal variabilities of the NO₂, the GEMS footprint size can hardly resolve small-scale variabilities such as the emissions from the road and point sources. In addition, relative biases of the GEMS NO₂ retrievals to the Pandora data showed seasonal variabilities, which is attributable to the air mass factor estimation of the GEMS. Further studies with more measurement locations for longer periods of data can better contribute to assessing the GEMS NO₂ data. Reliable GEMS data can further help us understand the Asian air quality with the diurnal variabilities.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.151-169
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• 2015

Objectives: The deleterious effects of air pollution on various health outcomes have been demonstrated. However, few studies have examined the effects of air pollution on liver enzyme levels. Methods: Blood samples were drawn up to three times between 2008 and 2010 from 545 elderly individuals who regularly visited a community welfare center in Seoul, Korea. Data regarding ambient air pollutants (particulate matter ${\leq}2.5{\mu}m$ [$PM_{2.5}$], nitrogen dioxide [$NO_2$], ozone [$O_3$], carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide) from monitoring stations were used to estimate air pollution exposure. The effects of the air pollutants on the concentrations of three liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], and ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase [${\gamma}$-GTP)]) were evaluated using generalized additive and linear mixed models. Results: Interquartile range increases in the concentrations of the pollutants showed significant associations of $PM_{2.5}$ with AST (3.0% increase, p=0.0052), ALT (3.2% increase, p=0.0313), and ${\gamma}$-GTP (5.0% increase, p=0.0051) levels; $NO_2$ with AST (3.5% increase, p=0.0060) and ALT (3.8% increase, p=0.0179) levels; and $O_3$ with ${\gamma}$-GTP (5.3% increase, p=0.0324) levels. Significant modification of these effects by exercise and alcohol consumption was found (p for interaction <0.05). The effects of air pollutants were greater in non-exercisers and heavy drinkers. Conclusions: Short-term exposure to air pollutants such as $PM_{2.5}$, $NO_2$, and $O_3$ is associated with increased liver enzyme levels in the elderly. These adverse effects can be reduced by exercising regularly and abstinence from alcohol.