• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.43-56
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• 2001

1. All Essential oils have antibacterial properties. 2. Essential oils reduce contamination. 3. Most of essential oils acts as an antofungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, antimicrobial agent and antioxidants. 4. They contain anions, ozone, and oxygenating molecules. 5. It is belueved that they take chemicals and metallices out of the air by breaking the molecular chain. 6. In France, it was reported that various essential oils prevent a side effect of radiation. 7. The essential oils travel via the olfactory nerve stimulating a emotional and phychological response that is believed to be responsible for releasing genetic blue priting from the cells thus releasing emotional trauma.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.232-235
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• 2003

In general, the parameters of climate change include aerosol chemical compounds, aerosol optical depth, greenhouse gases(carbon dioxide, CFCs, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone), ozone distribution, precipitation acidity and chemical compounds, persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals, radioactivity, solar radiation including ultra-violet and standard meteorological parameters. Over the last ten years, the monitoring activities of Korea regarding to the climate change have been progressed within the WMO GAW and ACE-Asia IOP programs centered at the observation sites of Anmyeon and Jeju Gosan islands respectively. The Greenhouse gases were pointed out that standard air quality monitoring techniques are required to enhance data comparability and that data presentation formats need to be harmonized and easily understood. Especially, the impact of atmospheric aerosols on climate depends on their optical properties, which, in turn, are a function of aerosol size distribution and the spectral reflective indices. Aerosol optical depth and single scattering albedo in the visible are used as the two basic parameters in the atmospheric temperature variation studies. The former parameter is an indicator of the attenuation power of aerosols, while the latter represents the relative strength of scattering and absorption by aerosols. For aerosols with weak absorption, surface temperature decreases as the optical depth increases because of the domination of backscattering. For aerosols with strong absorption, however, warming could occur as the optical depth increases. The objective of the study is to characterize the means, variability, and trends of Greenhouse gases and aerosol properties on a regional basis using data from its baseline observatories in Korea peninsula. A further goal is to understand the factors that control radiative forcing of the greenhouse and aerosol.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.429-438
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• 2011

The climatology of surface UV radiation for Seoul, presented in Cho et al. (1998; 2001), has been updated using measurement of surface erythemal ultraviolet (EUV) and total ultraviolet (TUV) irradiance (wavelength 286.5~363.0 nm) by a Brewer Spectrophotometer (MK-IV) for the period 2004~2010. The analysis was also carried out together with the broadband total (global) solar irradiance (TR ; 305~2800 nm) and cloud amount to compare with the UV variations, measured by Seoul meteorological station of Korean Meteorological Agency located near the present study site. Under all-sky conditions, the day-to-day variability of EUV exhibits annual mean of 98% in increase and 31% in decrease. It has been also shown that the EUV variability is 17 times as high as the total ozone in positive change, whereas this is 6 times higher in negative change. Thus, the day to day variability is dominantly caused rather by the daily synoptic situations than by the ozone variability. Annual mean value of daily EUV and TUV shows $1.62kJm^{-2}$ and $0.63MJm^{-2}$ respectively, whereas mean value of TR is $12.4MJm^{-2}$ ($143.1Wm^{-2}$). The yearly maximum in noon-time UV Index (UVI) varies between 9 and 11 depending on time of year. The highest UVI shows 11 on 20 July, 2008 during the period 2004~2010, but for the period 1994~2000, the index of 12 was recorded on 13 July, 1994 (Cho et al., 2001). A 40% of daily maximum UVI belongs to "low (UVI < 2)", whereas the UVI less than 5% of the maximum show "very high (8 < UVI < 10)". On average, the maximum UVI exceeded 8 on 9 days per year. The values of Tropospheric Emission Monitoring Internet Service (TEMIS) EUV and UVI under cloud-free conditions are 1.8 times and 1.5 times, respectively, higher than the all-sky measurements by the Brewer. The trend analysis in fractional deviation of monthly UV from the reference value shows a decrease of -0.83% and -0.90% $decade^{-1}$ in the EUV and TUV, respectively, whereas the TR trend is near zero (+0.11% $decade^{-1}$). The trend is statistically significant except for TR trend (p = 0.279). It is possible that the recent UV decrease is mainly associated with increase in total ozone, but the trend in TR can be attributed to the other parameters such as clouds except the ozone. Certainly, the cloud effects suggest that the reason for the differences between UV and TR trends can be explained. In order to estimate cloud effects, the EUV, TUV and TR irradiances have been also evaluated for clear skies (cloud cover < 25%) and cloudy skies (cloud cover ${\geq}$ 75%). Annual mean values show that EUV, TUV and TR are $2.15kJm^{-2}$, $0.83MJm^{-2}$, and $17.9MJm^{-2}$ for clear skies, and $1.24kJm^{-2}$, $0.46MJm^{-2}$, and $7.2MJm^{-2}$ for cloudy skies, respectively. As results, the transmission of radiation through clouds under cloudy-sky conditions is observed to be 58%, 55% and 40% for EUV, TUV and TR, respectively. Consequently, it is clear that the cloud effects on EUV and TUV are 18% and 15%, respectively lower than the effects on TR under cloudy-sky conditions. Clouds under all-sky conditions (average of cloud cover is 5 tenths) reduced the EUV and TUV to about 25% of the clear-sky (cloud cover < 25%) values, whereas for TR, this was 31%. As a result, it is noted that the UV radiation is attenuated less than TR by clouds under all weather conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.477-485
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• 2013

The major source of harmful air pollutants in Korea have been shifted as economy grows. Particulate matter(PM) and Sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) emitted from industries and coal-fired domestic sectors were important pollutants in 1970's and later industrializing period of Korea. Then the characteristic of pollution was changed into so-called "developed country type pollution". Vehicles have been responsible for significant amount of Nitric oxide ($NO_x$) pollution and consequent Ozone formation in urban area since 1990's. Variety of control measures have been introduced to deal with the vehicle emissions in Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA). Emission control technologies have successfully reduced pollutants from vehicles. Three-way catalyst for vehicles fueled by gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), for example, has achieved large amount of pollutants. Compressed natural gas (CNG) urban bus have penetrated existing diesel bus market and reduces PM and $NO_x$ emissions in many Korean cities. However, diesel vehicles are still reaming as a critical emission source of urban area. Diesel vehicles gain more popularity than ever because of their better fuel efficiency and driving power. Unfortunately, it is widely known that the pollutant emissions of diesel vehicles are much larger than those of gasoline and LPG vehicles. In this note, we briefly introduce the trends of emission control strategies which are accomplished by automotive industries for about last ten years. Emission regulation, cleaner fuel, diesel particulate filter (DPF) and other measures are discussed from technical as well as legislative perspectives.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.177-190
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• 2013

Air pollution trends in Japan between 1970 and 2012 were analyzed, and the impact of air pollution countermeasures was evaluated. Concentrations of CO decreased from 1970 to 2012, and in 2012, the Japanese environmental quality standard (EQS) for CO was satisfied. Concentrations of $SO_2$ dropped markedly in the 1970s, owing to use of desulfurization technologies and low-sulfur heavy oil. Major reductions in the sulfur content of diesel fuel in the 1990s resulted in further decreases of $SO_2$ levels. In 2012, the EQS for $SO_2$ was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations. Concentrations of $NO_2$ decreased from 1970 to 1985, but increased from 1985 to 1995. After 1995, $NO_2$ concentrations decreased, especially after 2006. In 2012, the EQS for $NO_2$ was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations, except those alongside roads. The annual mean for the daily maximum concentrations of photochemical oxidants (OX) increased from 1980 to 2010, but after 2006, the $98^{th}$ percentile values of the OX concentrations decreased. In 2012, the EQS for OX was not satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations. Non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) concentrations generally decreased from 1976 to 2012. In 2011, NMHC concentrations near roads and in the general environment were nearly the same. The concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) generally decreased. In 2011, the EQS for SPM was satisfied at 69.2% of ambient air monitoring stations, and 72.9% of roadside air-monitoring stations. Impacts from mineral dust from continental Asia were especially pronounced in the western part of Japan in spring, and year-round variation was large. The concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ generally decreased, but the EQS for $PM_{2.5}$ is still not satisfied. The air pollution trends were closely synchronized with promulgation of regulations designed to limit pollutant emissions. Trans-boundary OX and $PM_{2.5}$ has become a big issue which contains global warming chemical species such as ozone and black carbon (so called SLCP: Short Lived Climate Pollutants). Cobeneficial reduction approach for these pollutants will be important to improve both in regional and global atmospheric environmental conditions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2003

Objectives : I used a case-crossover design to investigate the association between air pollution, and hospital admissions for asthmatic children under the age of 15 years in Seoul, Korea Methods : I estimated the changes in the levels of hospitalization risk from theinterquartile (IQR) increase in each pollutant concentrations, using conditional logistic regression analyses, with controls for weather information. Results : Using bidirectional control sampling, the results from a conditional logistic regression model, with controls for weather conditions, showed the estimated relative risk of hospitalization for asthma among children to be 1.04 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.08) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10m (IQR=40.4ug/m3); 1.05 (95% CI, 1.00- 1.09) for nitrogen dioxide (IQR=14.6ppb): 1.02 (95% CI,0.97-1.06) for sulfur dioxide (IQR=4.4ppb): 1.03 (95% CI, 0.99-1.08) for ozone (IQR=21.7ppb): and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.99-1.08) for carbon monoxide f10R=1.0ppm). Conclusions : This empirical analysis indicates the bidirectional control sampling methods, by design, would successfully control the confounding factors due to the long-term time trends of air pollution. These findings also support the hypothesis that air pollution at levels below the current ambient air quality standards of Korea is harmful to sensitive subjects, such as asthmatic children.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 1991

Air pollution is directly and indirectly associated with the toxicology through the increase of mortality, the decrease of oviposition rate, and the decline of insect population, as well as the disruption of equilibria with higher or lower trophic levels. To investigate intrinsic decrease rates, oviposition period, and emerging rates of pupae of house fly under air pollution stresses, healthy individuals of Musca domestica L. were collected in the field, cultured in the laboratory for 2 $\sim$ 3 generations, and artificially exposed to $O_3 (4 ppm) in automatically controlled air pollutant fumigation chambers. Results from this study are summarized as follows: 1. Survivorship curves of both control group and exposed groups of healthy house fly to 4 ppm $O_3$ have linearly or stair-like decreasing trends of revers S-shape. 2. For cohorts exposed to 4 ppm of $O_3$, intrinsic decrease rate of cohort exposed for 2 hours significantly increases compared to that of control group, slight increases were observed for those exposed for 4 hours and 8 hours, which shows no distinct relationships between exposure period and intrinsic decrease rate. 3. While the numbers of pupae of exposed cohorts increase with the increase of exposure period, emerging rate shows a distinct decrease. 4. The relationships between emerging rate (E) of pupae and the exposure period (T) for cohorts exposed to 4 ppm of $O_3$ are expressed with the equation, E (%)=21.027 - 7.942 ln (T).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

Atmospheric photochemistry of $O_3-NOx-RH$ were considered theoretically, to clarify the reasons for the different trends of between the formation of photochemical oxidants (Ox) and its primary pollutants for the Low-and High-NOx regimes. Equations of OH, $HO_2$, and production of ozone ($O_3$) as a function of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and reactive hydrocarbons (RH) were represented in this study. For the Low-NOx regime, $HO_2$ radical is proportional to RH but independent of NOx. OH radical is proportional to NOx but inversely-proportional to RH. $O_3$ production is proportional to NOx but has a weak dependence on RH. For the High-NOx regime, OH and $HO_2$ radicals concentrations and $O_3$ production are proportional to RH but inversely-proportional to NOx. In addition, the Osaka Bay and surrounding areas of Japan were evaluated with the mass balance of odd-hydrogen radicals (Odd-H) using CBM-IV photochemical mechanism, in order to distinguish the Low- and High-NOx regimes. The Harima area (emission ratio, RH/NOx = 6.1) was classified to the Low-NOx regime. The Hanshin area (RH/NOx = 3.5) and Osaka area (RH/NOx = 4.3) were classified to the High-NOx regime.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.504-509
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• 2014

Twenty-five stations of the urban monitoring network in Seoul were assessed with a focus on surveillance function of the exceedances of 8-hour ozone and 24-hour $PM_{10}$ standards. The two standards were selected because their attainment rates were particularly low. Two hierarchical cluster analyses were performed to group stations with similar atmospheric environments-one using daily highest 8-hour [$O_3+NO_2$], 8-hour $O_3$ concentrations plus corresponding 8-hour $NO_2$ concentrations considering the interconversion of $O_3$ and $NO_2$, and the other using 24-hour $PM_{10}$ concentrations. An index to measure higher concentration and exceedances of the standards was introduced. Within a cluster, sufficiently high score was assigned to the trends station or the station with higher index. Scores for $O_3+NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ of a given station were added and ranked in the descending order to determine the relative importance.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2018

Nation-wide systematic and comprehensive measurements of air quality criteria species have been made over 340 sites currently in Korea since 1990. Using these data, temporal and spatial trends of $SO_2$, $PM_{10}$, $NO_2$, $O_3$, CO and $O_x(NO_2+O_3)$ were analyzed to characterize and evaluate implementing efficiency of air quality policy and regulations. Due to strict and effective policy to use cleaner fuels in late 1980s and 1990s, the primary pollutants, such as $SO_2$, CO, and $PM_{10}$ decreased sharply by early 2000s in all parts of Korea. After this period, their concentrations declined with much lower rates in most parts of Korea. In addition, isolated but noticeable numbers of places, especially in major ports, newly developing towns and industrial parks, sustained high levels or even showed further degradation. Despite series of emission control strategies were enforced since early 1990s, $NO_2$ concentrations haven't changed much till 2005, due to significant increase in number of automobiles. Nevertheless, we confirmed that the staggering levels of $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ improved evidently after 2005, especially in Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), where enhanced regulations for $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ emissions was imposed to automobiles and large emission sources. However, their decreasing trends were much lessened in recent years again as current air quality improvement strategies has been challenged to revise further. In contrast to these primary species, annual $O_3$, which is secondary product from $NO_2$ and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has increased consistently with about 0.6 ppbv per year in every urban part of Korea, while yearly average of daily maximum 8-hour $O_3$ in summer season had a much higher rate of 1.2 ppbv per year. Increase of $O_3$ can be explained mainly by reductions of NO emission. Rising background $O_3$ in the Northeast Asia and increasing oxidizing capacity by changing photochemistry were likely causes of observed $O_3$ increase. The future air quality policy should consider more effective ways to lower alarming level of $O_3$ and $PM_{10}$.