• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.185-196
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• 2024

Objectives: Excess mortality associated with long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has been documented. However, research on the disease burden following short-term exposure is scarce. We investigated the cause-specific mortality burden of short-term exposure to PM_2.5 by considering the potential non-linear concentration-response relationship in Korea. Methods: Daily cause-specific mortality rates and PM_2.5 exposure levels from 2010 to 2019 were collected for 8 Korean cities and 9 provinces. A generalized additive mixed model was employed to estimate the non-linear relationship between PM_2.5 exposure and cause-specific mortality levels. We assumed no detrimental health effects of PM_2.5 concentrations below 15 ㎍/m³. Overall deaths attributable to short-term PM_2.5 exposure were estimated by summing the daily numbers of excess deaths associated with ambient PM_2.5 exposure. Results: Of the 2 749 704 recorded deaths, 2 453 686 (89.2%) were non-accidental, 591 267 (21.5%) were cardiovascular, and 141 066 (5.1%) were respiratory in nature. A non-linear relationship was observed between all-cause mortality and exposure to PM_2.5 at lag0, whereas linear associations were evident for cause-specific mortalities. Overall, 10 814 all-cause, 7855 non-accidental, 1642 cardiovascular, and 708 respiratory deaths were attributed to short-term exposure to PM_2.5. The estimated number of all-cause excess deaths due to short-term PM_2.5 exposure in 2019 was 1039 (95% confidence interval, 604 to 1472). Conclusions: Our findings indicate an association between short-term PM_2.5 exposure and various mortality rates (all-cause, non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory) in Korea over the period from 2010 to 2019. Consequently, action plans should be developed to reduce deaths attributable to short-term exposure to PM_2.5.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.570-576
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• 2019

Particulate matter (PM), which refers to the mixture of particles present in the air, can have harmful effects. Damage to cells by PM, including disruption of organelles and proteins, can trigger autophagy, and the relationship between autophagy and PM has been well studied. However, the cellular regulators of PM-induced autophagy have not been well characterized, especially in keratinocytes. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is expressed in the epidermis and is activated by PM. In this study, we investigated the role of the AhR in PM-induced autophagy in HaCaT cells. Our results showed that PM led to AhR activation in keratinocytes. Activation of the AhR-target gene CYP1A1 by PM was reduced by co-treatment with ${\alpha}$-naphthoflavone (${\alpha}-NF$), an AhR inhibitor. We also evaluated activation of the autophagy pathway in PM-treated keratinocytes. In HaCaT cells, treatment with PM treatment led to the induction of microtubules-associated proteins light chain 3 (LC3) and p62/SQSTM1, which are essential components of the autophagy pathway. To study the role of the AhR in mediating PM-induced autophagy, we treated cells with ${\alpha}-NF$ or used an siRNA against AhR. Expression of LC3-II induced by PM was decreased in a dose dependent manner by ${\alpha}-NF$. Furthermore, knockdown of AhR with siAhR diminished PM-induced expression of LC3-II and p62. Together, these results suggest that inhibition of the AhR decreases PM-induced autophagy. We confirmed these results using the autophagy-inhibitors BAF and 3-MA. Taken together, our results indicate that exposure to PM induces autophagy via the AhR in HaCaT keratinocytes.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2021

Background and objective: Particulate matter (PM) has a fatal effect on health. There have been many studies on the use of plants such as trees and shrubs as eco-friendly and sustainable biofilter for the removal of PM. In forming more green space, ground cover plants play an important role in multi-layered planting. This study was conducted to investigate the ability of plants to reduce PM, targeting Korean native ground cover plants with high availability in urban green spaces. Methods: For 4 species of Asteraceae, 4 species of Liliaceae, and 3 species of Rosaceae, one species of plants at a time were placed in an acrylic chamber (800 × 800 × 1000 mm, L × W × H) modeling an indoor space. After the injection of PM, the amount of PM remaining in the chamber over time was investigated. Results: For all three types of PM (PM10, PM2.5, PM1), significant difference occurred in the amount of PM remaining between plant species after 1 hour in the Liliaceae chamber, 3 hours in the Asteraceae chamber, and 5 hours in the Rosaceae chamber. With Liliaceae, the leaf area and the amount of PM remaining in the chamber showed a negative (-) correlation. With the Asteraceae and Rosaceae, there was a weak negative correlation between the leaf area and the amount of PM remaining in the chamber. Conclusion: When using ground cover plants as a biofilter to remove PM, it is considered effective to select a species with a large total leaf area, especially for Liliaceae.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2015

The collection of fine particulate matter samples was made at Gosan site of Jeju Island, one of the background sites of Korea, during a year of 2013, and their water-soluble ionic species were analyzed in order to examine the chemical compositions and pollution characteristics. The concentrations of $nss-SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NH_4{^{+}}$, $NO_3{^{-}}$, and $K^+$ had occupied 66.0% of water-soluble ionic species in $PM_{10}$, especially 94.3% in $PM_{2.5}$ fine mode, however the $nss-Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ showed high concentrations in $PM_{10-2.5}$ coarse mode. $NO_3{^-}/nss-SO_4{^{2-}}$ concentration ratios in $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{10-2.5}$ were 0.30 and 0.13, showing less significant effect from automobile and local pollution sources. The sulfate and nitrate compounds were presumed to be long-range transported to Gosan area by the relatively high SOR and NOR values. The trajectory cluster analysis showed the higher concentrations of the major secondary pollutants ($nss-SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^{-}}$, $NH_4{^{+}}$) and $nss-Ca^{2+}$ when the air masses had moved from China continent and Korean peninsula into Gosan area.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.82-87
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• 2013

In this work, the 1L grade integrated metal DOC/DPF filter that can install in engine manifold position was developed to investigate the effect of platinum-coating amount of filter on the improvement of filter activation temperature and reduction of particulate matter (PM). This filter was installed in 2.9L CI engine which meets the EURO-4 emission regulation. Tests for PM reduction efficiency of filter were conducted under ND-13 mode with full-load test condition. It was revealed that the time to reach the activation temperature of metal filter ($280^{\circ}C$) was shorter as the amount of platinum-coating increased. This short activation time can be helpful for the reduction of CO and HC emissions during cold start condition. At the same time, PM reduced as the coating amount increased. The reduction percentage of $DOC_{40}$, $DOC_{20}$, and $DOC_0$ were 96.7% (2.34 mg/kW'h), 95.1% (3.47 mg/kW'h), and 94.5% (3.69 mg/kW'h) compared to previous result (71.4 mg/kW'h), respectively.

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.689-698
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• 2019

Air pollution in urban areas has become a serious problem in the recent years. Especially, high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) cause negative effects on human health. Several studies suggest urban forest as a tool for improving air quality because of the capability of forests in reducing PM concentrations through deposition and adsorption using leaf area. For this reason, the National Institute of Forest Science plans to install in-situ observation stations for PM and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) on a national scale to verify the net effect of forests on urban air pollution. To measure the quantitative change of PM concentrations due to the urban forest, stations should be located within and outside the forest area with respect to atmospheric circulation. In this study, we analyze the wind direction at the potential measurement sites to assess suitable locations for detecting the effect of urban forests on air quality in five cities (i.e. Gwangju, Daegu, Busan, Incheon, and Ilsan). This technical note suggests effective locations of in-situ measurements by considering main wind direction in the five cities of this study. A measurement station network created in the future based on the selected locations will allow quantitative measurements of PM concentration and BVOCs emitted from the urban forest and help provide a comprehensive understanding of the forest capabilities of reducing air pollution.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2016

This study effect of engine oils on regulated fuel economy and emissions including particulate matter (PM) to provide basic data for management of engine oil in vehicles. Three engine oils (Group III base oil, Group III genuine oil with additive package and synthetic oil with poly alpha olefins (PAOs)) were used in one gasoline, one LPG(liquefied petroleum gas) and two diesel vehicles. In the case of diesel vehicles, one is a diesel vehicle without DPF (diesel particulate filter) other is a diesel vehicle with DPF. In this study, the US EPA emission test cycle FTP-75, representing city driving, was used. HORIBA, PIERBURG, and AVL gas analyzers were used to measure the fuel economy and regulated emissions such as CO, NOx, and THC. The number of PM was measured using a PPS (pegasor particle sensor). And, the shape of PMs was analyzed by SEM (scanning electron microscope). The effects of oil type on fuel economy, exhaust gas, and PM were not significant because engine oil consumption by evaporation and combustion in the cylinder is very tiny. Fuel and vehicle type were dominant factors in fuel economy and emissions. HC emission from gasoline vehicles was higher than that from other vehicles and NOx emission from diesel vehicles was higher than that from other vehicles. The number of PM was not affected by the engine oil, but by the driving pattern and fuel. The shapes of the PM, sampled from each vehicle using any test engine oil, were similar.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2015

Due to the heightened ambient $PM_{2.5}$ levels, the whole citizen of Japan, especially dwellers in Fukuoka Prefecture, start to make attention to the particulate matter (PM) of indoor environments. This study was aimed to thoroughly estimate the characteristics of indoor PM collected in five Japanese homes located in Fukuoka Prefecture. Simultaneous indoor measurements of PM were intensively made at five homes using filter-pack samplers, particle counters, and $PM_{2.5}$ monitors for a day in springtime, 2012. Major ionic and carbonaceous components were also analyzed. The time series fluctuation of PM number concentration was gradually decreased by 6 AM and then it was rapidly increased by 8 AM in all indoor sites. The maximum level of $PM_{2.5}$ was measured at the morning time (8 AM-9 AM) when the resident's behavior was fast and strenuous. The Indoor/Out-door (I/O) ratio for the giant PM larger than $5.0{\mu}m$ was 1.16. It was possible to identify PM types and estimate the resident's behavior through the comparison the theoretically calculated and the measured retention times for several types of PM in an indoor site. The theoretically reconstructed mass concentration of $PM_{2.0-0.3}$ suggested that the portion of $PM_{2.5}$ in indoor was quietly occupied by $PM_{0.3}$ or the PM inherently originated from indoor environment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2013

The concentrations of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As) in sand samples collected from selected children's playground and their correlation with environmental parameters, such as concentration of particulate matter in the atmosphere ($PM_{10}$), apartment age (> 5 years), clay and organic matter contents in sand samples, were analyzed. The average heavy metal concentration in samples was 0.040 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Cd, 0.200 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Cr, 1.75 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Cu, 15.1 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Ni, 3.42 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Pb, 66.7 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Zn and 0.750 mg $kg^{-1}$ for As, all of which were below the environmental regulatory level established by Korea Ministry of Environment. However, in the consideration of direct and oral exposure by children to playground sand, the risk of the concentration range in the samples might be greatly enhanced. Heavy metal concentration in samples collected from high $PM_{10}$ (> $70{\mu}gm^{-3}$) area was slightly greater than in samples from low $PM_{10}$ (< $70{\mu}gm^{-3}$), indicating the contribution of particulate matter in air phase to heavy metal concentration in playground sand samples. The concentrations of both Cd and Pb were the highest in apartments older than 21 years (0.050 mg $kg^{-1}$ and 5.28 mg $kg^{-1}$ for Cd and Pb respectively) and showed positive correlation with apartment age (p<0.01 and p<0.001 for Cd and Pb, respectively). Clay content in playground sands ranged 3.8~11.2% and was positively correlated with heavy metal concentration. Organic matter content was negligible (mostly < 0.1%) and showed poor correlation with heavy metal concentration. In conclusion, concentration of heavy metals in playground sand was found to be predominantly influenced by the apartment age and clay content in sand samples and supplemented by dust deposition of particulate matter ($PM_{10}$) from atmosphere.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.715-727
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• 2004

This study was carried out to evaluate non-smoker's exposure levels to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the air of offices in urban areas. A total of 65 offices were selected from two large cities, i.e. Daegu and Daejeon. The field sampling was conducted repeatedly in summer (1999) and winter (1999～2000). The measured ETS markers included respirable suspended particles (RSP as PM$_{40}$ ), vapor and particulate phase ETS markers, including nicotine, 3-ethnyl pyridine (3-EP), ultraviolet absorbing particulate matter (UVPM), fluorescing particulate matter (FPM), and solanseol in ETS particles (SolPM). RSP was measured gravimetrically by a microbalance. The particle samples were then used for the determination of particulate ETS markers by HPLC, while vapor phase markers determined by GC/NPD. The analytical methods were validated for repeatability, linearity, detection limits, and duplication precision. The concentrations of RSP and other ETS markers were significantly higher in smoking offices than non-smoking offices. Despite the similar smoking strength in each office for different seasons, the concentration levels of ETS components appeared to be higher in winter than summer. The contributions of ETS to RSP concentrations based on SolPM, FPM, and UVPM methods were estimated to be in the range of 15.2 ～ 25.3% in smoking offices, whereas 2.4 ～ 15.9% in non-smoking offices. The cooling and heating types did not affect significantly the concentrations of RSP and other ETS markers. Finally, further research issues were suggested to obtain more scientific information on the non-smoker's exposure to ETS with respect to the frame of risk assessment..