• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제31권1호
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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.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.1028-1033
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• 2010

Wastewater reuse for agricultural irrigation needs treatment and control of pathogens to minimize risks to human health and the environment. In order to evaluate the water quality of UV-treated reclaimed water, this study focused on the relationship between micro-pathogens and particulate matters. MS2 was selected as an index organism because it has similar characteristics to human enteric virus and strong resistance to UV disinfection. The turbidity and suspended solid (SS) were selected for test parameters. In this study, it was performed with different UV doses (30 and $60mJ/cm^2$) for estimation of the MS2 inactivation rate using collimated beam batch experiments in the laboratory. The experiment results by turbidity or SS concentration presented that the increased concentration of them lowered MS2 inactivation. At the turbidity (below 4.27 NTU) and SS (below 1.47 mg/L) of the low level range, the inactivation of 60 UV dose is higher than 30 UV dose. However, at the turbidity and SS of the high level, the increasing UV dose did not show apparent increasing the MS2 inactivation. In quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), it can confirm the trend that $P_D$ and turbidity concentrations have positive correlationship at the low concentration, which was also observed in SS. The QMRA can be helpful in communication with public for safe wastewater reuse and be recommended.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.161-166
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• 2011

Carbon black, a particulate form of pure elemental carbon, is an industrial chemical with the high potential of occupational exposure. Although the relationship between exposure to particulate matters (PM) and cardiovascular diseases is well established, the cardiovascular risk of carbon black has not been characterized clearly. In this study, the cytotoxicity of carbon black to vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells were examined to investigate the potential vascular toxicity of carbon black. Carbon black with distinct particle size, N330 (primary size, 28~36 nm) and N990 (250~350 nm) were treated to A-10, rat aortic smooth muscle cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cell line, ECV304, and cell viability was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assay. Treatment of carbon black N990 resulted in the significant reduction of viability in A-10 cells at 100 ${\mu}g$/ml, the highest concentration tested, while N330 failed to cause cell death. Cytotoxicity to ECV304 cells was induced only by N330 at higher concentration, 200 ${\mu}g$/ml, suggesting that ECV304 cells were relatively resistant to carbon black. Treatment of 100 ${\mu}g$/ml N990 led to the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) detected by dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF) in A-10 cells. Pretreatment of antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and sulforaphane restored decreased viability of N990-treated A-10 cells, and N-acetylcysteine, but not sulforaphane, attenuated N990-induced ROS generation in A-10 cells. Taken together, present study shows that carbon black is cytotoxic to vascular cells, and the generation of reactive oxygen contributes to the development of cytotoxicity. ROS scavenging antioxidant could be a potential strategy to attenuate the toxicity induced by carbon black exposure.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.233-240
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• 2017

To distinguish between high particulate matter (HPM) and light Asian dust (LAD) events, aerosol optical properties from GOCI were investigated in Seoul from 2014 to 2016. The poor air quality case caused by fine atmospheric particulate matter (i.e., 80<$PM_{10}$<$400{\mu}g/m^3$) is clearly separated from the case of heavy Asian dust that generally shows the $PM_{10}$ concentration more than $400{\mu}g/m^3$. In this study, we have found eight cases for the poor air quality and divided them into the two events(i.e., HPM and LAD). In case of aerosol optical depth (AOD), there was no big difference between two events. However, Angstrom exponent (AE) for HPM events was greater than 1, while that for LAD events less than 1. As a result of comparing aerosol type, non-absorbing fine mode aerosols were dominant for HPM events, but coarse and absorbing coarse mode aerosols for LAD events. Therefore, AE and aerosol type from GOCI can be used to distinguish between two events effectively.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제20권4호통권51호
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• pp.365-374
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• 2005

Ambient air particulate matters are classified into two distinct modes in sire distribution, namely the coarse and fine particles. Correlation between high particulate concentration and adverse effect on human populations has long been recognized. However, the toxicology of these adverse efforts has not been clarified. We investigated the genotoxic effect of PM 2.5 collected from urban area in Seoul by comet assay (A549 cells), CBMN assay (CHO-K1 cells) and EROD-microbioassay (H4IIE cells). Results from in vitro micronucleus assay and comet assay showed that PM 2.5 samples collected from traffic area, residential area and indoor air induced chromosomal damage and DNA breakage in a non-cytotoxic dose. The complex mixture effect of these PM 2.5 extracts was quantified by EROD-microbioassay in terms of its bio-TEQ (biologiral -TCDD equivalent concentration) which was 70.87$\pm$28.07, 93.55$\pm$21.80 and 14.31 $\pm$ 1.10 ng/g-PM 2.5 in traffic area, residental area and indoor air samples, respectively. Conclusively, we suggested that PM 2.5 collected from traffic area and residential area contains CYPIA inducer and genotoxic materials.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.121-131
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• 2016

In most African urban areas, Particulate Matters (PM) concentration exceeds by far the WHO limits. In these areas, plants can play a key role in removing particles. In this study, we evaluated three ornamental species (Jatropha interrigima, Ficus benjamina, Barleria prionitis) used in Abidjan (Ivory Coast). Leaf-encapsulated saturation isothermal remnant magnetisation (SIRM) were measured and the relationship between PM captured and leaf wettability were done. The sampling were performed at roadsides and Parks. Firstly, Leaf-encapsulated and total leaf SIRM were quantified and the wettability was determined by drop contact angles (DCA). Secondly, the relationship between leaf SIRM and wettability was found. Results showed that leaf SIRM was two to ten times higher at roadsides than in Parks. Total leaf SIRM was also higher on mature leaves in Main roads suggesting a particle accumulation in leaves over time especially in waxy species (Ficus benjamina). This species encapsulated other than 20% of total leaf SIRM. All tested species were highly-wettable ($40^{\circ}$ < DCA < $90^{\circ}$). Thus, Jatropha interrigima with its leaf trichomes and F. benjamina with its leaf waxes were more wettable. A significantly positive correlation was found between wettability intensity and leaf SIRM.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.137-147
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• 2008

This study evaluated the effects of the human activity and outdoor air on concentrations of size-selective particulate matters (PM) by conducting a realtime measurement in classrooms and on roofs at 4 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools in Incheon City. PM concentrations featured repetitive pattern of increasing during break time (including lunch hours) and cleaning time while decreasing during class hours. This trend was more prominent with inhalable PM and PM10 than fine PMs (PM2.5, PM1.0). The indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio of inhalable PM and PM10 exceeded 1 while that of fine PMs was close to or below 1. The PM2.5 (out)/PM10 (out) ratio stood at 0.59 (${\pm}0.16$) and the PM2.5 (in)/PM10 (in) ratio was 0.29 (${\pm}0.09$), suggesting that occupant activity had a greater effect upon coarse particles (PM10-PM2.5) than upon fine particles (PM2.5, PM1.0). The correlations between the indoor and the outdoor PM concentrations showed a stronger positive correlation for fine particles than that of coarse particles. The linear regression analysis of PM concentrations indoor and outdoor indicated a higher determinant coefficient ($r^2>0.9$), and consistency for fine particles than in case of coarse particles. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the indoor coarse particle concentration is more attributed to occupant activity and the indoor fine particle concentration is more influenced by outdoor air pollution.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.194-201
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the exposure level to dust and airborne microorganisms among employed workers in a clothing shopping center. Materials and Methods: On-site investigation of a clothing shopping center was performed between October and November 2012. The hazardous substances measured in this study are particulate matter(Total dust, respirable dust) and airborne microorganisms (Total airborne bacteria, total airborne fungi). Results: The highest geometric mean levels of particulate matter(total dust, respirable dust) for personal sampling were $1.735(SD:0.883)mg/m^3$ for total dust and $0.0711(SD:0.008)mg/m^3$ for respirable dust, respectively. Those for area sampling were $0.625(SD:0.091)mg/m^3$ for total dust and $0.0718(SD:0.012)mg/m^3$ for respirable dust, respectively. The highest geometric averaged concentrations of airborne microorganisms(Total airborne bacteria, total airborne fungi) were detected at $1,181(SD:105)cfu/m^3$ for total airborne bacteria and $683(SD:114)cfu/m^3$ for total airborne fungi, respectively. Concentrations of particulate matters and airborne microorganism in clothes shopping center did not correlate significantly with environmental factors such as temperature or relative humidity. Conclusions: Exposure levelshave not been established for service workers. Thus, health risk assessment for this group is very difficult. Health guidelines for service workers should be established as soon as possible.

• 대기
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• 제29권5호
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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.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.41-46
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• 2001

Objectives : To investigate the effects of particulate matter (PM), a marker of environmental pollution derived from combustion sources, on lung epithelial cells (A549) and macrophage (RAW 264.7). Methods : The production of reactive radicals from lung cells, the lipid peroxidation of cell membrane, and the cytotoxicity of PM were measured using an in vitro model. The results were compared with a control group. Results : The presence of PM significantly increased the production of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species with time and in a dose dependent pattern and also increased the malondialdehyde concentration in lung epithelial cells. The cytotoxicity of PM was increased with increasing concentration of PM. Conclusions : It has been suggested that urban particulate matter causes an inflammatory reaction in lung tissue through the production of hydroxyl radicals, nitric oxides and numerous cytokines. The causal chemical determinant responsible for these biologic effects are not well understood, but the bioavailable metal in PM seems to determine the tonicity of inhaled PM.