• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.540-542
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• 2019

With many announcements on air pollution and human effects from particulate matters, particulate matter forecasts are attracting a lot of public attention. As a result, various efforts have been made to increase the accuracy of particulate matter forecasting by using statistical modeling and machine learning technique. In this paper, the particulate matter AQI index prediction is performed using the multilayer perceptron neural network for particulate matter prediction. For this purpose, a prediction model is designed by using the meteorological factors and particulate matter concentration values commonly used in a number of studies, and the accuracy of the particulate matter AQI prediction is compared.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.31.1-31.10
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• 2023

Background: With modernization, air pollution has become increasingly serious, and its effects on health have been revealed. As a result, public interest in environmental pollution has become critical for regulating air pollution. In our study, we aim to evaluate the impact of air pollution levels on public attention to environmental issues and examine whether awareness of the residential environment's impact on health acts as a mediator in this relationship. Methods: We conducted an analysis on 400 individuals surveyed in the preliminary feasibility study on adverse health effects in the Pohang Industrial Complex, to examine the relationship between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and attention to environmental issues. Logistic regression analysis was performed, and mediation analysis was used to determine whether awareness of the residential environment's impact on health mediated the relationship. Results: The logistic regression analysis results showed that PM2.5 levels were associated with attention to environmental issues (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-3.5; p = 0.003) and awareness of health impacts (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.6-7.1; p = 0.001). The PM2.5 levels showed 9.9% (95% CI: 5.4-14.0) increase in the prevalence of high attention to environmental issues, of which, only 1.0% (95% CI: 0.2-2.3) were mediated by health impact awareness. In the overall analysis, 10% of the total effect of PM2.5 on attention to environmental issues was mediated by health impact awareness. Conclusions: According to this study's results, there was a correlation between air pollution levels and attention to environmental issues. Awareness of the health impacts of air pollution partially mediated the effect of air pollution levels on attention to environmental issues. In future studies, it is recommended to identify other mediators to further understand this structure.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.269-276
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide policy directions for air pollution reduction by analyzing the variation in the characteristics of air contaminants around the Gyeonggi Province area. Methods: The data used in the study was obtained from air quality monitoring stations operated by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government. The target area was the air quality management area of the Gyeonggi Province region. Results: The concentration of $PM_{10}$ (particles measuring $10{\mu}m$ or less) in 2009 was $60{\mu}g/m^3$, which has been reduced by about 2.7% per year after improvement countermeasures were emplaced. The air pollution control policy was especially more effective for coarse particulate matter (CPM, $PM_{10-2.5}$). The improvement of $NO_2$ pollution was generally very low, especially in cities which had considerable automobile traffic. The concentration of $SO_2$ pollution was rapidly improved in industrial areas, but did not show any difference for multiple and general cities. The predicted concentration of $PM_{10}$ for 2014 based on the trend over 2001-2009 was $53.4{\mu}g/m^3$, which fails to meet the target concentration of $40{\mu}g/m^3$. The predicted concentration of $NO_2$ shows a very low probability of achieving the target concentration of 22 ppb, and thus the current improvement of air quality has proven unsatisfactory. Conclusion: Air pollution control policy should be enforced according to regional pollution characteristics in order to obtain maximum effectiveness in improvement.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.138-147
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• 2024

Objectives: Fine particulate matter pollution has emerged as a significant life-threatening issue in Thailand. Recognizing the importance of environmental health literacy (EHL) in disease prevention is crucial for protecting public health. This study investigated EHL levels and aimed to identify associated factors among village health volunteers (VHVs) in the upper northern region of Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 710 VHVs using the EHL assessment tool developed by the Department of Health, Thailand. Results: The overall EHL score was moderate (mean, 3.28 out of a possible 5.0), with the highest and lowest domain-specific mean score for the ability to make decisions (3.52) and the ability to access (3.03). Multiple linear regression revealed that the factors associated with EHL score were area of residence (urban areas in Chiang Mai: B=0.254; urban areas in Lampang: B=0.274; and rural areas in Lampang: B=0.250 compared to rural areas in Chiang Mai), higher education levels (senior high school: B=0.212; diploma/high vocational certificate: B=0.350; bachelor's degree or above: B=0.528 compared to elementary school or lower), having annual health checkups compared to not having annual health check-ups (B=0.142), monthly family income (B=0.004), and individuals frequently facing air pollution issues around their residence (B=0.199) compared to those who reported no such issues. Conclusions: The VHVs exhibited moderate EHL associated with residence area, education, health check-ups, family income, and residential air pollution. Considering these factors is vital for enhancing VHVs' EHL through strategic interventions.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.6D
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• pp.693-702
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• 2009

In the Seoul metropolitan area (SMA), transportation sector is the largest source of air pollutant emissions. Of the total amount of air pollutant emissions in the SMA, about 52% of the particulate matter emissions and 59% of the nitrogen oxide emissions are from superannuated heavy diesel vehicles. To lessen the air pollutant emissions from superannuated heavy vehicles in the SMA, this study devised several strategies for operating Environmental Zone (EZ) program, which requires superannuated heavy diesel vehicles to install reduction equipments as well as restricts them entering part of the SMA, and evaluated the effects of different strategies on air pollution in the SMA. By using the Korean traffic statistics, an evaluation has been made of six EZ scenarios, which were devised by different target areas and vehicles. The results showed that the EZ program with retrofitting a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) equipment to 7-year-old heavy diesel vehicles and early scrapping of pre-1998 heavy diesel vehicles is the most efficient alternative in terms of air pollution reduction. In addition, the results showed that the magnitude of air pollution reduction increases when implementing the EZ program to all entering superannuated heavy diesel vehicles to the SMA rather than registered ones in the SMA.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.29-42
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• 2017

This study aims to analyze the effect of local government capacities on the improvement of air pollution. For this purpose, we construct a dynamic panel model using a data set for air pollutants such as $SO_2$, $CO_2$, and particulate matters and the local governments' capacities for Chinese Provinces in the period of 2007 - 2014. The results show that of the three types of capacities, the organizational capacity measured by environmental personnel, environmental expenditures, and average size of environmental institutions is very important, while the institutional capacity and social capacity have a insignificant impact on the air quality improvement. Among the local government capacities, other than the organizational capacity, only the activity of environmental organizations, which is a social capacity, partially affects the improvement of air pollution. Regarding local conditions, vertical dependence of financial resources, GRDP per capita, and population density have a negative impact on improving air pollution. These findings provide implications for local governments in China as to what capacities they should improve to improve air pollution.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.109-114
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• 2016

People in metropolitan cities can be exposed to particulate air pollutants at public transportation systems such as bus stops. In this study, we sampled aerosol particles with an impactor at a bus stop. We analyzed the shapes of these particles with an optical microscope. It was estimated that fibers, silicons, byproducts of combustion, and pollens existed in the air environments at the bus stop with analysis of shapes of sampled particles.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.165-177
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• 2018

Particulate matter (PM) measurements are important in air quality, public health, epidemiological studies and decision making for short and long-term policies implementation. However, only few cities in the word have advance air quality-monitoring networks able to provide reliable information of PM leaves in the ambient air, trends and extent of the pollution. In Colombia, only major cities measure PM concentrations. Available measurements from Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga show that PM concentration are well above World Health Organization guidelines, but up to now levels and trends of PM in other cities and regions of the country are not well known. Satellite measurements serve as an alternative approach to study air quality in regions were surface measurements are not available. The aim of this study is to perform a spatial and temporal assessment of PM in the ambient air of Colombia. We used Aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite of NASA and surface measurements from the air quality networks of Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga. In a first step, we estimated the correlation between MODIS-AOD and monthly average surface measurements (2000 to 2015) from these three cities, obtaining correlation coefficient R values over 0.4 for the cities under study. After, we used AOD and $PM_{10}$ measurements to study the temporal evolution of PM in different cities and regions. Finally, we used AOD measurements to identify cities and regions with the highest AOD levels in Colombia. All the methods presented in this paper may serve as an example for other countries or regions to identify and prioritize locations that require the implementation of more accurate air quality measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.81-90
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• 2003

This study was conducted to contribute to the basic data for decisions on environment policy improvement in health promotion for students in elementary, middle and high schools. This study was carried out to investigate the extent of indoor air pollution in elementary, middle and high schools in residential, traffic congestional and industrial areas. The concentrations of major indoor air pollutants(carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, respiratory particulate, radon) and thermocircumstance (temperature, relative humidity, intensity of illumination) indices were observed from June to August 2000. As results of the survey, the mean values of thermocircumstance in school were $26.94{\pm}1.15^{\circ}C$ of temperature, $68.88{\pm}5.31%$ of humidity and $268.26{\pm}164.60$ Lux of intensity of illumination. The mean concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, respiratory particulate were $8.36{\pm}0.29\;ppm$, $547.66{\pm}175.58\;ppm$, $36.23{\pm}48.39\;{\mu}g/m3$, respectively. These values were lower than those of the indoor environmental standard on the first clause of Article 45 of public utilization service notified public hygiene of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The mean concentration of radon was $20.07{\pm}17.95\;Bq/m3$. Which was below the U.S. EPA radon action level.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2001

Objectives : To evaluate the hypothesis that increasing ambient levels of ozone or particulate matter are associated with increased emergency room visits for asthma and to quantify the strength of association, if any, between these. Methods : Daily counts of emergency room visits for asthma, air quality, and weather data were collected from hospitals with over 200 beds and from monitoring Stations in Seoul, Korea from 1994 through 1997. Daily counts of emergency mom visits for asthma attack were analyzed using a general additive Poisson model, with adjustment for the effects of secular trend, seasonal variation, Sunday and holiday, temperature, and humidly, according to levels of ozone and particulate matter. Results : The association between daily counts of emergency room visits for asthma attack and ozone levels was statistically significant in summer(from June to August), and the RR by unit inclement of 100 ppb ozone was 1.30(95% CI = $1.11\sim1.52$) without lag time. With restriction of the period from April to September in 1996, the RR was 1.37(95% CI = $1.06\sim1.76$), and from June to August in 1995, the RR was 1.62(95% CI = $1.12\sim2.35$). In the data for children$(5\sim14yr)$, the RR was 2.57(95% CI = $1.31\sim5.05$) with restriction of the period from April to September in 1997. There was no Significant association between TSP levels and asthma attacks, but a slight association was seen between PM10 levels and asthma attacks in a very restricted period. Conclusion : There was a statistically significant association between ambient levels of ozone and daily counts of emergency room visits for asthma attack. Therefore, we must make efforts to effectively minimize air pollution, in order to protect public health.