• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2018

Radon gas is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that occurs when uranium, a natural radioactive material in rocks and soils, collapses. 85% of the annual radiation exposure of the human body is due to natural radiation, of which 50% is radon. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) survey, 62 out of 1,000 smokers and 7 out of 1,000 nonsmokers are exposed to lung cancer when exposed to radon gas for a long time. In order to reduce the risk of radon gas, activate carbon was used to fabricate matrix, and the pore properties and radon reduction properties were investigated. When the activate carbon was used, the radon gas concentration was drastically reduced and the graph was changed as the measurement period became longer. The pore distribution and microporous properties, which are one of the material properties of activate carbon, can be grasped.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.372-378
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• 2015

Smoke generated from business establishments and factories will not only cause air pollution but also have a significant impact on the human body. Generally, the most common method for measuring the turbidity of the plume generated from the stack is a method of observing by the transmissometer mounted in the chimney or Method 9 from the US EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) which is a visual method of determining plume turbid emitted from stationary sources. However, these methods need a lot of cost to build and maintain. In this paper, we build a plume turbidity measurement module programs using a digital camera. We design and implement a module which acquires the pictures of the plume using a digital camera and measures the turbidity of it using the DOM(Digital Optical Method). In addition, we demonstrate the excellence by comparing and analyzing implemented module and other methods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.312-315
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• 2014

Smoke generated from business establishments and factories will not only cause air pollution but also have a significant impact on the human body. Generally, the most common method for measuring the turbidity of the plume generated from the stack is a method of observing by the transmissometer mounted in the chimney or Method 9 from the US EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) which is a visual method of determining plume turbid emitted from stationary sources. However, these methods need a lot of cost to build and maintain. In this paper, we build a plume turbidity measurement module programs using light sensing. We design and implement a module which acquires the pictures of the plume using a digital camera and measures the turbidity of it using the DOM(Digital Optical Method). In addition, we demonstrate the excellence by comparing and analyzing implemented module and other methods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.776-781
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• 2006

Perchlorate ion($ClO_4^-$), which is present in the solid propellant for rocket, herbicide and some fertilizers. Perchlorate inhibits iodide uptake by the human thyroid gland. Impairment of thyroid function in expectant mothers may impact the fetus and result in effects including cerebral palsy, give rise to thyroid gland cancer. The US EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) adopted a reference dose(RfD) for perchlorate 0.0007 mg/kg-day, and this guidance lead to a Drinking Water Equivalent Level(DWEL) of 24.5 ${\mu}g/L$. The studies about perchlorate are actively performed in foreign countries, especially in USA but there is no study which surveyed the perchlorate contamination in Korea. Therefore, this study was done to investigate perchlorate contamination in Nak-dong river and tap water. The perchlorate was detected in Nakdong river and ranged from ND to 278.4 ${\mu}g/L$. The highest concentration was observed in Kumichon. The perchlorate concentration was decreased with the down stream of Nakdong river. The perchlorate concentration in tap water was varied with the cities and the concentration levels were $ND{\sim}34.1$ ppb. The highest perchlorate concentration was observed in DalsuGoo in Daegu and the similar concentration($9{\sim}11$ ${\mu}g/L$) was detected in most of the districts in Busan. The result of this study suggests that there is a perchlorate source near the Nakdong river and the urgent policy is needed to control perchlorate for the cities which are supplied from Nakdong river as for their tap water.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.551-566
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• 2017

As the modern society is rapidly developing and people become affluent in materials, many new chemical compounds in different forms of products (e.g., antibiotics, pesticides, detergents, personal care products and plastic goods) are produced, used, and disposed of to the environments. Some of them are persistently having a harmful impact on the environment and mimicking endocrine properties; in general they are present in the environment at low concentrations, so they are called organic pollutants. These organic micropollutants flow to sewage treatment plants via different routes. In this study, the generation characteristics, exposure pathways, detection levels, and environmental impacts of organic micropollutants were critically reviewed. In addition, currently available risk assessment methods and management systems for the compounds were reviewed. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), for example, has monitored organic micropollutants and set the monitoring and management of some of the compounds as a priority. To effectively manage organic micropollutants in sewer systems, therefore, we should first monitor organic micropollutants of potential concern and then make a watch list of specific substances systematically, as described in guidelines on listing water pollutants in industrial wastewater.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.241-250
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to estimate air quality trends in the study area by surveying monthly and seasonal concentration trends. To do this, the mass concentration of $PM_{10}$ samples and the metals, ions, and total carbon in the $PM_{10}$ were analyzed. The mean concentration of $PM_{10}$ was $33.9{\mu}g/m^3$. The composition of $PM_{10}$ was 39.2% ionic species, 5.1% metallic species, and 26.6% carbonic species (EC and OC). Ionic species, especially sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate, were the most abundant in the $PM_{10}$ and had a high correlation coefficient with $PM_{10}$. Seasonal variation of $PM_{10}$ showed a similar pattern to those of ionic and metallic species. with high concentration during the winter and spring seasons. $PM_{10}$ showed high correlation with the ionic species $NO_3{^-}$ and $NH_4{^+}$. In addition, $NH_4{^+}$ was highly correlated with $SO{_4}^{2-}$ and $NO_3{^-}$. We obtained four factors through factor analysis and determined the pollution sources using the United States Environmental Protection Agency(U.S. EPA) pollution profile. The first factor accounted for 51.1% of $PM_{10}$ from complex sources, that is, soil, motor vehicles, and secondary particles: the second factor indicated marine sources; the third factor, industry-related sources; and the last factor, heating-related sources. However, the pollution profile used in this study may be somewhat different from the actual situation in Korea because it was from US EPA. Therefore, to more accurately estimate the pollutants present, it is necessary to create a pollution profile for Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.413-422
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to estimate the trends of air quality in the study area by analyzing monthly and seasonal concentration trends obtained from sampled data. To this aim, the mass concentrations of $PM_{2.5}$ in the air were analyzed, as well as those of metals, ions, and total carbon within the $PM_{2.5}$. The mean concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ was $22.7{\mu}g/m^3$. The mass composition of $PM_{2.5}$ was as follows: 31.1% of ionic species, 2.2% of metallic species, and 26.7% of carbonic species (EC and OC). Ionic species, especially sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate, were the most abundant in the $PM_{2.5}$ and exhibited a high correlation coefficient with the mass concentration of $PM_{2.5}$. Seasonal variations of $PM_{2.5}$ showed a similar pattern to those of ionic and metallic species, with high concentrations during winter and spring. $PM_{2.5}$ also had a high correlation with the ionic species $NO_3{^-}$ and $NH_4{^+}$. In addition, $NH_4{^+}$ was highly correlated with $NO_3{^-}$. Through factor analysis, we identified four controlling factors, and determined the pollution sources using the United States Environmental Protection Agency(U.S. EPA) pollution profile. The first factor, accounting for 19.1% of $PM_{2.5}$ was attributed to motor vehicles and heating-related sources: the second factor indicated industry-related sources and secondary particles, and the other factors indicated soil, industry-related and marine sources. However, the pollution profile used in this study may be somewhat different from the actual situation in Korea, since it was obtained from US EPA. Therefore, to more accurately estimate the pollutants present in the air, a pollution profile for Korea should be produced.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.368-371
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• 2006

The standard procedure outlined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in Method 1623 for analyzing Giardia lamblia cysts and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in water samples consists of filtration, elution, centrifugal concentration, immunomagnetic separation (IMS), and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) followed by microscopic examination. In this study, the extent of (oo)cyst loss in each step of this procedure was evaluated by comparing recovery yields in segmented analyses: (i) IMS + IFA, (ii) concentration + IMS + IFA, and (iii) filtration/elution + concentration + IMS + IFA. The complete (oo)cyst recovery by the full procedure was $52{\sim}57%$. The (oo) cyst loss in the IMS step was only $0{\sim}6%$, implying that IMS is a fairly reliable method for (oo)cyst purification. Centrifugal concentration of the eluted sample and pellet collection before IMS resulted in a loss of $8{\sim}14%$ of the (oo)cysts. The largest (oo)cyst loss occurred in the elution step, with $68{\sim}71%$ of the total loss. The permeated loss of (oo)cysts was negligible during filtration of the water sample with a $1.0-{\mu}m$ pore polyethersulfone (PES) capsule. These results demonstrated that the largest fraction of (oo)cyst loss in this procedure occurred due to poor elution from the filter matrix. Improvements in the elution methodology are therefore required to enhance the overall recovery yield and the reliability of the detection of these parasitic protozoa.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.381-387
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• 2002

In this study, we introduced experience participated in ELPAT (Environmental Lead for Proficiency Analytical Testing) program that is administered by the American Industrial Hygiene Association and EPA. The 126 sample results of total 128 samples met reference value, as a result accepted 'proficient'. The concentration of Pb in air, paint chips, soils and dust wipes are $0.0089{\sim}0.3956mg/m^3$, 0.0500~8.9149%, 29.0${\sim}$1697 mg/kg and $18.00{\sim}900.3{\mu}g/sample$, respectively. The lead in environmental matrix prepared adequate techniques and analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The lead in air was extracted hydrochloric acid, in paint chips and soils were digested with microwave and hotplate and in dust wipes were prepared microwave digestion. No differences of each preparation techniques was found and all methods were to be proper.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technology Innovation Society Conference
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• 2015.11a
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• pp.479-487
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• 2015

In Korea, there are 1,474 thousand pumping wells nationwide which account for about 12% of total water use in 2012. As much as 39 hundred million tons of groundwater were used while 333 hundred million tons of total water were supplied in 2012. Because the water management authority projects that water demand will exceed supply by 2021, the authority is planning to extensively expand groundwater use in accordance with economic feasibility. Using the basic frameworks of cost-benefit analyses of the World Bank and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the objective of this study is to examine the costs and benefits of the expansion of Korea's groundwater extraction through pumping wells. We conclude that the BC ratio of the groundwater pumping wells is 2.98. This signifies that the benefits are 2.98 times higher than the costs. The benefits include use and non-use values of pumping wells while the costs include the installation and maintenance of new wells, in addition to the restoration and pollution costs of abandoned wells, as well as fees for water quality tests, etc.