• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.275-288
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• 2009

The Korean government strengthened the environmental polices to manage and enhance Metropolitan Area air quality, and also has enforced "Special Act on Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement (SASMAQI)" issued in Dec. 2004. Recently government expanded the Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) to the outskirts satellite cities of Seoul area through the "Revised Law Draft of SASMAQI". The SMAQMD has been alloted the allowable emission loads to the local governments on the basis of the carrying $PM_{10}$ capacity. However, in order to establish the effective air quality control strategy for $PM_{10}$, it is necessary to understand the corresponding sources which have a potential to directly impact ambient $PM_{10}$ concentration. To deal with the situations, many receptor methodologies have been developed to identify the origins of pollutants and to determine the contributions of sources of interests. The objective of this study was to extensively identify $PM_{10}$ sources and to estimate their contributions at the metropolitan area. $PM_{10}$ samples were simultaneously collected at the 3 semi-industrialized local cities in the Seoul metropolitan area such as Hwasung-si, Paju-si, and Icheon-si sites from April 15 to May 31, 2007. The samples collected on the teflon membrane filter by one $PM_{10}$ cyclone sampler were analyzed for trace metals and soluble ions and samples on the quartz fiber filter by another sampler were analyzed for OC and EC. Source apportionment study was then performed by using a positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor model. A total of 6 sources were identified and their contributions were estimated in each monitoring site. Contribution results on Hwasung, Paju, and Icheon sites were as follows: 33%, 27%, and 27% from soil source, 26%, 26%, and 21% from secondary aerosol source, 11%, 11%, and 12% from biomass burning, 12%, 6%, and 5% from sea salt, 7%, 15%, and 19% from industrial related source, and finally 11%, 15%, and 16% from mobile and oil complex source, respectively. This study provides information on the major sources affecting air quality in the receptor sites and thus it will help to manage the ambient air quality in the metropolitan area by establishing reasonable control strategies, especially for the anthropogenic emission sources.

• Atmosphere
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.639-657
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• 2015

There is an increasing need to improve the air quality over South Korea to protect public health from local and remote anthropogenic pollutant emissions that are in an increasing trend. Here, we evaluate the performance of the WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry) model in simulating near-surface air quality of major Korean cities, and investigate the impacts of time-varying chemical initial and lateral boundary conditions (IC/BCs) on the air quality simulation using a chemical downscaling technique. The model domain was configured over the East Asian region and anthropogenic MICS-Asia 2010 emissions and biogenic MEGAN-2 emissions were applied with RACM gaseous chemistry and MADE/SORGAM aerosol mechanism. Two simulations were conducted for a 30-days period on April 2010 with chemical IC/BCs from the WRF-Chem default chemical species profiles ('WRF experiment') and the MOZART-4 (Model for OZone And Related chemical Tracers version 4) ('WRF_MOZART experiment'), respectively. The WRF_MOZART experiment has showed a better performance to predict near-surface CO, $NO_2$, $SO_2$, and $O_3$ mixing ratios at 7 major Korean cities than the WRF experiment, showing lower mean bias error (MBE) and higher index of agreement (IOA). The quantitative impacts of the chemical IC/BCs have depended on atmospheric residence time of the pollutants as well as the relative difference of chemical mixing ratios between the WRF and WRF_MOZART experiments at the lateral boundaries. Specifically, the WRF_MOZART experiment has reduced MBE in CO and O3 mixing ratios by 60~80 ppb and 5~10 ppb over South Korea than those in the WRF-Chem default simulation, while it has a marginal impact on $NO_2$ and $SO_2$ mixing ratios. Without using MOZART-4 chemical IC, the WRF simulation has required approximately 6-days chemical spin-up time for the East Asian model domain. Overall, the results indicate that realistic chemical IC/BCs are prerequisite in the WRF-Chem simulation to improve a forecast skill of local air quality over South Korea, even in case the model domain is sufficiently large to represent anthropogenic emissions from China, Japan, and South Korea.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.209-218
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• 2016

PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 samples were collected at the 1100 site of Mt. Halla in Jeju Island during 2011~2012, and their ionic and elemental species were analyzed, in order to investigate the characteristics of emission sources as well as aerosol compositions. The mass concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 22.0±13.1 µg/m³ and 11.3±6.1 µg/m³, respectively, showing 2.4~2.6 times lower than those of the capital city area of Korea. The composition ratios of major secondary pollutants (nss-SO₄²⁻, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻) were the highest as 85.5 % for PM₁₀ and 91.3 % for PM_2.5, and followed by the order of marine (Na⁺, Cl⁻, and Mg²⁺), organic acid (HCOO⁻ and CH₃COO⁻), and soil (nss-Ca²⁺) sources. Among the elemental species in PM₁₀, soil-originated components (Al, Fe, and Ca) were consisted of 50.9 %, which was higher proportion than marine and anthropogenic elements. The acidification of the fine particulate matters was found to be influenced mostly by sulfuric and nitric acids, and these acids were mainly neutralized by calcium carbonate in PM₁₀ and by ammonia in PM_2.5. The clustered back trajectories showed that 47 % of total air mass inflows was from the China, and the concentrations of NO₃⁻ and nss-Ca²⁺ were especially high corresponding to the inflows.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.276-293
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• 2011

In this study a modeling system consisting of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE), the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, and the CMAQ-Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution (MADRID) model has been applied to estimate enhancements of $PM_{10}$ during Asian dust events in Korea. In particular, 5 experimental formulas were applied to the WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ (MADRID) model to estimate Asian dust emissions from source locations for major Asian dust events in China and Mongolia: the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model, the Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model, and the Dust Entrainment and Deposition (DEAD) model, as well as formulas by Park and In (2003), and Wang et al. (2000). According to the weather map, backward trajectory and satellite image analyses, Asian dust is generated by a strong downwind associated with the upper trough from a stagnation wave due to development of the upper jet stream, and transport of Asian dust to Korea shows up behind a surface front related to the cut-off low (known as comma type cloud) in satellite images. In the WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ modeling to estimate the PM10 concentration, Wang et al.'s experimental formula was depicted well in the temporal and spatial distribution of Asian dusts, and the GOCART model was low in mean bias errors and root mean square errors. Also, in the vertical profile analysis of Asian dusts using Wang et al's experimental formula, strong Asian dust with a concentration of more than $800\;{\mu}g/m^3$ for the period of March 31 to April 1, 2007 was transported under the boundary layer (about 1 km high), and weak Asian dust with a concentration of less than $400\;{\mu}g/m^3$ for the period of 16-17 March 2009 was transported above the boundary layer (about 1-3 km high). Furthermore, the difference between the CMAQ model and the CMAQ-MADRID model for the period of March 31 to April 1, 2007, in terms of PM10 concentration, was seen to be large in the East Asia area: the CMAQ-MADRID model showed the concentration to be about $25\;{\mu}g/m^3$ higher than the CMAQ model. In addition, the $PM_{10}$ concentration removed by the cloud liquid phase mechanism within the CMAQ-MADRID model was shown in the maximum $15\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in the Eastern Asia area.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.283-302
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• 2022

Despite the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in China since January 23, 2020, haze days with high PM₁₀ levels of 88-98 ㎍ m^-3 occurred on February 1 and 2, 2020. During these haze days, the East Asian region was affected by a warm and stagnant air mass with positive air temperature anomalies and negative zonal wind anomalies at 850 hPa. The Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) was used to analyze the variation of regional PM₁₀ aerosol transport in Korea due to decreased anthropogenic emissions in East Asia. The base experiment (BASE), which applies the basic anthropogenic emissions in the WRF-Chem model, and the control experiment (CTL) applied by reducing the anthropogenic emission to 50%, were used to assess uncertainty with ground-based PM₁₀ measurements in Korea. The index of agreement (IOA) for the CTL simulation was 0.71, which was higher than that of BASE (0.67). A statistical analysis of the results suggests that anthropogenic emissions were reduced during the COVID-19 lockdown period in China. Furthermore, BASE and CTL applied to zero-out anthropogenic emissions outside Korea (BASE_ZEOK and CTL_ZEOK) were used to analyze the variations of regional PM₁₀ aerosol transport in Korea. Regional PM₁₀ transport in CTL was reduced by only 10-20% compared to BASE. Synthetic weather variables may be another reason for the non-linear response to changes in the contribution of regional transport to PM₁₀ in Korea with the reduction of anthropogenic emissions in East Asia. Although the regional transport contribution of other inorganic aerosols was high in CTL (80-90%), sulfate-nitrate-ammonium (SNA) aerosols showed lower contributions of 0-20%, 30-60%, and 30-60%, respectively. The SNA secondary aerosols, particularly nitrates, presumably declined as the Chinese lockdown induced traffic.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this case study is to assess workers' exposure to carbon nanotubes(CNTs) and characterize particles aerosolized during the process of producing CNT-enabled polytetrafuoroethylene(PTFE) composites at a worksite in Korea. Methods: Personal breathing zone and area samples were collected for determining respirable concentrations of elemental carbon(EC) using NIOSH(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Method 5040. Personal exposure to nano-sized particles was measured as the number concentration and mean diameter using personal ultrafine particle monitors. The number concentration by particle size was measured using optical particle sizers(OPS) and scanning mobility particle sizers(SMPS). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) area samples were collected on TEM grids and analyzed to characterize the size, morphology, and chemistry of the particles. Results: Respirable EC concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.24 ㎍/㎥, which were below 23% of the exposure limit recommended by NIOSH and lower than background concentrations. Number concentrations by particle size measured using OPS and SMPS were not noticeably elevated during CNT-PTFE composite work. Instant increase of number concentrations of nano-sized particles was observed during manual sanding of CNT-PTFE composites. Both number concentrations and mean diameters did not show a statistically significant difference between workers handing CNT-added and not-added materials. TEM analyses revealed the emission of free-standing CNTs and CNT-PTFE aggregate particles from the powder supply task and composite particles embedded with CNTs from the computer numerical control(CNC) machining task with more than tens of micrometers in diameter. No free-standing CNT particles were observed from the CNC machining task. Conclusions: Significant worker exposure to respirable CNTs was not found, but the aerosolization of CNTs and CNT-embedded composite particles were observed during handing of CNT-PTFE powders and CNC machining of CNT-PTFE composites. Considering the limited knowledge on the toxicity of CNTs and CNT composite particles to date, it seems prudent to take a precautionary approach for the protection of workers' health.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.77-90
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• 2022

Despite the decreasing trend of anthropogenic emissions in East Asia in recent years, haze days still frequently occur in spring. Atmospheric blocking, which occurs frequently in the northeastern Pacific, leads to persistent changes in large-scale circulation and blocks westerly flow in the East Asian region. During March 2019, frequent warm and stagnant synoptic meteorological conditions over East Asia were accompanied 6-7 days later by the Alaskan atmospheric blocking. The Alaskan atmospheric blocking over the period of March 18-24, 2019 led to high particulate matter (PM₁₀) severe haze days exceeding a daily average of 50 ㎍ m^-3 over the period of March 25-28, 2019 in South Korea. Although the high-PM₁₀ severe haze days were caused by warm and stagnant meteorological conditions, the regional contribution of anthropogenic emissions in eastern China was calculated to be 30-40% using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). The major regional contributions of PM₁₀ aerosols in the period of high-PM₁₀ severe haze days were as follows: nitrates, 20-25%; sulphates, 10-15%; ammonium, 5-10%; and other inorganics, 15-20%. Ammonium nitrate generated via gas-to-aerosol conversion in a warm and stagnant atmosphere largely contributed to the regional transport of PM₁₀ aerosols in the high-PM₁₀ severe haze days in South Korea.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2021

Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves, a raw material for health functional foods and cosmetics have abundant polyphenols including oleuropein (major bioactive compound) with various biological activities: antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer activity, and inhibit platelet activation. Oleuropein has been reported as skin protectant, antioxidant, anti-ageing, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-atherogenic, anti-viral, and anti-microbial activity. Despite oleuropein is the important compound in olive leaves, there is still no quantitative approach to reveal oleuropein content in commercial products. Therefore, a validated method of analysis has to develop for oleuropein. In this study, the components and oleuropein content in 10 types of products were analyzed using a developed method with ultra-performance liquid chromatography to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, charge of aerosol detector, and photodiode array. The total of 18 compounds including iridoids (1, 3, 4, 14, and 16-18), coumarin (2), phenylethanoids (5, 9, and 11), flavonoids (6-8, 10, 12, and 13), lignan (15), were tentatively identified in the leaves extract based high resolution mass spectrometry data, and the content of oleuropein in each product was almost identical between two detection methods. The oleuropein in three commercial product (A, G, H) was contained more over the suggested content, and it of five products (B, E, H, I, J) were analyzed within 5-10% error range. However, the two products (C, D) were found far lower than suggested contents. This study provides that analytical results of oleuropein could be a potential information for the quality control of leaf extract for a manufactured functional food.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.116-126
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• 2013

Glycol ethers are a group of solvents based on alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol commonly used in paints. These solvents typically have a higher boiling point, together with the favorable solvent properties of lower-molecular weight ethers and alcohols. The word "Glycol ethers" was registered as a United States trademark by Union Carbide Corp. Typically, glycol ethers are found in pharmaceuticals, sunscreens, cosmetics, inks, dyes and water based paints. On the other hand, glycol ethers are used in degreasers, cleaners, aerosol paints and adhesives. Most glycol ethers are relatively water soluble, biodegradable and only a few are considered toxic. Therefore, they are unlikely to pose an adverse risk to the environment. Recent study suggests that occupational exposure to glycol ethers is related to low motile sperm count in men, but the finding has been disputed by others. In this study, skin permeation of 3 types glycol ethers were studied in vitro using matrix such as solvent and detergent. The absorption of glycol ethers[methyl glycol ethers(MC), ethyl glycol ethers(EC) and butyl glycol ethers(BC)] has been measured in vitro through rat skin. Epidermal membranes were set up in Franz diffusion cells and their permeability to PBS measured to establish the integrity of the skin before the glycol ethers were applied to the epidermal surface. Absorption rates for each glycol ethers were determined and permeability assessment made to quantify any irreversible alterations in barrier function due to contact with the esters. Types of glycol ethers in vitro experimental results on MC> EC> BC quickly appeared in the following order: skin permeation was beneficial to the skin permeation small molecular weight, the difference in chemical structure, such as hydrophilic, because with the partition coefficient and solubility mechanisms and passive diffusion to increase the speed at which transmission is considered.