• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.378-389
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• 2013

In Korea, studies on the indoor air quality have been conducted since mid of 1980s. The turning point occurred in 2003 by establishing the act of the indoor air quality management for public facilities. According to the law, the basic plan for indoor air quality management is prepared by government every five years, affecting greatly governmental policy and related academia and industries. Indoor air quality survey was mostly carried out among indoor air quality researches. After then, assessment of health effect and air cleaning technology were studied. Although various control technologies for particle, bioaerosol, odor, and hazardous chemicals have been applied to indoor environments, breakthrough technologies are needed to solve real problems facing at the applied environments. In the future, issue of indoor air quality is more interested and both management policy and control technology are key factors in order to realize comfort and healthy indoor environments.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.11.1-11.7
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• 2014

Objectives South Korea's air quality standards are insufficient in terms of establishing a procedure for their management. The current system lacks a proper decision-making process and prior evidence is not considered. The purpose of this study is to propose a measure for establishing atmospheric environmental standards in South Korea that will take into consideration the health of its residents. Methods In this paper, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the US was examined in order to suggest ways, which consider health effects, to establish air quality standards in South Korea. Up-to-date research on the health effects of air pollution was then reviewed, and tools were proposed to utilize the key results. This was done in an effort to ensure the reliability of the standards with regard to public health. Results This study showed that scientific research on the health effects of air pollution and the methodology used in the research have contributed significantly to establishing air quality standards. However, as the standards are legally binding, the procedure should take into account the effects on other sectors. Realistically speaking, it is impossible to establish standards that protect an entire population from air pollution. Instead, it is necessary to find a balance between what should be done and what can be done. Conclusions Therefore, establishing air quality standards should be done as part of an evidence-based policy that identifies the health effects of air pollution and takes into consideration political, economic, and social contexts.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2017

Policy direction for the management of air quality in Korea has been on the reduction of the average concentrations of the criteria air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and fine particles. However, recently, risk based management of air pollutants becomes an important issue. In this study, to develop an effective air quality management policy direction in Korea, (1) the fourth Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES IV) carried out in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SQAQMD) in the USA is reviewed and (2) the results are compared with in these in Seoul and (3) policy directions are suggested. It was found that (1) systematic integrated study comprising of measurement, modeling, emission inventory estimation, and risk assessment was essential to estimate the health risk of air pollutants reliably, (2) cancer risk of diesel particle was dominant over other air pollutants, and (3) health risk based emissions were different from amount based emissions. It was suggested that (1) reducing the exposure from hot spots might important to reduce health risk from air pollutants and (2) an integrated air quality management administration system is important for the efficient management of air pollution.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 1999

Air quality modeling about coastal urban region such as Pusan shoud be consider shipping source emmited from ships anchoraging and running. It has been proved at our previous studies that the ratios of air pollutants emission amount in coastal area to inland are 12.2% for NO$_2$ and 11.7% for $SO_2$ and the air qualify of coastal urban area consierably counts on ships. Also the dispersion pattern of the all pollutants followed local circulation system in this region. Therefore this study has been developed air quality model which can describe the formation, transport, transformation and deposition processes of air pollutants considering shipping source. Currently, restriction for emission amount of ships does not exist, so our study will be useful to set the omission standard and for devising air quality policy in coastal urban region.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.81-94
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• 2016

Managing hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) becomes an important issue with the amendment of the Clean Air Conservation Act in 2012. In this study, to develop an effective air quality management policy direction against the HAPs in Korea, (1) the HAPs control policies in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SQAQMD) are reviewed, (2) the state of the art of the HAPs management in Korea are studied, and (3) policy directions are suggested. It was found that each country has its own policy priority and management directions. It was also found that the current HAPs management status is far behind to the countries compared in HAPs identification, emission inventory, monitoring, modeling, and risk management. Further policy directions are suggested.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.570-582
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• 2017

In recent years, national and local government's air quality management and climate change adaptation policy has been significantly strengthened. The measures in the two policies may be in a relationship of trade-off or synergy to each other. Greenhouse gases and air pollutants are mostly emitted from the same sources of using considerable amounts of fossil fuels. Co-benefits, in which either measure has a positive effect on the other, may be maximized by reducing the social costs and by consolidating the objectives of the various policies. In this study, the co-benefits were examined by empirically analyzing the effects of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emission reduction, social cost, and cost effectiveness between the two policies. Of the total 80 projects, the next 12 projects generated co-benefits. They are 1) extend restriction area of solid fuel use, 2) expand subsidy of low-$NO_x$ burner, 3) supply hybrid-vehicles, 4) supply electric-vehicles, 5) supply hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, 6) engine retrofit, 7) scrappage of old car, 8) low emission zone, 9) transportation demand management, 10) supply land-based electric of ship, 11) switching anthracite to clean fuel in private sector, 12) expand regional combined-energy supply. The benefits of air pollutants and greenhouse gas-related measures were an annual average of KRW 2,705.4 billion. The social benefits of the transportation demand management were the highest at an annual average of KRW 890.7 billion, and followed by scrappage of old cars and expand regional combined-energy supply. When the social benefits and the annual investment budgets are compared, the cost effectiveness ratio is estimated to be about 3.8. Overall, the reduction of air pollutants caused by the air quality management policy of Gyeonggi-do resulted in an annual average of KRW 4,790.2 billion. In the point sources management sector, the added value of $CO_2$ reduction increased by 4.8% to KRW 1,062.8 billion, while the mobile sources management sector increased by 3.6% to KRW 3,414.1 billion. If social benefits from $CO_2$ reduction are added, the annual average will increase by 7.2% to KRW 5,135.4 billion. The urban and energy management sectors have shown that social benefits increase more than twice as much as the benefits of $CO_2$ reduction. This result implies that more intensive promotion of these measures are needed. This study has significance in that it presents the results of the empirical analysis of the co-benefits generated between the similar policies in the air quality management and the climate change policy which are currently being promoted in Gyeonggi-do. This study suggested that the method of analyzing the policy effect among the main policies in the climate atmospheric policy is established and the effectiveness and priority of the major policies can be evaluated through the policy correlation analysis based on the co-benefits. It is expected that it could be a basis for evaluation the efficiency of the climate change adaptation and air quality management policies implemented by the national and local governments in the future.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2018

Nation-wide systematic and comprehensive measurements of air quality criteria species have been made over 340 sites currently in Korea since 1990. Using these data, temporal and spatial trends of $SO_2$, $PM_{10}$, $NO_2$, $O_3$, CO and $O_x(NO_2+O_3)$ were analyzed to characterize and evaluate implementing efficiency of air quality policy and regulations. Due to strict and effective policy to use cleaner fuels in late 1980s and 1990s, the primary pollutants, such as $SO_2$, CO, and $PM_{10}$ decreased sharply by early 2000s in all parts of Korea. After this period, their concentrations declined with much lower rates in most parts of Korea. In addition, isolated but noticeable numbers of places, especially in major ports, newly developing towns and industrial parks, sustained high levels or even showed further degradation. Despite series of emission control strategies were enforced since early 1990s, $NO_2$ concentrations haven't changed much till 2005, due to significant increase in number of automobiles. Nevertheless, we confirmed that the staggering levels of $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ improved evidently after 2005, especially in Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), where enhanced regulations for $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ emissions was imposed to automobiles and large emission sources. However, their decreasing trends were much lessened in recent years again as current air quality improvement strategies has been challenged to revise further. In contrast to these primary species, annual $O_3$, which is secondary product from $NO_2$ and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has increased consistently with about 0.6 ppbv per year in every urban part of Korea, while yearly average of daily maximum 8-hour $O_3$ in summer season had a much higher rate of 1.2 ppbv per year. Increase of $O_3$ can be explained mainly by reductions of NO emission. Rising background $O_3$ in the Northeast Asia and increasing oxidizing capacity by changing photochemistry were likely causes of observed $O_3$ increase. The future air quality policy should consider more effective ways to lower alarming level of $O_3$ and $PM_{10}$.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.526-538
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• 2007

Since air quality monitoring data sets are important base for developing of air quality management strategies including policy making and policy performance assessment, the environmental protection authorities need to organize and operate monitoring network properly. Air quality monitoring network of Busan, consisting of 18 stations, was allocated under unscientific and irrational principles. Thus the current state of air quality monitoring networks was reassessed the effect and appropriateness of monitoring objectives such as population protection and sources surveillance. In the process of the reassessment, a GIS-based decision support system was constructed and used to simulate air quality over complex terrain and to conduct optimization analysis for air quality monitoring network with multi-objective. The maximization of protection capability for population appears to be the most effective and principal objective among various objectives. The relocation of current monitoring stations through optimization analysis of multi-objective appears to be better than the network building for maximization of population protection capability. The decision support system developed in this study on the basis of GIS-based database appear to be useful for the environmental protection authorities to plan and manage air quality monitoring network over complex terrain.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.537-546
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• 2013

In the Seoul Metropolitan Area(SMA) photochemical air pollutants, nitrogenic compound and particulate matters have increased substantially due to mobile sources, power plants and so on. Therefore 'Special Act on Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement' was enacted on 2003 in order to improve air quality in the SMA. According to the Special Act, Central and local government have developed the state implementation plan(SIP) to reduce air pollutant emissions from various local sources. One of the key elements of the SIP development is the air quality modeling since modeling results can be used to establish emissions control strategies as well as to demonstrate attainment of air quality goals for ozone, particulate matter, and so on. Air quality modeling, therefore, can be usefully utilized to investigate the effects of government's efforts according to control strategies or measures. Using the air quality model, we can determine whether the implementation plan should be revised or not. A number of questions, however, has been raised concerning accuracy, consistency and transparency of modeling results because if we do not trust modeling results, all the measures dependent on modeling becomes in vain. So, without dealing with these questions, we can not guarantee the reliability and utilizability of air quality modeling results. In this study, we tried to establish standard methodology for air quality modeling in order to ensure consistency and transparency of modeling results used in the development and evaluation of national air policy. For this purpose, we established air quality modeling guideline to provide or recommend modeling procedures, vertical and horizontal domains, input data of meteorological and air quality modeling and so on.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.571-577
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• 2006

Health benefits from implementing air quality control measures were assessed using the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP). BenMAP developed by US EPA is a GIS-based software tool that estimates the health impacts and associated economic values connected with changes in ambient air pollution. Once a set of BenMAP-required data was collected, the health benefits from implementing Seoul Air Quality Management Plan (SAQMP), an official AQ improvement plan for Seoul Metropolitan Area, was assessed using BenMAP. The PM10 concentrations assuming the SAQMP implemented successfully were predicted with the MM5 (Mesoscale Meteorological model version 5)/CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality) model. A PM 10 exposure related premature mortality function was adopted trom a well-known epidemiology study. Economic valuation functions driven from benefit transfer methods were utilized. Through the SAQMP, PM10 concentrations were estimated to be lowered by $15{\mu}g/m^3\;to\;75{\mu}g/m^3$ depending on air quality modeling grids. 5,569 premature deaths (95% CI $3,264{\sim}7,809$ deaths) could be avoided in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. The economic value of the deaths avoided was estimated to $13.2 billion $(95%\;CI\;$890\;million{\sim}$28.2\;billion)$ using the benefit transfer value. BenMAP could be a useful tool for developing effective air quality improvement policy, enabling the policy makers to anticipate the effects of regulatory changes on people's health and the economy.