• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.652-663
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• 2019

To identify daily and annual changes in outdoor airborne fungi, it is necessary to shorten the collection cycle and increase the number of measurements. In this study, measurements were performed by employing an air sampler and potato dextrose agar media on the rooftop of National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage during a period of one year (August 2018 to July 2019). The collection cycle spanned the twenty-four seasonal divisions and the collection time was 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.. Meteorological elements were collected at intervals of one hour. Furthermore, the concentration of airborne fungi was monitored and correlation analysis with meteorological elements was subsequently conducted. Obtained results indicate that the concentration of airborne fungi is found to be highest in November, autumn, night, followed by autumn, summer, winter, and spring. The concentration, type, and dominant species of airborne fungi can vary depending on factors such as rainfall, typhoons, and yellow dust (fine dust). The concentration of airborne fungi indicates a strong positive linear relationship between precipitation, number of precipitation days, and relative humidity. The concentration of airborne fungi was related to the period of increase of dead plants in terms of nutrition source, and to the high relative humidity conditions including rainfall in terms of meteorological elements.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.2 s.95
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• pp.104-114
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• 2007

This study evaluated the airborne concentrations of bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi in waiting rooms, wards, and outdoors, according to time and particle size between October 17 and November 28, 2003. The geometric mean number of airborne bacteria was highest in the morning. The more people there were, the higher was the total bacteria concentration. The concentration of fungi was also highest in the morning. Temperature and relative humidity affected the concentrations of fungi significantly (p<0.05). This study found relationships between microorganism concentrations and (actors such as time, place, temperature, humidity, ventilation, and number of people. Therefore, to manage the pollution resulting from airborne microorganisms, each time, place, and environmental factor should be examined periodically, and the number, size, and movement of airborne microorganisms should be evaluated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.2
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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.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to assess the level of fungi concentration in the university laboratories in Seoul, Korea, and to investigate factors contributing to these concentrations. The samples were taken from three spots in each laboratory; the top of sink, the center of laboratory, and the front of ventilation system, i.e fume hood at the chemical laboratory and clean bench/biosafety cabinet at the microbial laboratory. Air samples were collected using the single-stage Anderson sampler (Quick Take 30) at a flow rate of 28.3 l/min for 5 min on nutrient media in Petri-dishes located on the impactor. Fifty-two air samples were collected from 19 different laboratories (13 microbiology laboratories, 6 chemistry laboratories) in the university, and concentrations of airborne fungi showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between microbiology and chemistry laboratory, and also no significant difference at three locations (sink, center, front of ventilation system) in microbiology and chemistry laboratories. Average concentrations of fungi in 19 laboratories ranged from 7 to 459 cfu/$m^3$, with an overall Geometric Mean of 52 cfu/$m^3$. Airborne fungi concentrations of 6 samples (12 %) exceeded 150 cfu/$m^3$, the guideline of WHO. The ratios of Indoor/Outdoor for airborne fungi ranged from 0.2 to 4.8 (mean = 1.6). Related factors were measured such as relative humidity, temperature, and laboratory area. Temperature and laboratory area showed no significant relations to concentrations of airborne fungi except for relative humidity in the laboratory Concentrations of fungi were significant different (p<0.01) between rainy or cloudy and sunny. However, there was no significant difference between general ventilation and nongeneral ventilation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.118-127
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess the sanitary conditions in the kitchens of food court/cafeterias and determine seasonal variations. Methods: We measured environmental factors (air temperature, relative humidity, illumination intensity, noise level), and dropping airborne microbes (bacteria and fungi) in the kitchens of eight food court/cafeterias in four seasons (January, April, July, and October). Air temperature and relative humidity were measured with in/out thermo-hygrometers at 1.2-1.5 m above floor level. Illuminance measurement was performed through the multiple point method of Korean Standards (KS). Noise level was measured by the standard methods for the examination of environmental pollution (noise and vibration) of Korea. The estimation of dropping airborne bacteria and fungi was performed through use of Koch's method. Results: The highest kitchen air temperature was in July, and the lowest in January. The average temperature surpassed $21^{\circ}C$ throughout the seasons, suggesting a higher temperature than required for the safe handling of food. Humidity in all the kitchens was measured in the range of 50-60%. Half of the kitchens showed illumination intensities below 300 Lux in April. It was found that the sound pressure level of noise in almost all of the kitchens was higher than 85 dB (A). The highest levels of dropping airborne bacteria and fungi were noted in July. The numbers of airborne bacteria were higher than those of fungi. The levels of dropping airborne bacteria and fungi were affected by air temperature, relative humidity, season, and place. Conclusions: This study indicates that the kitchen environments were unqualified to supply safe food. The hygiene level of the kitchens should be improved.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.503-509
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed in order to evaluate the generation characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi while operating a household humidifier, in consideration of user habits. Methods: Microbial samples were collected in a closed chamber with a total volume of 2.76 $m^3$, in which a humidifier was operated according to experimental strategies. A cultivation method based on the viable counts of mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria and fungi was performed. Experimental strategies were divided into three classes: the type of water in the water reservoir (tap water, cooled boiled water); the frequency of filling the reservoir (refill every day, no refill); and the sterilization method (sterilization function mode, humidifier disinfectants). Results: Significant increases in the concentration of airborne bacteria were observed while the humidifier was in operation. The concentration had increased to 2,407 $CFU/m^3$ by 120 hours when tap water filled the reservoir without any application of sterilization, while for cooled boiled water, it was merely 393 $CFU/m^3$ at a similar time point. Usages of disinfectant in the water tank were more effective in decreasing bioaerosol generation compared to sterilization function mode operation. Generation characteristics of airborne fungi were similar to those of bacteria, but the levels were not significant in all experiments. Calculated exposure factor can be used as an indicator to compare biorisk exposure. Conclusion: This study identified the potential for bioaerosol generation in indoor environments while operating a household humidifier. User practices were critical in the generation of bioaerosol, or more specifically, airborne bacteria. Proper usage of a humidifier ensures that any biorisks resulting from generated bioaerosol can be prevented.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.36
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• pp.64-73
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• 2015

The temple and family or private owner have managed the storage space of movable cultural properties. Thus they lack the ability to manage professionally and systematically, movable cultural properties are in a poor environment and have been damaged by abundant dust and airborne fungi in the storage. In this study, we investigated microbes distribution in 10 storage or exhibition hall housing the movable cultural properties. As a results, concentration of collected microorganisms exhibited a large difference according to a storage and the D Relic Museum in Yeongam is the most contaminant storage, in which detected $2,000m^3$ or more. More than $166m^3$ of the fungi were detected in most storages of the other. We identified so many varieties of fungi such as Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Alternaria sp. and Cladosporium sp. existing commonly in 10 storages including wood rot fungi such as Ceriporia lacerata, Ganoderma carnosum, Myrothecium gramineum and Bjerkandera sp.. This airborne fungi may damage cultural heritages. The Guideline on a concentration of airborne fungi should be estimated and management system to the preservation environment must be provided.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.122-133
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• 2018

The Seonamsa temple is located on steep terrain surrounded by forests and valleys, and is a place that the temple is scared of biological damage because it has high humidity and low wind levels. Therefore, we investigated a concentration and diversity of airborne fungi in indoor and outdoor by collecting air each season. The outdoor fungal load was far higher in spring ($276CFU/m^3$), autumn ($196CFU/m^3$), summer ($128CFU/m^3$) than in winter ($24CFU/m^3$). The lowest located Jijangjeon and upper located Wontongjeon showed the highest distribution of $337.4CFU/m^3$ in summer and $333.4CFU/m^3$ in autumn, respectively. Summer is the season with large variations in the concentration of airborne fungi between indoor and outdoor, a concentration of airborne fungi in indoor was maximum three times higher than these in outdoor with $128CFU/m^3$. Although the most fungi were collected in spring, fungal diversity was richer in summer and autumn with 28 genera 45 species and 25 genera 47 species, respectively. In particular, the concentration of airborne fungi was the most highest in all sampling sites in autumn, of which Ascomycota members accounted for 86% and Cladosporium genus was dominated. The most kind of Penicillium (16 species) was mainly distributed in indoor air in summer, autumn and winter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.181-182
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• 2003

Our study from Feburary to March, 2003, were done in university office A and B, located in Seoul. This study was carried out to investigate the reduction of the airborne fungi before and after we activate the air cleaner which using ionization. And the method of assessment was done by the CAMNEA method. The result was as follows. 1. In the research office A, the concentration of the airborne fungi was 18(${\pm}$11.3) CFU/㎥ before the ionizing air cleaner system was turned on: whereas three days after this result the concentration decreased to less than 1 CFU/㎥. 2. In the laboratory office B, the concentration was 210.6(${\pm}$5.3) CFU/㎥ before using the air cleaner and was decreased to 32.2(t 10.3) CFU/㎥ after using the air cleaner. The remediation rate in the experiment was 85 percentile,

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.76-81
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• 2017

Studies on the concentration of airborne microorganisms in human medicine as a part of a study on the nosocomial infections have been conducted properly, but in veterinary medicine, there has been rarely performed in Korea to the best of study's knowledge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution of airborne microorganisms and to identify their species in different places in the animal hospital to alert the necessity of thorough cleanliness management. This study evaluated the concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi in hospital areas, such as patient waiting room, internal medicine ward, surgical ward and radiological diagnostic ward. The concentration of bacteria and fungi was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in two operating rooms and higher in the patient waiting room. The dominant species of bacteria were Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and fungi were Penicillium spp., Dermatophyte mold. Animal hospitals need to perform proper procedures for disinfection, sterilization, and environmental cleaning as well as appropriate employee training and monitoring in order to the maximum prevention of the risk of nosocomial and surgical infections.