• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.369-370
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• 2009

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2010

This paper reports that the installation of a carbon fiber ionizer in front of an activated carbon fiber(ACF) filter enhanced the antibacterial efficiency. In addition, the effect of the ionizer on the filtration of bioaerosols is reported. Negative air ions from the ionizer were used as antibacterial agent. The test bacteria(Escherichia coli) were aerosolized using an atomizer and were deposited on the ACF filter media for 10 minutes. E. coli deposited on the filter were exposed to negative air ions for 0, 1, 5 and 10 minutes. Then they were separated from the ACF filter by shaking incubation with nutrient broth for 4 hours. The separated E. coli were spread on nutrient agar plates and incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 1~3 days. The antibacterial efficiency of E. coli was measured using a colony counting method. The antibacterial efficiencies of E. coli exposed to negative air ions for 1, 5 and 10 minutes were 14%, 48% and 71%, respectively. The filtration efficiency was evaluated by measuring the number concentration of bioaerosols at the upstream and downstream of the filter media. The increase of filtration efficiency by air ions was 14%, that is similar to the 17% filtration efficiency by none air ions. The ozone concentration was below the detection limit (under 0.01ppm) when the carbon fiber ionizers were on.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2016

Objectives: A pilot study was undertaken to assess the bioaerosol levels in restaurants and determine the effects of variations in temperature, relative humidity, and air movement on these levels. It focused on the differences between kitchens and dining areas, as well as between summer and winter. Methods: A field survey was performed in six restaurants. An Anderson type air sampler was used for sampling bioaerosols, such as total suspended bacteria (TSB), Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), Gram positive bacteria (GPB), opportunistic bacteria (OP), Staphylococcus spp., and total suspended fungi (TSF). Results: The average levels of TSB were $1{\times}10^2CFU/m^3$ and of TSF they were $1{\times}10^0{\sim}10^1CFU/m^3$. The kitchens had higher bioaerosol levels compared to dining areas, and summer showed much higher levels than winter. The concentration of OP in summer was more than six-fold that of winter. S. aureus was detected both in kitchens and dining areas, even in winter. The main effect of air movement on TSB levels was significant (p<0.05), as was air temperature, relative humidity and air movement on TSF levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: There was a wide variation in bioaerosol levels among different restaurants. The results indicate that cooking foods may be a key factor affecting bioaerosol levels. The effects of air temperature and relative humidity reveal that bioaerosol levels may vary according to the season. The observation of pathogenic bacteria suggests that the hygiene management of establishments should be improved. Future research is needed to characterize the relation between bioaerosol levels and the occupant density of the dining area.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2011

This work focuses on the analysis of bioaerosols in the atmosphere at higher altitudes over Noto Peninsula, Japan. We carried out direct sampling via aircraft, separated cultures, and identified present isolates. Atmospheric bioaerosols at higher altitudes were collected using a Cessna 404 aircraft for an hour at an altitude of 3,500 m over the Noto Peninsula. The aircraft-based direct sampling system was devised to improve upon the system of balloon-based sampling. In order to examine pre-existing microorganism contamination on the surface of the aircraft body, bioaerosol sampling was carried out just before takeoff using the same method as atmospheric sampling. Identification was carried out by a homology search for 16S or 18S rDNA isolate sequences in DNA databases (GenBank). Isolate sampling just before takeoff revealed Stretpomyces sp., Micrococcus sp., and Cladosporium sp. One additional strain, Bacillus sp., was isolated from the sample after bioaerosol collection at high altitude. As the microorganism contamination on the aircraft body before takeoff differed from that while in the air, the presence of additional, higher atmosphere-based microorganisms was confirmed. It was found that Bacillus sp. was floating at an altitude of 3,500 m over Noto Peninsula.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine airborne bioaerosols such as bacteria and fungi in the kitchens of restaurants, and to assess the effects of thermal factors on the levels of the bioaerosols. Methods: Air samples were taken from kitchens of nine restaurants. An Anderson type air sampler was used for sampling and measurements. Petri dishes filled with a microbiological culture medium (trypticase soy agar for bacteria and Sabouraud dextrose agar for fungi) were used as the sampling surface. Results: The levels of bacterial aerosol measured were $10-10^3CFU/m^3$ and fungal aerosol $10-10^2CFU/m^3$, respectively The mean values of air temperature and relative humidity in the kitchens were $24.6^{\circ}C$ and 46.4%, respectively. Overall, the levels of bacterial aerosol varied by the restaurant type, and fungal aerosol by the business period (p < 0.05). The main effect of air temperature and interaction effect of air temperature and relative humidity onto the bacterial level were significant (p < 0.05), whereas the effects were not significant onto the fungal level. Conclusions: The results indicate a wide variation in the levels of bioaerosols among different kitchens. The observed differences in bioaerosol levels in the kitchens reflect different periods of use. The interactions of air temperature and relative humidity onto the bacterial level suggest that constant attention should be paid to avoid peaks of contamination during the summer season.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.E1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2007

In Korea, there is only a limited amount of information currently available on the levels of airborne bacteria and fungi of cattle sheds, although certain portions of people are potentially exposed to these bioaerosols in cattle sheds. Accordingly, the current study measured them inside cattle sheds, inside and outside farmers' houses near the sheds, and/or inside residential houses far away from the sheds during winter, 2004 and summer, 2005. The airborne bacteria and fungi were detected in most samples in the cattle farmers' houses as well as in the cattle sheds. Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium, which have been associated with adverse health effects, were three most prevalent fungal genera, and they took most of the total fungi (more than 69%). The microbial concentrations measured inside the cattle sheds were comparable to those in other reports. Nevertheless, the present arithmetic and geometric mean (GM) microbial concentrations exceeded the Korean guideline for total airborne bacteria at medical facilities ($800\;CFU\;m^{-3}$), the current GM residential indoor concentrations at houses, and the residential indoor levels reported in other countries. The present findings suggest the need for a strategy to reduce Korean cattle farmers' exposure to these microorganisms. In contrast to the microbes, it is suggested that the cattle shed is not an important microenvironment for $PM_{10}$ exposure. Two characteristics examined in this study (seasonal variation and summer survey period, i.e., temperature and humidity) were all important for the cattle farmers' occupational exposure to airborne microbes. The lack of constancy between highest and lowest concentrations of bioaerosols over the survey period further suggests the necessity of performing a long-term survey to better examine farmer exposure levels and their variability.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.84-88
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• 2017

Background: Workers in slaughterhouses are exposed to a wide range of biological contaminants, such as bacteria and fungi, due to their working environment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory disorders among workers in slaughterhouses. Methods: This study was conducted on 81 workers in slaughterhouses and 81 healthy office workers as a reference group. The American Thoracic Society standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders. Besides, lung function tests were conducted using a calibrated spirometer at the beginning (preshift) and at the end (postshift) of the $1^{st}$ working day. Single-stage Anderson sampler was used to measure the concentration of bioaerosols in different parts of slaughterhouses. Results: The prevalence of respiratory disorders, such as cough, productive cough, breathlessness, phlegm, and wheezing, was 3.17, 4.02, 3.07, 4.66, and 3.94 times, respectively, higher among workers in slaughterhouses compared with the reference group. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory disorders was significantly higher among workers in slaughterhouses. Thus, the significant reduction in the percentage predicted lung function among workers in slaughterhouses might be associated with exposure to bioaerosols in their work environment.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.497-498
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• 2004

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.73-80
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• 2016

Bioaerosol inactivation becomes important as people recognize the significance on the health effects of bioaerosols. There are several ways to inactivate such bioaerosols such as antimicrobial filters, UV, etc. For the on-filter-inactivation, proper antimicrobial materials coating should be applied. Recently, air ions are adopted to effectively reduce germ and virus activity. Limitations arise when each method is applied separately. Coating materials can experience chemical instability over time and temperature. Ionizers can generate ozone to prepare high ion concentrations. Combinations of developed techniques to enhance the inactivation efficiency were suggested. Researches on the air sterilization are reviewed and outlook is highlighted. Proper techniques such as combinations of filter material coating and air ion generation can be used to make air quality better for human living.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.115-125
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• 2000

Three major hospitals with over 500 beds located in and near Seoul were surveyed for airbone microorganisms from February 1, 1998 to February 18, 1998. The purpose of the study was to identify and quantify microbiological organisms circulating in the air of three different areas in the hospitals. For the study, a RCS air sampler was utilized equipped with two different collection media, the agar strip GK-A for bacteria and the agar strip HS for fungi. The areas investigated were the intensive care unit (ICU) in the Department of internal medicine, the Newborns room in the Department of Obstetrics, and the microbiology laboratory. The results were as follows; 1. The average numbers of general microbiological particles collected on the agar strip GK-A media were $205CFU/m^3$, $232CFU/m^3$, and $128CFU/m^3$ in each hospitals. The highest concentration of $387CFU/m^3$ was found in the ICU of A hospital at 15:00 during the day. Further analysis of the collected bioaerosols by gram staining, revealed that there were gram positive cocci (89.5%), gram positive bacilli (7.2%), gram negative bacilli (2.8%), and fungi (0.5%), in descending order of frequency. 2. Ten different genes were identified from the agar strip GK-A. The most frequently identified organisms were: the Coagulase negative staphylococcus (55.0%), Micrococcus (21.4%), Enterococcus species(10.4%), and Bacillus species (7.2%). A series of antibiotics susceptibility test were conducted against the aforementioned four(4) organisms. Ninety percent of coagulase negative stapylococcus were sensitive to Penicillins. Pathogenic microbes isolated include: Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter species, Klebsiella pneumonia, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pseudomonas aeroginosa. 3 Although 56.8% of the microorganisms grown on the strip HS media for fungi could not be identified, some of them were successfully identified. The most frequently found fungi were Aspergillus (35.3%), Yeast or Molds (6.2%), and Penicillium (0.7%). Based on the results obtained from the study, it was concluded that some areas in the hospitals had abnormally high bioaerosol concentrations which could be attributed to human activity. Therefore, it is recommended that periodic assessments of indoor bioaerosols aiming to identify the possible sources should be conducted in order to maintain clean indoor environment in the hospitals.