• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1273-1283
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• 2015

In present study, the temporal characteristics of nine selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including four alcohol, 2 aldehyde, and 3 ketone compounds, in high-stories urban apartments over a 2-y period were investigated. The indoor VOC concentrations had generally a decreasing trend over the 2-y follow-up period. For examples, the 2E1H indoor concentration decreased from $10.8{\mu}g/m^3$ for the first two months to $5.1{\mu}g/m^3$ for the last two months. In addition, the DCA and ACT indoor concentrations decreased from 5.0 and $14{\mu}g/m^3$ for the first two months to 2.2 and $6.4{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively, for the last two months. The indoor-to outdoor concentration ratios over the 2-y period were much greater than 1, indicating that indoor VOC concentrations were higher than the outdoor VOC concentrations. Similar to those of the individual VOCs, the indoor-to-outdoor concentration ratios of all three VOC groups were higher than 1 over the 2-y follow-up period, suggesting higher indoor concentrations of the three VOC groups than outdoor concentrations. In consistence with the results of VOC indoor concentrations, the VOC emission rates decreased gradually as time passed, due to the decreased VOC emission strengths of indoor sources. Finally, there was an initial sharp decrease in the indoor VOC concentrations followed by a slower decrease, indicating a multi-exponential decay model for the target VOCs, which was demonstrated by comparison of the residuals and the adjusted coefficient of determination associated with the one and two-exponential fits of each data set.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2024

Exponential growth has been observed in nuclear medicine procedures worldwide in the past decades. The considerable increase is attributed to the advance of positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography, as well as the introduction of new radiopharmaceuticals. Although nuclear medicine procedures provide undisputable diagnostic and therapeutic benefits to patients, the substantial increase in radiation exposure to nuclear medicine patients raises concerns about potential adverse health effects and calls for the urgent need to monitor exposure levels. In the current article, model-based internal dosimetry methods were reviewed, focusing on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) formalism, biokinetic data, human anatomy models (stylized, voxel, and hybrid computational human phantoms), and energy spectrum data of radionuclides. Key results from many articles on nuclear medicine dosimetry and comparisons of dosimetry quantities based on different types of human anatomy models were summarized. Key characteristics of seven model-based dose calculation tools were tabulated and discussed, including dose quantities, computational human phantoms used for dose calculations, decay data for radionuclides, biokinetic data, and user interface. Lastly, future research needs in nuclear medicine dosimetry were discussed. Model-based internal dosimetry methods were reviewed focusing on MIRD formalism, biokinetic data, human anatomy models, and energy spectrum data of radionuclides. Future research should focus on updating biokinetic data, revising energy transfer quantities for alimentary and gastrointestinal tracts, accounting for body size in nuclear medicine dosimetry, and recalculating dose coefficients based on the latest biokinetic and energy transfer data.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.427-441
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• 2005

In order to choose proper dispersion model and emission factors suitable in Korea in evaluating the effect of pollutants emitted by the vehicles in highway on nearby area, various road dispersion models and vehicle emission factors were reviewed. With theoretical inter-comparisons of the exiting models for line source, CALINE 3 and CALINE 4 models which were suggested by US EPA were selected as the road dispersion models for further evaluation with the measurement. The emission factors suggested by Korean Ministry of Environment was turned out to be appropriate since the classification of vehicle kinds was simple and easy to apply in Korea. The comparisons of predicted concentrations by CALINE 3 and 4 models with the measurements in flat, fill and bridge road types showed that CO and PM-10 were in good agreements with experiments and the differences between CALINE 3 and 4 models are negligible. The model concentrations of $NO_2$ by CALINE 4 were also in good agreement with the measurement but those by CALINE 3 were over-predicted. The discrepancies in CALINE 3 model were due to rapid decay reaction of $NO_2$ near the highway, which was not included in CALINE 3 model. For the road type with one & two side cutting grounds, the similar patterns as the flat & fill road type for CO, PM10, & $NO_2$ were observed but the number of data for comparison in these cases were not enough to draw the conclusion. These results lead to the conclusion that CALINE4 model is proper in road environmental impact assessment near the highway in flat, fill and bridge road types.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-263
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• 2007

Indoor air quality is the dominant contributor to total personal exposure because most people spend a majority of their time indoors. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the alternative method for improvement of indoor air quality in house after coating titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) photocatalyst for interior part of the house using nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) multiple measurements. To evaluate the alternative method in indoor environment, daily indoor and outdoor $NO_2$ concentrations of an apartment and a detached house were daily measured for consecutive 21 days in winter and summer, respectively, Another daily 21 measurements were carried out after $TiO_2$ coating on wall paper of interior part in houses. All $NO_2$ concentrations were measured by passive filter badges. Indoor air quality models using mass balance are useful tool to quantify the relationship between indoor air pollution levels, ambient concentrations, and explanatory variables. Using a mass balance model and linear regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation rate divided by sum of ventilation rate and decay rate) and source strength factor (emission rate divided by sum of ventilation rate and decay rate) were calculated. Subsequently, the decay constants were estimated. In this study. magnitude of improvement of indoor air quality could be evaluated by decay constant.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.499-509
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• 2000

Next to carbon dioxide, methane is the second largest contributor to global warming among anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Methane is emitted into the atmosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Natural sources include wetlands, termites, wildries, ocean and freshwater. Anthropogenic sources include landfill, natural gas and oil production, and agriculture. These manmade sources account for about 70% of total global methane emissions; and among these, landfill accounts for approximately 10% of total manmade emissions. Solid waste landfills produce methane as bacteria decompose organic wastes under anaerobic conditions. Methane accounts for approximately 45 to 50 percent of landfill gas, while carbon dioxide and small quantities of other gases comprise the remaining to 50 to 55 percent. Using the closed enclosure technique, surface emission fluxes of methane from the selected landfill sites were measured. These data were used to estimate national methane emission rate from domestic landfills. During the three different periods, flux experiments were conducted at the sites from June 30 through December 26, 1999. The chamber technique employed for these experiments was validated in situ. Samples were collected directly by on-site flux chamber and analyzed for the variation of methane concentration by gas chromatography equipped with FID. Surface emission rates of methane were found out to vary with space and time. Significant seasonal variation was observed during the experimental period. Methane emission rates were estimated to be 64.5$\pm$54.5mgCH$_4$/$m^2$/hr from Kimpo landifll site. 357.4$\pm$68.9mgCH$_4$/$m^2$/hr and 8.1$\pm$12.4mgCH$_4$/$m^2$/hr at KwanJu(managed and unmanaged), 472.7$\pm$1056mgCH$_4$/$m^2$/hr at JonJu, and 482.4$\pm$1140 mgCH$_4$/$m^2$/hr at KunSan. These measurement data were used for the extrapolation of national methane emission rate based on 1997 national solid waste data. The results were compared to those derived by theoretical first decay model suggested by IPCC guidelines.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.929-933
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• 2006

Indoor air quality is the dominant contributor to total personal exposure because most people spend a majority of their time Indoors. Especially when indoor environments have sources of contaminants, exposure to in-door air can potentially pose a greater threat than exposure to ambient air. In this study, estimations of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde omission rate in indoor environments of new apartments were carried out using mass balance model in indoor environment, because indoor air quality can be affected by source generation, outdoor air level, ventilation, decay by reaction, temperature, humidity, mixing condition and so on. Considering the estimated emission rate of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde, it Is suggested that new apartment should be designed and constructed in the aspect of using construction materials to emit low hazardous air pollutants.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2002

Indoor air quality is affected by source strength of pollutants, ventilation rate, decay rate, outdoor level and so on. Although technologies exist to measure these factors directly, direct measurements of all factors are impractical in most field studies. The purpose of this study was to develop an alternative methods to estimate these factors by multiple measurements. Daily indoor and outdoor NO$_2$concentrations for 21 days in 20 houses in summer and winter, Seoul. Using a mass balance model and linear regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation divided by sum of air exchange rate and deposition constant) and source strength factor(emission rate divided by sum of air exchange rate and deposition constant) were calculated. Subsequently, the ventilation and source strength were estimated. During sampling period, geometric mean of natural ventilation was estimated to be 1.10$\pm$1.53 ACH, assuming a residential NO$_2$decay rate of 0.8 hr$^{-1}$ in summer. In winter, natural ventilation was 0.75$\pm$1.31 ACH. And mean source strengths in summer and winter were 14.8ppb/hr and 22.4ppb/hr, respectively. Although the method showed similar finding previous studies, the study did not measure ACH or the source strength of the house directly. As validation of natural ventilations, infiltrations were measured with $CO_2$tracer gas in 18 houses. Relationship between ventilation and infiltration was statistically correlated (Pearson r=0.63, p=0.02).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.1259-1268
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• 2017

The alpha eigenvalue problem in multigroup neutron diffusion is studied with particular attention to the theoretical analysis of the model. Contrary to previous literature results, the existence of eigenvalue and eigenflux clustering is investigated here without the simplification of a unique fissile isotope or a single emission spectrum. A discussion about the negative decay constants of the neutron precursors concentrations as potential eigenvalues is provided. An in-hour equation is derived by a perturbation approach recurring to the steady state adjoint and direct eigenvalue problems of the effective multiplication factor and is used to suggest proper detection criteria of flux clustering. In spite of the prior work, the in-hour equation results give a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of the eigenvalue-eigenvector pair. A simplified asymptotic analysis is used to predict bands of accumulation of eigenvalues close to the negative decay constants of the precursors concentrations. The resolution of the problem in one-dimensional heterogeneous problems shows numerical evidence of the predicted clustering occurrences and also confirms previous theoretical analysis and numerical results.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.54.3-54.3
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• 2019

During the formation of large-scale structures in the universe, shocks with the sonic Mach number Ms <~ 5 are naturally induced by supersonic flow motions of baryonic matter in the intracluster medium (ICM). Cosmic rays (CRs) are expected to be accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at these ICM shocks, although the existence of CR protons in the ICM remains to be confirmed through gamma-ray observations. Based on the results obtained from kinetic plasma simulations, we build an analytic DSA model for weak, quasi-parallel shocks in the test-particle regime. With our DSA model, the CR acceleration efficiency ranges ~ 0.001 - 0.02 in supercritical quasi-parallel shocks with sonic Mach number Ms ~ 2.25 - 5, and the acceleration would be negligible in subcritical shocks wth Ms <~ 2.25. Adopting our DSA model, we estimate gamma-ray and neutrino emissions from clusters of galaxies by performing cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. The estimated gamma-ray flux is below the Fermi-LAT upper limit. In addition, the possible neutrino emission due to the decay of charged pions in galaxy clusters would be about <~ 1% of the atmospheric neutrino intensity in the energy range of <~ 100 GeV. In this talk, we will discuss the implication of our results.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.167-178
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• 2017

We present a study of the inexplicit connection between radio jet activity and ${\gamma}$-ray emission of BL Lacertae (BL Lac; 2200+420). We analyze the long-term millimeter activity of BL Lac via interferometric observations with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) obtained at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz simultaneously over three years (from January 2013 to March 2016); during this time, two ${\gamma}$-ray outbursts (in November 2013 and March 2015) can be seen in ${\gamma}$-ray light curves obtained from Fermi observations. The KVN radio core is optically thick at least up to 86 GHz; there is indication that it might be optically thin at higher frequencies. To first order, the radio light curves decay exponentially over the time span covered by our observations, with decay timescales of $411{\pm}85$ days, $352{\pm}79$ days, $310{\pm}57$ days, and $283{\pm}55$ days at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz, respectively. Assuming synchrotron cooling, a cooling time of around one year is consistent with magnetic field strengths $B{\sim}2{\mu}T$ and electron Lorentz factors ${\gamma}$ ~ 10 000. Taking into account that our formal measurement errors include intrinsic variability and thus over-estimate the statistical uncertainties, we find that the decay timescale ${\tau}$ scales with frequency ${\nu}$ like ${\tau}{\propto}{\nu}^{-0.2}$. This relation is much shallower than the one expected from opacity effects (core shift), but in agreement with the (sub-)mm radio core being a standing recollimation shock. We do not find convincing radio flux counterparts to the ${\gamma}$-ray outbursts. The spectral evolution is consistent with the 'generalized shock model' of Valtaoja et al. (1992). A temporary increase in the core opacity and the emergence of a knot around the time of the second ${\gamma}$-ray event indicate that this ${\gamma}$-ray outburst might be an 'orphan' flare powered by the 'ring of fire' mechanism.