• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 2012

Poor indoor air quality is now worldwide concern due to its adverse impacts on our health and environment. Moreover, these impacts carry a significant burden to the economy. Various technical approaches (e.g., biological, activated carbon fiber (ACF), photocatlytic oxidation (PCO), etc.) have gained popularity in controlling indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is because removing indoor VOC sources or increasing ventilation rates is often not feasible or economical. This review provides an overview of the various air purification technologies used widely to improve indoor air quality. Although most of these technologies are very useful to remove indoor VOCs, there is no single fully satisfactory method due to their diversity and presence at the low concentration. To achieve technical innovations and the development of specific testing protocols, one should possess a better knowledge on the mechanisms of substrate uptake at VOC concentrations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.273-278
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the characteristics of distribution for airborne bio aerosol in 11 public facilities in Seoul from June to July. The collected samples are total suspended bacteria in indoor and outdoor Anderson six stage air sampler by the IAQ standard method of Ministry of Environment in Korea. The concentration of total suspended bacteria in the theater higher than IAQ standards. As the results of the survey, the most high indoor air mean concentration of bacteria $1273CFU/m^3$ was theater and the most high outdoor air mean concentration of bacteria $^229 CFU/m3$was Kindergarten. The mean concentration of bacteria in the theater was higher than the IAQ standards established by the Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea. Moreover, this study was for investigation a part of indoor air pollution condition in public facilities. It means that this study can't represent fDr all of public facilities. Therefore, we suggest that long and middle term country plan for management of IAQ should be established through long-term and continuous investigation of IAQ condition. Also above consideration in mind, it is suggest that the research for source contribution of the results on these need further study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.438-446
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed in order to determine airborne fungi levels in homes and find related factors that may affect airborne fungi concentration. Methods: Fifty homes were study subjects for measuring airborne fungi. For sampling airborne fungi, the impaction method on agar plates was used and samples were counted as colony forming units per cubic meter of air ($CFU/m^3$). In addition, information regarding housing characteristics and atopic disease in each home were collected via questionnaire. Results: The geometric means (GM) of airborne fungi concentrations in fifty living rooms and bedrooms were 68.03 and 62.93 $CFU/m^3$, respectively. The GM of airborne fungi concentration in atopy homes was 78.42 $CFU/m^3$. This was higher than non-atopy homes' 54.34 $CFU/m^3$ (p-value=0.051). In the results of the multiple regression analysis, outdoor airborne fungal concentration proved a strong effective factor on indoor airborne fungal concentration. Also, construction year, floor area of house, indoor smoking and frequency of ventilation were factors that showed a significant association with indoor airborne fungi concentration. Conclusions: The results of this study show that some housing and living characteristics may affect the development and increase of airborne fungi. In addition, exposure to airborne fungi may be a risk factor for the prevalence of childhood atopic diseases.

• Journal of odor and indoor environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 2018

Phthalate is an endocrine disruptor that interferes with homeostasis and developmental regulation. It is highly toxic to the environment and is associated with various diseases of the human body. Using biological samples from 140 adult subjects, to evaluate the influencing factors which are related to contaminant concentration levels, we used correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. Lastly, in order to analyze the health effects related to exposure to phthalates, we conducted a risk assessment by estimating acceptable daily intake exposure according to the influential factors. When we compared the concentration level according to influential factors, in general, the subjects who had engaged in home remodeling work had higher urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations levels than the subjects who had not engaged in home remodeling work. We can confirm statistically significant differences in DBP metabolites. In addition, we can confirm the concentration appeared higher in the categories such as using air freshener, sofa and foods. Through conducting a risk assessment of DEHP, BBzP, DiBP, and DnBP by using data on phthalate metabolite concentration in urine, it was found that the average concentration of all metabolites did not exceed TDI.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.345-351
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• 2016

Objectives: The objective of this study was to conduct risk assessment using indoor radon concentration and exposure times. Methods: The target facilities were military facilities before and after the application of radon reduction processes and underground commercial facilities in major subway stations in Seoul. Indoor radon concentrations were measured by passive sampler. Results: Radon concentrations in 13 military facilities were initially higher than the guidelines, but the levels were below guidelines after the application of radon reduction processes. Underground shopping mall radon concentrations near subway stations in Seoul satisfied the guidelines. However, indoor radon effective doses after radon reduction processes in some military facilities and those in underground shopping malls belonged to International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) groups needing control management. Conclusion: Indoor radon management requires risk assessment data that takes into account working time (or residence time) in addition to management according to concentration guidelines.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.649-655
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• 2006

The recent indoor air quality problem in a newly-built apartment house is resulted from the improvement of airtightness performance and the use of the building material contained harmful chemical substances. As a result, these cause indoor air quality gradually to become worse and the harmful effect on occupant health called Sick House Syndrome. The most effective solution to improve the indoor air quality is to encourage the use of green building material. However, if the house is built with general building material, ventilation with outdoor air is alternative to dilute the pollutant concentration. The purpose of this re-search is to find optimum ventilation time in a newly-built apartment house at which the ventilatoris installed. It is found that the HCHO and toluene concentrations are remarkably decreased with the elapse of ventilation time and the concentration reduction rate is increased with increment of air change rate after one hour after operating the ventilator.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.251-258
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• 2001

Indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide(NO$_2$) concentrations of 122 houses were measured and compared with measurements of personal NO$_2$ exposure simultaneously . Time activity patterns were used to determine the impacts on NO$_2$ exposure assessment and time weighed average model to estimate the personal NO$_2$ exposure. Most people spent their times more than 80% of indoor and more than 50% in home, respectively. Personal NO$_2$ esposure was found to be significantly associated with both indoor NO$_2$ concentration(r=0.70) and outdoor NO$_2$ concentration (r=0.68). Using time weighted average model, personal NO$_2$ exposure was estimated with NO$_2$ measurements in indoor home, indoor workplace and outdoor home. The estimated NO$_2$ measurements were significantly correlated with measured personal exposures(r=0.69, N=122). For the difference between measured and estimated NO$_2$ exposures by multiple regression analysis showed that NO$_2$ concentrations in near workplace and other outdoors of no NO$_2$ measurements affected the personal NO$_2$ exposures(p=0.023).

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.99-103
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• 2013

Objectives: This paper was prepared in memory of Jerry Sherwood, who provided a significant contribution to the Korean environmental and occupational health fields. Methods: Rare air quality data in Seoul were gathered by Jerry Sherwood when he visited Korea in the early 1980s. $SO_2$ and TPM concentrations were measured. These air quality measurements were based on ambient stationary monitoring and indoor air quality monitoring in various locations. Measurement during transportation was also applied. Results: Ambient $SO_2$ and TPM concentrations in Seoul were very high in the early 1980s. Ambient $SO_2$ concentrations were higher at nighttime. While ambient $SO_2$ concentrations varied by location, the Guro industrial area showed high levels. When indoor sources were presented, indoor $SO_2$ concentration was higher than outdoor level. Coal briquettes were closely associated with high indoor $SO_2$ concentration. Conclusion: This paper provided valuable historical information of air quality in Seoul.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.53-58
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• 2007

In order to predict the indoor air pollutant, the VOCs emission rate is used through small chamber in the design process. However, the small chamber method has limitations as the convective mass transfer coefficient, the most important factor when predicting VOCs contamination of indoor air, is different between the small chamber result and the measured data in the actual building. Furthermore, the existing studies which analyzed mass transfer coefficient in the small chamber were directed on the small chambers developed at the time and FLEC(Field and Laboratory Emission Cell), thus, are different from the current small chamber which has been changed with improvements. The purpose of this study is to determine the emission rate of pollutant in multi-layered building materials, and predict the indoor pollutant concentration through the CFD(Computational of Fluid Dynamics) and CRIAQ2 based on the mass transfer coefficient on singled-layered building material by using the current small chamber widely used in Korea. Futhermore, this study used the new convective mass transfer coefficient(hm') which indicates the existing convective mass transfer coefficient(hm) including VOC partition coefficient(k). Also, formaldehyde was selected as target pollutant.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.37-42
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• 2010

Together with the concern about the indoor air quality as sick house syndrome, the Ministry of Environment announced "Indoor Air Quality Control Law for the Multi Purpose Facility," which made the interests to be focused in the urgent understanding of current condition and preparation of measures about the indoor air pollution. The law was revised to obligatorily notify the amount of Formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds in the case of newly constructed apartments with more than 100 houses. School also have its own indoor air quality guideline. Indoor air quality in school is very important because, children who very weak to indoor pollutants reside long time in there. The purpose of this paper is to to survey indoor air quality in school by field measurement. Field measurements were performed in 11 schools which were selected from 3 major cities(Incheon, Dae-jeon, chuncheon) in korea, Totally concentration of indoor pollutants were determined in 32 classroom. Target air pollutants were TVOC, formaldehyde, dust, CO, CO2. For the result of this investigation, Indoor air quality in classroom was very poor and it was found that some pollutants(TVOC, float bacteria) exceed the guideline.