• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.300-312
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• 2017

To improve the understanding of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from the photo-oxidation of anthropogenic and biogenic precursors at the regional background station on Baengnyeong Island, Korea, gas phase and aerosol chemistries were investigated using the Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) and the Aerodyne High Resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), respectively. HR-ToF-AMS measured fine particles ($PM_1$; diameter of particle matter less than $1{\mu}m$) at a 6-minute time resolution from February to November 2012, while PTR-ToF-MS was deployed during an intensive period from September 21 to 29, 2012. The one-minute time-resolution and high mass resolution (up to $4000m{\Delta}m^{-1}$) data from the PTR-ToF-MS provided the basis for calculations of the concentrations of anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) including oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs). The dominant BVOCs from the site are isoprene (0.23 ppb), dimethyl sulphide (DMS, 0.20 ppb), and monoterpenes (0.38 ppb). Toluene (0.45 ppb) and benzene (0.32 ppb) accounted for the majority of anthropogenic VOCs (AVOCs). OVOCs including acetone (3.98 ppb), acetaldehyde (2.67 ppb), acetic acid (1.68 ppb), and formic acid (2.24 ppb) were measured. The OVOCs comprise approximately 75% of total measured VOCs, suggesting the occurrence of strong oxidation processes and/or long-range transported at the site. A strong photochemical aging and oxidation of the atmospheric pollutants were also observed in aerosol measured by HR-ToF-AMS, whereby a high $f_{44}:f_{43}$ value is shown for organic aerosols (OAs); however, relatively low $f_{44}:f_{43}$ values were observed when high concentrations of BVOCs and AVOCs were available, providing evidence of the formation of SOA from VOC precursors at the site. Overall, the results of this study revealed several different SOA formation mechanisms, and new particle formation and particle growth events were identified using the powerful tools scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), PTR-ToF-MS, and HR-ToF-AMS.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.648-653
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• 2006

As an alternative for the traditional materials packed in biofilters treating gaseous VOCs, a novel packing material has been developed and tested. In the packing material(named as Hydrogel Bead, HB), pollutant-degrading microorganisms were immobilized in hydrogel consisted of alginate, polyvinyl alcohol(PVA), and powdered activated carbon. A closed-bottle study showed that the HB rapidly removed gaseous styrene without the losses of adsorption and biodegradation capacity. Biofilter column experiments using the HBs also demonstrated that greater than 95% of removal efficiencies were found at an inlet styrene loading rate of $245g/m^3/hr$, which was higher biofilter performance than other elimination capacity reported earlier. Furthermore, when the inlet styrene concentration increased stepwise, the adsorption played an important role in overall styrene removals. The absorbed styrene was found to be biodegraded in the following low inlet loading condition. Consequently, the new HB material is able to successfully minimize the drawbacks of activated carbon(necessity of regeneration) and biological processes(low removal capacity at dynamic loading conditions), and maximize the overall performance of biofilter systems treating VOCs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2018

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are increasingly been recognized as the chemical mediators of mold interactions, shaping their community dynamics, growth, and metabolism. Herein, we selectively examined the time-correlated (0 D-11 D, where D = incubation days) effects of intraspecies VOC-mediated interactions (VMI) on Aspergillus oryzae KCCM 60345 (S1), following co-cultivation with partner strain A. oryzae KACC 44967 (S2), in a specially designed twin plate assembly. The comparative evaluation of $S1_{VMI}$ (S1 subjected to VMI with S2) and its control ($S1_{Con}$) showed a notable disparity in their radial growth ($S1_{VMI}$ < $S1_{Con}$) at 5 D, protease activity ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 3-5 D, amylase activity ($S1_{VMI}$ < $S1_{Con}$) at 3-5 D, and antioxidant levels ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 3 D. Furthermore, we observed a distinct clustering pattern for gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry datasets from 5 D extracts of $S1_{VMI}$ and $S1_{Con}$ in principle component analysis (PC1: 30.85%; PC2: 10.31%) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) (PLS1: 30.77; PLS2: 10.15%). Overall, 43 significantly discriminant metabolites were determined for engendering the metabolic variance based on the PLS-DA model (VIP > 0.7, p < 0.05). In general, a marked disparity in the relative abundance of amino acids ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 5 D, organic acids ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 5 D, and kojic acid ($S1_{VMI}$ < $S1_{Con}$) at 5-7 D were observed. Examining the headspace VOCs shared between S1 and S2 in the twin plate for 5 D incubated samples, we observed the relatively higher abundance of C-8 VOCs (1-octen-3-ol, (5Z)-octa-1,5-dien-3-ol, 3-octanone, 1-octen-3-ol acetate) having known semiochemical functions. The present study potentially illuminates the effects of VMI on commercially important A. oryzae's growth and biochemical phenotypes with subtle details of altered metabolomes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1161-1169
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• 2008

The removals of TCE and PCE vapor with or without a supply of toluene as a primary substrate were compared in a biofiltration process, and the variations of microbial communities associated with the removal were also investigated. As a result of investigations on the removals of TCE/PCE in a biofilter B within which TCE/PCE-acclimated sludge was attached on the surface of media without a supply of primary substrate, and those in another biofilter A where toluene-acclimated sludge was attached with a supply of toluene as a primary substrate, followings were found: (i) parts of microbes responsible to the decomposition of toluene vapor participate in the removal of chlorinated VOCs such as TCE and PCE, and (ii) effective biological removals of TCE and PCE vapor do not necessarily need cometabolism. Sequencing of 16S rDNA obtained from the band profile of DGGE (Denaturating Gradient Gel Electrophoresis), it was confirmed that: (i) uncultured alpha proteobacterium, uncultured Desulfitobacterium, uncultured Rhodobacteraceae bacterium, Cupriavidus necator, and Pseudomonas putida were found to be toluene-decomposing microbes, (ii) alpha proteobacterium HTCC396 is a TCE-removing microbe, (iii) Desulfitobacterium sp. is a PCE-decomposing microbe, and (iv) particularly, uncultured Desulfitobacterium sp. is probably a microbe decomposable not only toluene but also various chlorinated VOC vapor including TCE and PCE.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.498-505
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• 2014

This study was carried out to characterize the ambient VOCs concentrations of industrial complex in Daegu city. VOCs concentrations of industrial complex area appeared to be higher than those in the non-industrial complex area as following order toluene > ethylbenzene > m,p-xylenes > o-xylene but benzene and chloroform were similar to each other sites. There was seasonal variation of VOCs concentrations in the industrial complex area, higher in summer and lower in winter. In particular the industrial complex area shows that higher on weekday than weekend and higher in the daytime than in the morning or nighttime because industrial complex area influenced by the chemicals. Correlation coefficients among VOCs were confirmed that VOCs of industrial complex area were more related to each other than those of non-industrial complex area and VOCs concentrations have shown generally negative correlation with wind speed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.6610-6617
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• 2013

This study examined the current and future Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) control device markets and analyzed the recent studies on indoor air pollutantr emoval to develop a new technology for fine dust control. Currently, the mechanical filter technique occupies the bulk of the IAQ control market but the electronic technique is emerging as an alternative to control fine dust efficiently. Among the gaseous VOCs and fine dust particles contaminating the indoor air quality, fine dust particles are more problematic because they threaten human health by penetrating deep into the body and producing secondary contaminants by chemical reaction with VOCs. The electronic IAQ control device using dielectrophoretic and electrostatic forces is a good option for public spaces where many people pass, and at the same time, it needs to consider temperature, humidity, and the particle properties of specific areas to highlight the control efficiency. Electronic-related technology is expected to be used widely in many public/private spaces wherever a dust-free environment is required.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.382-390
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• 2010

In this research hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and toluene were designated as the representative source of malodor and VOC, respectively, frequently generated at the compost manufacturing factory and publicly owned facilities. The optimum operating condition to treat the waste air(2 L/min) containing malodor was constructed using photocatalytic reactor/biofilter process with humidifier composed of fluidized aerobic anf anoxic reactor. The ammonia(300 ppmv) of fed-waste air was removed by 22, 55 and 23% at the stage of photocatalytic reactor, humidifier and biofilter, respectively. The toluene(100 ppmv) of fed-waste air was removed by 20, 10 and 70% at the stage of photocatalytic reactor, humidifier and biofilter, respectively. Therefore the water-soluble ammonia and the water-insoluble toluene were treated mainly at the stage of humidifier and biofilter, respectively. In addition, hydrogen sulfide(10 ppmv) was almost treated at the stage of photocatalytic reactor and its negligible trace was absorbed in humidifier so that it was not detected before biofilter process. The nitrate concentration of the process water from anoxic reactor was found lower by 3 ppm than that from fluidized aerobic reactor. Besides, the dissolved ammonia-nitrogen concentration of the process water from humidifier remained at the high value of 1,500-2,000 ppm, which may be attributed to the existence of ammonium chloride and other source of ammonium nitrogen.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.21-38
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• 2020

Currently, in-port emissions are a serious problem in port cities. However, emissions, especially non-greenhouse gases, from the operation of cargo handling equipment (CHE) have received significant attention from scientific circles. This study estimates the amount of emissions from on-land port diesel-powered CHE in the Port of Incheon. With real-time activity data provided by handling equipment operating companies, this research applies an activity-based approach to capture an up-to-date and reliable diesel-powered CHE emissions inventory during 2017. As a result, 105.6 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), 243.2 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), 0.005 tons of sulfur oxide (Sox), 22.8 tons of particulate matter (PM), 26.0 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and 0.2 tons of ammonia (NH3) were released from the landside CHE operation. CO and NOx emissions are the two primary air pollutants from the CHE operation in the Port of Incheon, contributing 87.71% of the total amount of emissions. Cranes, forklifts, tractors, and loaders are the four major sources of pollution in the Port of Incheon, contributing 84.79% of the total in-port CHE emissions. Backward diesel-powered machines equipped in these CHE are identified as a key cause of pollution. Therefore, this estimation emphasizes the significant contribution of diesel CHE to port air pollution and suggests the following green policies should be applied: (1) replacement of old diesel powered CHE by new liquefied natural gas and electric equipment; (2) the use of NOx reduction after-treatment technologies, such as selective catalytic reduction in local ports. In addition, a systematic official national emission inventory preparation method and consecutive annual in-port CHE emission inventories are recommended to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of green policies conducted in the future.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2011

The energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs (Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells) is dependent on the powder size, the structure, and the morphology of $TiO_2$ electrode. The higher efficiency is obtained with high surface area of the nanoanatase-$TiO_2$ powder adsorbed onto a lot more of the dye. Also, the enhancement of light scattering increases the efficiency with high adsorption of the dye. Powder size, crystalline phase, and shape of $TiO_2$ obtained by hydrothermal method have 15-20 nm, anatase and round. $TiO_2$ electrode has fabricated with the mixture of scattering $TiO_2$ particle with 0.4 ${\mu}m$ in nano-sized powder. Conversion efficiency of series of DSSCs was measured with volume fraction of scattering particle. Photovoltaic characteristics of DSSCs with 10% scattering particles are 3.51 mA for Jsc (short circuit current), 0.79 V for Voc(open circuit potential), filling factor 0.619 and 6.86% for efficiency. Jsc was improved by 11% and enhancement of efficiency by 0.77% compared with that of no scattering particles. The confinement of inserted light by light scattering particles has more increase of the injection of exiton(electron-hole pair) and decrease of moving path in electron. Efficiencies of DSSCs with more than 10% for scattering particles have reduced with increasing the pore in the $TiO_2$ electrode.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.150-158
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• 2020

Objective: This study is designed to measure the concentration of DBPs (disinfection by-products) in pool water and in air and to estimate the carcinogenic potential through the evaluation of inhalation exposure. Methods: The subjects were six indoor swimming pools with many users in Gwangju. Samples of pool water and indoor air were taken every one month from August 2018 to August 2019 and analyzed for eight swimming pool standards. Three-liter air samples were collected and the VOCs were analyzed using GC/MS directly connected to thermal desorption. Results: pH was 6.8-7.5 and the concentration of free residual chlorine in pool water was 0.40-0.96 ?/ℓ. Physicochemical test items such as KMnO₄ consumption and heavy metal items such as Aluminum met existing pool hygiene standards. No VOC materials were detected except for the DBPs. The concentration of THMs in the pool water was 11.05-41.77 ㎍/L and the THMs mainly consist of Chloroform (63-97%) and BDCM (3-31%). The concentration of indoor air THMs is 13.24-32.48 ㎍/㎥ and consists of Chloroform. The results of carcinogenic assessment of chloroform in the indoor swimming pool via inhalation exposure were 2.0 to 6.4 times higher than the 'acceptable risk level' suggested by the US EPA. Conclusions: The concentration of THMs in the pool water is 11.05-41.77 ㎍/L, most of which is chloroform. In addition, the concentration of indoor air THMs is 13.24-32.48 ㎍/㎥. The result of carcinogenic assessment of chloroform was 2.0 to 6.4 times higher than the 'acceptable risk level' suggested by the US EPA.