Passengers on public buses operating in the metropolitan area are exposed to the closed indoor air for minutes to hours. The indoor air quality of buses is mostly controlled through ceiling-mounted ventilation and filtration devices. A simulation study using a commercial code was conducted for fluid flow analysis to evaluate the potential effectiveness of an air purifier that can be inserted into bus windows to supply clean air from the outside to the inside. As a result of field measurements, the average CO2 concentration inside the bus during morning and evening rush hours ranged from 2,106±309 ppm to 3,308 ± 255 ppm depending on the number of passengers on board. This exceeded the Guideline for Public Transportation. The optimal installation position of an air purifier appeared to be the front side of the bus. In fact, even a low diffusing flow velocity of 0.5m/s was effective enough to maintain a low concentration of CO2 throughout the indoor space. Based on numerical analysis predictions with 45 passengers on board, the maximum CO2 concentration in the breathing zone was 2,203 ppm with the operation of an air purifier.

Vulnerable populations in healthcare facilities are more sensitive to exposure to indoor air pollutants, and therefore are more affected by such pollutants than the general population. This was the underlying reason why studies of indoor air pollutant concentration distribution and health risk assessment have been conducted targeting facilities, such as daycare centers, medical facilities, elderly care facilities, and postnatal care centers. However, previous studies have mainly focused on daycare and medical facilities for their research, and relatively speaking, studies conducted on the other venues are lacking. Therefore, this study aims to present the current status of indoor air quality and perform a health risk assessment in regard to Formaldehyde exposure at postnatal care centers and elderly care facilities. Here, the study focused on facilities that had undergone pollution level inspections from January 2017 to December 2021. A total of 81 postnatal care centers and 48 elderly care facilities were selected as the subject of the study. Then, the study utilized concentrations of five elements (CO2, HCHO, PM10, PM2.5, TBC) to determine the status of indoor air quality of both postnatal care centers and elderly care facilities. For health risk assessment, HCHO concentration was used. The investigation demonstrated that the yearly average concentration of the five elements stood within the indoor air quality maintenance standards, and the ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 in the two types of facilities was distributed as high as about 70%. In addition, the study showed that HCHO and TBC demonstrated a positive correlation when the relationship between indoor temperature and humidity with the five elements was examined. The health risk assessment showed that the cancer risk level of postnatal care center users stood below 10-6, below the level that is perceived as an acceptable risk. The cancer risk of workers from both postnatal care centers and elderly care facilities and elderly care facility users exceeded the acceptable risk level of 10-6, but was shown to be below 10-4, the maximum acceptable risk.

Air curtains, blowing air streams across a doorway, were installed in trial trains on subway line 7 in 2021 and they have been operated with dust collectors to improve the air quality of subway trains. In this study, we investigated the effects of air curtains on the indoor air quality in the trial subway trains. The concentrations of PM2.5 and carbon dioxide in the four selected cabins were measured in the morning hours (e.g., 7:30–11:30 am including the morning rush hour). The measurements were conducted on February 26, March 31, April 30, and May 14, 2021 and air curtain (AC)s and dust collector (DC)s in the four cabins were operated differently on those measuring days. All devices were turned off in the control cabin and only ACs, only DCs, and both the ACs and DCs were turned on in the other three cabins, respectively. The 4-h-averaged PM2.5 concentrations in the cabins, where only ACs and only DCs are turned on, are lower than in the control cabin by 18% and 26%, respectively. In addition, the joint operation of ACs and DCs can decrease the PM2.5 concentration by up to 42%. The time series of PM2.5 concentrations, measured on April 30, illustrate again that ACs block the intrusion of outside particulate matters. The 4-h-averaged carbon dioxide concentrations in the four cabins do not show monotonic differences between the cabins because of the generation of carbon dioxides inside the cabins. When the weights of individual cars and thus the numbers of passengers are similar between the cabins, the carbon dioxide concentrations in the ACs-operated cabins are higher than in the control cabin. This indicates that ACs can block the outward emission of carbon dioxides and maybe other indoor air pollutants as well.

In this study, indoor air quality indices (IAQI-C and IAQI-E) were developed for child care centers and elderly care centers based on health effects, and compared to the air quality index (CAI) for outdoor atmosphere. In addition, composite indices that integrate individual indices for each pollutant were developed to quickly and conveniently recognize the current air quality. Among all data, 71.2% and 35.6% belonged to the grades 'Good' and 'Moderate' for child care centers and elderly care centers, respectively. This assessment is more stringent than the CAI's criteria.

This study was conducted to help manage total floating bacteria and fungi in the indoor air by studying the characteristics of total floating bacteria and fungi according to the indoor CO2 concentration of daycare centers. The sampling and analysis of samples was based on the indoor air quality process test method, and the result analysis was conducted using the SPSS statistical program to perform correlation and regression analysis. Correlation and regression results show that CO2 and total airborne bacteria showed positive relationships, but airborne mold did not show relevance. In addition, in order to identify factors affecting airborne mold, correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed regarding total airborne bacteria, PM10, PM2.5, HCHO, outdoor mold, I/O ratio, indoor temperature/ humidity, area per classroom and volume. The results showed that the factors affecting airborne mold were I/O ratio, outdoor airborne mold, and total airborne bacteria. Research results show that CO2 and total airborne bacteria can be reduced and controlled by natural ventilation, and in the case of airborne mold, mechanical forced ventilation such as hoods will be necessary due to the introduction of outdoor airborne mold. In addition, it is necessary to consider I/O ratio criteria in order to confirm effective indoor mold contamination, taking into account the effect of outdoor mold inflow.

In this paper, a survey on students’ perceptions of air pollution, particulate matter (PM) and indoor air quality (IAQ) in school classrooms was analyzed. A total of 174 students participated in the survey, where 127 and 47 participants were elementary school students and middle school students, respectively. The elementary school was located in a rural area of Korea, whereas the middle school was located in an urban area. The questionnaire of the survey was mainly composed of three parts: (1) students’ perceptions of air pollution, (2) students’ perceptions of IAQ in the classroom, and (3) students’ perceptions of how to improve IAQ in the classroom. Based on our study, the responses of the students for the given questionnaire showed an opposite tendency. The students in the rural area tended to have positive perceptions regarding IAQ in the classroom as well as air pollution, whereas the students in the urban area revealed negative perceptions for the same items. Our survey results can be used by school officials in order to maintain and improve IAQ in school classrooms based on the perceptions of the students.

National concerns about air pollution are growing. The importance of indoor air quality is emerging because people live in an indoor environment more than 90% of the day. In particular, the indoor air quality of schools needs to be managed as teenagers are vulnerable to environmental pollution. The government has designated the School Health Act in order to manage indoor air quality in schools. Air purifiers have been operated to improve indoor air quality in the classroom since 2018. In this study, we performed on-site evaluations in some classrooms, and then we proposed a plan for improving the air quality in the classroom. In this study, PM10, PM2.5, and CO2 in classrooms in Chungnam were measured to analyze the effect of air cleaner supply. A portable aerosol spectrometer (PAS, model 1.109, Grimm) and CO2 meter (TES 1370, TES) were used as measuring instruments. Schools A and B exceeded the recommended standards, while school C met the standards. The ratio of PM10, PM2.5 in classrooms A and B was 0.58 and 0.5, respectively. Correlation analysis was performed between indoor and outdoor pollutants to analyze the effects of particulate pollutants present in each classroom. First, the measured concentration of fine particles was classified according to/on the basis of factors that affect/influence the internal environment of the classroom. Then, fine dust concentrations measured at the same time as AQMS were classified with regard to the external factors. The gradients for each classroom were 1.57, 1.63, and 1.54, although there were differences in concentration, but they were relatively similar. It is necessary to develop and disseminate customized air purifiers considering the activity of the occupants of classrooms. It is important to consider the areas in which s tudents breathe when installing air purifiers in the classroom. In addition, follow-up management of air purifiers is an essential element. For efficient operation and management of indoor air quality, it is necessary to develop and disseminate standard manuals for air purifiers. It is proposed that an environmental manager should be deployed in schools to manage environmental issues. Standardization of air purifiers, management guidelines for standard manuals, and field support for environmental sheriffs should be established on a legal basis.

This study aimed to assess the pollution level in 13 crowded subway stations in an effort to understand the spatial and seasonal factors of Indoor Air Quality. The main measured items were particulate pollutants such as PM10 and PM2.5 and gaseous pollutants such as CO2, HCHO, Rn, TVOC, BTEX, and Styrene at concourses and platforms in the summer and winter periods. The influence of the draught created by the movement of the train was classified into lateral and island platforms, and the concentrations of PM by location (entrance, middle, and end) were statistically compared and analyzed. As a result, the concentrations of PM were confirmed high in the order of Platform > Concourse > Ambient air. In particular, in the case of platform PM10, the frequency exceeding the standard value (100 μg/m3) was 38.5% and the maximum concentration was 196.2 μg/m3. All gaseous pollutants were at lower levels than the standard, and the factors affecting CO2 and Rn were identified as the number of users and geological characteristics, respectively. The principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that PM was found to be a major indicator of the air quality management of subway stations. In particular, the concentrations at entrance and end areas in the lateral platform were about 1.4 times higher with regard to PM10 than in the middle area, and about 1.9 times higher with regard to PM2.5 due to the effect created by the draught produced by the movement of the train. Therefore, in order to manage PM in the platform area, a specialized management plan for places with particularly high PM concentration within the platform area is required. In addition, it is necessary to evaluate the effect created by the draught produced by train movement when selecting locations for measuring indoor air quality.

In this study, the effect of improving indoor air quality according to the installation of plants was evaluated in classrooms where students spend much time. The purpose was to prepare sustainable and eco-friendly measures to improve the indoor air quality of school classrooms. A middle school in Bucheon was selected as an experiment subject, and IAQ monitoring equipment based on IoT was installed to monitor indoor air quality. After measuring the basic background concentration, plants and air purifiers were installed and the effects of improving indoor air quality using plants and air purifiers were evaluated based on the collected big data. As a result of evaluating the effects of indoor air quality improvement on the installation of plants and air purifiers, the reduction rates of PM10 and PM2.5 in descending order were plant- and air purifier- installed classes, air purifier-installed classes, and plant-installed classes. CO2 levels were reduced in the classrooms with only plants, and increased in two classrooms with air purifiers. The increase in CO2 concentration in the classrooms with plants and air purifiers was lower than in those with only air purifiers.

The topic of indoor air quality has attracted great interest since urban dwellers spend over 90% of their time indoors, such as public facilities, public transport and homes. In this study, the changes and current status of indoor air quality management and improvement policies for public facilities in Korea were discussed. Furthermore, we investigated the concentration and contamination status of indoor air pollutants based on the indoor air quality guidance and inspection report from 2007-2017 published by the Ministry of Environment, Korea. As a result, we found that while the PM10 concentration in public facilities decreased consistently, there was no clear change in the CO2 concentration. The HCHO concentrations were high in museums, art galleries, and postpartum centers, etc. The child care centers showed a high concentration of TCB. In conclusion, we suggested that it is necessary to focus on target substances according to the type of facility to manage indoor air quality efficiently. Intensive management and monitoring are particularly needed in child care centers to improve the indoor air quality.

The purpose of this study is to provision the standard method for ensuring the reliability of measuring indoor air quality in public transportation. The objective is to determine the difference in the measured concentration values according to various conditions. These variables include measurement conditions, measurement equipment, measurement points, and measurement time. The value differences are determined by measuring the PM10 and CO2 concentration of subways, and express buses and trains, which are targets of indoor air quality management. The concentration of CO2 was measured by the NDIR method and that of PM10 was measured by the gravimetric method and light-scattering method. Statistically, the results of the concentration comparison according to the measurement points of the public transportation modes were not significantly different (p > 0.05), and it is deemed that the concentration is not affected by the measurement points. In terms of the concentration analysis results according to the measurement method, there was a difference of the concentration between the gravimetric and light scattering method. In the case of the light scattering method, the concentration differed depending on whether it was corrected with standard particles in the laboratory environment.

A survey on the indoor air quality of schools was conducted on a total of 10 schools in each location, such as industrial zones, roadside zones and clean zones of the Jeonbuk Province. Regardless of their location, 75% of the schools were not suitable to the environmental standard, and five schools were inadequate in both the first and the second half measurement results. Compared to the public facilities survey conducted by the Jeollabukdo Institute Health and Environment Research from 2008 to 2016, the concentration of CO2, total airborne bacteria (TAB), and PM10, with the exception of HCHO, was higher in school classrooms than in any other public facilities. The correlations between pollutants and test items demonstrated that total airborne bacteria (TAB) were significantly correlated with the degree of ventilation, and the PM10 was correlated with the cleaning status, respectively. Although the other test items of indoor air quality in the school were measured in the same way as the public facilities measurement methods, the PM10 is applied in accordance with the simplified method. In order to investigate the difference between the measurement methods, the results were compared at the same point at the same time. When comparing the concentrations of PM10, the gravimetric method, which is a public facilities measurement method, showed a significant difference from the light scattering method, which is a method of measuring PM10 in schools. By comparison, it was confirmed that the light scattering method was measured lower than the gravimetric method. The light scattering method is useful for confirming the change of the particulate matter, but it is considered difficult to judge the concentration of the particulate matter in the classroom by the instantaneous measurement because of the potential error caused by high humidity, etc. Secondary pollution ions were measured at 17.1% ~ 40.5% in the industrial zone schools, 7.4%~27.4% in the roadside zone schools and 8.1%~21.8% in the clean zone schools, The percentage of pollution ions were not clearly distinguished by location.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of shoe dust on the indoor environment, and the effectiveness of shoe dust control on indoor air quality. Test dust was resuspended to reach a mass concentration of particles (2.5-10 μm size) more than 3 times compared to background level, and 1.5 times for particles less than 1 μm in size. The shoes, which were used for actual walking purposes in the outdoor environment, increased indoor PM10 concentration by 118±9%. The removal of shoe dust by water washing and mechanical suction brought about an improvement of indoor air quality. In particular, in circumstances where 27 people walked for one hour into the indoor environment, the mechanical suction of shoe dust decreased PM10 concentration by about 17% (based on the mass balance analysis).

As indoor activities continue to increase, the importance of indoor air is emphasized. Moreover, children's activities are emphasized as being vulnerable. In this study, vocal organic compounds (VOCs) and CO2 in the indoor air were analyzed among children aged 4 to 7 years attending day care centers in Seoul. In the case of VOCs, the average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in an asthmatic home was 143.9 (μg/m3). The average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in the asthma and rhinitis home was 146.7 (μg/m3). In CO2, the average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in the asthmatic home was 665.9 (ppm). The average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in the asthma and rhinitis home was 695.9 (ppm). In this study, asthma symptoms increased as the concentration of indoor pollutants increased. Exposure of VOCs (μg/ m3) and CO2 (ppm) among environmental factors shows that respiratory symptoms such as asthma can be induced.

In this study, we measured the concentration of Particulate Matter(PM10), Formaldehyde(HCHO), and Total Bacteria Count (TBC) at two facilities: day care centers, and postnatal care centers located in the cities of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeolla and Gyeongsang from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015. PM10 concentration was similar to the day care centers and postnatal care centers. HCHO concentration was the highest in the postnatal care centers. TBC concentration was the highest in the day care centers. Comparing the different cities, PM10 concentration was the highest in Gyeonggi, HCHO concentration was the highest in Gyeonggi, and TBC concentration was the highest in Gyeonggi. As a result of HCHO's risk assessment, it was found that adults exceeded the carcinogenicity tolerance of 10−6 specified by the US EPA. This study is expected to be helpful in preventing damage to health from the contaminated indoor air at sensitive facilities, and can be used as basic data for indoor air quality management.

In this study, we investigate a seasonal underground market which is located under a semi-enclosed basement. Under such settings, there is difficulty in managing indoor air quality such as ventilation. Based on the result, we can improve the indoor air environment of the underground market. The underground market in Seoul was divided into four types according to its structural characteristics and the seasonal survey was conducted. In conclusion, we will develop a realistic improvement plan to improve the indoor air environment of the underground market by selecting the underground market through actual survey.

In this study, the homogeneity and stability of standard samples for proficiency testing in indoor air quality within the country (formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, styrene, TVOC) were evaluated. The procedures and statistical analysis methods applied in ISO/IEC 13528 (2009) and KS A ISO Guide 35 (2005) were applied as evaluation methods. The homogeneity evaluation was a statistical analysis of repeated measurements of each of the 11 ports and between the 11 ports concentration data. As a result, the coefficient of variation (CV) was within the range of 1.9%~5.9%. The difference between the ports was found to be insignificant and met the statistical standard specified in KS Q ISO 13528. The stability evaluation was assessed by the change in concentration over the long-term stability of the standard samples stored for 90 days. The coefficient of variation (CV), which was within the range of 2.6%~9.0%, exhibited changes in the concentration of the long-term stored standard samples. However, the results satisfy the statistical standard specified in KS A ISO Guide 35. Overall, there is no significant difference between the homogeneity of the standard samples by the port and the stability of the long-term stored samples. Therefore, it is considered to be an appropriate method to supply standard samples in an indoor air quality proficiency test.

As a result of the increasingly serious air pollution worldwide, there are many social costs in the country. In general, there are legal measures to improve air quality such as investment projects, input of public funds, attraction of private capital, and regulation of air pollution prevention. In this study, we propose future legislative policies through the following analysis on the status of various researches in domestic and foreign countries for the improvement of air quality and related legal system. The domestic indoor air quality is getting better through ongoing management. From a legal perspective, The air quality law, such as indoor air quality law and environmental law, has been continuously revised to improve indoor air quality. However, contrary to the air quality law, indoor air quality management is carried out by various related departments under current law. Due to the different management facilities and management standards of each ministry, the effectiveness of relevant laws is deteriorated in organically managing multi-use facilities. This may lead to confusion and may be an impediment to the effective achievement of the institution's objectives. The pollutants of interior space are one of the main causes not only building materials, but also office equipment such as computers. however, The pollutants to be managed under the current legislation are mainly limited to building materials. In addition, the criteria set for each pollutant have a problem that it depends on the after-regulation standard that is made after the pollutant is released from the pollutant source. There is a need for systematic analysis and research to prevent adverse effects that may occur due to pollution sources through the prevention system. It is time to change the direction of regulation-oriented policies and to make policy changes that can improve air quality through systems such as emission trading system..

While the air quality of public facilities such as daycare centers is managed by law, the management of air quality in residential buildings is not mandatory. For this reason, air quality in an apartments has not been well surveyed. In this study, we investigated the influence of cooking and ventilation on the indoor air quality in an apartment. Continuous measurements were performed using real-time monitoring instruments from June 9 to 17, 2014 in Seoul, Korea. A CO2 meter was used to measure CO2 concentration and temperature. A portable aerosol spectrometer (0.25-32 μm), a nanoparticle aerosol monitor (10-1,000 nm), and an aethalometer (total suspended particulate, black carbon) were also used. During the measurement period, ventilation and cooking activities were observed 8 and 10 times, respectively. In 5 of the observed cases, both activities were done simultaneously. During the ventilation, CO2 concentration and temperature were decreased; however, particle concentrations were increased. When cooking was done, particle concentration was increased in some cases; however, CO2 concentration and temperature were unchanged. Combined cased CO2 concentration and temperature were decreased and particle concentrations were increased.