본 연구는 Agastache 속 여러 종에서 국내 자생지 환경요건에 적합하면서 생육 및 기능성 물질 함량면에서 가장 최적의 종을 선정하고자 하였다. 첫째, 11종의 배초향(Agastache)속 종자를 구입하여 미국 농무성(USDA) 식물 내한성 지도(plant hardiness zone map) 및 국내 식물 내한성 지도를 참고하여 11종에서 생육 및 기능성 분석을 할 5종을 선정하였다. 둘째, 배초향(Agastache) 속 5개 품종인 A. cana, A. foeniculum, A. rugosa ‘Spike Blue’, A. rugosa ‘Spike Snow’, A. rupestris에 대해 초장, 엽장, 엽폭, 엽면적, 엽수, SPAD, 지상부 생체중 및 건물중, 지하부 생체중 및 건물중 등의 생육 분석을 실시하였다. 생육 분석 결과, A. rugosa SB 및 A. rugosa SS 종에서 전체적으로 균형 있게 높은 수치를 나타냄을 알 수 있어, 생육 부문에서는 A. rugosa 계통의 품종이 다른 품종에 비해서 유리하다고 볼 수 있다. 셋째, rosmarinic acid, tilianin, acacetin 성분에 대해 단위 중량당 함량 및 식물체 1중당 함량 등의 기능성물질 함량 분석을 실시하였다. 기능성 물질 분석 결과, A. rugosa 계통 종에서 기능성 물질 및 항산화물질 함량이 유의적으로 높았으며, 이는 생육 결과값과 정비례적인 연계성이 크다고 보여진다. 따라서, 배초향(Agastache)속 종에 대한 생육과 기능성 부분을 종합적으로 고려할 때, A. rugosa SS 및 A. rugosa SB 등 A. rugosa 계통이 가장 최적의 고부가가치 작물로 적합할 것이라고 판단된다.

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.

Smoking is a disservice to not only for smokers who smoke, but also for nonsmokers due to smoke or smell. In particular, smoking harms health by increasing the discomfort associated with the smell generated by burning the cigarette, and giving rise to lung injury or cancer caused by smoke inhalation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of various concentrations of nicotine, PM2.5, and heavy metals (As, Cr, Cd, Pb) generated by smoking according to the smoking intensity. When smokers smoked continuously, the amount of nicotine, PM2.5, Cr, and Cd produced by smoking increased proportionally and became statistically significant. However, As and Pb showed a different pattern from other materials, and the concentration increased by 2~3 times when 10 cigarettes were smoked. As for the change in PM2.5 for 12 hours immediately after smoking, about 70% of the particles were deposited on the floor or wall even in a sealed room where no ventilation was available, and the concentration naturally decreased. However, the remaining particles were found to remain in the air even though the time passed exceeded 12 hours.

Asthma is a chronic diseases that restricts the air passage ways and which is thought to be caused by several factors such as genetics, obesity, mVOC, air pollution, allergens, and fungi. Domestic information on fungi in the indoor air in the houses of asthma patients in the spring and fall is rarely available. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate fungal concentration and diversity. Air samples were collected from the houses of 6 asthma patient in April and October of 2017 located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Provinces using an impaction method. The average concentrations of suspended fungi in the indoor air at the houses of adult asthma patient in October exceeded the 500 CFU/m3 level recommended by the Enforcement Managements of the Indoor Air Quality Control Act. A total of 70 fungi were isolated and identified. Four genera and 11 species were from the April sampling and 10 genera and 27 species were from the October sampling. Among the identified fungi, five species, Arthrinium marii, Penicillium austrosinicum, Penicillium concavorugulosum, Penicillium exsudans and Penicillium johnkrugii were found to be unrecorded species in Korea. The known properties of all identified fungi and the morphological and molecular characteristics of the five unrecorded species were described.

Outdoor air pollution with particulate matter has become more severe in Korea. Ambient particle concentration affects the indoor environment through various routes through building envelopes. In this study, we investigated particle exposure in residential buildings. Indoor and outdoor particle sources determined the indoor concentrations and particle exposure. This paper measured indoor particles and CO2 concentrations in two different apartment buildings and conducted the survey for 24 hours. The I/O ratio of the occupant awake period was higher than the asleep period. The I/O ratio in the awake period is 0.93-3.65, while the I/O ratio in the asleep period is 0.31- 0.76.Indoor peak events such as cooking or cleaning temporarily increase the I/O ratio and emit the indoor particle sources. Decay rate constant is 0.49-6.84 (1/h) in the indoor peak events during the operation of the exhaust hood and natural ventilation. The size range of 0.3-0.5 μm size is over half for the proportions of emitted particles (55.6%). Daily exposure is divided into indoor sources (45.2%) and outdoor sources (54.8%). We found the differences for the proportion of particle exposure. The ratio of daily exposure in particles for 0.3-0.5 μm size is 43.1 (indoor)/ 56.9 (outdoor) %. However, indoor sources are higher than outdoor sources for the ratio of daily exposure in particles for the 0.5-10.0 μm size.

The goal of this study was to measure the indoor and outdoor fine and ultrafine particulate matter concentrations (PM10, PM1.0) of some houses in Yeosu and in S university in Asan from March to September 2018. PM10 concentration in indoor air in Yeosu area was 18.25 μg/m3, while for outdoor air it was 14.53 μg/m3. PM1.0 concentration in indoor air in the Asan area was 1.70 μg/m3, while for outdoor air it was 1.76 μg/m3, showing a similar trend. Heavy metal concentrations in the Yeosu region were the highest, at Mn 2.81 μg/m3, Cr 1.30 μg/ m3, and Ni 1.11 μg/m3 indoors. Outside, similar concentrations were found, at Cr 3.44 μg/m3, Mn, 2.60 μg/m3, and Ni 1.71 μg/m3. Our analysis of indoor and outdoor PM concentrations in the Asan region, which was carried out using the MOUDI (Micro-orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor) technique, found that PM concentration is related to each particle size concentration, as the concentration of 18 μm and 18-10 μm inside tends to increase by 3.2- 1.8 μm and 0.56-0.32 μm.

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 LBS(Location Based Service) technology plays an important role in reducing wastes of time, losses of human lives and economic losses by detecting the user's location in order by suggesting the optimal evacuation route of the users in case of safety accidents. We developed an algorithm to estimate indoor location, movement path and indoor location changes of smart phone users based on the built-in sensors of smartphones and the dead-reckoning algorithm for pedestrians without a connection with smart devices such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Furthermore, seven different indoor movement scenarios were selected to measure the performance of this algorithm and the accuracy of the indoor location estimation was measured by comparing the actual movement route and the algorithm results of the experimenter(pedestrian) who performed the indoor movement. The experimental result showed that this algorithm had an average accuracy of 95.0%.

This study was performed to determine the effects of soil and building materials on indoor radon concentration. Short-term measurements were made in the underground soil of a building along with the radon emanation rates from the phosphogypsum board used as the interior wall. The radon measurements in the soil were 9,213 Bq/m3 in the B3 level, and 3,765 Bq/m3 in the B4 level. Soil radon concentration in the B4 level was 2.4 times higher than in the B3 level. Indoor radon measurements in 50 different locations in the underground of the building, averaged from 144.3 Bq/m3 (B1), 177.0 Bq/m3 (B2), and 189.2 Bq/m3 (B3) to a high of 210.1 Bq/m3 (B4). Indoor radon concentration was increased from the lower level to the upper level. The radon emanation rates from phosphogypsum were 4,234.1 mBq/m2/h and, 450.4 mBq/kg/h. The measurement results indicated that the phosphogypsum board used as building materials as well as the soil could affect the indoor radon concentration.

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, indoor radon concentrations were measured in 56 multiple-use facilities located in Gwangju area from December 2017 to December 2018. The average indoor radon concentration in underground space was 51.70 Bq/m3, and that of the 1st floor was 38.73 Bq/m3, indicating that the indoor radon concentration of underground space was higher than that of the 1st floor. The indoor radon concentration was investigated according to the presence or absence of underground space. The concentration of radon on the 1st floor with underground space was 37.25 Bq/m3, and the concentration of radon on the ground floor without underground space was 47.94 Bq/m3. In the absence of underground space, indoor radon concentration was high. The indoor radon concentration of buildings over 30 years old was 87.26 Bq/m3, indicating a significantly higher indoor radon concentration compared to those of buildings less than 30 years old. The indoor radon concentration was investigated according to the operation of a ventilator. The indoor radon concentration of space without an operating ventilator was 52.17 Bq/m3, and that of space with a ventilator in operation for more than 8 hours per day was 36.31 Bq/m3. This result shows that the indoor radon concentration in the space with an operating ventilator is lower than the space where the ventilator is not in operation. The indoor radon concentration in the space with an operating ventilation system was lower than that on the same floor of the same building, and the indoor radon concentration of enclosed space was about 4.4 times higher than that of open space in the same building. In addition, the indoor radon concentration was measured according to the spatial features. The concentration of indoor radon of enclosed space was 64.76 Bq/m3, which is higher than those of an open space and an active space.

Fungus has been regulated as an air contaminant in indoor environments in Korea. To remove the contaminant, air purifiers have been used in houses. However, not much information on the status of fungal contamination in the indoor air of houses is available. The present study was carried out to investigate fungal concentration and species in the indoor air of houses using air purifiers in winter. The results of indoor air sampling of ten houses located in the cities of Incheon, Seoul, Hwaseong, and Gimpo showed that the level of fungi ranged from 9 CFU/ m3 to 782 CFU/m3. Eight out of ten houses showed a level of less than 165 CFU/m3 indicating that the fungal level is generally low. Only one house exceeded the Korean regulatory standard value of 500 CFU/m3. A total of 175 isolates were obtained and classified as three genera belonging to Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium. Among these three genera, 15 species including four Aspergillus spp., two Cladosporium spp., and nine Penicillium spp. were identified. Regarding the detection rate of the 15 identified fungal species, A. niger was the most detected species and followed by Cladosporium cladosporioides. Three to six species were present in the individual house that was investigated. Overall, our results showed that the level of fungal concentration and species diversity are low in the indoor air of houses that use air purifiers in winter.

Many air purifiers have been developed and released with increasing PM. In generally, the performance of air purifiers has been evaluated in the environment chamber by relevant standards. However, as there is a lack of information about air cleaning performance of air purifier in the living area, consumers have difficulty with product selection. In this study, five air purifiers were tested in apartments with different structures. In order to examine the effect of air purifiers, we assumed 3 cases such as inflow of pollutants from outdoors by ventilation, smoking patterns of residents, and cooking methods (e.g., frying fish). The evaluation results showed that the efficiency of air purifier products D and B of the 3-stage configuration (pre-filter + HEPA filter + activity carbon) was the best in most experiments. In the case of the ionizer type E product, the efficiency was very low and, at times, had increased the particulate matter indoors. Considering the cost-performance ratio, it is most reasonable to use an air purifier comprising a pre-filter and a HEPA filter without an additional configuration.

본 연구는 현대인들의 실내식물 기르기에 따른 삶의 질에 대한 관심도, 삶의 만족도 및 실내식물 기르기에 대한 인식을 알아보고자 국내 성인남녀 387명을 대상으로 설문조사를 진행하였다. 실내식물을 기르는 응답자들이 실내식물을 기르지 않는 응답자들에 비해 삶의 질에 대한 관심도, 삶의 만족도, 일반적인 식물 및 실내식물 관심도 모두 높은 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 삶의 질에 대한 관심도가 높을 수록 삶의 만족도, 식물 관심도, 실내식물 관심도가 높은 것으로 나타났다 (p<0.001). 실내식물을 기르는 사람들의 실내식물을 기르는 이유로는 그냥 식물을 좋아한다는 원인이 가장 높게 나타났으며, 쾌적한 실내환경 조성을 위해 기르는 기능적인 측면도 높은 요인으로 나타났다. 또한, 실내식물을 기를 때 일상 생활에 방해가 되지 않으면서도 실내 분위기를 아늑하고 좋게 만들어 주는 측면에서 실내식물 기르기 만족도가 높은 것으로 나타났다. 실내식물을 기르지 않는 응답자들의 기르지 않는 이유는 식물에 대한 재배 지식 및 경험 부족이 가장 큰 원인으로 나타났으며, 흙이나 식물을 만지는 것을 싫어하거나 식물에 대한 알레르기가 있어서 기르기를 꺼려하는 것은 아닌 것으로 나타났다. 실내식물 기르기에 상관 없이 실내식물의 쾌적한 실내환경 조성 및 실내 인테리어 효과에 대하여는 긍정적으로 인지하고 있었다. 실내식물을 기르고 있는 사람들의 향후 실내식물 기르기 의향은 실내식물을 기르지 않는 사람에 비해 높게 나타나, 실내식물을 길러본 경험이 없는 사람들의 가장 큰 문제는 재배 지식의 부재로 인한 경험 부족으로 판단되며, 이를 위해 향후 손쉬운 실내식물 기르기에 대한 교육 홍보가 필요할 것으로 보인다. 이는 현대의 새로운 트렌드로 주목받고 있는 ‘반려식물’ 관련 상품 개발과 원예교육 프로그램 개발을 통하여 실내식물 기르기에 대한 인식을 높이고, 국내 원예 산업의 확장을 가져올 것으로 기대할 수 있을 것이다.

In this study, 40 residents of the Gwangyang and Yeosu areas were assessed for their level of exposure to heavy metals (As, Cd, Ni) from April 2017 to June 2018. The aim was to understand the differences in levels of indoor exposure to heavy metals (As, Cd, Ni), and a health risk assessment was conducted to determine whether there was any fatal cause from carcinogenic elements. The mean concentrations of PM10 particles indoors were As 0.24 μg/m3, Cd 0.07 μg/m3, and Ni 0.89 μg/m3. The health risk assessment for the arsenic, cadmium, and nickel in indoor air confirmed that the mean values exceeded the cancer risk tolerances specified by the U.S. EPA, for As (males 3.07 × 10−4, females 3.35 × 10−4), Cd (males 3.83 × 10−5, females 4.18 × 10−5), and Ni (males 6.36 × 10−5, females 6.95 × 10−5).

Indoor Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are classified as known or possible toxicants and odorants. This study characterized VOC levels in 11 homes in an area in the capital of Seoul by using two different methods of VOCs sampling, which are the active sampling using a thermal sorption tube and the passive sampling using a diffusion sampler. When using the active sampling method, the total target VOC concentration ranged from 41.7 to 420.7 μg/ m3 (mean 230.4 μg/m3; median 221.8 μg/m3) during winter and 21.3 to 1,431.9 μg/m3 (mean 340.1 μg/m3; median 175.4 μg/m3) during summer. When using the passive method, 29.6 to 257.5 μg/m3 (mean 81.8 μg/m3; median 49.4 μg/m3) during winter and 1.2 to 5,131.1 μg/m3 (mean 1,758.8 μg/m3; median 1,375.1 μg/m3) during summer. Forty-nine VOCs were quantified and toluene showed the highest concentration regardless of the season and the sampling method studied. The distribution of VOCs was relatively varied by using the active method. However, it showed a low correlation with indoor environmental factors such as room temperature, humidity and ventilation time. The correlation between indoor environmental factors and VOCs were relatively high in the passive method. In particular, these characteristics were confirmed by principal component analysis.