2020년 6월 여름철 중위도 동아시아 지역의 온난화가 PM2.5 에어로졸의 생성기작에 미치는 영향을 WRF-Chem 모델에 기상과 기후 입력 자료를 적용하여 산출한 PM2.5 에어로졸 아노말리를 통해 분석하였다. 30년(1991-2020년) 동 안 동아시아 지역의 10년 단위 기온 변화 경향은 최근에 겨울보다는 여름에 온난화가 더 커지는 것으로 나타나고 있다. 동아시아 지역의 여름철 온난화는 중국 내륙의 대류권 하층에서는 저기압, 대류권 상층에서는 고기압을 발생시키고 있 었다. 대류권 하층 저기압과 상층 고기압의 경계가 티베트고원으로부터 한국으로 낮아지는 지형을 따라 경사져 분포하 고 있었다. 중국 동부-황해-한국의 지역에는 저기압과 더불어 북서 태평양 고기압의 발달로 동중국해로부터 온난 다습한 남서 기류가 수렴하고 있었다. 한국에서는 1973년 이래로 6월 중에는 2020년에 가장 높은 기온이 관측되었다. 한편 동아시아 지역에서 강화된 온난화는 중국 동부지역으로부터 한반도로 장거리를 이동하는 PM2.5 에어로졸의 생성을 증 가시키고 있었다. WRF-Chem (Weather Research Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry) 모델에 배출량의 변동은 고려하지 않고, 기상 및 기후 입력장(1991-2020년)만을 적용하여 산출한 PM2.5 아노말리는 중국 동부지역으로부터 황해 와 한국, 그리고 북서 태평양 지역에 걸쳐 양(+)으로 분포하고 있었다. 따라서, 2020년 6월 동아시아 지역에서 PM2.5 질량 농도에 대한 온난화 기여도는 50% 이상이었다. 특히 PM2.5 에어로졸이 중국 동부로부터 황해를 거쳐 한국으로 장 거리 수송되는 과정에서 온난 다습한 남서 기류에 의해 황산염은 습식세정 되고 있지만 질산염은 생성이 촉진되고 있 었다.

Metal waste generated during the dismantling of a nuclear power plant can be contaminated with radionuclides. In general, the internal structure is very complex. Thus, metal waste requires various cutting processes. When metal waste is cut, aerosols are generated. Aerosols are generally various particles of very small size suspended in the working area and remain for a considerable period. This may cause internal exposure of workers due to inhalation of radioactive aerosols generated when cutting radioactive metal waste. This study investigated various cutting processes and the size distribution of aerosols generated during the cutting process. The cutting process is normally classified into thermal cutting, mechanical cutting, and laser cutting. Thermal cutting includes plasma, flame, and oxygen cutting. Mechanical cutting includes mechanical saws, cutters, nibblers, and abrasive water jets. Stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and copper are commonly used as cutting materials in nuclear power plants. The size of the aerosol generated from cutting showed a very diverse distribution depending on the cutting methods and cutting materials. In general, aerosol size is distributed within 0.1-1 μm. This size distribution is different from the 5 μm aerosol size suggested by the ICRP Publication 66 Lung model. These results show that it is necessary to conduct further studies on the size of aerosols generated when decommissioning nuclear power plants.

When decommissioning a nuclear power plant, the structure must be made to a disposable size. In general, the cutting process is essential when dismantling a nuclear power plant. Mainly, thermal cutting method is used to cutting metal structures. The aerosols generated during thermal cutting have a size distribution of less than 1 μm. The contaminated structures are able to generate radioactive aerosols in the decommissioning. Radioactive aerosols of 1 μm or less are deposited in the respiratory tract by workers’ breathing, causing the possibility of internal exposure. Therefore, workers must be protected from the risk of exposure to radioactive aerosols. Prior knowledge of aerosols generated during metal cutting is important to ensure worker safety. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of the aerosol were evaluated by measuring the number and mass concentrations of aerosols generated when cutting SUS304 and SA508 using the laser cutting method. High-resolution aerosol measuring equipment (HR-ELPI+, DEKATI) was used to measure the concentration of aerosols. The HR-ELPI+ is an impactor-type aerosol measuring equipment that measures the aerosol number concentration distribution in the aerodynamic diameter range of 6 nm to 10 um in real-time. And analyze the mass concentration of the aerosol according to the diameter range through the impactor. ICP-MS was used for elemental mass concentration analysis in the aerosol. Analytical elements were Fe, Cr, Ni and Mn. For the evaluation of physical and chemical properties, the MMAD of each element and CMAD were calculated in the aerosol distribution. Under the same cutting conditions, it was confirmed that the number concentration of aerosols generated from both materials had a uni-modal distribution with a peak around 0.1 um. CMAD was calculated to be 0.072 um for both SUS304 and SA508. The trend of the CMAD calculation results is the same even when the cutting conditions are changed. In the case of MMAD, it was confirmed that SUS304 had an MMAD of around 0.1 μm in size for only Fe, Cr and Mn. And SA508, Fe, Cr, Ni and Mn were all confirmed to have MMAD around 0.1 μm in size. The results of this study show that a lot of aerosols in the range of less than 1 μm, especially around 0.1 μm in size, are generated when metal is cut using laser cutting. Therefore, in order to protect the internal exposure of workers to laser metal cutting when decommissioning NPPs, it is necessary to protect from nano-sized aerosols beyond micron size.

Since people spend more than 85% of their time indoors, understanding indoor aerosol behavior is important in order to protect human health against aerosol exposure. In this article, exposure, behavior, and control technologies for indoor aerosols are addressed. Previous studies conducted in Korea during the period from 2004 to 2016 were reviewed. Most studies were focused on field surveys of PM10 concentration in public facilities regulated by law. More fundamental studies are needed in order to control indoor aerosols effectively due to the fact that Korea has different building structures and lifestyles compared with western countries.

Conidia of molds within the Asian dust were captured in the ambient air of mid-west Korea, in springtime of 2000~2002. An eight-stage Cascade impactor and 0.22 μm pore size membrane filters were used for the dust samples. Several kinds of mol

Measurements on mass size distribution of roadside aerosols were obtained in downtown Jeju City from July 2018 to May 2020 using an 8-stage cascade impactor sampler and the compositions of aerosols were analyzed. The mass size distribution of total aerosols was bimodal with aerosols existing in both the fine and coarse modes. The mass size distributions of Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, NH4 + and SO4 2- were unimodal, whereas that of K+ was bimodal. For NO3 -, the size distribution in winter and spring was bimodal with the peaks in both fine and coarse modes, whereas for summer and autumn the distribution was unimodal with a peak in the coarse mode. NH4 + was found to co-exist with SO4 2- in the fine mode with an average molar ratio of [NH4 +]/[SO4 2-] equal to 2.05. Good correlation was observed between NO3 - and NH4 + in the fine mode particles in spring and winter. Based on the value of the marine enrichment factor for Cl-, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+ and SO4 2-, it may be inferred that a major part of the roadside aerosols in downtown Jeju City was largely contributed by terrigenous sources, although the influence of sea salt was normally present.

Atmospheric particulate matters were collected by 8-stage non viable cascade impactor from October 2002 to August at Jeju City. Eight water-soluble ionic components (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, NO3- and SO42-) were analyzed by Ion Chromatography. The concentration of particulate matters and eight water-soluble ionic components were determined to investigate their size distributions. Particulate matters exhibited a tri-modal distribution with peak value around 0.9, 4.0㎛ and 9.5㎛. In summer, the last peak value was lower than other season values likely due to particulate matter scavenged by rain water. Four ionic components (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl-) exhibited a bi-modal distribution in the coarse mode whereas three ionic components (NH4+, K+ and SO42-) in the fine mode, with maximum peak value around 0.9㎛. NO3- was found in both the coarse and the fine mode. The enrichment factor (E.F.) of each ionic components was calculated. Based upon E.F., it is considered that Na+, Cl-, and K+ in coarse paricle mode were delivered form oceanic source, but other components might have other source origins.

To estimate the residence times of aerosols in air, the activities of 210Pb and 210Po in aerosols were measured at 4 sites in Pusan. All aerosol samples were collected by a high volume air sampler from January to October 1996. The activities 210Pb and 210Po in Pusan were varied from 11.77 to 67.57 dpm/1000㎥ and from 2.63 to 15.91 dpm/1000㎥, respectively. The mean activities were 34.62 dpm/1000㎥ for 210Pb and 8.24 dpm/1000㎥ for 210Po. The highest values of the activities of 210Pb and 210Po were appeared at P3 site and the lowest values at P4 site. During the sampling period, the trends of the activities of 210Po and 210Pb were similar to total suspended particulate matter(TSP) concentrations. The mean residence times of atmospheric aerosols calculated from 210Po/210Pb activity ratio was about 60∼80 days in Pusan. The longest residence time of atmospheric aerosols was in January because of the lack of rainout and washout, but the shortest residence time was in August, largely due to scavenging effect by frequent rains. The activities of 210Po and 210Pb in atmospheric aerosols were different in time and space, which seems that the distribution of 210Po and 210Pb activities and scavenging processes in air may be controlled by the local and meteorological conditions.

Chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols was measured at 4 sites in Pusan. All the samples were collected with a high volume air sampler from January to October 1996, to analyze major ions and heavy metals. Dominant ions of aerosols were SO42- in anion and Na+ in cation. Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium ions in aerosols showed high enrichmentfactor to soil and seawater composition. The concentrations of heavy metals in aerosols was lowest at the site P1 near the coast. The lowest concentrations of major ions and heavy metals mainly appeared in August, probably due to scavenging by frequent rains. Especially, the concentrations of total suspended particulate matter(TSP) and heavy metals in aerosols showed good correlations in Pusan. Based on crustal Al, enrichment factors for some metals(Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd) in aerosols were significantly greater than unity, and the order was Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu. This evidence suggests that Cd and Pb are derived predominantly from non-crustal sources.