Health concerns related to particulate matter (PM) pollution are on the rise globally. This study investigates the effects of the main components of PM on human airway epithelial cells (Calu-3), focusing on three distinct types: PM10-bound PAHs (including Benzo[a]anthracene and Benzo[b]fluoranthene), PM10-bound trace elements (containing arsenic and lead), and PM2.5-bound ions (comprising sodium and calcium). Calu-3 cells were exposed to these PM components at concentrations ranging from 2 to 100 μg/mL. Unexposed Calu-3 cells exhibited a 60% increase in metabolic activity after 12 hours. In contrast, exposure to PM components resulted in significant reductions in cell viability, with PM10-bound PAHs and PM10-bound trace elements causing decreases of 54% and 55% respectively, and PM2.5-bound ions leading to a 63% reduction at 100 μg/mL. Additionally, there was found to be a notable rise in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-8 and TNF-α. Specifically, IL-8 levels increased by 456%, and TNF-α levels rose by 660% after 12 hours of exposure to PM2.5-bound ions. These findings indicate that the size and composition of fine dust particles play a critical role in their cytotoxic effects, contributing to increased cell death, membrane damage, and necrosis in airway epithelial cells.

In this study, hybrid devices were developed to simultaneously remove odor and particulate matter (PM) emitted during meat grilling, and their performance was evaluated. A ceramic filter system and surfactant microbubble plasma system were used to reduce particulate matter. For odor reduction, an electro-oxidation system, an ozone-active catalytic oxidation system, and a multi-adsorption filter system were used. By combining the above particulate matter reduction and odor reduction devices, the reduction efficiency of odor and particulate matter generated during meat grilling was analyzed. As a result, most of the six combined device conditions showed a reduction efficiency of more than 90% for particulate matter. The combined odor also showed a high reduction efficiency of less than 200 times the emission concentration standard. This study also evaluated 22 types of odorous substances, of which ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) showed removal efficiencies of more than 99%. Therefore, it is expected that the combination of these technologies can be used and applied directly to the sites where meat grilling restaurants are located to effectively contribute to the simultaneous reduction of particulate matter and odor.

This study investigates the influence of particulate matter concentrations on the incidence of asthma, focusing on the delayed onset of symptoms and subsequent medical consultations. Analysis incorporates a four-day lag from the initiation of fine dust exposure and compares asthma patterns before and after the World Health Organization's (WHO) classification of fine dust as a Group 1 carcinogen in November 2013. Utilizing daily PM10 data and asthma-related medical visit counts in Seoul from 2008 to 2016, the study additionally incorporates Google search frequencies and newspaper article counts on fine dust to assess public awareness. Results reveal a surge in search frequencies and article publications after WHO announcement, indicating heightened public interest. To standardize the long-term asthma occurrence trend, the daily asthma patient numbers are ratio-adjusted based on annual averages. The analysis uncovers an increase in asthma medical visits 2 to 3 days after fine dust events. Additionally, greater public awareness of fine dust hazards correlates with a significant reduction in asthma occurrence after such events, even within 'normal' fine dust concentrations. Notably, behavioral changes, like limiting outdoor activities, contribute to this decrease. This study highlights the importance of analyzing accumulated medical data over an extended period to identify general public behavioral patterns, deviating from conventional survey methods in social sciences. Future research aims to extend data collection beyond 2016, exploring recent trends and considering the potential impact of decreased fine dust awareness amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

시설 재배 시, 미세먼지의 잦은 발생은 피복재의 광투과율을 감소시키고 이는 작물의 생육에 간접적인 영 향을 미칠 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 미세먼지 발생에 따른 폴리에틸렌(PE)과 폴리올레핀(PO) 필름의 광투과율 변화 를 조사하고, 피복재의 광투과율 감소에 따른 봄철 재배 오이의 생육 변화를 확인하였다. 미세먼지 발생 챔버를 이 용하여 PE와 PO 필름을 지속적으로 미세먼지에 노출시켰을 때, PE 필름에서 미세먼지 발생에 의한 광투과율 감소 가 PO 필름보다 크게 나타났다. PE 필름에 인위적으로 먼지를 부착시켜서 대조구 대비 10, 20 및 30% 광투과율 감 소 처리구를 설정한 후 오이를 재배하였을 때, 3월 말 이후 재배 후반기에서의 오이 생육은 광투과율 감소 처리구에 서 증가하였으나, 누적 수확량은 대조구에서 가장 높았다. 봄철 오이 재배에서 미세먼지 발생에 의한 광투과율 감 소는 3월 말 이후 시설 내 고온 노출에 의한 생육 지연을 줄일 수 있었으나, 전 생육 기간 동안의 광투과율 감소는 입 사광량의 감소 및 광합성의 저하로 오이의 총 수확량을 감소시켰다.

PURPOSES : In this study, a model was developed to estimate the concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in expressway tunnel sections. METHODS : A statistical model was constructed by collecting data on particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), weather, environment, and traffic volume in the tunnel section. The model was developed after accurately analyzing the factors influencing the PM concentration. RESULTS : A machine learning-based PM concentration estimation model was developed. Three models, namely linear regression, convolutional neural network, and random forest models, were compared, and the random forest model was proposed as the best model. CONCLUSIONS : The evaluation revealed that the random forest model displayed the least error in the concentration estimation model for (PM2.5 and PM10) in all tunnel section cases. In addition, a practical application plan for the model developed in this study is proposed.

PURPOSES : The increase in particulate matter due to increased air pollutant emissions has become a significant social issue. According to the Ministry of Environment, air pollutants emitted from large-scale businesses in 2022 increased by 12.2% compared to the previous year, indicating that air pollution is accelerating owing to excessive industrialization. In this study, TiO2, which is used to reduce airborne particulate, was used. The TiO2 coating fixation and dynamic pressure coating-type TiO2 fixation methods were used to solve the material peeling phenomenon caused by gravity, which is a limitation when the TiO2 penetration method is applied to a vertical concrete structure along the road. The long-term durability and performance were analyzed through environmental resistance and NOx removal efficiency evaluation experiments. These analyses were then assessed by comparing the NOx removal efficiency with the dynamic pressure permeationtype TiO2 fixation method used in previous studies. METHODS : To evaluate the long-term durability and performance of the TiO2 coating fixation method and dynamic pressure coating TiO2 fixation method for vertical concrete structures, specimens were manufactured based on roadside vertical concrete structures. Environmental resistance tests such as the surface peeling resistance test (ASTM C 672) and freeze-thaw resistance test (KS F 2456) were conducted to evaluate the long-term durability. To evaluate the long-term performance, the NOx removal efficiency of TiO2 concrete owing to road surface deterioration during the environmental resistance test was evaluated using the NOx removal efficiency evaluation equipment based on the ISO 22197-1 standard. This evaluation was compared and analyzed using the dynamic pressure infiltration TiO2 fixation method. RESULTS : The long-term durability of the TiO2 coating fixation and dynamic pressure coating TiO2 fixation methods were evaluated using environmental resistance tests. During the surface peeling resistance test, the TiO2 material degraded and partially detached from the concrete. However, the NOx removal efficiency was ensured by the non-deteriorated and fixed TiO2 material. The long-term performance was confirmed through a freeze-thaw resistance test to evaluate the NOx removal efficiency after 300 cycles of surface deterioration. The results showed that when the TiO2 coating fixation and dynamic pressure infiltration TiO2 fixation methods were applied to vertical concrete structures, the durability of the structure was not compromised. In comparison to the dynamic pressure infiltration TiO2 fixation method, the NOx removal efficiency observed during the surface peeling resistance test was lower, while the freeze-thaw test exhibited notably higher removal efficiency. CONCLUSIONS : To solve the material peeling phenomenon caused by gravity, the long-term durability and performance were evaluated by applying the TiO2 coating fixation and dynamic pressurized coating TiO2 fixation methods to vertical concrete specimens. Long-term durability was confirmed through environmental resistance tests, and long-term utility was secured by measuring the NOx removal efficiency according to surface degradation. These findings show that implementing the TiO2 coating fixation method and dynamic pressure coating TiO2 fixation methods on-site effectively reduce NOx.

선박용 엔진에서 배출되는 배기가스에는 다량의 수분과 미세먼지를 포함하고 있다. 미세먼지에는 여과성 미세먼지와 배기 배 출 후 액상으로 변화하는 응축성 미세먼지가 포함되어 있으며 배출 전에 걸러지는 고체상 미세먼지보다 응축성 미세먼지가 더 많은 것으 로 보고되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 배기가스의 배기열과 수분을 회수하고 응축성 미세먼지를 제거하기 위한 실험장치를 실험실 내의 가스 보일러 배기가스를 이용하여 테스트 하였다. 배기가스는 1차적으로 냉각방식으로 수분과 응축성 미세먼지가 제거되고 2차적으로 흡수제 방식에 의해 추가적으로 수분이 제거되었다. 상대습도 측정에 의한 배기가스 수분 제거율을 계산하면 1단계 배기냉각 방식으로 73%, 2단 계 흡수제 방식으로 90% 제거되는 것으로 측정되었다. 이 과정에서 응축성 미세먼지는 80~90% 제거되는 것으로 측정되었다. 개발 시스템 에 의해 회수된 열은 공정열로 활용할 수 있으며, 회수된 물은 수처리 과정을 통해 공정수로 활용할 수 있다. 또한 현재 관리 규제가 되고 있지 않지만 미세먼지의 주요 원인인 응축성 미세먼지를 효과적으로 제거할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

목적 : 미세먼지가 젊은층과 노년층의 눈물막에 영향을 미치는지 알아보고자 미세먼지 농도 수준에 따라 눈물의 양, 안정성 및 지질층 두께 변화를 평가하였다. 방법 : 안질환이 없는 20대와 60대 각각 25명(총 50명)이 참석하였고, 한국환경공단에서 제공된 미세먼지 좋 음 수준(0~30 ㎍/m³)과 나쁨 수준(51~100 ㎍/m³)에서 각각 이들을 대상으로 눈물 검사를 하였다. 눈물양은 OCCUTUBE(OccuTech Co., Seongnam, Korea)로, 눈물막 안정성은 침습성눈물막파괴시간(TBUT), 비침습성 눈물막파괴시간(NIBUT)로 지질층 두께는 Lipiview® 로 평가하였으며, 건성안 관련 증상은 OSDI 설문지를 이용 하여 평가하였다. 미세먼지 수준에 따른 비교는 SPSS version 21.0(SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA)를 사용하여 분석하였다. 결과 : 젊은층과 노년층 모두 미세먼지 나쁨 수준인 날에서는 눈물의 양과 안정성이 미세먼지 좋음 수준인 날과 비교하여 유의하게 감소하였으나(p<0.050), 지질층 두께와 OSDI 설문값은 미세먼지 수준에 따라 젊은층과 노년층에서 모두 유의한 차이가 없었다. 미세먼지 농도가 증가할수록 OCCUTUBE 검사값과 TBUT 와 NIBUT는 감소하는 상관성을 보였으며, 노년층의 상관계수(r=0.35, p<0.001, r=0.47, p<0.001, r=0.52, p<0.001, respectively)가 젊은층의 상관계수(r=0.34, p<0.001, r=0.37, p<0.001, r=0.40, p<0.001, respectively)보다 다소 높았다. 결론 : 미세먼지는 젊은층과 노년층에의 눈물의 양과 안정성을 감소시켜 건성안 유발요인으로 작용할 것으로 사료된다.

In this study, the distribution characteristics of particulate matter (PM) in subway platforms were investigated, and the performance of hybrid filter systems was determined through the removal efficiency of PM according to various flow rates and filter structures. The hybrid filter systems were constructed in magnetic systems as (Magnet-Magnet (MM) filters and Magnet-Cascade (MC) filters). PM removal efficiencies of these filters were investigated at a subway platform for three days including weekdays and weekends. The compositions of collected PM were also analyzed. Based on the PM measurement in the subway platforms, it was confirmed that the operation of trains had a significant effect on the increase of PM concentration, and a large number of PMs were less than 1 μm in size. For the MC filter, the removal efficiency of PM1 based on the number of particles was up to 30.5%, demonstrating a relatively high removal efficiency in comparison with the MM filter. In terms of PM10, PM removal efficiencies of the MC filter with respect to the mass concentration and the number of particles were 48.3% and 14.5%, respectively. For the MC filter, it was found that the PM removal efficiency was enhanced with the increase in the flow rate. Moreover, the relatively large particle size PM (i.e., 7.5 μm - 10 μm) denoted a maximum removal efficiency of 97% in terms of the number of particles. All PMs collected by the filter were Fecontaining PMs. As a field experiment using the hybrid filter, the applicability of magnetic particle control technology was approved. Based on this result, it is expected that this study will be used as background research for the development of fine dust control technologies in a subway environment.

The Saemangeum has a dry surface characteristic with a low moisture content ratio due to the saline and silt soil, so the vegetation cover is low compared to other areas. In areas with low vegetation cover, wind erosion has a high probability of scattering dust. If the vegetation cover is increased by cultivating crops that can withstand the Saemangeum reclaimed environment, scattering dust can be reduced by reducing the flow rate at the bottom. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of suppressing the generation of fine dust and scattering dust by cultivating winter forage crops on the Saemangeum reclaimed land. While growing 0.5 ha of barley and 0.5 ha of triticale in Saemangeum reclaimed land, the concentration of fine dust was monitored according to agricultural work and growth stage. Changes in the concentrations of PM-10, PM-2.5, and PM-1.0 were monitored on the leeward, the windward and centering on the crop field. As a result of monitoring, PM-1.0 had little effect on crop cultivation. the concentration of PM-10 and PM-2.5 increased according to tillage and harvesting, and tillage had a higher increasing the concentration of PM-10 and PM-2.5 than that of harvesting. According to the growth stage of crops, the effect of suppressing scattering dust was shown, and the effect of suppressing scattering dust was higher in the heading stage than in the seedling stage. So, it was found that there was an effect of suppressing scattering dust other than the effect of land covering. Through this study, it was possible to know about the generation and suppression effect of scattering dust according to crop cultivation.

With the wide use of greenhouses, the working hours have been increasing inside the greenhouse for workers. In the closed ventilated greenhouse, the internal environment has less affected to external weather during making a suitable temperature for crop growth. Greenhouse workers are exposed to organic dust including soil dust, pollen, pesticide residues, microorganisms during tillage process, soil grading, fertilizing, and harvesting operations. Therefore, the health status and working environment exposed to workers should be considered inside the greenhouse. It is necessary to secure basic data on particulate matter (PM) concentrations in order to set up dust reduction and health safety plans. To understand the PM concentration of working environment in greenhouse, the PM concnentrations were monitored in the cut-rose and Hallabong greenhouses in terms of PM size, working type, and working period. Compare to no-work (move) period, a significant increase in PM concentration was found during tillage operation in Hallabong greenhouse by 4.94 times on TSP (total suspended particle), 2.71 times on PM-10 (particle size of 10 μm or larger), and 1.53 times on PM-2.5, respectively. During pruning operation in cut-rose greenhouse, TSP concentration was 7.4 times higher and PM-10 concentration was 3.2 times higher than during no-work period. As a result of analysis of PM contribution ratio by particle sizes, it was shown that PM-10 constitute the largest percentage. There was a significant difference in the PM concentration between work and no-work periods, and the concentration of PM during work was significant higher (p < 0.001). It was found that workers were generally exposed to a high level of dust concentration from 2.5 μm to 35.15 μm during tillage operation.

This study is to investigate the effect of material for GPF on the PM reduction characteristics before the improvement of filter efficiency in GPF. The material of GPF was changed to ceramic and metal. The ceramic material was applied to SiC, and the metal materials were employed to STS 310s, STS 316s, and STS 410s. The number of honeycomb and wall thickness were set to 200CPSI, 0.3987mm, respectively. The inlet mass flow was fixed at 0.00695kg/s. The inlet air temperature was changed from 500K(0s∼350s) to 1000K(400s∼900s). It was found that the differences in loading amount according to the GPF materials were difficult to observe because the pore density and porosity were set to be the same to affect only the mechanical properties. STS 310s with the highest temperature value had the fastest regeneration time. However, as time goes on, SiC had the highest regeneration rate characteristics. The reason is that the high-temperature region in the GPF by the high-temperature exhaust gas was rapidly transferred toward the outlet due to the high thermal conductivity of SiC.

Indoor air quality management is essential for a healthy life. However, it is difficult to perceive, detect, and monitor the level of indoor air pollution and this means that it is possible to be exposed to more pollution indoors than outdoors. In this study, in order to derive effective indoor air quality management measures, public perceptions and behavioral characteristics regarding indoor particulate matter and air quality management methods were investigated through a survey of 1,000 people. Based on the survey, it was found that most of the respondents had a negative perception of the indoor air quality of their residence, and natural ventilation was the most used method for indoor air quality management. Although the frequency of use of air quality management devices such as air purifiers and mechanical ventilation systems was relatively low, their effect regarding air quality management was positively perceived. In particular, the results of survey indicated that respondents of families which included members with fragile health engaged in more active behavior regarding in indoor air quality management than those respondents whose family members had no health issues and that the former have used air quality management devices more frequently. Therefore, it is necessary to develop proper guidelines to encourage more people to actively participate in improving indoor air quality.

PURPOSES : High concentrations of particulate matter (PM) are emitted or generated from vehicle emissions in urban roads with dense transient populations. To reduce the effect of PM emission on bus stop users at roadsides, a plan to reduce PM emitted from the roadside must be devised. In this study, an atmospheric environment at a roadside is simulated in a large-scale environment chamber, and a test for reducing PM around the bus stop is conducted by installing a bus stop adapted to a PM reduction system. METHODS : Exhaust gas is injected into the experimental and reference chambers using diesel and gasoline vehicles for roadside airquality simulations. The two vehicles are operated in an idle state without an acceleration operation to emit exhaust gas uniformly, and the initial conditions are achieved by injecting car emissions for approximately 40 min. The initial condition is set to 1 ppm of NOx concentration in the environment chamber. Between the two environment chambers, a bus stop adapted to the PM reduction system is installed in the experimental chamber to conduct a PM reduction experiment pertaining to the air quality around the roadside. The experimental progress is set as the start time of the experiment based on the time at which the initial conditions are achieved; simultaneously, the PM reduction system in the experimental chamber is operated. After the simulation is commenced, the PM concentration, which changes over time, is measured using a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) without additional injection of car emissions or pollutants. The HR-ToF-AMS measures the chemical composition of non-refractory PM1.0 (NR-PM1.0) in real time. RESULTS : The NR-PM1.0 compound (organic aerosol (OA), NO3 -, SO4 2-) increases by 160% compared with the simulated initial concentration up to T90min in both environmental chambers; this is speculated to be due to secondary formation. The reference chamber indicates a slight decrease or a steady-state after T90min, whereas the experimental chamber indicates a gradually decrease as the experiment progresses. The bus stop adapted to the PM reduction system reduces the amount of black carbon in the experimental chamber by 37% at 200 min. This implies that the PM emitted from the roadside is filtered via the PM reduction system installed at the bus stop, and cleaner air quality can be provided to passengers. CONCLUSIONS : The PM reduction system evaluated in this study can be detached from and attached to the outdoor billboard of a bus stop. Since it adopts air filtration technology that uses a high-efficiency particulate air filter, it can be maintained and managed easily. In addition, it can provide an atmospheric environment with reduced PM emission to passengers as well as provide a better air-quality condition to passengers waiting for public transportation near roadsides.

본 연구에서는 강화되는 황산화물 및 입자상물질의 배출규제를 만족시키기 위한 후처리장치로 습식전기집진기에 대한 실험적 연구를 수행하였다. 실험을 위해 선박용 중유(HFO, 황함유량 약 2.1%)를 연료로 사용하는 선박용 4행정 디젤엔진(STX-MAN B&W)을 활용 하였으며, 연돌에 설치된 습식전기집진기 입/출구에서 측정을 실시하였다. 미세먼지 측정을 위해서는 광학식 계측기(OPA-102) 및 중량농 도측정방식(Method 5 Isokinetic Train)을 이용하였으며, 황산화물 계측을 위해서는 FT-IR(DX-4000)을 사용하였다. 엔진부하는 50%, 75%, 100%로 변화시키면서 실험을 실시하였다. 실험 결과로, 엔진부하가 50%에서 100%로 변화함에 따라 미세먼지 저감 효율은 모든 부하 조건에서 94~98% 정도의 높은 저감 효율을 나타내었다. 추가적으로 습식전기집진기 퀜칭존에서 배기가스의 온도를 낮추는 과정 중 세정액에 의한 이산화황(SO2) 저감을 확인할 수 있었으며, 저감율은 엔진부하에 따라 55%~81%로 확인되었다.

도심 교통섬과 도시숲 내부에서 미세먼지 농도와 영향 인자를 조사하여 숲의 미세먼지 효과를 분석하였다. 서울시 동대문구 홍릉시험림(도시숲)과 동대문구 청량리역 교차로에 조성된 숲(교통섬)에서 미세먼지 농도를 2018년 1월부터 11월까지 광산란법 기기를 적용하여 측정하였다. 연구 기간 동안 도시숲과 교통섬의 PM10 평균농도는 12.5 ㎍/㎥, 15.7 ㎍/㎥으로 나타났으며, PM2.5의 평균농도는 6.6 ㎍/㎥, 6.9 ㎍/㎥으로 나타났다. 환경부 도시대기 측정망과 도시숲 의 농도를 비교해본 결과, PM10의 저감율은 도시숲에서 66.9±28.6%, 교통섬에서 58.6±44.1%로 나타났고, PM2.5의 경우 71.3±23.0%, 64.9±31.3%로 각각 나타났다. 미세먼지 저감율의 차이는 도시숲의 규모와 구조의 차이와 관련이 있을 것이며, 풍속은 저감 요인으로 판단된다.