As of 2014, 26.4% of the total regulated odor emission facilities are occupied by livestock facilities. The odor of pigs is 10.9 OU·m3 / min per pig, which generates 15-50 times higher odor than other livestock. It is also a major cause of livestock odor complaint. Livestock odor substance is mixed 169 kinds of ingredients, 30 of which can be detected as odor. It contains sulfur, volatile fatty acids, phenols and indoles, ammonia and volatile amines. In particular, odorous substances of phenols and indole derivatives not included in domestic designated odor substances have high odor contribution and are not well decomposed. Therefore, it is known that despite the use of the odor reducing agent having a high removal rate of ammonia and the like, the residue is long and causes continuous discomfort. The odor problem using physical and chemical methods can not be solved because it can not solve the fundamental problem if the animal odor is not decomposed or removed. In the anaerobic environment, the bacteria present in the manure may produce volatile organic compounds, which are the cause of the odor, and the odor may be generated, and some microorganisms decomposing the odor substances may reduce the odor. B. subtillis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, L. acidophillus, Enterococcus faecium, L. plantarum, B.coagulans, B. fermentum, B. thuringiensis, B. licheniormis, B. subtillis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophllus, L. fermentum, L. lactis, L. plantarum, L. casei, L. brevis, Streptococcus faecium, Clostridium butyricum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus niger, A. oryzae, and photosynthetic bacteria are used as odor-reducing microorganisms.

This paper is a review on the treatment of volatile organic compounds using absorbents. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based compounds with a boiling point ranging from 50℃ to 250℃. VOCs have been considered as contributors of photochemical smog and global warming as well as hazards to human health. VOCs can be removed by a variety of methods, including those that are destructive (incineration, catalytic oxidation, and biodegradation) and non-destructive (adsorption, absorption, and condensation). The removal performance of VOCs in the gas phase is influenced by gas-liquid mass transfer and/or the microbial activity depending on VOC properties such as solubility, diffusivity, bioavailability, and toxicity. Since the usual processes for VOCs removal involve water as a VOC absorbent, it is necessary to improve the removal efficiency of hydrophobic VOCs. In addition, VOC removal processes do not appear to show consistently satisfactory performance due to transient high-strength VOC loading in practical fields. To increase the gas-liquid mass transfer of hydrophobic VOCs and to prevent the functional deterioration due to transient high loading, the use of nonaqueous phase VOC absorbents is a promising strategy. This review offers a critical overview of the types, properties, and the applications of the VOC absorbents, including liquid organic solvents, ionic liquids, and solid polymers. This paper also details the advantages by employing the VOC absorbents for the removal of hydrophobic VOCs in the integrated process, absorption and biodegradation coupling process. The challenges of and future perspectives on the development of efficient VOC removal processes using VOC absorbents are briefly discussed.

To analyze the synergistic effects of applying lavender aroma to a footbath, we analyzed the EEG and emotional responses of footbath, lavender inhalation, and lavender footbath in women in their 30s. Foot baths reduced wave activation, wave and wave inactivation, and SEF50 and SEF90. The foot bath activated waves by about 66% compared to the background EEG, and reduced SEF50 and SEF90 by 0.43 Hz-0.68 Hz and 3.7 Hz, respectively. Lavender inhalation activated α, β, and γ waves at a concentration of 1% or more, and inactivated θ waves. As the concentration of lavender inhalation increased, α waves increased and β and γ waves decreased. Lavender foot bath activates θ waves and α waves, and inactivates β waves and γ waves. Compared with the background EEG, the lavender foot baths reduced SEF50 and SEF90, which are the median frequencies of EEG power, 0.5 Hz and 3.4 Hz, respectively. Lavender showed a positive emotional response when applied to inhalation and foot bath. Lavender showed a positive emotional response when applied to inhalation and foot bath. When the lavender was inhaled at the concentration of 1~10% and the lavender foot bath was applied, the average preference index (API) showed 0.64~0.66 and 3.6 ± 0.6, respectively. Lavender oil has a greater synergistic effect on emotional reactions when applied to an aromatherapy bath than by inhalation. Lavender decreased SEF50 and SEF90 as the API increased. A lavender footbath was superior to lavender inhalation in both emotional and EEG responses, and was more relaxed and calming than a footbath. These results suggest that the aroma foot bath method, in which lavender is applied to a footbath, is more effective in terms of providing relaxation and calming than a footbath or lavender inhalation aromatherapy.

The purpose of this study is to implement through the utilization of geographical information that was currently constructed in the development of the radon map creation methodology. In addition, we suggested a model for forecasting radon gas in soil based on the mechanism of radon exhalation from soil. To provide basic data for radon mapping in Korea, we compared the results obtained using the proposed model with the results of a field survey. Based on the comparison, we discussed the feasibility of the proposed model. The soil radon exhalation rate prediction model was built on the first order prediction model in the steady-state based on the law of conversion of mass. To verify the model by comparing the predicted value with a field survey, a grid of 7.5 × 6.3 cm was created at a 1:500,000 map of Korea, and the intersection point of the grid was selected as measurement site. The results showed a low error rate when compared with the previous studies, and it is expected that the model proposed in this study and the currently constructed geogenic information database can be used in combination to map the soil radon gas in Korea.

Odor dispersion from road emissions were investigated using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). The Shear Stress Transport k-ω model in FLUENT CFD code was used to simulate odor dispersion around the road. The two road configurations used in the study were at-grade and fill road. Experimental data from the wind tunnel obtained in a previous study was used to validate the numerical result of the road dispersion. Five validation metrics are used to obtain an overall and quantitative evaluation of the performance of Shear Stress Transport k-ω models: the fractional bias (FB), the geometric mean bias (MG), the normalized mean square error (NMSE), the geometric variance (VG), and the fraction of predictions within a factor of two of observations (FAC2). The results of the vertical concentration profile for neutral atmospheric show reasonable performance for all five metrics. Six atmospheric stability conditions were used to evaluate the stability effect of road emission dispersion. It was found that the stability category D case of at-grade decreased the non-dimensional surface odor concentration smaller 0.78~0.93 times than those of stability category A case, and that F case decreased 0.39~0.56 times smaller than those of stability category A case. It was also found that stability category D case of filled road decreased 0.84~0.92 times the non-dimensional surface odor concentration of category A case and stability category F case decreased 0.45~0.58 times compared with stability category A case.

This study was conducted targeting 30 residents of Gwangyang industrial complex area from April to May 2017 to assess their level of exposure to VOCs and conduct a health risk assessment for individual exposure. The aim was to understand the difference in levels of indoor, outdoor and personal exposure to VOCs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, o-xylene) and a health risk assessment was conducted to determine whether there was any fatal cause from carcinogenic or non-carcinogenic elements from a respiratory disease patients. In the case of benzene in the air, the geometric levels of the group are indoor, outdoor and personal exposure; on the CTE, RME condition and Monte-Carlo analysis, all subjects were seen to exceed the carcinogenicity tolerance of 10−6 specified by the US EPA. In the case of toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, o-xylene on the CTE, RME condition and Monte-Carlo analysis, the non-carcinogenic standard of 1 was not exceeded.

Two sewage treatment facilities were selected to identify odor emission characteristics, focusing on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sulfur compounds. The complex odor, 5 kinds of sulfur compounds and 23 kinds of VOCs were analyzed from gas and sludge storages. Hydrogen sulfide was detected in the highest concentration and had the highest odor quotient among the odorous compounds monitored in this study, demonstrating that the contribution of hydrogen sulfide to the complex odor reached up to 90%. For VOCs, the overall contribution to the complex odor was not critical but VOCs can sufficiently trigger an odorous sensation because the sum of the odor quotient reached up to 2.89.

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.

The healing environment in hospitals is very important. Three factors must be satisfied to create a healing environment in the hospital. First, chemical elements such as pathogens and pollutants must be controlled. Second, physical factors such as temperature, humidity and airflow must be satisfied. Third, psychological factors must be satisfied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indoor thermal environment by conducting a questionnaire (Thermal Sensation Vote, TSV) and a Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) measurement. The questionnaires were distributed to 20 medical staff (nurse), 84 inpatients and 113 outpatients. Temperature, humidity, air quality and comfort were evaluated. Measurements were conducted in the waiting room and lobby of the first and second floors of the outpatient area as well as wards on 10th floor. Both south and north-facing wards were divided to analyze the PMV difference by the orientations. The survey results showed high satisfaction values in the outpatient department for temperature satisfaction and comfort. In the inpatient department, air quality satisfaction showed good values. Moreover, the humidity satisfaction level in the nurse station was high. The PMV measurement results showed that the PMV was lower in the ward than in the outpatient area. Comparison of the questionnaire and measurement results showed that the questionnaire results were lower than those of the measurement in the outpatient area. As a result, it is necessary to reduce the gap between questionnaire and measurement results It is also important to create an indoor environment that matches the thermal preferences of the occupant by operating the air handling unit (AHU).

Acidic and basic mixtures of odorous compounds are commonly emitted from various sources, and, in an absorption process, pH conditions in the liquid phase significantly affect the performance. In this study, the effect of pH on mass transfer in a bubble column reactor was evaluated using hydrogen sulfide and ammonia as a model mixture. Their mass transfer coefficients were then calculated. Furthermore, the total mass transfer coefficients as a function of pH were evaluated, and the experimental data were fitted into an empirical equation using dimensionless numbers. The mass transfer rates of hydrogen sulfide, the non-ionic form, increased dramatically with increasing pHs, while those of ammonia were almost unchanged because of its high solubility. As a result, a favorable pH condition for less soluble compounds must be selected to achieve high absorption capacity. The total mass transfer rates, which took into account pH effects as well as all the non-ionic and ionic constituents together, were found to be from 2.2 to 2.4 × 10−3 min−1 for hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, respectively, and they were almost constant at different pHs. The empirical equations, which were derived to obtain the best fit for the total mass transfer rates, implied that a method to increase diffusivity of each compound should be applied to improve overall mass transfer. In addition, when using the empirical equation, a mass transfer coefficient at a given set of pH and operating conditions can be calculated and used to design a water scrubbing process.

To obtain basic data on bioaerosols in the indoor environments of houses located adjacent to Gwangyang Iron Works, the concentration and diversity of indoor air molds were comparatively investigated in 33 houses in September of 2016 and 2017, respectively. In areas both adjacent to and nonadjacent to Gwangyang Iron Works, house temperature and humidity ranged from 24~28oC and 47~57%, respectively. Airborne mold concentration was higher in the houses located nonadjacent than in the ones adjacent to the iron works. Interestingly, the level of airborne mold concentration exceeded 500 CFU/m3 in all houses nonadjacent to the iron works. A total of 12 mold species including five pathogenic species were indentified from the investigation. Among the five pathogenic species, the causal agents of otomycosis, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigatus, and A. niger were present. Overall, Cladosporium cladosporioides was the dominant species. This is the first report on the concentration and diversity of airborne mold in houses located adjacent and nonadjacent to Gwangyang bay industrial complex in Korea.