The consumer products in the living environments include a variety of chemicals which could be harmful in the human health. The aim of this study was to assess the inhalation exposure and risk for cleaning workers who had used bleach in the university. A total of 81 cleaning workers took part in this study. Frequency and amount of cleaning bleach during working hours were investigated by questionnaire interviews. Exposure assessment was used by the exposure algorithm and exposure factors. Used cleaning bleaches were analyzed to identify the ingredients, and risk by exposure was assessed by separating as carcinogen and non-carcinogen substances. The results of chemical substances and the questionnaire were used to assess the exposure factors, and the inhalation doses were calculated through inhalation exposure algorithm. According to the questionnaires for the cleaning workers, frequence of cleaning bleach was 11.66 ± 7.21 times per month. And average usage time and amount per cleaning work were 30.78 ± 36.00 minute and 20099.53 ± 12998.60 mg, respectively. Risks for carcinogenic substances of formaldehyde, ethylbenzene, and chloroform were exceeded by 56.79%, 27.16%, and 82.72% as the reference value of 10−6, respectively.

The concern of fine particle (PM2.5) management of outdoor environments has been increasing due to its exposure and related health effects in Korea. As a result, PM2.5 standard in atmosphere environment was regulated in 2015. On the other hand, indoor PM2.5 standard has been required because most people spent their times in indoor environments. In this study, we measured the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations both indoor and outdoor environments of public-use facilities such as underground stations, underground shopping centers, and nurseries for 24 hour with filter-weighing method in Seoul and Daegu. Measurement duration was from March to April in 2014 during the Asian dust period. At all measurements, indoor to outdoor (I/O) concentration ratios exceeded 1 except 1 day nursery in Daegu in spite of Asian dust period. The ratios of PM2.5 to PM10 concentrations ranged from 0.63 to 0.75 in indoor environments, and from 0.63 to 0.82 in outdoor, indicating that PM2.5 should be carefully managed in indoor environments as well as outdoor atmosphere.

This study was a time activity pattern assessment focused on transportation in subpopulation groups using the ‘Time-Use Survey’ conducted by the National Statistical Office in Korea in 2009. The time activity patterns of transportation on weekdays were analyzed, looking at average travel time in Seoul, Gyeonggido and the whole country. Various subpopulation groups were classified such as students, the elderly, workers and housewives. The population of Gyeonggido had a higher average transportation time than that of Seoul. Workers showed the highest weekly average travel, while the students group showed the lowest tendency. The times spent in walking, bus, subway and taxi were the highest in areas other than Gyeonggido, where the use of private vehicles such as car was higher. Therefore, exposure to hazardous air pollutants may vary depending on the transportation method and time spent. This results indicate that time activity pattern assessment on transportation may be an important element of exposure assessment.

Hazardous air pollutants such as NO2, VOCs and PM10 were measured Daegu, Korea in major micro-environments,where housewives spend the most of their time, and personal exposure times were estimated by using time activitypatterns and exposure scenarios. The major microenvironments of housewives were selected using the ‘Time-UseSurvey’ conducted by the National Statistical Office in Korea in 2009. A total of 4,514 (weekdays) and 3,063(weekends) housewives were recruited for the ‘Time-Use Survey.’ It seems that housewives are spending about80% of their time in the house, and about 5% of their time outdoors during weekdays and weekends. The indoor/outdoor ratio of the average concentration of NO2 was more than 1, which indicated that the source was indoors.Toluene was shown to have higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Ethylbenzene and xylene displayedsimilar characteristics to toluene, and the concentration ratio for indoor/outdoor was shown to be 1.29 ± 0.76 and1.04 ± 0.45, respectively, higher concentrations indoors. Based on the results of the time activity patterns ofparticipants, 3 kinds of exposure scenarios were formulated. The spent time and air concentration in eachenvironment were assumed as normal and lognormal distribution, respectively. And then the Monte-Carlosimulation was conducted. According to the result of the simulation, the exposures to hazardous air pollutantsrevealed an increasing pattern as housewives visits other indoor environments such as supermarkets.

The objective of this study is to offer basic scientific data to support policy decision-making for the improved control of nitrogen dioxide(NO₂) and nitrous acid(HONO) in residence. The survey on concentration of NO₂and HONO in 20 houses in Seoul and Daegu was performed from January to February, 2013. Average NO₂concentrations in the kitchen, living room, and room were 25.7 ± 7.7 ppb, 24.3 ± 8.5 ppb, and 19.6 ± 5.6 ppb, respectively. Also, average HONO concentration were 3.6 ± 1.0 ppb, 3.1 ± 0.9 ppb, and 3.1 ± 0.9 ppb, respectively. NO₂and HONO concentration in kitchen were significantly higher than the concentration in the living room and room(p<0.05). Concentration ratios of HONO/NO2 were ranged to 0.070 0.277 for indoor air and 0.004 0.161 for outdoor air. Indoor HONO/NO2 ratios were higher than the outdoor HONO/NO₂ratios.

Information on time spent in microenvironments has a critical role in individuals’ exposure assessment. Time-activity studies have become an integral part of comprehensive exposure assessment and personal exposure modeling. The aims of this study were to estimate the exposure level of NO₂, PM₁₀ and VOCs, and to compare the estimated exposure by using time-activity pattern and indoor air concentration. This study was performed upon 28 university students living in Daegu. We measured air pollutants of NO₂, PM₁₀ and VOCs at houses where the university students spent most their times. In this study, according to the summer and winter, time-activity patterns of university students were different. The 28 university students average spending times in house indoors and other indoors time were 11.52±2.14 and 7.63±2.65 hours in summer, and 14.78±3.30 and 6.59±3.03 hours in winter, respectively. The university students personal exposure NO₂ concentrations were average 21.62±5.88 ppb and I/O ratio was 0.89±0.27. Personal average exposure of PM₁₀ concentration was between house indoors and outdoors concentrations which indoor house concentration was 37.68±7.57 μg/m³ and outdoor house concentration was 43.85±9.80 μg/m³ with 0.88±0.17 of I/O ratio. Personal exposure to benzene and the average concentration of benzene did not exceed in atmosphere environmental standard (annual 1.5 ppb) and the outdoor houses concentration was much higher than indoor houses.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) could adversely affect health. The aim of this study was to quantify the contribution of ETS exposure in nonsmokers of entertainment facilities. We simultaneously measured nicotine and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which are known as indicators of ETS, concentrations in indoor internet cafe, billiard, karaoke, bar and restaurant, and estimated exposure level of other harmful agents occurred from tobacco smoking. Mean nicotine concentration (10.57±2.53㎍ /m³ ) of internet cafe was the highest comparing to other facilities, whereas mean concentration of restaurant where was non-smoking area was 0.28±0.08㎍ /m³ . There was statistically not correlated between NO₂ and nicotine concentrations in entertainment facilities. Therefore, the use of NO₂ concentration as indicator of ETS exposure may not be available. To date, there are no standards about each agent occurred from ETS. Consequently administrative control and regulation, and further researches in relation to ETS exposure should be needed.

Studies evaluating the health effects of hazardous air pollutants assume that people's exposure to typical pollutant level is the same as specific regional pollutant level. However, depending on social and demographic factors, time-activity pattern of people can vary widely. Since most people live in indoor environments over 88% of the day, evaluating exposure to hazardous air pollutants is hard to characterize. Objective of this study was to estimate the exposure levels of university students of NO2, VOCs(BTEX) and PM10 using the scenarios with time-activity pattern and indoor concentrations. Using data from time-use survey of National Statistical Office in 2009, we investigated time-activity pattern of university students and hourly major action. A total of 1,057 university students on weekday and 640 on weekend spent their times at indoor house 13.04 hr(54.32%), other indoors 7.70 hr(32.06%), and transportation 2.36 hr(9.83%). Indoor environments in which university students spent their times were mainly house and school. Air pollutants concentrations of other indoor environments except house and school such as bar, internet cafe and billiard hall were higher than outdoors, indicating that indoor to outdoor ratios were above 1. According to three types of exposure scenarios, exposure to air pollutants could be reduced by going home after school.