The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of PM10 and O3 concentration on the symptoms of allergic diseases. The questionnaire was used to determine whether or not symptoms of allergic diseases were present from September to October 2012. The air pollution concentration data used was the corresponding point CEM (continuous emission monitoring) data. The average concentration of PM10 was 56.09 μg/m3 in the control area, and the concentration in the exposed area was 40.44 μg/m3. In the two areas, concentration of O3 was 28.73 ppb and 28.74 ppb, respectively. The total average concentrations of PM10 and O3 were 45.66 μg/m3 and 28.73 ppb in the Gwangyang area. The rate of asthma diagnosis was higher in the control area (9.6%) than in the exposed area (4.1%), but the rate of allergy eye disease was higher in the exposed area (23.9%) than in the control area (16.5%). There was a significant difference in the symptoms of some allergic diseases when the relative concentration of PM10 and O3 were high and low.

In this study, we analyzed the concentration of cadmium and mercury in urine and lead in blood from 668 residents in the exposed and compared areas in Gwangyang-si and Yeosu-si, from July 2013 to December 2015. According to the lifestyle (past smoking, current smoking, passive smoking, drinking and exercise), the concentration of cadmium in urine was higher in the compared areas than in the exposed areas in Gwangyang. However, the concentration of cadmium in urine according to the lifestyle except drinking was higher in the exposed areas than in the compared areas in Yeosu. According to the past smoking and current smoking, the concentration of mercury in urine was higher in the compared areas than in the exposed areas in Gwangyang, but the passive smoking, drinking and exercise showed similar concentration levels both in the exposed and compared areas in Gwangyang. The concentration of mercury in urine according to the past smoking and current smoking was higher in the exposed areas than in the compared areas in Yeosu, but the concentration of mercury in urine according to the drinking and exercise was lower in the exposed areas than in the compared areas in Yeosu. According to the past smoking, the concentration of lead in blood showed similar concentration levels in the exposed and compared areas in Gwangyang, but regarding current and passive smoking, it was higher in the compared areas than in the exposed areas in Gwangyang. Especially, the concentration of lead in blood according to the drinking in Gwangyang showed statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The concentration of lead in blood according to the lifestyle was higher in the compared areas than in the exposed areas in Yeosu.

We measured VOCs and NO2 in the indoor and outdoor air at 125 houses in Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnamdo, from March 2007 to January 2008. The concentration of benzene measured in the Gwangyang survey group was higher than in Yeosu and Hadong, and showed a statistically significant difference from Yeosu (p<0.05). The concentration of toluene in outdoor air was highest in the Gwangyang survey group. The concentration of NO2 measured in the Yeosu survey group was higher than in Gwangyang and Hadong, and showed a statistically significant difference from Hadong (p<0.01). According to the results of a correlation analysis, VOCs (benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene) exposure of individuals showed a significant correlation with the residential indoor air (p<0.01). Also, VOCs of residential indoor and outdoor air showed a significant correlation (p<0.01). The concentration of NO2 exposure of individuals measured in the Yeosu comparison group showed a high correlation with the residential indoor air.