In order to prepare the information needed to construct a reduction system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exhausted from ship-block paint-booths in a giant shipyard, VOCs in paint-shop airs were analyzed and compared to the components in paint thinners. Aromatic hydrocarbons containing eight and nine carbon atoms are known to be major VOC compounds found in shipyard paint-shops. The total hydrocarbon (THC(C7)) concentrations calibrated using toluene gas, were measured in block paint-shops with two photo-ionization detector (PID) meters, and the resulting THC(C7) data were converted to THC(C1) concentrations according to the Standard Methods for the Measurements of Air Pollution in South Korea. THC(C1) concentrations near the spray site ranged from 10 to 2,000 ppm, but they were less than 400 ppm near the walls of the paint-booth. The measurements of THC concentrations, based on the height of the monitoring sites, were related to the height of the target to which the spray paints were applied. The maximum concentrations occurred at almost the same height as the spray targets. When painted blocks had been dried-by warming with no spraying, the THC concentrations were 80~100 ppm.

Regional air quality regulation is a system that allows the Minister of Environment to designate the local area as air quality control region where the concentrations of air pollutants are exceeding the environmental standards, and the local governments that administrate the regulated area have to develop and practise a plan for reducing the air pollutants. From the data observed yearly by the monitoring stations in 8 provincial cities with more than 0.5 million people was judged the compliance with air quality standards in each municipality for the period of 2003 to 2013. As the result of investigation on air pollutants concentrations of each city, it was found that there was no station that exceeds the ambient air quality standards of CO, SO2 and 24-hour NO2. But all municipalities exceeded the standards of 8-hour O3, annual and 24-hour PM10, and therefore 8 municipalities can be designated to be under the local air regulation. For the annual NO2 were the monitoring sites necessary requirements for designation of the air quality regulation region in Cheongju, Cheonan, Daejeon and Gwangju area. Incase of 1-hour O3, some of stations in Pohang, Cheongju, Cheonan and Changwon area were over the designation standards for the air quality control region.