This study investigated the characteristics of personal PM2.5 exposure among 109 participants residing in Seoul over a two-month period, from February 2024 to April 2024. The participants were categorized into four sub-populations, and personal exposure to PM2.5 was assessed using portable monitors, GPS, and time-activity diaries. To understand the time-activity patterns, the daily occupancy rate for different microenvironments was calculated. Additionally, daily PM2.5 exposure contribution and integrated exposure were quantified. A time series analysis was conducted to identify differences in time-activity patterns and PM2.5 exposure among the sub-populations. ANOVA analysis indicated statistically significant differences in PM2.5 concentrations across populations and microenvironments (p<0.05). However, post-hoc analysis revealed specific microenvironments within certain sub-populations where PM2.5 concentration differences were not significant (p>0.05). All sub-populations spent more than 90% of their time indoors, and the results for exposure contribution and integrated exposure indicated that the home, which had the highest occupancy rate, was the most significant contributor to PM2.5 exposure. This study is expected to serve as foundational data for future indoor air quality management and the development of personalized strategies for reducing PM2.5 exposure.

This study evaluated the importance of assessing personal exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by monitoring indoor, outdoor, and personal VOC levels in 15 Seoul residents over a 3-month period using passive samplers. Results indicated that limonene had the highest concentrations across indoor, outdoor, and personal samples, with this compound primarily originating from household cleaners and air fresheners. Other VOCs, such as 2-butanone and toluene, also varied by location. Health risk assessments showed that most VOCs had a Hazard Index (HI) below 1, while the HI of individual exposures were relatively higher. Notably, cancer risk assessments for chloroform and ethylbenzene exceeded permissible levels in some scenarios, suggesting potential cancer risks. This underscores the importance of diverse microenvironment monitoring for accurate health risk evaluations, as relying solely on indoor and outdoor levels can underestimate actual exposure risks. This study highlights the need for future research to monitor VOC levels in various microenvironments, in addition to the necessity of investigating personal activity patterns in depth to accurately assess personal exposure levels. Such an approach is crucial for precise health risk assessments, and it provides valuable foundational data for evaluating personal VOC exposures.

Particulate matter is known to have adverse effects on health, making it crucial to accurately gauge its concentration levels. While the recent advent of low-cost air sensors has enabled real-time measurement of particulate matter, discrepancies in concentrations can arise depending on the sensor used, the measuring environment, and the manufacturer. In light of this, we aimed to propose a method to calibrate measurements between low-cost air sensor devices. In our study, we introduced decision tree techniques, commonly used in machine learning for classification and regression problems, to categorize particulate matter concentration intervals. For each interval, both univariate and multivariate multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to derive calibration equations. The concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 measured indoors and outdoors with two types of LCS equipment and the GRIMM 11-A device were compared and analyzed, confirming the necessity for distinguishing between indoor and outdoor spaces and categorizing concentration intervals. Furthermore, the decision tree calibration method showed greater accuracy than traditional methods. On the other hand, during univariate regression analysis, the proportion exceeding a PM2.5/PM10 ratio of 1 was significantly high. However, using multivariate regression analysis, the exceedance rate decreased to 79.1% for IAQ-C7 and 89.3% for PMM-130, demonstrating that calibration through multivariate regression analysis considering both PM10 and PM2.5 is more effective. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the accurate calibration of particulate matter measurements and have showcased the potential for scientifically and rationally calibrating data using machine learning.

본 연구의 목적은 예비 지구과학교사들이 지질도에서 단층을 판별하는 동안 그들이 사용하는 내용 지식과 문제해결 과정을 분석하는 것이다. 이를 위해 연구자들은 시선 추적기(Tobii Pro Glasses 2 모델)를 활용하여 예비 지구과학교사들 (N=12)이 단층 해석에 대한 문제를 해결하는 동안 그들의 시선 고정 시간, 시선 경로에 대한 자료를 수집하여 분석하였다. 그 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 그들은 정단층, 역단층, 주향이동단층 등에 대한 개념은 인지하고 있지만, 대부분의 예비 지 구과학교사들은 지질도에서 단층 해석에 필요한 절차적 지식은 인지하고 있지 않다. 둘째, 예비 지구과학교사들은 지질도에 서 단층을 해석하기 위해 지질 단면도를 그리지 않았고, 3차원적 정보가 아니라 지질도에서 수집한 2차원적 정보를 바탕으 로 단층을 판별하였다. 그러므로 차후 교육 현장으로 진출하는 예비 지구과학교사들이 자연현상에 대한 이해와 더불어 그 자연현상을 이해하는데 필요한 절차적 지식을 학습할 수 있도록 교수학습환경을 개선할 필요가 있다. 그리고 본 연구의 결 과는 차후 새로운 교육과정을 구성하거나 교사 교육에 대한 자료를 개발하는데 실질적으로 도움을 줄 수 있을 것이다.

This study aims to promote the necessity for future research from the perspective of the indoor environment by analyzing the trend of domestic COVID-19 confirmed cases and examining previous quantitative research cases. The limitations of the qualitative management plan were identified by analyzing the trend of confirmed cases and deaths in Korea and the trend before and after the implementation of 'social distancing' and 'step-by-step daily recovery', which are actually being applied. The trend of initial and follow-up measures for the outbreak of infectious diseases in Korea is judged to be a case where the importance of qualitative and quantitative management should be confirmed to prepare absolute quarantine measures. The results suggest that examining previous research cases and preparing through advanced research for effective application.

이 연구의 목적은 교직과정을 이수하는 교육대학원생의 심리적, 재정적 어려움으로부터 파생된 불안과 이들이 가진 교직에 대한 희망 사이의 갈등상황을 파악하는 것이다. 이를 위해 지구과학교육 전공 교육대학원생 3명을 연구 대상자로 선정해 내러티브 탐구기법을 적용하여 분석하였다. 첫째, 연구 참여자들의 심리적 불안에 영향을 주는 요소는 전공 지식의 부족, 멘토의 부족, 늦은 출발, 재정적 문제와 차별, 정보의 부족 등이다. 둘째, 연구 참여자는 자신의 삶은 가치가 있다는 인식, 학생들을 선하게 변화시킬 수 있다는 인식, 자신은 점점 발전하고 있다는 인식에서 희망을 얻는다. 셋째, 연구 참여자들은 자신이 가진 희망 요소에 의해 현 상황을 감내하고 있지만 어려움으로부터 파생된 불안과 교직 으로 진출하고자 하는 희망 사이에서 심리적 갈등상황에 놓여 있다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 다음과 같은 결론을 도출 하였다. 첫째, 교직과정을 이수하는 교육대학원생의 수요를 바탕으로 정보의 수집 및 분석하여 그들의 요구를 충족시킬수 있는 제도 개선이 필요하다. 둘째, 불안을 극복하지 못하는 교육대학원생들을 대상으로 심리상담 프로그램이 필요하 다. 이 연구는 향후 현시점의 교육대학원이 현직 교사의 재양성에만 초점을 두지 않고 구성원 모두의 만족감을 높일 수 있는 방향을 제시함으로써 더 나은 교육대학원의 환경이 마련될 수 있길 기대한다.

이 연구의 목적은 지구과학 교사들이 변성암을 분류하기 위해 사용하는 개념 구조와 변성암을 분류하는 기준에 대해 알아보는 것이다. 이를 위해 연구자들은 전라북도 소재의 중학교와 고등학교의 지구과학교사 21명을 대상으로 사 고 구술을 활용하여 변성암을 분류하는 과정에서 진술한 언어 자료를 수집하였다. 그리고 이렇게 수집된 언어 자료를 언어네트워크분석법을 활용하여 분석하였고, 그 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 지구과학 교사들은 변성암을 분류하는 과정 에서 암석에서 일반적으로 관찰할 수 있는 색, 구성 광물, 입자의 크기 등의 특징과 변성암에서 나타나는 엽리를 중심 으로 분류하였다. 둘째, 지구과학 교사들은 변성암의 분류 기준에 관해 접촉 변성작용과 광역 변성작용 등 변성작용을 중심으로 인식하고 있었다. 그러나 관찰한 내용을 잘못 판단하여 다른 암석으로 오인하는 사례들이 나타났다. 그러므로 지구과학 교사들이 변성암이 형성되는 과학적 과정과 변성암에서 관찰되는 현상을 서로 연결하여 인식할 수 있도록 그 들에게 변성암에 대한 관찰 정보와 경험을 충분히 제공할 필요가 있다.

Although monitoring of radon has been extensively implemented throughout South Korea, the risk assessment has been mainly limited to indoor environments such as schools, workplaces, and multi-use facilities, and evaluations have normally been performed separately. In this study, the differences in radon exposure according to two groups (< 1 and 1-6 years old) were evaluated considering various indoor and outdoor environments, timeactivity patterns, variations in radon concentrations, and dwelling type (single detached and apartment house) using Monte-Carlo simulation. The distribution and representative values of radon concentration by micro-environments were confirmed through the Anders-Darling test, and a uniform distribution was applied in case of uncertainty. The effective dose ranged from 1.81 ± 1.19 to 2.81 ± 3.02mSv/y. Comparing the levels recommended by EPA, WHO, and ICRP with the value of the 95th percentile of this study, it was found that the results for those dwelling in detached houses exceeded recommended levels. Infants that spend a lot of time in homes with relatively high levels of concentration of radon are assessed to be somewhat more vulnerable to radon exposure.

This study installed and evaluated the efficiency of a radon barrier membrane, radon mat, and radon well in the removal and reduction of radon gas that originates from the soil and flows indoors. The study aims to present a fundamental and long-term solution to radon reduction in buildings by preventing soil radon, which is the main source of radon gas, from migrating indoors. A radon barrier membrane, radon mat, and radon well were developed and verified, and the radon reduction effect of each system was evaluated. Through applying a special radon gas blocking film with a 5-layer structure, the radon barrier membrane prevents radon gas particles from passing through the polymer deposited on the radon blocking film. The radon mat is a type of radon reduction construction method that induces radon gas generated from the soil under the building to move in the desired direction through the plate-structured pressure reducing panel and discharges radon gas to the outside of the building through an exhaust pipe and fan installed at the edge. In addition, the radon well can also be applied to special structures such as old buildings and historical sites where it is difficult to directly reduce radon concentration within the building foundation, because the intake area can be controlled and, therefore, the method can be applied in a variety of environments and ranges. In the case of Intervention 1 (installing a radon barrier membrane and radon mat), the soil radon was reduced by 24.7%. Intervention 2 (installing a radon barrier membrane, radon mat, and radon well) reduced the soil radon by 45.1%, indicating that the effect of reducing the soil radon concentration was 1.8 times higher compared with installing only the radon barrier membrane and radon mat. The measurement showed that the indoor radon concentration was reduced by 46.5%, following the reduction in soil radon concentration through Interventions 1 and 2, demonstrating the effect of reducing indoor radon gas by installing the radon barrier membrane, radon mat, and radon well. Through the production and installation of prototype systems, this study confirmed the reduction effect of radon concentration in soil and indoor air. These systems achieved a higher efficiency at a relatively low cost than that achieved with the existing radon reduction methods applied in Korea and abroad.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals to which humans are exposed frequently via various mediums, including vehicle emissions that contain fine dust and heavy metals, use of organic solvent building materials, furniture, and smoking. Exposure to high concentrations of VOCs may result in loss of consciousness, paralysis, convulsions, and, in the most severe cases, death. Therefore, the present study investigated the indoor and outdoor concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and five types of VOCs (benzene, toluene, styrene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene) in apartments, a representative residential environment accounting for ~55% of the housing in the Seoul metropolitan area. The research was conducted over four seasons from May 2020 to February 2021, and the levels of VOC concentrations were analyzed by classifying them by season, weekday/weekend, and indoor/outdoor locations. The seasonal trend in VOC concentrations showed that TVOC concentration was highest in summer, with values of 1630.93 ± 1184.10 μg/m3 and 1610.36 ± 1363.43 μg/m3 for indoor and outdoor environments, respectively. The seasonal trends of the concentrations of the five types of VOCs showed that concentrations of benzene and toluene were highest in spring, the concentrations of m,p-xylene and o-xylene were highest in summer, and the concentration of styrene was highest in winter, irrespective of spatial characteristics such as indoor/outdoor environments. In all four seasons, the indoor concentrations were higher than the outdoor concentrations. These results reveal the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the VOCs and so can serve as useful basic data for managing indoor and outdoor levels of VOCs.

This study examines the effects of surrounding outdoor environmental characteristics in multi-use public facilities that are used by the susceptible population, on the concentration and distribution of indoor airborne bacteria. For this study, areas were divided into ‘factory area,’ ‘city area,’ and ‘forest area.’ The research was conducted from October 2017 to April 2018, and the selected target facilities were daycare centers, hospitals, postpartum care centers, and nursing homes for the elderly. In order to measure airborne bacteria, indoor air samples were collected using a six-stage viable particulate cascade impactor, and airborne bacteria samples were collected using MCE (Mixed cellulose esters) filters. Moreover, the outdoor airborne bacteria concentration was also measured to determine the concentration ratio (I/O ratio) of the total indoor airborne bacteria and total outdoor airborne bacteria concentrations. The results showed that the total outdoor airborne bacteria concentration was highest in the city area, with 74.2 ± 60.0 CFU/m3, and the lowest in the factory area, with 45.9 ± 35.8 CFU/m3. Furthermore, the distribution of the total outdoor airborne bacteria concentrations significantly differed across each surrounding environment (p < 0.05). On the other hand, no statistically significant difference in total indoor airborne bacteria concentrations, according to surrounding environments, was observed (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that the concentration of outdoor airborne bacteria differs across surrounding environments, unlike that of the indoor airborne bacteria.

This study was performed to investigate the characteristics of VOCs and carbonyl compounds emitted by smallscale master, offset, and screen printing facilities. During the printing process, concentration measurements of indoor samples were made at each on the printer equipment and the indoor center of the facility. In each case, the window or door served as natural ventilation, and concentration measurements of outdoor samples were made at each air exit point. The results showed that in all printing facilities, the levels of VOCs and carbonyl compounds were much higher in printer equipment compared to indoor levels. Comparative examination of VOCs between printer equipment and the indoors of the facility, the main species of master and offset printer equipment were Methyl isocyanide, 2,2,6-Trimethyloctane, 2,2-Dimethyldecane, 3,7-Dimethyldecane, Toluene, Acetonitrile, and 3- Methoxy-3-methylbutanol. The main species of the indoors of master and offset facilities were Toluene, 2,2,6- Trimethyl-octane, Isopropyl alcohol, 3-Methoxy–3- methylbutanol, Nonane, and Acetone. However, in the screen printing facility, the printer and indoor emission compounds were the same such as 2-Methyl-cyclopentanone, Cyclohexanone, Ethylbenzene, and p-Xylene. Among the compounds released to the outside, Toluene and Acetone were the most abundant species of VOCs and carbonyl compounds, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the verbal interactions of earth science gifted depending on their communications structures and group status in small group activities. To this end, a small group activity was conducted to measure the density of the earth, and 8 small groups were selected, including 4 coownership type and 4 monopolistics type groups with different communication structures. And then, the framework was developed for analyzing verbal interactions to compare the differences in characteristics between small groups. The results are as follows. First, regardless of the communication structures, there were showing a simple pingpong-type communication structures for all small groups. Second, negative interactions such as ‘restraint’, ‘command’, ‘complaint’, and ‘lack of confidence’ predominantly appeared in all small groups. Third, the students in the status of out-lookers in small groups were mainly verbal interactions, such as instructing the other person, acting against the other person’s actions, and expressing dissatisfaction with the attitudes and abilities of members. Therefore, teachers should guide students to use higher-level verbal interactions in their group activities in small group activities, and engage in students communication to prevent negative interactions from occurring. The teachers also need to check the level of achievement for students in the status of out-lookers in advance and guide them to participate more actively in small group activities. This study is meaningful in that it can be sued to design teaching and learning to improve students’ problem solving and communication skills.

The use of printing inks containing organic solvents by the master, offset and screen printing process implies the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the work environment. In this study, the volatile content of inks was evaluated by using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), in which the solvent is evaporated. And, to identify the the characterization of VOCs emissions from printing inks, air samples were collected in a thermal extractor (TE) and analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). Weight loss curves suggest that there are two main stages, such as dry fastening and chemical curing. As the result, the first stage of mass loss (below 100oC) was due to VOC evaporation. At this stage, master and offset inks are slightly stable thermally up to 100oC, but screen inks weight loss increases distinctly beyond 25oC. The volatile content is higher in screen inks than in the master and offset inks. The results of the mass-specific TVOC emission rate of the master, offset, and screen inks were 6.3 μg/(g·h), 8.4 μg/(g·h), and 212.2 μg/(g·h), respectively. Then the TVOC emission rate of the screen inks was 25~33 times higher than that of the master and offset inks. The main species were 1-Ethyl-2-pyrrolidinone, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4,5-Tetramethylbenzene, 1-Methoxy-2- propanol, Decane, Undecane, and Nonane.

This study was conducted as a part of the research for the “Development of Big Data Analysis Techniques and AI-based Integrated Support System for Energy-Environment Management.” We collected research results on characterization of distribution of fine dust and re-analyzed using meta-analysis techniques to build “big data” with high potential for school environments. The results of prior studies on the characteristics of fine dust concentration distribution in a school environment conducted in Korea were collected and re-analyzed the results using the metaanalysis technique. In this manner, the variables that could be used to derive the independent variables needed to produce the e-coding book prior to the big data collection, were first derived. The possibility of using the data as independent variables was then evaluated. In this study, three variables: “elementary school vs. middle school vs. high school,” “general classroom vs. special classroom,” and “new classroom vs. old classroom” were evaluated for their application as major classification variables with priority. The necessity of being derived as a major classification variable was examined by testing the difference in fine dust concentration distribution in the school environment by each variable case. Results showed that “elementary school vs. middle school vs high school” and “general classroom vs. special classroom” could be used as independent variables, while “new classroom vs. old classroom” was less likely to be used as an independent variable.

본 연구에서는 정삼투 중공사막 모듈에서 중공사막의 가닥을 비틀어 배치하였을 때의 효과를 알아보기 위해 CFD 전산 유체 역학 프로그램을 통해 5개의 다른 각도로 비틀린 중공사막 모듈을 설계하고 시뮬레이션하여 비틀리지 않은 모듈과 비교하였다. 실험 결과, 중공사막이 비틀렸을 때, 모듈 내부의 유도 용액의 농도가 비틀리지 않을 때에 비해 고르게 분포하였 다. 모듈 입구의 압력은 중공사막의 비틀림과 관계없이 일정한 값을 보였지만 출구의 압력은 중공사막이 비틀린 정도가 커질 수록 증가하는 추세를 보였다. 출구의 압력이 높아짐에 따라 막 내부의 유체 속도가 감소하고 모듈 체류 시간이 증가하여 막 사이의 물질 교환이 원활하게 이루어질 것으로 예측된다. 이는 결과적으로 막이 비틀려 있을 때의 모듈 플럭스가 투과 수량 이 차지하는 비율이 그렇지 않을 때에 비해 2배 증가하였다.

As indoor activities continue to increase, the importance of indoor air is emphasized. Moreover, children's activities are emphasized as being vulnerable. In this study, vocal organic compounds (VOCs) and CO2 in the indoor air were analyzed among children aged 4 to 7 years attending day care centers in Seoul. In the case of VOCs, the average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in an asthmatic home was 143.9 (μg/m3). The average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in the asthma and rhinitis home was 146.7 (μg/m3). In CO2, the average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in the asthmatic home was 665.9 (ppm). The average concentration measured during a period of 24 hours in the asthma and rhinitis home was 695.9 (ppm). In this study, asthma symptoms increased as the concentration of indoor pollutants increased. Exposure of VOCs (μg/ m3) and CO2 (ppm) among environmental factors shows that respiratory symptoms such as asthma can be induced.

The objective of this study is to identify the research trend in the field of indoor environment in Korea. We collected 419 papers published in the Journal of the Korean Society for indoor environment between 2004 and 2018, and attempted to produce datasets using a topic modeling technique, Latent Dirichlet Allocation(LDA). The result of topic modeling showed that 8 topics (“VOCs investigation”, “Subway environment”, “Building thermal environment”, “School health”, “Building particulate matter”, “Asbestos risk”, “Radon risk”, “Air cleaner and treatment”) could be extracted using Gibbs sampling method. In terms of topic trends, investigation of volatile organic compounds, subway environment, school health, and building particulate matter showed a decreasing tendency, while the building thermal environment, asbestos risk, radon risk, air cleaners, and air treatment showed an increasing tendency. The results of this topic modeling could help us to understand current trends related indoor environment, and provide valuable information in developing future research and policy frameworks.

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.