In recent years, the number of complaints about indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds(VOCs) has increased. It is important that evaluating and understanding emission of indoor air pollutant from building materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate emission test methods for liquid phase building materials such as paint, adhesive and sealant, and to determine the emission of total volatile organic compounds(TVOC) from liquid phase building material. The quantity of TVOC emission was measured by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MSD). It was found that liquid phase building materials were classified according to their use and ingredient. The TVOC concentration from oil-based paint was the highest among 8 groups of test materials. The unidentified volatile organic compounds occupied 83.0% of TVOC emission from test materials. The aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons occupied 7.2%, 6.9% of TVOC, respectively. The concentration of TVOC decreased by an increase during emission test period. After 3 days, the concentration of TVOC from paint, adhesive and sealant were about half of the concentration at the first day. The ratio of concentration between 7 days and 1 day was 0.11～0.15 from water-based paint and 0.46～0.48 from epoxy adhesive.

Young children health problem were reported in a Korean daycare centers and supposedly attributed to the presence of air pollutants. This study attempted to characteristics of carbonyl compounds exposure of young children at the indoor spaces. The characteristics associated with the major indoor pollutants exposure included seasonal variation, and room location inside a daycare centers. As the results of investigation for daycare centers, the mean concentrations of formaldehyde, acetone, and acetaldehyde in daycare centers were 38.3㎍/m3, 33.9㎍/m3, 13.6㎍/m3, respectively. The indoor space carbonyl compounds concentrations were both higher for the summer than for the other seasons. The temperature and relative humidity measured along with the volatile organics measurements temperature and relative humidity increase volatile organics levels. This last suggestion is further supported by the correlations of the carbonyl compounds measured for daycare centers. Significant correlations between carbonyl compounds were exhibited for both the temperature and humidity, with at least p<0.05. The concentrations of formaldehyde in classroom were higher than lobby or dining room. Therefore, controlling indoor air pollutants exposure in daycare center should be given a high priority so as to minimize the potential sources of air pollutants in indoor space.

Ozone has become a significant pollutant not only outdoors but also indoors. The ozone emission test was conducted for the sum of forty five air cleaners selected in the online shops and department stores. Negative ion emission test was also conducted for the selected fifteen ones which had the function to generate negative ions. Filter-type and complex type air cleaners emitted ozone less than 0.05 ppm, the standard of indoor ozone emission of air cleaner. Wet type ones emitted no ozone. In the case of ionizer type, 66.7% in the nine ones emitted ozone about 1.4~10 times larger than 0.05ppm. Most of air cleaners used a pin corona discharge emitted large amount of ozone. Those which used carbon fiber emitted little ozone in spite of generating a lot of negative ions.

This study was carried out to evaluate the characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes emission as a function of airtight time in new apartment. Sampling was undertaken at 34 new apartments located in 4 different cities of Korea from February to November 2005. The measurement data were collected every one hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. toward increasing airtight time in a day. The concentrations of VOCs and aldehydes were analysed by GC/MS and HPLC method, respectively. These methods showed good sensitivity, linearity, and repeatability. In this study, the most abundant compounds at new apartments appeared to be toluene, m,p-xylene, formaldehyde and acetone. Moreover, the concentration variations at a closed rooms progressively increased by airtight time of 5 hours. Airtight time of new apartment was a most important and affective factor which influenced concentration change.

The purpose of this study is to optimize an emission test method for building materials and to understand the characteristics of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and carbonyl compounds emission from building materials, especially solid-phase building materials, using a small chamber test method. As a result of the evaluation for small chamber system, temperature and humidity was maintained constantly at 24.5℃, 50.2%. The background concentration of total volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde were also controlled below 20 ㎍/㎥ and 0.5 ㎍/㎥, respectively. Air leakage of emission test chamber and the duplicate precision between two emission test chambers were satisfied. As a result of evaluation for sampling and analysis system (such as the breakthrough test), repeatability of response factor, and retention time in GC/MS and HPLC, desorption efficiency, method detection limits were excellent. The concentration of total volatile organic compounds emitted from wallpapers (made of PVC) was higher at 25℃ than at 23℃. Also, the concentration of formaldehyde emitted from floorings made from non-PVC (wood-based) was higher at 25℃ than at 23℃. On the other hand, there was not a significant difference between the concentrations of total volatile organic compounds emission from wallpaper (made of PVC) which was stored for 2 weeks at 25℃ and 4℃ with tight sealing. In conclusion, emission characteristics of TVOC and formaldehyde from solid-phase building materials would be expected to apply to the plan for the management of indoor air quality.

The deodorization performances of ammonia, acetic acid and acetaldehyde were tested for each of all forty five air cleaners sold in the online shops and department stores. The removal performances of toluene and formaldehyde were also investigated and the results were compared to the deodorization performances for the air cleaners. Filter-type and complex type air cleaners which used activated carbon filters showed superior in odor removal performances to those of ionizer type and wet type air cleaners. Toluene and formaldehyde were readily removed for the most of filter-type and complex type air cleaners. Ionizer air cleaners had little removal ability for the toluene and formaldehyde.

For indoor air quality at a newly built apartment before move-in, we monitored formaldehyde and VOCs and assessed human exposure and probabilistic health risk. We selected 801 newly built apartments all over the country. The results of the research on the condition show the mean concentrations of formaldehyde 294 ㎍/㎥, 210(median) 1497㎍/㎥(maximum), benzene 6㎍/㎥, (4 and 92㎍/㎥), toluene 1003㎍/㎥(773 and 5013 ㎍/㎥), ethylbenzene 120㎍/㎥, (62 and 1192㎍/㎥), xylene 287㎍/㎥(138 and 2723㎍/㎥) and styrene 64㎍/㎥, (42 and 531㎍/㎥). Formaldehyde from carcinogen and toluene and xylene from non-carcinogen were assessed the risk for human health. The excess cancer risk of formaldehyde for human beings between carcinogens is per 1.36 of average 1000 persons. This implies that it is over a level per 1.00 of 1000 persons demanding active risk reduction. Hence, we strongly need the active reduction plan and accurate source assumption. Among a variety of factors affecting indoor air quality for householders, closing construction or density of indoor air processing additional interior construction and indoor area, indoor air quality with a variety of districts show significant. The excess cancer risk for human beings of formaldehyde between carcinogens is per 1.36 of average 1000 persons. Non-carcinogen toxicity rate for human-beings with toluene and xylene among non-carcinogens is over HQ 1 from Seoul to local area.

The present study investigated the hypothesis that a extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) partially suppresses the synthesis of human growth hormone (HGH) in a group of 28 primary schoolchildren living nearby and 60 primary schoolchildren aged 12 years living far away from overhead transmission power lines from December 2003 to April 2004 in Seoul, Korea. The mean personal exposure levels of the primary schoolchildren living nearby overhead transmission power line were 0.37 μT, whereas the levels for the primary schoolchildren living away from overhead transmission power line was 0.05 μT. From simple analyses, the mean growth hormone levels in the primary schoolchildren living nearby were lower than away from overhead transmission power line, and statistically significant differences in the levels of the growth hormone (p = 0.0316), whereas not statistically significant differences in the levels of the growth hormone related to the distance from residence to power line less and more than 100 m by cut-off point (p = 0.4017). In conclusion, these results may indicate that urinary levels of nocturnal growth hormone are altered in primary schoolchildren exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic field at overhead transmission power line.

Recently, concern about Sick House Syndrome (SHS) has been increased in Korea. And it is suspected that formaldehyde (HCHO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major factors for SHS. This study was surveyed the indoor air quality in new apartments in Korea. The HCHO and VOCs were measured at 90 sites and analysed by HPLC-UV and GC/MS, respectively. The range of HCHO concentrations at 90 sites were 9.39∼248.78㎍/㎥ and the mean value 105.41㎍/㎥ and the concentrations of HCHO at 42 sites (46.7%) exceeded the indoor air quality guideline (100㎍/㎥) in Japan. Among the 4 VOCs, toluene concentrations were the highest and the mean value 127.33㎍/㎥ and that concentrations at 12 sites (13.8%) were exceeded the indoor air quality guideline (260㎍/㎥) in Japan. There was a tendency which the longer the movement and measurement period is, the more the pollutants concentration is decreased. HCHO and VOCs concentrations of domestic results was similar to Japan's survey results in 2000.

The study is about variations in Carbonyl compounds concentration within apartment buildings according to pre-residence and residence. We consecutively investigated indoor air pollutants in 120 households in 6 cities at pre-residence and residence. Carbonyl compounds were collected using the 2,4-DNPH cartridge and were analyzed using HPLC. The carbonyls concentration of indoor air in the new apartments before occupation measured formadlehyde(76.0㎍/㎥), acetone(85.9㎛/㎥), acetaldehyde(13.8㎍/㎥). The carbonyls concentration of indoor air in the new apartments after occupation measured formadlehyde(233.1㎍/㎥), acetone(128.9㎍/㎥), acetaldehyde(29.8㎍/㎥), respectively. As a result, the mean concentration of carbonyl compounds within the pre-occupancy stage was lower than those of residence.