This study developed and tested a pilot-scale biowindow for simultaneous removal of odor and methane from landfills. The test was conducted in a sanitary landfill site during the summer season (July and August). The average temperature inside the biowindow was 5°C higher than the average air temperature, rising to 37–48oC when the outdoor temperature was very hot. The complex odor removal rate (based on the dilution-to-threshold value) in the biowindow during the summer was 91.3- 98.8% (with an average of 96.2±4.2%). The average concentration of hydrogen sulfide was 3,024.9±805.8 ppb, and its concentration was found to be the highest among 22 odorous compounds. The removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were 89.1% and 83.2%, respectively. The removal of dimethyl sulfide was 17.7%, and no ammonia removal was observed. Additionally, the removal efficiencies of toluene and xylene were 85.2% and 72.5%, respectively. Although the initial methane removal was low (24.9%), the methane removal performance improved to 53.7–75.6% after the 11th day of operation. These results demonstrate that the odor and methane removal performance of the pilot-scale biowindow was relatively stable even when the internal temperature of the biowindow rose above 40oC in the summer. Since the main microorganisms responsible for decomposing odor and methane are replaced by thermotolerant or thermophilic microorganisms, and high community diversity is maintained, odor and methane in the biowindow could be stably removed even under high-temperature conditions.

The air dilution olfactory method to measure complex odors needs to store and carry odor samples from the field sampling until the analysis in laboratories. Until the analysis of sample in the laboratory, odor dilution factor (odor sensitivity) in the sample bag may decrease over time depending on the characteristics of each odor substances. This is one of the limitation for the air dilution olfactory method. Thus, the air dilution device enable to measure without loss in complex odors of samples. Recently, many studies on the performance test of on-site air dilution devices, i.e., field olfactometer, has been conducted to figure out the feasibility of the field olfactometers. In this study, seven odor samples were collected from five odor emission source sites. And comparative analysis with the air dilution olfactory method was carried out to assess the field applicability of the olfactometer. As results, the performance of the field olfactometer used in this study is regared as the affordable method. The dilution factors from between two methods showed the similar values, indicating low values of standard deviations. In order to ensure the accuracy and precision of measurement data using the field olfactometer, methodology minimized variables (that may affect measurement) needs to establish.

Korea is a country where the population is concentrated in metropolitan areas that have undergone rapid industrial development. As of 2020, more than 43% of the total population lives in large cities, and about 18.5% of the total population lives in Seoul. A basic human need living in such a metropolis is a pleasant environment. In this study, complex odors and designated odors were evaluated at the boundary areas and at the outlets for 15 public environmental facilities selected from among odor sources in Seoul. As a result of measuring the complex odor intensity was 3 ~ 6 times at the boundary areas and 100 ~ 4,481 times at the outlets. In food waste treatment facilities, incineration facilities, and waste transfer station facilities, the compound making the largest contribution to odor is acetaldehyde, which was recorded at 46%, 25%, and 32% respectively. At a sewage treatment facility and agro-fisheries wholesale market, hydrogen sulfide was the largest contributing compound at 71% and 29% respectively.

The emission of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a motor vehicle painting booth was quantitatively evaluated. Most particulate matter was emitted during the spraying process, in which the PM10 concentration was 16.5 times higher than that of the drying process. When the paint was being sprayed, the particles with a diameter of 1.0~2.5 μm accounted for 39.4% and particles greater than 2.5 μm in diameter accounted for 30.6% of total particles. On the other hand, small particles less than 0.5 μm in diameter accounted for 52.4% of total particles during the drying process. In contrast to the particulate matter, high concentrations of VOCs were emitted during both spraying and drying processes. Butyl acetate, xylene, toluene, and m-ethyltoluene were the most abundant VOCs emitted from the motor vehicle painting booth. Additionally, xylene, butyl acetate, toluene, and 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene were the dominant ozone precursors. Especially, xylene exhibited the highest ozone production contribution (32.5~44.4%) among 34 species of the ozone precursors. The information obtained in this study can be used to establish a suitable management strategy for air pollutants from motor vehicle painting booths.

We analyzed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of petroleum-based laundry solvents in closed systems by static headspace analysis and investigated the emission characteristics of odorous compounds emitted from organic solvents in the small-scale dry cleaning process. The compounds containing eight to eleven carbon atoms were analyzed to account for 96.92% of the total peak area in a GC-MS chromatogram. It was found that the compounds with ten carbon atoms showed the largest proportion. In the small-scale dry cleaning process (3 kg of laundry and 40 min of drying time), a total of 36 VOCs was quantified, and the odor contribution of these compounds was evaluated. The sum of the odor quotient (SOQ) was analyzed up to 151±163 in the first 12 min of operation. The main odor-causing compounds were acrolein, ethylbenzene, hexane, acetone, and decane, and their odor contributions were 32.28%, 13.47%, 10.52%, 10.20%, and 8.08%, respectively.

In this study, we listed the VOCs focusing on ozone precursors emitted from printing shops in urban areas. The emission characteristics of the VOCs from workplaces were evaluated in terms of the used inks. As a result of field measurements, more than 80% of detected VOCs showed high values of photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP). The main species were aromatic hydrocarbons such as ethylbenzene, toluene, ethyltoluene, xylene, trimethylbenzene and their isomers, and paraffin hydrocarbons such as nonane, decane, and octane. Comparative examination between pristine ink and the printing process revealed the emission of hydrocarbons with 8 to 12 carbons such as o-xylene to n-dodecane from the used inks and with 3 to 7 carbons such as acetone to 3-methylhexane from the printing process. The major contributors to ozone production in printing industries were toluene (12.2%), heptane (7.43%), and 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene (7.21%) in every step.

Recently, public complaints about unpleasant odor are increasing, particularly in urban areas. One of the odor sources is meat grilling restaurants in the vicinity of the residential areas. In this study, we characterized the odorous compounds generated from the stack of grilling restaurants, and evaluated the removal efficiency of the control facilities. As a result of the field investigation, the dilution index of the complex odor exceeded 500 times that of all test restaurants. The main substance was acetaldehyde. In addition, the correlation coefficient (R2) between the total odor and the sum of odor activity values (SOAV) was 0.73, a value high enough to indicate significant responsibility. The performance of the control facility has been shown to be strongly influenced by maintenance activities, such as cleaning and filter replacements.

A pilot-scale biocover was installed at a sanitary landfill for municipal waste, and the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by the biocover was evaluated for a long period of 550 days. The biocover (2.5 m W × 5 m L × 1 m H) was constructed with the mixture of soil, perlite, earthworm cast and compost (6:2:1:1, v/v). The total VOCs concentration of the inlet gas into the biocover was 820.3 ppb~7,217.9 ppb, and the total VOCs concentration of the outlet gas from the surface of the biocover was 12.6 ppb~1,270.1 ppb. The average removal efficiency of total VOCs was 87.6 ± 11.0% (60.5% for minimum and 98.5% for maximum). Toluene concentration was the highest among the inlet VOCs, followed by ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene and o-xylene. These aromatic VOCs accounted for more than 50% of the total VOCs concentration. Other than these aromatic VOCs, hexane, cyclohexane, heptane, benzene, and acetone were major VOCs among the inlet VOCs. Compared with the VOC profiles in the inlet gas, the relative contribution of dichloromethane to the outlet VOCs emitted from the biocover layer increased from 0.1% to 15.3%. The average removal efficiencies of BTEX in the biocover were over 84% during the operation period of 550 days. The average removal efficiencies of hexane, cyclohexane and heptane in the biocover were 86.0 ± 18.9%, 85.4 ± 20.4% and 97.1 ± 4.0%, respectively. The removal efficiency of VOCs in the biocover decreased not only when the ambient temperature had fallen below 5oC, but also when the ambient temperature had risen above 23oC. Information on the VOCs removal characteristics of the biocover installed in the landfill field can be useful for commercializing the biocover technology for the treatment of VOCs.

In this study, the homogeneity and stability of standard samples for proficiency testing in indoor air quality within the country (formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, styrene, TVOC) were evaluated. The procedures and statistical analysis methods applied in ISO/IEC 13528 (2009) and KS A ISO Guide 35 (2005) were applied as evaluation methods. The homogeneity evaluation was a statistical analysis of repeated measurements of each of the 11 ports and between the 11 ports concentration data. As a result, the coefficient of variation (CV) was within the range of 1.9%~5.9%. The difference between the ports was found to be insignificant and met the statistical standard specified in KS Q ISO 13528. The stability evaluation was assessed by the change in concentration over the long-term stability of the standard samples stored for 90 days. The coefficient of variation (CV), which was within the range of 2.6%~9.0%, exhibited changes in the concentration of the long-term stored standard samples. However, the results satisfy the statistical standard specified in KS A ISO Guide 35. Overall, there is no significant difference between the homogeneity of the standard samples by the port and the stability of the long-term stored samples. Therefore, it is considered to be an appropriate method to supply standard samples in an indoor air quality proficiency test.

Seasonal emission characteristics of odors and methane were investigated throughout the period of 17 months in which the emission status of odors and methane from soil cover layers in a sanitary landfill was measured. Complex odor emitted from soil cover layers fluctuated largely at the range of 7~20,800 OU (Odor Unit) in odor dilution ratio, and the median and average values were 2,080 and 4,203 OU, respectively. The intensity of complex odor showed higher values in the spring (5,663 ± 4,033 OU) and winter (6,056 ± 8,372 OU) than in the summer (1,698 ± 3,676 OU) and fall (1,761 ± 451 OU). Based on average concentrations, the compounds with high contribution values for the sum of the odor quotient (SOQ) were hydrogen sulfide (46.1%), methyl mercaptan (26.4%), and dimethyl sulfide (16.8%). This result shows that sulfur compounds were the main odor-causing compounds in the target landfill. The flux of complex odor was 0.17~70.36 OU·m−2·min−1 (Median 0.47, Average 5.40), and the flux of hydrogen sulfide was 0~114.70 μg·m−2·min−1 (Median 0.13, Average 5.91). The methane flux was 0.59~312.70 mg-CH4·m−2·min−1 (Median 25.61, Average 47.99). The methane concentrations emitted at the soil cover layers showed the highest values of 1.0~62.5% (Median 33.0, Average 21.1) in the spring, and the lowest values of 0.1~11.7% (Median 2.3, Average 3.7) in the winter. The methane concentrations in the summer and fall were similar with the average of 17.9% (range of 0.2-44.2%) and 12.5% (range of 2.2-42.5%), respectively. The emission data of odors and methane from soil cover layers can be utilized to establish management policy and apply mitigation technologies for the control of odor and greenhouse gases emitted in landfills.

In this study, the behavior of dominant microbial communities was investigated in the treatment of porcine carcasses using an anaerobic high temperature burial composting method. The correlation between odor emission and bacterial community structure was analyzed through principal component analysis and extended local similarity analysis. In the burial layer of porcine carcass, the dominant bacteria were Bacillaceae (46%), Thermoactinomycetaceae (15%) and Lactobacillaceae (4%) in the early stage and Bacillaceae (46%), Thermoactinomycetaceae (15%), Lactobacillaceae (4%) in the end. Clostridiaceae (CH3SH), Bacillacea ((CH3)2S2), Clostridium ((CH3)2S2), Clostridial (H2S), Oceanobacillus (H2S), and Thermoanaerobacteraceae (H2S) were closely related to the sulfurous odorants, which are the highest odor contributions. The emission of sulfurous odor substances such as H2S, CH3SH, (CH3)2S, and (CH3)2S2 showed a positive correlation with each other, but showed a negative correlation with nitrogenous odorants (NH3 and TMA), aldehydes, organic acids, and VOCs. The results of this correlation analysis can provide useful information that enables us to understand the characteristics of microbial communities and odor generation during the degradation of carcasses and to manage odors and burial sites in the treatment of carcass.

It is very important to treat infected livestock carcasses safely and quickly. In this study, the degradation characteristics and odor generation characteristics of carcasses were investigated during the treatment of swine carcasses using the anaerobic burial composting method. While the carcasses were decomposed, the temperature remained high, at 40~55°C on average, and most of the carcasses were decomposed rapidly. The major odorcontributing substances in the buried composting method are sulfuric odor substances such as H2S, CH3SH, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), and the odor contribution of these substances is 93~99%. Among them, CH3SH, which accounts for about 56~89% of odor contribution, was the most representative indicator substance. Despite the anaerobic digestion process, the methane concentration in the digestion process was as low as 0.5~0.8% at the burial point of the carcass. The odor and methane produced during the decomposition of the carcasses decreased considerably during the discharge to the surface layer through the buried layer consisting of compost. These results suggest that anaerobic high temperature burial composting is one of the most useful methods to treat carcasses of infected livestock.

In order to reduce odor and methane emission from the landfill, open biocovers and a closed biofilter were applied to the landfill site. Three biocovers and the biofilter are suitable for relatively small-sized landfills with facilities that cannot resource methane into recovery due to small volumes of methane emission. Biocover-1 consists only of the soil of the landfill site while biocover-2 is mixed with the earthworm casts and artificial soil (perlite). The biofilter formed a bio-layer by adding mixed food waste compost as packing material of biocover-2. The removal efficiency decreased over time on biocover-1. However, biocover-2 and the biofilter showed stable odor removal efficiency. The rates of methane removal efficiency were in order of biofilter (94.9%)>, biocover-1(42.3%)>, and biocover-2 (37.0%). The methane removal efficiency over time in biocover-1 was gradually decreased. However, drastic efficiency decline was observed in biocover-2 due to the hardening process. As a result of overturning the surface soil where the hardening process was observed, methane removal efficiency increased again. The biofilter showed stable methane removal efficiency without degradation. The estimate methane oxidation rate in biocover- 1 was an average of 10.4%. Biocover-2 showed an efficiency of 46.3% after 25 days of forming biocover. However, due to hardening process efficiency dropped to 4.6%. After overturn of the surface soil, the rate subsequently increased to 17.9%, with an evaluated average of 12.5%.

In this study, swine and cattle farms located in Jeollanam-do were selected to analyze and evaluate the components of odorants in livestock facilities. In addition, a preliminary survey of the literature was conducted to establish a sampling and analysis method for phenol and indoles which are major components of odor emissions from livestock facilities, yet are not regulated by the laws. To establish a sampling and analysis method for phenol and indoles, Tedlar bag and Tenax-TA sorbent tube was used as background concentration of blank sample and samples according to the elapsed time. The results obtained indicate the GC/MS analysis with Tenax-TA sorbent tube sampling was an effective method for measuring the compounds of phenol and indoles. In the swine facility, the rankings of the odorants in order, from highest to lowest, were ammonia, sulfuric compounds, phenol/indoles, volatile fatty acids. The main odorants were hydrogen sulfide (41.3%) and 4-methylphenol (p-cresol, 13.9%). In the swine slurry storage, hydrogen sulfide (33.7%), ammonia (18.8%), and 3-methylindole (skatole, 15.7%) were the main odorants, and hydrogen sulfide (31%) and i-valeric acid (32.4%) were the main odorants in the cattle farms.

Carcasses of pigs were trench buried using either general soil or mature compost as a cover material and the malodorous substances discharged were observed about a year. With the soil burial method, the speed of decay was shown to be dominantly affected by the ambient air temperature. However the compost burial method’s decaying process took place quickly, even ambient air temperature was dropped; it holds the temperature of 40oC or higher. With the compost burial method, there was a period where, the temperature inside the pig carcasses and the temperature of cover-material layer were strongly reversed. From this discovery, level of decay process could be speculated. With the soil burial method there was a trend when malodorous substances concentration was high, the level of concentration in the cover soil was also tends to be high. However, the compost burial method had different result. When malodorous substances concentration was high the level of concentration in the compost cover layer was observed to be lower. This indicates compost burial method shown to intercept and absorb malodorous substances. Furthermore, the compost burial method appears to be able to contribute to deactivate the pathogens by quickly decompose the carcasses at a high temperature.

In the study, public facilities in Korea covered by the law, including PC-rooms, child care facilities, bus terminalwaiting rooms, elderly nursing facilities, movie theaters, underground subway stations, super super markets andindoor parking lots (8 types of facility, for a total of 32 locations) were investigated for indoor gas phase PAHsand particulate phase PAHs. PAHs source profiles were investigated as well. Finally, public facilities PAHs wereestimated the main influencing factors and sources of indoor by factor analysis. Underground subway stations andPC-rooms tended to be higher the concentration than other facilities. It judged each the effects of car exhaust,smoking, and elderly nursing facilities, child care facilities, movie theaters, where the influence of the outdoor airis less relatively direct effect that car exhaust and incoming of ambient air, were showed low concentration. Supersuper markets displayed a large amount of different products and bus terminal waiting rooms influenced car exhaustis higher than those that. Sources of indoor PAHs in public facilities make out profiling(cooking process: broilingmeat and fish, incense, shampoo, decorative candles, tobacco) and on the effects of ambient on reported existingliterature(of diesel and gasoline engines, heating fuel, coke oven, a wood combustion) was referred for factor analysisto estimate emission sources. As a result of particulate PAHs phase, three major factors were showed that factor1: cooking, use of gas fuel and combustion devices, factor 2: smoking. Factor 3: car exhaust. Factor analysis resultsof gas PAHs phase are similar to particulate PAHs phase. Additionally, factors such as air fresheners was estimated.

In this study, leachate treatment facility (outlet, facility inside) and landfill sections (vent systems, landfill surface)of nine landfills is being buried in korea were studied emission characteristics of odor compounds. Air dilutionvalue in ventpipes of landfill section was generally highest and was more 3 times higher than emission standard(air dilution value of facilities outlet : 500) in Daejeon, Tongyeong, and Busan landfill. Outlet of leachate treatmentfacilities in Tongyeong and Daegu landfill, in case, was higher respectively 20 times, 6 times than other landfills,commonly show that a large contribution to the odor of hydrogen sulfide. In case of ordor emission rate, ammoniaand hydrogen sulfide were surveyed to comprise a high rate for odor emission rate. Odor emissions based onlandfill scale, large landfill (Sudokwon) and small landfills (Yeosu, Chuncheon, Chungju) is low in odor emissionsper unit area, whereas medium landfill (Busan, Daejeon, Daegu) was estimated to be high odor emissions. In caseof large landfill, leachate treatment facilities is management in good condition and discharged odor emission oflandfill sections was low into ambient air. In case of small landfill, decay gases and leachate is few. Thereforeodor emissions is fewer than estimated medium landfill. In case of medium landfill, management condition ofleachate treatment facility was in poor and landfill sections was under not stabilization stage. Thus, mediumlandfills was identified that needs to be intensive care.

This study was performed in the 48 selected public facilities in three metropolitan cities (Seoul, Daejeon, and Kwangjoo) and three general cities (Suncheon, Gwangyang, and Yeosu) to measure of the characteristics from May to October 2011. Air samples (PM2.5) were collected at the indoor and outdoor places for 24-hrs using the mini volume air sampler and analyzed 24 gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through the GC/MS. The recoveries of gaseous and particulate PAHs ranged between 60.7% to 127.2% and 57.7% to 132.5% respectively and its relative standard deviation (RSD) was 11.1%. This QA/QC results about the were adequate for the Korean national standards. The concentration levels of the PAHs in present study were acenaphthene 〉dibenz(a,h)anthracene 〉benzo(g,h,i)perylene 〉3-methylcholanthrene 〉 indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene for the particulate PAHs in the 48 selected public facilities. In the case of acenaphthene, the mean concentration showed the highest levels of 22.42 ng/㎥ and 34.57 ng/㎥ in the level of gaseous and particulate phase, respectively. The total PAHs concentration for the PC room is the highest in surveyed public facilities of this study and the smoking/non smoking ratio in the PC room was 3.45. This results indicated that smoking in the PC room is seemed to play a major source and the effective risk management strategies were needed to minimize or eliminate the public health effect for customers in the PC room.

This study was to assess the lifetime cancer and non-cancer risk on exposure to volatile organic compounds This study was assessed the lifetime cancer and non-cancer risk of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure in young children at elementary-schools and academies in Korea. The samples were collected at children's facilities (50 elementary-schools and 42 academies) in summer (Aug ~ Sept, 2008), winter (Dec 2008 ~ Feb, 2009) and Spring (Mar ~ Apr, 2009) periods, and analyzed by GC-MSD. We estimated the lifetime excess cancer risks (ECRs) of benzene and the hazard quotients (HQs) of non-carcinogens toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and styrene. In addition, for carcinogens, the excess cancer risk (ECR) was calculated by considering the process of deciding cancer potency factor (CPF) and age dependent adjust Factor (ADAF) from the data in adults. The average ECRs of benzene for young children were 1×10^-7~1×10^-9 level in all facilities. HQs of four non-carcinogens did not exceed 1.0 for all subjects in all facilities.

This study was performed in the 175 selected child-care facilities in the urban area (Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, and Busan) and the industrial complex area (Sihwa and Yeosu) to measure of the characteristics of VOCs in the indoor air from August, 2007 to April, 2008. All samples were collected at the indoor and outdoor places to the child-care facilities in spring, summer, and winter seasons using the Tenex absorption trap and were analyzed through the GC/MSD. The mean concentration of VOCs in the 175 child-card facilities showed the highest levels of 73.68 ㎍/m³in the toluene and the lowest levels of 0.28 ㎍/m³in the chlorobenzene. In the concentration of the TVOC, it exceeded 2.5 times more as the indoor air quality guideline in Korea. The result of this study was found that the concentration of VOCs in the child-care facilities in Korea may influenced from the some factors such as the constructional period, traffic density, and ventilation rate. These findings may expected to imply that effective risk management strategies should be applied to minimize the public health effects for children in the child-care facilities in Korea.