Information on time spent in microenvironments has a critical role in individuals’ exposure assessment. Time-activity studies have become an integral part of comprehensive exposure assessment and personal exposure modeling. The aims of this study were to estimate the exposure level of NO₂, PM₁₀ and VOCs, and to compare the estimated exposure by using time-activity pattern and indoor air concentration. This study was performed upon 28 university students living in Daegu. We measured air pollutants of NO₂, PM₁₀ and VOCs at houses where the university students spent most their times. In this study, according to the summer and winter, time-activity patterns of university students were different. The 28 university students average spending times in house indoors and other indoors time were 11.52±2.14 and 7.63±2.65 hours in summer, and 14.78±3.30 and 6.59±3.03 hours in winter, respectively. The university students personal exposure NO₂ concentrations were average 21.62±5.88 ppb and I/O ratio was 0.89±0.27. Personal average exposure of PM₁₀ concentration was between house indoors and outdoors concentrations which indoor house concentration was 37.68±7.57 μg/m³ and outdoor house concentration was 43.85±9.80 μg/m³ with 0.88±0.17 of I/O ratio. Personal exposure to benzene and the average concentration of benzene did not exceed in atmosphere environmental standard (annual 1.5 ppb) and the outdoor houses concentration was much higher than indoor houses.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) could adversely affect health. The aim of this study was to quantify the contribution of ETS exposure in nonsmokers of entertainment facilities. We simultaneously measured nicotine and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which are known as indicators of ETS, concentrations in indoor internet cafe, billiard, karaoke, bar and restaurant, and estimated exposure level of other harmful agents occurred from tobacco smoking. Mean nicotine concentration (10.57±2.53㎍ /m³ ) of internet cafe was the highest comparing to other facilities, whereas mean concentration of restaurant where was non-smoking area was 0.28±0.08㎍ /m³ . There was statistically not correlated between NO₂ and nicotine concentrations in entertainment facilities. Therefore, the use of NO₂ concentration as indicator of ETS exposure may not be available. To date, there are no standards about each agent occurred from ETS. Consequently administrative control and regulation, and further researches in relation to ETS exposure should be needed.

Studies evaluating the health effects of hazardous air pollutants assume that people's exposure to typical pollutant level is the same as specific regional pollutant level. However, depending on social and demographic factors, time-activity pattern of people can vary widely. Since most people live in indoor environments over 88% of the day, evaluating exposure to hazardous air pollutants is hard to characterize. Objective of this study was to estimate the exposure levels of university students of NO2, VOCs(BTEX) and PM10 using the scenarios with time-activity pattern and indoor concentrations. Using data from time-use survey of National Statistical Office in 2009, we investigated time-activity pattern of university students and hourly major action. A total of 1,057 university students on weekday and 640 on weekend spent their times at indoor house 13.04 hr(54.32%), other indoors 7.70 hr(32.06%), and transportation 2.36 hr(9.83%). Indoor environments in which university students spent their times were mainly house and school. Air pollutants concentrations of other indoor environments except house and school such as bar, internet cafe and billiard hall were higher than outdoors, indicating that indoor to outdoor ratios were above 1. According to three types of exposure scenarios, exposure to air pollutants could be reduced by going home after school.