The numbers of deaths attributed by tobacco smoking have remarkably increased, reflecting the smoking patterns of previous decades. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke increases the prevalence of both upper and lower respiratory tract illnesses. Self-reports of direct and indirect smoking may not always be reliable in questionnaire method used epidemiology. A number of biochemical makers have been used to validate claims of indirect smoking among which the most widely used specific markers has been the nicotine metabolite cotinine. This study was conducted to evaluate the cotinine levels to determine smoking status. Biomoitoring to assess the validity of questionnaire method found that sensitivity and specificity coefficients of around 100% and 100% in direct smokers. On the other hand, sensitivity and specificity coefficients were 56.74% and 47.26%, respectively. This results suggest that indirect smoking status should be assessed by biomonitoring such as cotinine levels.

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) can produce adverse health effects. Various indoor and outdoor combustion sources make NO₂ the most ubiquitous pollutant in the indoor environment. Indoor air quality can be affected by indoor sources, ventilation, decay and outdoor levels. Although technologies exist to measure these factors, direct measurements are often difficult. In the present paper, we used a mass balance model and regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation rate divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) and source strength factor (source strength divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) were calculated using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements with 10 houses. Subsequently, mean contributions of indoor and outdoor sources were 28.86% and 81.09%, respectively, suggesting that both indoor and outdoor sources had contributions to indoor concentrations of NO₂.

Indoor air quality can be affected by indoor sources, ventilation, outdoor levels, and removal. Various indoor and outdoor combustion sources make nitrogen dioxide(NO2), which is a by-product of high temperature fossil fuel combustion. Especially, the presence of gas ranges and smoking have been identified as two of the major factors contributing to indoor NO2 exposures. In this study, the relative efficiencies for NO2 removal by a large number of materials are presented. This work has demonstrated that reactions with indoor surfaces represents a significant sink for NO2, and that these reactions currently are effecting a considerable degree of control over indoor NO2 levels. It seems that this control could be enhanced by judicious selection of furnishings and construction materials. Improved understanding of that rates and mechanisms of the removal process will permit optimization of the process for indoor air quality improvement.

Burning mosquito coils in indoor environments maygenerate smoke that can control mosquito effectively. This practice has been used in numerous households in Korea. However the smoke may contain air pollutants of health concern. We conducted the present study to characterize the emission from two common brands of mosquito coils from Vietnam and Malaysia, respectively. We measured mass emission of air pollutants of nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate(PM2.5), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in completely closed chamber. Air pollutants concentrations resulting from burning mosquito coils could substantially exceed health-based air quality standards orguidelines. Under the same condition, air pollutants were measured by cigarette smoking to compare mosquito coil. Burning one mosquito coil would release the same amount of PM2.5 mass as burning 20~58 cigarettes. The emission of HCHO from burning one coil can be as high as that released from burning 27 cigarettes.

Recently, indoor air quality (IAQ) in workplace, residence, and schools has been one of the major concerns of people, scientists and the related public. This study was performed to investigate the characteristics of indoor air quality(IAQ) in kindergartens, elementary school, middle schools, and high schools from June 2004 to May 2005 in Korea. We measured indoor air pollutants such as PM10, CO2, formaldehyde, total bacteria colony(TBC), CO, radon, total volatile organic compounds(TVOCs), asbestos, and O3 from school classrooms. The subjects were classified by building year based on the time span of 1, 1 - 3, 3 - 5, and 5 - 10 years. The levels of pollutants and physical factor in schools were compared with standards and guidelines of indoor air quality on the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Education, and Human Resources Development of Korea. The major results obtained from this study can be summarized as follows. Asbestos and O3 were not detected in all surveyed classrooms. However, we were able to detect CO, TBC, TVOCs, and formaldehyde in kindergartens, TBC in elementary schools, TBC, TVOCs and formaldehyde in middle schools, and formaldehyde in high schools. This study was conducted to provide a basis for the management IAQ in school. Therefore, we suggest that a national plan for the management of IAQ in school should be established through a long-term, continuous investigation for the proper assessment of IAQ in school and for the health risk assessment for student.

Indoor air quality tends to be the dominant contributor to personal exposure, because most people spend over 80% of their time indoors. In this study, indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations were measured simultaneously with personal exposures of 30 university students in weekday and weekend in Daegu, Korea. House characteristics and subject's activity pattern were used to determine the effects on personal exposure. Since university students spent most of their times indoor, their NO2 exposure was associated with indoor NO2 level during both weekday and weekend in spite of different time activity. Using a time-weighted average model, NO2 exposures of university students were estimated by NO2 measurements in indoor home, indoor school, and outdoor home. In conclusion, major personal exposure to NO2 resulted from air quality of indoor environment at house.

The work of hairdressers includes washing, coloring, bleaching, permanent waving, conditioning, and cutting scalp hair. Hairdressers are subjected to a number of physical and toxicological hazards. The toxicological hazards are those resulting from exposure to a wide range of chemicals and from chemicals are usually classified active processes. In this study, twenty beauty shops were selected to assess the exposure to indoor air pollutants such as VOCs and particulate matter (PM10) during one month from September 1 to September 30, 2003. Indoor air quality of beauty shops might be worse by vehicle emissions because the beauty shops were generally located near roadway. Personal exposures to VOCs and PM10 were related to indoor concentrations of beauty shops, respectively. According to questionnaire, hairdressers responded sore throat, eye irritation, and nervousness as health effect symptoms. Conclusively, users as well as workers in beauty shop might be highly exposed to air pollutants from indoor sources and outdoor sources. Therefore, proper methods should be prepared to improve the indoor air quality in beauty shop.

복합 적층 판과 보강 재를 설치한 보강된 복합 적층 패널의 좌굴을 고려한 설계에서, 좌굴이 항상 구조물의 최종 파손을 의미하는 것은 아니므로 이들의 좌굴 및 좌굴 후 거동에 대한 정확한 이해와 연구가 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 유한요소 법을 이용하여 적층 메커니즘과 섬유 배향각, 적층 순서 등이 복합 적층 판과 보강된 복합 적층 패널의 좌굴 및 좌굴 후 거동에 미치는 영향을 체계적으로 해석하였고, 각 변수에 따른 좌굴 및 좌굴 후 거동 특성을 분석하였다.

The assessment of personal exposure is a critical component in population-based epidemiologic studies of air pollution. This study was conducted to apply and compare the four exposure estimation methods of individual-level to air pollution concentration in a cohort including 2,283 subjects in Gwangyang, Korea. Individual-level exposure of air pollution were estimated using multiple approaches, including average across all monitors, nearest monitor, and spatial interpolation by inverse distance weighting and kriging. The mean concentrations of PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, O3 by four exposure estimation methods were slightly different but not significantly different from each other. Cross-validation showed that kriging was more accurate than other exposure estimation methods because kriging has probably predicted individual exposure levels equivalent to residential locations after estimating the parameters of a model according to the spatial surface of air pollution concentration. These data support that spatial interpolation methods may provide better estimates than selecting the value from the nearest monitor and averaging across values from all monitors by reflecting spatial attributes of air pollution on personal level.

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.

This research had been conducted from May to October 2007, studying 110 residents of G, Y, H industrial area in Jun-nam province. It is designed to understand the difference in levels of indoor, outdoor and personal exposure to VOCs(benzene, toluene, Ethylbenzene) and a health risk assessment was conducted to see if there was any fatal cause from carcinogenic or non - carcinogenic elements from a case group and a control group in all areas as well as each different area. In the case of benzene in the air, the geometric levels for the case group are indoor, outdoor and personal exposure; a higher than for the control group. As a results of the Monte - Carlo study about benzene, it shows that the case group’s carcinogenicity is higher than that of the control group and it also shows that, on the CTE, RME condition and Monte - Carlo analysis, all subjects are seen to exceed the carcinogenicity tolerance 10-6 of US EPA. In the case of toluene, ethylbenzene on the CTE, RME condition and Monte - Carlo analysis, these do not exceed the non - carcinogenic standard of 1, but toluene in RME condition for both groups’ personal exposure and the indoor and personal exposure of ethylbenzene in Monte - Carlo show that these seem to exceed the standard.

This study analyzed the concentration of the heavy metals(Cd, Hg, iAs) of urine(n=576) from May, 2007 to Oct 2007. The subject was residents in G, Y, H industrial area, Jeollanam-do, in which exposure due to the adjacency of the industrial complex. As to the heavy metal concentration in the urine of the residents in the whole exposed region and the comparing region, the content of cadmium, mercury, and inorganic arsenic in the exposed region group were 1.23, 1.85, and 8.80 μg/g_ct respectively, and those of the comparing region group were 1.87, 2.00, and 8.93 μg/g_ct respectively, which indicates that the concentration of the comparing group was higher than that of the exposed group. The heavy metal concentration for each age group increased in proportion to age except those under 10 for some substances(p<0.01). As to geometric mean concentration cadmium and inorganic arsenic in urine according to the smoking history of the subject, the concentration of the smoking group and the non-smoking group were 1.65 μg/g_ct and 9.13 μg/g_ct respectively, while those of the non-smoking group were 1.47 μg/g_ct and 8.91 μg/g_ct respectively, which indicates that the former is higher than the latter. As to the inorganic arsenic concentration in urine according to the food preference, in order of vegetable, fish, and meat showed high concentration (p<0.01). To clarify the factors affecting the heavy metal concentration in urine among the subjects, the multiple regression analysis was conducted. As a result, it turned out that as to cadmium content in urine, gender, age, drinking, and smoking have influence on the subjects, with explanatory adequacy of 37.5 %.

Perceived air quality (PAQ) is defined as evaluation of indoor air satisfaction and comfortable sensory by occupants. However, there are differences between criteria of indoor pollutants and lowest sensory thresholds. In this study, we compared indoor PAQ by questionnaire with measured benzene, toluene and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in home indoors. The NO2 concentration was the highest in Seoul, while benzene and toluene were the highest in Asan. Average PAQ score in winter was higher than that in summer. Significant correlations between PAQs of home indoor air pollution and measured pollutant concentrations were not shown and correlation coefficients (r) ranged between -0.453<r<0.258. Several groups have been divided to analyze what may affect PAQ scores such as gender, city, home indoor smoking, passive smoking, and self-reported respiratory symptoms. Gender, city, and self-reported respiratory symptoms by indoor air quality were associated with high PAQ scores by using of logistic regression analysis. We are confirmed that no association between concentrations of home indoor pollutant and PAQ scores. Therefore we further need to develop new indicator indoor air pollutants, measurement, and evaluation by PAQ.

Indoor air quality can be affected by indoor sources, ventilation, decay and outdoor levels. Although technologies exist to measure these factors, direct measurements are often difficult. The purpose of this study was to develop an alternative method to characterize indoor environmental factors by multiple indoor and outdoor measurements. Using a mass balance model and regression analysis, penetration factor (ventilation rate divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) and source strength factor (source strength divided by the sum of ventilation rate and deposition constant) were calculated using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements. Subsequently, the ventilation rate and NO2 generation rate were estimated. Mean of ventilation rate was 1.41 ACH in houses, assuming a residential NO2 deposition constant of 0.94 hr-1. Mean generation rate of NO2 was 16.5 ppbv/hr. According to house characterization, inside smoking and family number were higher NO2 generation rates, and apartment was higher than single-family house. In conclusion, indoor environmental factors were effectively characterized by this method using multiple indoor and outdoor measurements.

In this study, in order to analyze the air quality of the indoor environments of schools, we measured the indoor, outdoor and personal exposure concentration level of PM10 for 40 classrooms(20 old, 20 new) in chungnam area from June 22 to July 19 and from November 21 to December 30, 2003. 1. Old classrooms contained more dust than new classrooms; the average of respirable dust is 43.27 ㎍/㎥ for new classrooms while 53.38 ㎍/㎥ for old one. The exposure concentration level of respirable dust in new classrooms were in summer higher outdoors than indoors. The values were indoors 46.71 ㎍/㎥, outdoors 50.46 ㎍/㎥, and personal 41.62 ㎍/㎥. Meanwhile in winter indoors had a higher concentration level than outdoors, the values being indoors 39.11 ㎍/㎥, outdoors 34.86 ㎍/㎥, and personal 49.01 ㎍/㎥. 2. Cr concentration level within dust was slightly higher in summer indoors (101.50±32.10 ng/㎥) and outdoors (100.89±35.18 ng/㎥) than winter indoors (85.80±48.95 ng/㎥) and outdoors (74.43±38.93 ng/㎥), but in personal concentration level, winter was higher. The results of this research show insufficient understanding of health risks from indoor air pollution, and shows possible health problems to students from school indoor air pollution. As such, a logical and systematic education program for students about the importance of indoor air quality should be carried out. Also the results of PM10 concentration level measurements emphasize the need for regular measurements of indoor / outdoor and personal concentration level. New classrooms in particular needs to be used after measuring pollutants and safety, and requires installation of a ventilation device in all classrooms to improve air quality.

This study was performed in 30 selected apartments in Seoul, Asan and Daegu area which were constructed within 4 years and over 4 years, to measure the concentration of VOCs(benzene, toluene, xylene) from July, 2004 to September. Mean ratios of indoor to outdoor VOCs concentrations in the construction under 4 years were higher in 1 than average, I/O ratio of over 4 years were lower in 1. This was considered that the VOCs density influences indoor pollutant. For the indoor air quality estimation, the deposition constant and the source strength factor of toluene were 1.49±2.05 hr-1 and 36.95±52.26 ppb/h, respectively.

Indoor air quality is the dominant contributor to total personal exposure because most people spend a majority of their time indoors. Especially when indoor environments have sources of contaminants, exposure to indoor air can potentially pose a greater threat than exposure to ambient air. In this study, estimations of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde emission rate in indoor environments of new apartments were carried out using mass balance model in indoor environment, because indoor air quality can be affected by source generation, outdoor air level, ventilation, decay by reaction, temperature, humidity, mixing condition and so on. Considering the estimated emission rate of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde, it is suggested that new apartment should be designed and constructed in the aspect of using construction materials to emit low hazardous air pollutants.

Despite the wide distribution of air pollutants, the concentrations of indoor air pollutants may be the dominant risk factor in personal exposure due to the fact that most people spend an average of 80% of their time in enclosed buildings. Researches for improvement of indoor air quality have been developed such as installation of air cleaning device, ventilation system, titanium dioxide(TiO2) coating and so on. However, it is difficult to evaluate the magnitude of improvement of indoor air quality in field study because indoor air quality can be affected by source generation, outdoor air level, ventilation, decay by reaction, temperature, humidity, mixing condition and so on. In this study, evaluation of reduction of formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide emission rate in indoor environments by TiO2 coating material was carried out using mass balance model in indoor environment. we proposed the evaluation method of magnitude of improvement in indoor air quality, considering outdoor level and ventilation. Since simple indoor concentration measurements could not properly evaluate the indoor air quality, outdoor level and ventilation should be considered when evaluate the indoor air quality.

Oxidative TCE decomposition over TiO2-supported single and complex metal oxide catalysts has been conducted using a continuous flow type fixed-bed reactor system. Different types of commercial TiO2 were used for obtaining the supported catalysts via an incipient wetness technique. Among a variety of titanias and metal oxides used, a DT51D TiO2 and CrOx would be the respective promising support and active ingredient for the oxidative TCE decomposition. The TiO2-based CrOx catalyst gave a significant dependence of the catalytic activity in TCE oxidation reaction on the metal loadings. The use of high CrOx contents for preparing CrOx/TiO2 catalysts might produce Cr2O3 crystallites on the surface of TiO2, thereby decreasing catalytic performance in the oxidative decomposition at low reaction temperatures. Supported CrOx-based bimetallic oxide systems offered a very useful approach to lower the CrOx amounts without any loss in their catalytic activity for the catalytic TCE oxidation and to minimize the formation of Cl-containing organic products in the course of the catalytic reaction.

Indoor air quality has been addressed as an important atmospheric environmental issue and has caught attention of the public in recent years in Korea. Good indoor air quality in classrooms favour student's learning ability, teacher and staff's productivity according to other studies. In this study, each classroom at four different schools was chosen for comparison of indoor and outdoor air quality by means of source generation types such as new constructed classroom, using of cleaning agents and purchased furniture. Temperature, relative humidity (RH), carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and particulate matter with diameter less than 10 ㎛ (PM10) were monitored at indoor and outdoor locations during lesson. HCHO was found to be the worst among parameters measured in new constructed classroom, HCHO and TVOCs was worst in classroom with new purchased furniture, and TVOCs was worst in classroom cleaned by cleaning agents. Indoor CO2 concentrations often exceeded 1500 ppm indicating importance of ventilation. Active activity of students during break time made the PM10 concentration higher than a lesson. Improvements and further researches should be carried out considering indoor air quality at schools is of special concern since children and students are susceptible to poor air quality.