In the dismantling of nuclear power plants, various forms of radioactive gaseous waste are generated when cutting concrete and metal structures. Large amounts of radioactive dust and aerosols generated during the cutting process of each structure can cause radiation exposure to the environment around the workplace and to the radiation exposure in the body of workers. When cutting structures, water is sprayed to reduce the generation of aerosols, so early saturation of the filter is expected due to radioactive aerosols and fine particles containing a large amount of moisture. A mobile air purification device is being developed to a fast and efficient air purifier that can be used for a long time operation to protect workers from radiation exposure in high radiation areas and to minimize the amount of secondary waste generated. In this paper, the direction for a new concept of unit technology that can achieve the development purpose is described.

Seoul has installed mechanical air filters in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of city buses to improve their indoor air quality since late 2019. We evaluated particle removal efficiencies of the filter in a wind tunnel, and clean air delivery rates (CADRs) of the systems and a household air purifier in the buses, following the test standards. The filter showed the efficiencies of 91% and 97.6%, 88% and 97.9%, and 78% and 95.2% for 0.35 μm particles and PM2.5 at 1.0m/s, 1.5m/s, and 2.0m/s, respectively. The efficiencies rose with an increase in the particle size and the filters had a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating of 15. The CADRs for PM2.5 and flow rate of the systems were 12.7m3/min and 17.9m3/min, 16.6m3/min and 25.4m3/min, 18.7m3/min and 33.6m3/min, and 23.3m3/min and 47.1m3/min on the operation mode of 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The CADRs of the systems were 3.8-7.1 times higher than those of the air purifier, but single-pass removal efficiencies of the former were 0.56-0.81 lower than those of the latter.

In this paper, we conducted a survey to reveal the general perception of parents toward outdoor air quality, particulate matter (PM), and indoor air quality (IAQ) at schools where their children attend. A total of 1,030 parents participated in this survey, where the age of their children ranged between 7 years to over 19 years of age. Each participant was either a member of a non-governmental organization (NGO) with a keen interest in air quality or an ordinary public panel member with less interest. The result of the survey indicated that the participants had a negative perception of air quality, and parents believed that the outdoor and indoor air is extremely polluted. The participants pointed out that they believe that the main reason for the pollution is due to particulate matter (PM) and school classrooms are the location where their children are exposed to PM the most. Based on our study, the majority of the participants prefer a mechanical ventilation system to reduce indoor air pollutants in schools. Our study should be referred to by school officials in order to maintain IAQ and as a way of addressing the concerns of parents who want to protect their children’s health.

본 연구는 스파티필름의 수분 스트레스 정도에 따라 실내 공간 내 오염물질 제거 효율을 구명하고자 수행하였다. 식물이 없는 공간을 대조구, 정상적인 스파티필름과 수분 스트레스를 받은 스파티필름을 각각의 처리구로 하였다. 스파티필름의 수분 스트레스 유무에 따른 chamber 내 온도를 조사한 결과 대조구와 처리구 모두 식물의 생육 적정 범위인 23±1℃를 유지하였으며, 처리 간의 0.7℃의 차이를 보였다. 습도의 경우 대조구와 처리구는 유의차 있게 나타났으며, 처리 간의 유의 차는 없는 것으로 나타났다. 수분 스트레스에 따른 실내 오염 물질을 조사한 결과, 포름알데히드(Formaldehyde) 경우 대조구는 0.30mg･m-3, 정상적인 스파티필름은 0.05mg･m-3 , 수분 스트레스를 받은 스파티필름은 0.09mg･m-3으로 대조구와 처리구는 통계적으로 유의차를 보였으며, 식물 내 수분 스트레스에 따른 처리구간에는 유의차가 없었다. TVOC(Total Volatile Organic Compound)조사 결과, 정상적인 스파티필름의 TVOC는 5시간 후 0.00mg･m-3 으로 모두 제거 된 반면, 수분 스트레스를 받은 스파티필름은 0.34mg･m-3으로 다소 남아 있었으며, 대조구는 1.25mg･m-3으로 세 처리 모두 통계적으로 유의차 있게 나타났다. 또한 이산화탄소 변화량 조사결과, 대조구는 459ppm, 정상 스파티필름은 446ppm으로 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 없으며, 수분 스트레스를 받은 스파티 필름이 대조구보다 이산화탄소 함량이 다소 높았다. 기공변화율 조사 결과, 정상 스파티필름의 변화율은 높게 나타났으며, 수분 스트레스를 받은 스파티필름은 변화율이 낮은 것으로 조사되었다. 따라서, 스파티필름이 배치되어있지 않은 공간보다 배치된 공간이 공기정화에 효과적이며, 수분 스트레스를 받은 스파티필름은 실내오염물질 제거에 있어서 기공 변화율 및 이산화탄소 흡수능력이 저하되므로 스파티필름을 이용하여 효과적으로 실내오염물질을 제거하기 위해서는 적절한 수분 관리가 필요한 것으로 판단된다.

본 연구는 설문을 통해 ‘스마트 그린오피스(Smart Green Office)’에 대해 대중의 인식과 선호도를 알아보고, 활성화를 위한 기반을 마련하고자 수행하였다. 총 195명을 대상으로 설문조사를 진행하였으며, 실내식물에 대한 인식과 ‘스마트 그린오피스’의 인식 및 선호도에 대하여 조사하였다. 설문조사 결과, 설문에 참여한 대부분의 응답자들은 실내식물을 선호하며, 접근성과 필요성에 대해 긍정적으로 답변한 것으로 조사되었다. 응답자들이 실내식물을 통해 ‘공기 질 향상(52.0%)’ 및 ‘스트레스 해소(34.0%)’등 긍정적인 효과를 경험한 적이 있기 때문에 실내식물의 기능을 인지하고 필요성을 크게 인식하는 것으로 판단된다. ‘스마트 그린오피스’의 인지도에 대해 조사한 결과, 알거나 들어본 경험이 있는 사람은 15.4%로 적었으나 개념을 설명한 후, 필요성을 느끼고 설치를 원하는 응답자들 은 90% 이상으로 조사되었다. 응답자들은 ‘공기정화(83.6%)’ 기능 때문에 ‘스마트 그린오피스’ 도입 이 필요하다고 하였으며, 오피스 내 도입 시‘공기정화 식물(70.8%)’로 이루어진 벽면형태(41.0%)’를 선호하는 것으로 조사되었다. 또한, ‘비용 (45.6%)’과 ‘유지 관리(28.2%)’등의 문제가 ‘스마트 그린오피스’ 도입 시 고려하는 점으로 조사되었으며, 설치 시 비용은 ‘200만원 이하(56.4%)’와 ‘200~450 만원(38.5%)’을 선호하는 것으로 조사되었다. ‘스마트 그린오피스’의 인식 및 선호도와 더불어 비활성화에 대한 원인을 조사한 결과, ‘낮은 인지도’ 및 ‘스 마트 그린오피스’의 개념을 인지하지 못한 ‘불필요’가 각각 25.1%와 42.6%로 조사되었으며, ‘적극적인 마케팅 및 홍보 (46.2%)와 ‘실내식물에 대한 관심도 향상(38.0%)’이 이를 해결하기 위한 방법이라고 응답하였다. 따라서, ‘스마트 그린오피스’의 올바른 의미를 알리고, 공기정화 식물로 이루어진 벽면형태의 디자인 개발 및 모델 제시와 같이 ‘스마트 그린오피스’가 활성화될 수 있도록 홍보를 통한 다양한 정보 제공 등 여러 방안 모색이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

This study analyzes the effect of negative air ions on the concentration of airborne particulate matter and evaluates the expected purification efficiency of open spaces for particulate matter by investigating the amount of negative air ions generated by plants. This study establishes a negative air ion generation treatment environment, plant environment, and control environment to measure the purification efficiency of particulate matter under the conditions of each, analyzing the expected purification efficiency by designing a particulate matter purification model. Results show that the amount of generated negative air ion according to environment was negative air ion generation treatment environment > plant environment > control environment; this order also applies to the particulate matter purification efficiency. Moreover, it took 65 min for the negative ion generation treatment environment, 90 min for the plant environment, and 240 min for the control environment to reach the standard expected purification efficiency of particulate matter concentration of 960 mg/m³ for PM10. For PM2.5, with the designated maximum concentration of 700 mg/m³, it took 60 min for the negative ion generation treatment environment, 80 min for the plant environment, and more than 240 min for the control environment. Based on these results, the expected purification efficiency compared to the control environment was quadrupled in the negative ion generation treatment environment and tripled in the plant environment on average.

The final goal of this research is to develop a botanical biofiltration system, which combines green interior, biofiltering, and automatic irrigation, which can purify indoor air pollutants according to indoor space and the size of biofilter. The biofilter used in this experiment was designed as an integral form of water metering pump, water tank, blower, humidifier, and multi-level planting space in order to be more suitable for indoor space utilization. This study was performed to compare indoor air quality between the space adjacent to a botanical biofilter and the space away from the biofilter (control) without generation of artificial indoor air pollutants, and to evaluate plant growth depending on multiple floors within the biofilter. Each concentration of indoor air pollutants such as TVOCs, monoxide, and dioxide in the space treated with the biofilter was lower than that of control. Dracaena sanderiana ‘Vitoria’ and Epipremnum aureum ‘N Joy’ also showed normal growth responses regardless of multiple floors within the biofilter. Hence, it was confirmed that the wall-typed botanical biofilter suitable for indoor plants was effective for indoor air purification.

Biogas from anaerobic digestion of biological wastes is a renewable energy resource. It has been utilized to provideheat and electricity. Raw biogas contains about 55~65% methane, 30~45% carbon dioxide, 0.5% of hydrogen sulfidegas and fraction of water vapor. The presence of CO2 and H2S in biogas affects less caloric value of raw biogas andcorrosion of engine etc.. Reducing CO2 and H2S contents improves a quality of fuel. In this paper, the absorption processusing aqueous monoethanol amine has been investigated as one of the leading technologies to purify the biogas. Liquidabsorbent is circulated through the reactor, contacting the biogas in countercurrent flow. The experimental results of themethane purification in simulated biogas mixture consisted of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide werepresented. It was shown that using aqueous solution used is effective in reacting with CO2 in biogas and it was possibleto achieve the purification of methane from the concentration of 55% up to 98%. This technique proved to be efficientin enriching and purifying of biogas, and has to be used to improve process efficiency.

To date, carbon and nitrogen co-doped photocatalysts (CN-TiO2) for environmental application focused mainly on the aqueous phase to investigate the decomposition of water pollutants. Accordingly, the present study explored the photocatalytic performance of CN-TiO2 photocatalysts for the purification of indoor-level gas-phase aromatic species under different operational conditions. The characteristics of prepared photocatalysts were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning emission microscope, diffuse reflectance UV-VIS-NIR analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. In most cases, the decomposition efficiency for the target compounds exhibited a decreasing trend as input concentration (IC) increased. Specifically, the average decomposition efficiencies for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene (BTEX) over a 3-h process decreased from 29% to close to zero, 80 to 5%, 95 to 19%, and 99 to 32%, respectively, as the IC increased from 0.1 to 2.0 ppm. The decomposition efficiencies obtained from the CN-TiO2 photocatalytic system were higher than those of the TiO2 system. As relative humidity (RH) increased from 20 to 95%, the decomposition efficiencies for BTEX decreased from 39 to 5%, 97 to 59%, 100 to 87%, and 100 to 92%, respectively. In addition, as the stream flow rates (SFRs) decreased from 3.0 to 1.0 L min-1, the average efficiencies for BTEX increased from 0 to 58%, 63 to 100%, 69 to 100%, and 68 to 100%, respectively. Taken together, these findings suggest that three (IC, RH, and SFR) should be considered for better BTEX decomposition efficiencies when applying CN-TiO2 photocatalytic technology to purification of indoor air BTEX.