Korean Ministry Of Environment Research Articles

Analysis of Big Data Obtained from Continuous Measurement of 22 Malodor-producing Substances in Korean Cattle Farms

Objectives : This research collected continuous (20-minute interval) measurement data of 22 compounds from cattle farms during a year in order to understand malodor emission characteristics and trends and also big data analysis was performed to analyze the relationships between malodor concentration and environmental factors such as wind direction and speed, temperature, and humidity.Methods : The measured substances were 22 compounds defined as ‘designated malodor-producing substances’ by Korean Ministry of Environment. Detection and concentration measurement were performed by gas chromatography with two kinds of columns (VB-WAX, and VB-1), and detectors (FID and PID). Sampling was carried out with pumping every 2 or 5 minute and thermal desorption was followed by chromatograph injection. Data obtained from analysis were stored with environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023. Total number of measurement data was 26,280.Results and Discussion : Correlation analysis showed that temperature was correlated with dimethyl disulfide, and iso-valeraldehyde, and humidity was correlated with toluene, iso-butylalcohol, and trimethylamine. Six principal components explained 60.7% of total variance and two principal components, PC 1 and PC 2, were selected and analyzed. PC 1 was strongly related with volatile organic compounds and PC 2 was related with acid compounds. Together with bipolar plot results, PC 1 was defined as volatile properties and PC 2 as acidic characteristics, respectively. Multiple regression with principal components as dependent variables and environmental variables as independent showed relatively small value of adjusted R2 except PC 1 of 0.539.Conclusion : Malodorous compounds tended to diffuse and move together with similar molecular characteristics which made the detected concentration similar in patterns. Though PC 1 had correlation with environmental variables through multiple regression analysis, it can be explained as chemical compound’s characteristics depends on temperature, humidity, and wind.

Clinical Impact of Ambient Particulate Matters on Dry Eye Disease

Purpose: Dry eye disease (DED) has become a common ocular surface disorder in the recent decades, which can be influenced by environmental factors. This study aimed to examine the clinical association between DED and ambient air pollutants.Methods: A total of 216 patients (18 patients per each month) diagnosed with DED were enrolled in this retrospective study. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear film breakup time (TFBUT), fluorescein corneal staining (FCS), and Schirmer’s test 1 (ST1) were examined. The monthly concentrations of air pollutants in 2018 were obtained from the data released by the Korean Ministry of Environment. Based on the mean of PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2.5</sub>, subgroup with exposure to low (L–PM) or high concentration of PM (H–PM) was analyzed.Results: Patients had moderate DED as high OSDI, low TFBUT, increased FSC, and decreased ST1. During the year 2018, monthly variation of PM showed that May to October was the period of L-PM and January to April and November to December was the period of H-PM. In subgroup analysis, patients in H-PM showed significantly higher OSDI, FCS, and lower ST1 compared to in L-PM. However, there was no significant difference in TFBUT between subgroups.Conclusions: DED was more severe in the period of H-PM than L-PM even though there was no difference in tear film instability between both periods. Ambient inflammatory factors including PM might deteriorate ocular surface as well as tear secretion, resulting in aggravating DED.

Evaluation of biogenic emissions from three different vegetation distributions in South Korea

Map of plant functional type (PFT) is one of key information in estimating the bottom-up biogenic emissions. This study investigated the performance of three different maps of PFT on biogenic emissions in South Korea: i) PFT map from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite sensor onboard Terra-/Aqua-satellites (MPFT); ii) PFT map from the Environmental Geographic Information System (EGIS) provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment (EPFT); and iii) PFT map from the Forest Geographic Information System (FGIS) established by the Korea Forest Service (FPFT). These three different vegetation distributions were used as input information into the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN) model. The biogenic emissions estimated by the MEGAN model simulations were then evaluated by comparisons between the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) simulated mixing ratios of biogenic species with ground- and aircraft-borne mixing ratios during the period of the Korea–United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign. The analyses found that the simulation using the FPFT map, which has been regarded as ‘ground truth’, produced the best results in terms of several statistical metrics. For example, among the three experiments, the simulation with the FPFT map produced the best index of agreement (IOA) of 0.76 and the lowest normalized mean bias (NMB) of 5.61%, in comparison with ground-based isoprene observations. The simulations with the MPFT map also performed reasonably, showing low NMBs of −42.13% and −14.87% for the isoprene and the first-generation products of isoprene, respectively, in comparison with the DC-8 airborne observations. In addition, the applications of the MPFT map to the MEGAN modeling showed significant overestimations in the mixing ratios of biogenic species over the SoBaek (SB) mountain ranges. It was believed that this was due to the overestimated density of broadleaf deciduous temperate trees over the SB mountain ranges in the MPFT map. On the other hand, the EPFT map showed the worst performances, which might be related to crude classification of vegetation. This study also suggests two important possibilities. First, the current isoprene-related photochemistry appears to be highly uncertain, based on large underestimations of the first-generation products of isoprene, in comparison with observations. Second, the emission factors of monoterpenes in the MEGAN model may be too small, based on large underestimations of monoterpenes, in comparison with observations.

Effects of Exposure Duration and Exposure Levels of Ambient Air Pollutants on the Risk of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A 2015-2019 Korean Population-Based Cohort Study.

Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of menstrual disorders and infertility. This study examined the relationships between the levels and duration of air pollution exposure and the risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) using Korean population-based cohort data (2015–2019). Real-time data on PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, and NO2 were provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment. The average monthly air pollutant concentration from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 was analyzed. To assess individual-level exposure to air pollutants, a spatial prediction model and an area-averaging approach were used. In total, 237,582 PCOS cases were analyzed. The annual age-adjusted PCOS incidence was 6.70, 8.28, 9.73, 11.58, and 11.97% from 2015–2019, respectively. The PCOS risk increased 1.29–1.32, 1.43–1.52, and 1.32-fold following exposure to the 2-year and 3-year average levels of PM2.5, O3, and NO2, respectively, compared to their 1-year average levels. The PCOS risk increased 1.75-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.66–1.85) in the fourth-quartile for the NO2 level. Increased SO2 and CO levels in the second- and third-quartiles were also associated with an increased PCOS risk. Exposure to air pollutants thus increased the risk for PCOS in the Korean population.

Evaluation of the Melting Gasification Process for Recovery of Energy and Resources from Automobile Shredder Residues

In this study, we investigated the applicability of an automobile shredder residue (ASR) as an energy and recycling resource. First, ASR gasification was conducted in a fixed-bed reactor (throughput = 1 kg/h) at different temperatures (800, 1000, and 1200 °C) and an equivalence ratio of 0.1–0.5. Clay bricks were prepared with the solid residue obtained from the gasification process to address the issue of solid-residue production in pyrolysis. The syngas (H2 + CO) from ASR gasification had maximum and minimum yields of approximately 86 and 40 vol.%, respectively. Furthermore, the yield of syngas increased with the temperature and equivalence ratio (ER); therefore, the optimum conditions for the ASR gasification were determined to be a temperature of 1200 °C and an ER of 0.5. In addition, solid residues, such as char and ash, began to melt due to thermal heating in the range of 1300–1400 °C and were converted into melting slag, which was subsequently used to manufacture clay bricks. The absorption ratios and compressive strengths of the clay bricks were compared to those set by Korean Industrial Standards to evaluate the quality of the clay bricks. As a result, the manufactured clay bricks were estimated to have a compressive strength of over 22.54 N/mm2 and an absorption ratio of less than 10%. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the melting–gasification process were estimated and compared with those from ASR incineration, calculated using the greenhouse gas equations provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment. As a result, it was revealed that the GHG emissions from the combined melting–gasification process (gasification, melting system, and clay-brick manufacturing) were approximately ten times higher than those from the ASR-incineration process. Thus, in terms of operation cost on the carbon capture process for GHG reduction, the combined melting–gasification process would be a more efficient process than that of incineration.

Assessment of Tropospheric Concentrations of NO2 from the TROPOMI/Sentinel-5 Precursor for the Estimation of Long-Term Exposure to Surface NO2 over South Korea

Since April 2018, the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) has provided data on tropospheric NO2 column concentrations (CTROPOMI) with unprecedented spatial resolution. This study aims to assess the capability of TROPOMI to acquire high spatial resolution data regarding surface NO2 mixing ratios. In general, the instrument effectively detected major and moderate sources of NO2 over South Korea with a clear weekday–weekend distinction. We compared the CTROPOMI with surface NO2 mixing ratio measurements from an extensive ground-based network over South Korea operated by the Korean Ministry of Environment (SKME; more than 570 sites), for 2019. Spatiotemporally collocated CTROPOMI and SKME showed a moderate correlation (correlation coefficient, r = 0.67), whereas their annual mean values at each site showed a higher correlation (r = 0.84). The CTROPOMI and SKME were well correlated around the Seoul metropolitan area, where significant amounts of NO2 prevailed throughout the year, whereas they showed lower correlation at rural sites. We converted the tropospheric NO2 from TROPOMI to the surface mixing ratio (STROPOMI) using the EAC4 (ECMWF Atmospheric Composition Reanalysis 4) profile shape, for quantitative comparison with the SKME. The estimated STROPOMI generally underestimated the in-situ value obtained, SKME (slope = 0.64), as reported in previous studies.

Spatio-temporal changes of PM10 trends in South Korea caused by East Asian atmospheric variability

Atmospheric dust loadings strongly depend on the amount of dust emissions and on the atmospheric variability. This study examines trends in PM10 (i.e., a particulate matter with the aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 10 μm) mass concentrations for South Korea with respect to the East Asian atmospheric variability due to climate warming. The PM10 mass concentrations were used by the nationwide monitoring network of the Korean Ministry of Environment (KME) over the two-decade period of 1999–2018. Annual PM10 in South Korea was found to decrease to −0.61±0.08 μg m−3 yr−1 over the two decades of 1999–2018. Such an overall decrease was more associated with a decreasing trend during spring and summer than during other seasons. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of wind speed at 850 hPa accounted for the spatial structure wherein the decrease of wind speeds in Mongolia and China was consistent with those in South Korea during the spring season. Furthermore, the next highest PM10 reduction rate during the stagnant and humid summer period was caused by a warmer air mass over the northwest Pacific Ocean. In eastern China, the annual aerosol optical depth (AOD) reflected by primary and secondary particulate matters showed high values and increased to 0.01 (r2=0.60) for the period of 2000–2013. However, annual AOD values increased negligibly in the Yellow Sea and the Korean Peninsula due more likely to decreasing wind speeds from eastern China. The policy limiting emissions in China since 2014 as well as continuous efforts to reduce air pollution in South Korea affected the AOD decreasing trend. Therefore, the reduced transport and local emissions most likely explain the sharp decreasing trends of PM10 in South Korea during the recent 5-year period of 2014–2018.

Thermo-Chemical Treatment for Carcass Disposal and the Application of Treated Carcass as Compost

A mechanized thermo-chemical treatment system was developed to treat the undecomposed carcass and remediate livestock burial sites. Animal carcasses were thus processed via crushing, mixing, and treatment with quicklime treatment, heat treatment (200–500 °C), and mixing with sawdust. The machinery was applied to two sites where 16,000 chickens and 418 pigs had previously been buried in fiber-reinforced plastic storage bins. No dioxins were detected in the gas discharged during processing, and the concentration of total volatile organic compound, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and styrene were 430.3, 139.0, 18.3, 21.4, and 10.4 μg/m3, respectively, which were below the air pollutant emission standards issued by the Korean Ministry of Environment. Korean standards stipulating the use of treated carcasses as compost (C, N, and P content, heavy metal concentration, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella) were met, but the germination index value was less than 70, not satisfying the criteria. Plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and dry weight of lettuce grown in soil amended with treated carcass product were significantly lower than those grown in low nutrient soil due to the poor germination index of the treated carcass. These results indicate that a composting process is required before the use of the treated carcass as a fertilizer. The addition of zeolite retarded the elution of ammonia from the carcasses and its efficiency was about 87.9%. It is expected that the mechanized thermo-chemical treatment process developed in this study could replace other technologies for the remediation of livestock burial sites.

Risk assessment of asbestos containing materials in a deteriorated dwelling area using four different methods

The release of asbestos fibers in old buildings, during demolition, or remodeling is associated with severe public health risks to building occupants and workers. In Korea, asbestos was used in several building materials during the 20th century. Although the use of asbestos is currently banned, its widespread earlier use and the current government initiatives to revitalize dilapidated areas make it essential to accurately evaluate the location and status of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). This study surveyed buildings in an area of deteriorated dwellings targeted for renewal and determined the status and distribution of ACMs in that area. Asbestos distribution maps were generated and asbestos characteristics were analyzed. In addition, the risk posed by the identified ACMs was assessed using four international methods (the Korean Ministry of Environment, US Environmental Protection Agency, American Society for Testing and Materials, and UK Health and Safety Executive methods), and the results were compared. Notable differences between the assessment results were identified and were found to reflect the specific characteristics of buildings in the study area. These findings suggest ACM risk assessments should be specifically tailored to the regions in which they are applied, thereby improving ACM management and promoting both worker and occupant health.

Development of GHG Emission Factor for Passenger Vehicles by Fuel Type and Size Class Using Statistical Analysis Method

In order to build and efficiently implement a policy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a Tier-3 level emission factor is necessary. The GHG emission factor for the passenger vehicle segment was developed by the Korean Ministry of Environment up to 2009, after which the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been conducting the task. This study aims to develop a Tier-3 level GHG emission factor reflecting the emission trends of passenger vehicles by fuel type and size class from 2010 to 2018. To secure the reliability of the newly developed Tier-3 GHG emission factor, all testing results were obtained through statistical analysis, and the final regression model was selected through a comparison of a coefficient of determination (R2). A review of the measurement uncertainty was conducted in order to examine the accuracy of the test results. The new Tier-3 emission factor developed through this study will be used for calculating national GHG emissions as well as establishing policies for the issue.

자연공원 지속가능성평가에 기반한 군립공원 지속가능성 영향요인 분석 - 경남권역 11개소 군립공원을 대상으로 -

This study aims to implement the Sustainability Evaluation Framework of Korea Natural Parks to county parks in Gyeongsangnam-do, and to review the performance status of management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) and identify factors that influence the improvement of management effectiveness in protected areas. County park officers evaluated current management using this framework that was developed based on the MEE framework designed by the Korean Ministry of Environment. Among the principal values of county parks,

Countrywide Groundwater Quality Trend and Suitability for Use in Key Sectors of Korea

Under changing climate, increasing groundwater use has risen the concern for groundwater quality variations over recent years, to maintain a healthy ecosystem. The objectives were to identify trend of temporal variations in groundwater quality and its suitability for different uses in Republic of Korea. Water quality data were collected from 198 monitoring stations of Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (GQMN), annually for the period of ten years (2008–2017). Non-parametric trend analysis of a Mann–Kendall test and Theil–Sen’s slope was done on groundwater physico-chemical data of ten years. Groundwater suitability evaluation was done for use in main sectors including domestic (drinking) and agriculture (irrigation). For drinking suitability analysis, results were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) and Korean Ministry of Environment (KME) established guidelines. For irrigation suitability evaluation, electrical conductivity (EC), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), percent of Na+, Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), US Salinity Laboratory (USSL), and Wilcox diagram were used. Most significantly, water type belongs to Ca-HCO3 and Ca-SO4 types, but a small proportion belongs to Na-CO3 and Na-Cl types. Approximately, 96% and 93% of groundwater samples are suitable for drinking, based on WHO and KME guidelines, respectively. Around 98% and 83% of groundwater samples are in suitable range for irrigation use, based on USSL and Wilcox diagrams, respectively.

Selection of Priority Tributaries for Point and Non-Point Source Pollution Management

The Korean Ministry of Environment has established management policies for four major rivers; these policies include plans to restore ecosystems and manage hazardous materials and non-point source pollution in the watersheds. The purpose of this study was to select priority tributaries in the Nakdong River basin for immediate management under these plans by using water quality index (WQI), principal component analysis (PCA), and non-point source pollution modeling data. First, comprehensive water pollution was assessed for 22 sub-basins in the Nakdong River basin by using a WQI. Seasonal pollution was then categorized as either point or non-point source by using the PCA results based on observed water quality data, and lastly, a distributed model was developed to analyze non-point source pollutant loads. This allowed for an assessment of the degree of potential non-point source pollution from several land cover types and the selection of basins where such pollution should be managed on a priority basis. Four sub-basins (Nos. 12, 13, 19, and 21) were found to have high pollution levels, and sub-basin No. 12 had the highest non-point loading. As a result of this comprehensive basin assessment, the Geumho River was selected as the first priority tributary for management. The approach applied in this study should be useful for future efforts to develop effective strategies to improve water resources in river basins.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Septoria lactucae on Lactuca serriola in Korea

Lactuca serriola L. (syn. L. scariola L.), called prickly lettuce, has become naturalized globally in temperate regions. Because the plant was accidentally introduced to Korea in the late 1970s (Yim and Jeon 1980), they are now distributed throughout the country, threatening native plant communities. Thus, prickly lettuce has been designated as one of the 12 harmful nonindigenous plants by the Korean Ministry of Environment (Kim et al. 2013). In June 2019, leaf spot symptoms on this weed were found at a public garden in Gunsan (35°57′59″N, 126°43′28″E), Korea. Leaf lesions were 2 to 10 mm in diameter, mostly angular, vein-limited, dark brown, and exhibited numerous black pycnidia with a hyaline cirrhus. A representative specimen was deposited in the Kunsan National University Herbarium (KSNUH379). Pycnidia were amphigenous, globose, dark brown to blackish, and measured 70 to 90 μm in diameter. Ostioles were 15 to 22 μm in diameter, with a hyaline, slender cirrhus. Conidia were hyaline, filiform, slightly curved to straight, aguttulate, uniseptate, subtruncate at the base, tapering to a rounded apex, and measured 20 to 32 × 1.5 to 2.0 μm. Single-conidial isolations on potato dextrose agar formed dark grayish colonies and grew slowly (10 mm 5 weeks after inoculation at 25°C). On the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics, the fungus was identified as Septoria lactucae Pass. (Verkley et al. 2013). An isolate was deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC48731). To confirm the morphological identification, genomic DNA was extracted from a diseased leaf of KSNUH379. Three DNA regions were sequenced: internal transcribed spacer (ITS rDNA) with primers ITS1-F and ITS4, large subunit (LSU) rDNA with LSU1Fd and LR5 (Verkley et al. 2013), and actin gene region (ACT) with ACT512F and ACT783R (Carbone and Kohn 1999). The resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. MN267567 for ITS, MN267564 for LSU, and MN284910 for ACT). A BLASTn search revealed that the Korean sample is identical with the sequences of S. lactucae parasitic to Lactuca sativa (KF251439 and KF251440 for ITS, KF251943 and KF251944 for LSU, and KF253743 and KF253744 for ACT). Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating the leaves of three 4-week-old lettuce plants with a conidial suspension (∼1 × 10⁶ conidia/ml). Three noninoculated plants served as controls. For 72 h after inoculation, the plants were incubated in a growth chamber at 100% relative humidity and darkness at 25°C and then kept in an outdoor greenhouse at 80% relative humidity and 25 to 30°C. After 3 weeks, typical leaf spots, identical to those observed in the field, developed on the inoculated leaves. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. The fungus was successfully reisolated from the symptomatic plants, fulfilling Koch’s postulates. Based on the morphological characteristics, sequencing data, and pathogenicity test, the pathogen was identified as S. lactucae. Previously, the association of L. serriola with Septoria leaf spot has been known in Australia, the Canary Islands, Ethiopia, and the United States (Farr and Rossman 2019). To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. lactucae on prickly lettuce in Asia. Because of its potential as a biocontrol agent, further studies are needed.

Assessment on the influential factors of Radon exposure from school and residential Radon surveys in Korea

TPS 782: Health effects of emf, radiation and light, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 28, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Background: Radon(222Rn) exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. For effective community-level Radon control policies, figuring out the main influential factors affecting Radon exposure and determining the representative value of Radon is important. However, little research has been conducted on recent national Radon surveys in Korea. Objective: To identify 2 main influential factors affecting Radon exposure (geologic factors and building types) using recent school & residential Radon survey data of South Korea and to analyze the association of Radon exposure with lung cancer mortality. Methods: Based on the school(2008~2009) & residential Radon data(2011~2016) from the Korean ministry of Environment, we compared the exposure variation of Radon levels among building types and inferred the amount of geologic influence through Spearman correlation coefficients(We are waiting for additional soil-Radium data and will use it to validate the geologic influence of Radon). Furthermore, we chose ‘detached house (2011~2016)’ as a building type that might maintain consistency in building structures regardless of the location of the buildings. After considering seasonal and temporal variation of exposure, we conducted a Poisson regression analysis to assess the association between regional Radon exposure of detached houses and age adjusted lung cancer mortality rates (2017) controlling for sex and smoking rates. Results: Similar regional exposure variations and moderate & high correlations (r>0.5) between building types indicate high geologic influence on Radon exposure. Despite controlling for potential confounders, the Poisson regression showed no significant associations of Radon and lung cancer (RR=1.001,95%CI:0.999-1.003). Conclusions: The influence of geologic factors and building types on Radon exposure is evident but insignificant association of Radon and lung cancer mortality rates may indicate the inappropriateness of using cross sectional Radon data to represent the whole cumulative exposure of a certain community. To effectively represent the exposure, data that involves housing population and valid exposure duration may be necessary.

Description of a formaldehyde retrieval algorithm for the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS)

Abstract. We describe a formaldehyde (HCHO) retrieval algorithm for the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) that will be launched by the Korean Ministry of Environment in 2019. The algorithm comprises three steps: preprocesses, radiance fitting, and postprocesses. The preprocesses include a wavelength calibration, as well as interpolation and convolution of absorption cross sections; radiance fitting is conducted using a nonlinear fitting method referred to as basic optical absorption spectroscopy (BOAS); and postprocesses include air mass factor calculations and bias corrections. In this study, several sensitivity tests are conducted to examine the retrieval uncertainties using the GEMS HCHO algorithm. We evaluate the algorithm with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Level 1B irradiance/radiance data by comparing our retrieved HCHO column densities with OMI HCHO products of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (OMHCHO) and of the Quality Assurance for Essential Climate Variables project (OMI QA4ECV). Results show that OMI HCHO slant columns retrieved using the GEMS algorithm are in good agreement with OMHCHO, with correlation coefficients of 0.77–0.91 and regression slopes of 0.94–1.04 for March, June, September, and December 2005. Spatial distributions of HCHO slant columns from the GEMS algorithm are consistent with the OMI QA4ECV products, but relatively poorer correlation coefficients of 0.52–0.76 are found compared to those against the OMHCHO products. Also, we compare the satellite results with ground-based multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) observations. OMI GEMS HCHO vertical columns are 9 %–25 % lower than those of MAX-DOAS at Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP) in France, Bremen in Germany, and Xianghe in China. We find that the OMI GEMS retrievals have less bias than the OMHCHO and OMI QA4ECV products at OHP and Bremen in comparison with MAX-DOAS.

Meteorological Characteristics and Assessment of the Effect of Local Emissions during High PM10 Concentration in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

In this study, we investigate the meteorological characteristics and the effect of local emissions during high PM10 concentrations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) by utilizing data from a high-resolution urban meteorological observation system network (UMS-Seoul) and The Air Pollution Model (TAPM). For a detailed analysis, days with PM10 concentrations higher than 80 μg m−3 for daily average PM10 concentration (classified as unhealthy by the Korean Ministry of Environment) in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) were classified into 3 Cases. Case I was defined as when the prevailing effect was from outside the SMA. Case II was defined as when the prevailing effect was a local effect with outside. Case III was defined as when the prevailing effect was local. Overall, high PM10 concentrations in the SMA mostly occurred under weak migratory anticyclone systems over the Korean Peninsula during warm temperatures. Prior to the PM10 concentration reaching the peak concentration, the pattern in each case was distinctive. After peak concentrations, however, the pattern for the 3 cases became less distinct. This study showed that nearly 50% of the high PM10 concentrations in the SMA occurred in spring and were governed by the conditions for Case II more than these for Cases I and III. In spring, the main sources of the high PM10 concentrations in the SMA were local emissions due to the predominance of weak winds and local circulation. The simulation showed that the non-SMA emissions were about 63 to 73% contribution to the spring high PM10 concentrations in the SMA. Specifically, local point sources including industrial combustion, electric utility, incineration and cement production facilities scattered around the SMA and could account for PM10 concentrations more than 10μg m−3 in the SMA.

공적기능의 사적집행과 책임성 : 환경부산하 특수법인 협회를 중심으로

정부의 영역이 지속적으로 확대됨에 따라 민간부문이 국가의 업무를 위탁받아 수행하는 소위 제3섹터로 분류되는 현대공공부문의 역할과 범위가 크게 넓어지고 있다. 이러한 준정부적 성격을 띠고 있는 민간조직은 공적기능을 수행하고 있기 때문에 수행하고 있는 공적업무에 대한 책임성이 엄격하게 요구되어야 할 것이나 실상은 자신들에게 업무를 위탁한 정부부처에 대한 책임에만 초점을 맞추는 관행이 계속되고 있다. 그러나 공적기능을 담당하는 조직의 책임성은 계층적 책임성이나 법률적 책임성뿐만 아니라 전문가적 책임성, 정치적 책임성까지 포괄하여 고려되어야 한다. 따라서 정부기능을 위탁받아 수행하는 민간조직들도 이러한 포괄적인 의미의 책임성을 준수해야 할 것이다. 이에 본 논문에서는 환경부산하 특수법인 협회의 기능과 역할을 책임성의 다양한 측면에서 검토하고 정부가 제안한 ‘행정사무의 민간위탁에 관한 법률(안)’이 수탁기관인 특수법인 협회의 책임성을 균형 있게 제고하기 위해 보완하여야 할 사항들을 제시하고자 한다.

Nutrient production from Korean poultry and loading estimations for cropland

BackgroundPoultry breeding has increased by 306% in Korea, inevitably increasing the production of manure which may contribute to environmental pollution. The nutrients (NP) in the manure are essential for crop cultivation and soil fertility when applied as compost. Excess nutrients from manure can be accumulated on the land and can lead to eutrophication. Therefore, a nutrient load on the finite land should be calculated.MethodsThis study calculates the nutrient production from Korean poultry by investigating 11 broiler and 16 laying hen farms. The broiler manure was composted using deep litter composting while for layer deep litter composting, drying, and simple static pile were in practice. The effect of weight reduction and storing period during composting was checked. Three weight reduction cases of compost were constructed to calculate nutrient loading coefficients (NLCs) using data from; i) farm investigation, ii) theoretical P changes (ΔP = 0), and iii) dry basis.ResultsDuring farm investigation of broiler and layer with deep litter composting, there was a 68 and 21% N loss whereas 77 and 33% P loss was found, respectively. In case of layer composting, a loss of 10-56% N and a 52% P loss was observed. Drying manure increased the P concentrations therefore NLCs calculated using dry basis that showed quite higher reductions (67% N; 53% P). Nutrient loss from farm investigation was much higher than reported by Korean Ministry of Environment (ME).ConclusionsNutrients in manure are decreased when undergo storing or composting process due to microbial action, drying, and leaching. The nutrient load applied to soil is less than the fresh manure, hence the livestock manure management and conservation of environment would be facilitated.

Long-term trends in airborne SO2 in an air quality monitoring station in Seoul, Korea, from 1987 to 2013

ABSTRACTAtmospheric concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) was intermittently measured at an air quality monitoring (AQM) station in the Yong-san district of Seoul, Korea, between 1987 and 2013. The SO2 level was compared with other important pollutants concurrently measured, including methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM10). If split into three different periods (period 1, 1987–1988, period 2, 1999–2000, and period 3, 2004–2013), the respective mean [SO2] values (6.57 ± 4.29, 6.30 ± 2.44, and 5.29 ± 0.63 ppb) showed a slight reduction across the entire study period. The concentrations of SO2 are found to be strongly correlated with other pollutants such as CO (r = 0.614, p = 0.02), which tracked reductions in reported emissions due to tighter emissions standards enacted by the South Korean government. There was also a clear seasonal trend in the SO2 level, especially in periods 2 and 3, reflecting the combined effects of domestic heating by coal briquettes and meteorological conditions. Although only a 16% concentration reduction was achieved during the 27-year study duration, this is significant if one considers rapid urbanization, an 83.2% increase in population, and rapid industrialization that took place during that period.Implications: Since 1970, a network of air quality monitoring (AQM) stations has been operated by the Korean Ministry of Environment (KMOE) for routine nationwide monitoring of air pollutant concentrations in urban/suburban areas. To date, the information obtained from these stations has provided a platform for analyzing long-term trends of major pollutant species. In this study, we examined the long-term trends of SO2 levels and relevant environmental parameters monitored continuously in the Yong-san district of Seoul between 1987 and 2013. The data were analyzed over various time scales (i.e., monthly, seasonal, and annual intervals). The results obtained from this study will allow us to assess the effectiveness of abatement strategy and to predict future concentrations trends in association with future abatement strategies and technologies.