The 2014 Time-Use Survey of Statistics Korea revealed that office workers are increasingly spending more than eight hours at work. This study conducted an exposure assessment for office workers in Korea. Indoor and outdoor air pollutants were measured in offices. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to determine work information, indoor air quality (IAQ) awareness, and subjective symptoms for 328 workers. Indoor air concentrations for measured air pollutants were below IAQ guideline values. The average concentrations of target air pollutants did not show significant differences except for benzene, which had relatively a higher concentration in national industrial complexes. The indoor benzene, ethylbenzene, and acetaldehyde concentrations were higher in offices where workers were having dry eye, ophthalmitis, and headache symptoms. This study provides reference values to manage IAQ in offices, suggesting that if the benzene concentration exceeds 4.23 μg/m³ in offices, it could cause dry eye symptoms. Considering the increasing working hours for office workers and health effects, workers’ exposure to indoor pollutants should be reduced. In addition, the IAQ was heavily influenced by outdoor air levels and various indoor sources. Therefore, in areas with relatively high air pollution, greater monitoring and management is required considering the influence of outdoor air quality.

Gihong Min, Jihun Shin, Dongjun Kim, Jaemin Woo, Kyeonghwa Sung, Mansu Cho, and Wonho Yang. J Environ Health Sci. 2023;49:262-74. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2023.49.5.262

Sensor-based air monitoring instruments (SAMIs) can provide high-resolution air quality data by offering a detailed mapping of areas that air quality monitoring stations (AQMSs) cannot reach. This enhances the precision of estimating PM_2.5 concentration levels for areas that have not been directly measured, thereby enabling an accurate assessment of exposure. The study period was from 30 September to 2 October 2019 in the Guro-gu district, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Four models were applied to assess the suitability of the SAMIs and visualize the temporal and spatial distribution of PM_2.5. Assuming that the PM_2.5 concentrations measured at a SAMI located in the center of the Guro-gu district represent the true values, the PM_2.5 concentrations estimated using QGIS spatial interpolation techniques were compared. The SAMIs were used at seven points (S₁–S₇) according to the distance. Models 3 and 4 accurately estimated the unmeasured points with higher coefficients of determination (R²) than the other models. As the distance from the AQMS increased from S₁ to S₇, the R² between the observed and estimated values decreased from 0.89 to 0.29, respectively. The auxiliary installation of SAMIs could resolve regional concentration imbalances, allowing for the accurate estimation of pollutant concentrations and improved risk assessment for the population.

Dongjun Kim, Gihong Min, Jihun Shin, Youngtae Choe, Kilyoong Choi, Sang Hyo Sim, and Wonho Yang. J Environ Health Sci. 2024;50:16-24. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2024.50.1.16

Gihong Min, Daehwan Kim, Sanghoon Lee, Hyeonsu Ryu, Jeong Kim, Jihun Shin, Kilyoong Choi, Mansu Cho, Youngtae Choe, and Wonho Yang. J Environ Health Sci. 2024;50:322-31. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2024.50.5.322

Gihong Min, Junghyun Shin, Eun-Kyung Jo, Seula Lee, Jihun Shin, Dongjun Kim, Jaemin Woo, Yoon-Hyeong Choi, and Wonho Yang. J Environ Health Sci. 2023;49:169-77. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2023.49.3.169