Particulate matter (PM) can cause illness, including respiratory diseases, and PM_2.5 compositions are likely to vary according to the emission profiles of industrial complexes. This study analyzed and compared the concentrations and distributions of PM_2.5 and heavy metals in two regions of Republic of Korea: Yeosu·Gwangyang, which houses a massive national industrial complex, and Dangjin, which houses power plants. Further, we conducted a health risk assessment on the residents of the areas near these industrial complexes. Measurements were taken at five different points in each setting over a two-year period from August 2020 to August 2022. We found differences in PM_2.5 concentrations and heavy metal composition ratios across the sites. Specifically, PM_2.5 concentrations exceeded the standard of 1 at all measurement sites, while the specific heavy metals exceeding the standard varied across the sites. Ultimately, we observed regional differences in PM_2.5 composition across measurement sites across and within the two regions and variations in health risks and according health effects due to the absence of PM_2.5 toxicity values, and compared the health risks of two industrial complexes with different characteristics. These findings underscore the importance of considering not only PM_2.5 but also its composition in exposure and health risk assessments.

Ji-Yun Jung, Hye-Won Lee, Si-Hyun Park, Jeong-Il Lee, Dan-Ki Yoon, and Cheol-Min Lee. J Environ Health Sci. 2023;49:108-17. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2023.49.2.108

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the health effects of heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in the air around the Sinpyeong–Jangrim Industrial Complex, Busan, and the necessity of reduction measures. We measured the concentrations of heavy metals and VOCs in PM_2.5 in five areas with dense population around the Sinpyeong–Jangrim Industrial Complex. A health risk assessment was conducted, and the spatial risk distribution for the entire Saha-gu area was predicted using inverse distance weighting (IDW). Our results indicated that the carcinogens benzene, As, and Cr⁶⁺, and the non-carcinogen m,p-xylene, have the potential to adversely affect health. In particular, As was found to have the potential to express health effects at all measurement points. Additionally, based on the IDW results, the minimum values of benzene, arsenic, and m,p-xylene exceeded the threshold level, potentially affecting the health of residents across the entire Saha-gu area. In contrast, Cr⁶⁺ could potentially impact health only in some parts of Saha-gu as only its maximum value exceeded the threshold level. We demonstrated the importance of reducing air pollutant emissions from general industrial complexes. Our results will be useful in establishing more systematic mitigation measures to protect the health of residents near the Sinpyeong–Jangrim Industrial Complex and developing air pollutant management systems.

Ji-Eun Moon, Ji-Yun Jung, Si-Hyun Park, Jong-Won Kim, Tae-Woo Koo, and Cheol-Min Lee. J Environ Health Sci. 2024;50:428-38. https://doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2024.50.6.428

This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the potential health effects of exposure to major air pollutants inside newly manufactured automobiles and to develop a grading system for automobile indoor air quality based on this assessment. To achieve this, the concentrations of 28 air pollutants were measured in five different automobile models. Among these, 18 substances were selected for health risk assessment based on the availability of acute and chronic toxicity data and the requirement that each substance had been detected at least once under one or more of the automobile test modes (AM, PM, and DM). Acute hazard quotients (HQ_acute), chronic non-carcinogenic hazard quotients (HQ), and excess lifetime cancer risks (ECR) were subsequently calculated. The results of acute and chronic health risk assessments showed significant variation depending on the automobile test mode, and some automobiles exceeded health-based reference values for certain pollutants. Based on these findings, this study developed a 10-level grading system for automobile indoor air quality by comprehensively integrating pollutant-specific health risk levels and exceedances of the recommended limits outlined in Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s “Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for Newly Manufactured Automobiles.” The grading scale ranges from Grade 1 (Excellent) to Grade 10 (Hazardous), reflecting both acute and chronic health risks as well as legal standards, thereby improving upon conventional concentration-based management approaches. The proposed grading system enables a quantitative interpretation of automobile indoor air quality from a health-based perspective and is expected to be applicable in various fields, including automobile manufacturers’ air quality control, consumer information disclosure, and policy development.

This study analyzed the spatial distribution and seasonal variation characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at four sites (GS, GJ, BHS, and JN) representing different emission environments in Seoul and identified potential pollution sources using principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that VOC concentrations were relatively high at the GS site, which is influenced by both industrial and traffic emissions, and at the JN site, characterized by heavy urban traffic, whereas the BHS site, representing a background area, exhibited the lowest concentrations, indicating clear spatial heterogeneity. Alkanes accounted for the largest proportion of VOCs at all sites, and low-molecular-weight alkanes as well as combustion-related compounds showed elevated concentrations during winter. In contrast, aromatic compounds exhibited site-specific seasonal patterns, with relatively higher concentrations observed during summer or autumn at some locations. The diurnal variation patterns displayed a bimodal distribution with concentration peaks during morning and evening rush hours, indicating the direct influence of traffic emissions. Furthermore, the T/B ratio and PCA results suggested that vehicle emissions and combustion sources were the dominant contributing factors (PC1) to ambient VOCs in Seoul, while non-road emission sources such as solvent use and industrial activities, characterized mainly by aromatic compounds, also contributed significantly (PC2). The findings of this study can serve as fundamental data for future quantitative source apportionment studies and the development of risk-based air quality management strategies for VOCs in Seoul.