A Dynamic Analysis of Air Pollution: Implications of Economic Growth and Renewable Energy Consumption.

This paper examines how economic growth and renewable energy consumption are associated with air pollution using a dynamic panel approach. Focusing on several major air pollutants, namely, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide, this paper tests the environmental Kuznets hypothesis and determines whether the use of renewable energy sources contributes to a reduction in air pollution. Data from a balanced panel of 145 countries for the period between 2000 and 2014 was used for the estimation of the dynamic panel model. The results of the dynamic panel model showed inverted U-shaped curves for the relationship between economic development and particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions. The results also revealed that increasing renewable energy consumption contributes to an improvement in air quality. Moreover, it was found that urbanization tends to decrease sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, while trade openness reduces particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions but increases sulfur dioxide emissions.

The monetary value of the man-mSv for Korean NPP radiation workers assessed by the radiation aversion factor.

The monetary value of the man-mSv for operators of Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs) was calculated using a radiation aversion factor based on a survey of NPP workers. Initially, the life expectancy in the population is 79.4 y, the average age of cancer occurrence is 60 y, the average annual wage for an electric worker is 56 000 $ y(-1) and the nominal risk coefficient induced by radiation is 4.2E(-5) mSv were used to evaluate the basic monetary value (α(base)) resulting in 45.6 $ mSv(-1). To investigate the degree of radiation aversion, the subject of the investigation was selected as the working radiation workers in 10 NPPs in Korea (Kori 1-2, Yeonggwang 1-3, Ulchin 1-3 and Wolseong 1-2). In August 2010, with the cooperation of KHNP and partner companies, a total of 2500 survey questionnaires to 10 NPPs (or 250 surveys to each NPP) were distributed to currently employed radiation workers. From these, 2157 responses were obtained between August and October 2010. The assessed radiation aversion factor and the monetary value of the man-mSv from the calculated radiation aversion factor were 1.26 and ∼50 $ in the 0-1 mSv range, 1.38 and ∼200 $ in the 1-5 mSv range, 1.52 and ∼1000 $ in the 5-10 mSv range, 1.65 and ∼4000 $ in the 10-20 mSv range and 1.74 and ∼8500 $ >20 mSv.

Radiation dose distribution for workers in South Korean nuclear power plants.

A total of 33 680 nuclear power plants (NPPs) workers were monitored and recorded from 1990 to 2007. According to the record, the average individual radiation dose has been decreasing continually from 3.20 mSv man(-1) in 1990 to 1.12 mSv man(-1) at the end of 2007. After the International Commission on Radiological Protection 60 recommendation was generalised in South Korea, no NPP workers received >20 mSv radiation, and the numbers of relatively highly exposed workers have been decreasing continuously. The age distribution of radiation workers in NPPs was composed mainly of 20-30 y olds (83 %) for 1990-1994 and 30-40 y olds (75 %) for 2003-2007. The difference in individual average dose by age was not significant. Most (77 %) of the NPP radiation exposures from 1990 to 2007 occurred mostly during the refueling period. With regard to exposure type, the majority of exposures was external exposures, representing 95 % of the total exposures, whereas internal exposures represented only 5 %. External effective dose was affected mainly by gamma radiation exposure, with an insignificant amount of neutron exposure. As for internal effective dose, tritium in the pressurised heavy water reactor was the biggest cause of exposure.