Sources of airborne particulate matter-bound metals and spatial-seasonal variability of health risk potentials in four large cities, South Korea.

Fifteen airborne particulate matter-bound metals were analyzed at 14 sites in four large cities (Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daegu) in South Korea, between August 2013 and June 2017. Among the seven sources resolved by positive matrix factorization, soil dust and marine aerosol accounted for the largest and second largest portions in the three cities; however, in Seoul, soil dust and traffic occupied the largest and the second largest, respectively. Non-carcinogenic risk assessed by inhalation of eight metals (Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, As, Al, Mn, and V) was greater than the hazard index (HI) of 1 at four sites located at or near the industrial complexes. Cumulative incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) due to exposure to five metals (Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, and As) exceeded the 10-6 cancer benchmark at 14 sites and 10-5 at six sites, which includes four sites with HI greater than 1. The largest contributor to ILCR was coal combustion in Seoul, Incheon, and Daegu, and industry sources in Busan. Moreover, industry sources were the largest contributors to non-carcinogenic risk in Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, and soil dust was in Incheon. Incheon had the highest HI in spring because of the higher contribution of soil dust sources than in other seasons. The higher ILCR in Incheon in spring and winter and higher ILCR and HI in Daegu in autumn were mainly due to the influence of industry or coal combustion sources. Statistically significant differences in the ILCR and HI values among the sampling sites in Busan and Daegu resulted from the higher contribution of industry sources at a certain site in the respective city.

Impact of industrial activities on atmospheric volatile organic compounds in Sihwa-Banwol, the largest industrial area in South Korea.

The impact of industrial activities on atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Sihwa-Banwol complexes, i.e., the largest industrial area in Korea, was investigated. More than 60 VOCs were determined from 850 samples collected from four sites in and around the complexes through a 2-year monitoring campaign from 2005 to 2007. The VOCs of particular concern found in the area were benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde, given their toxicity, concentration, and detection frequency. Toluene was the most abundant one. The VOC concentration rankings were consistent with their emission rankings. Most VOCs had higher concentrations at the industrial sites than at residential sites, indicating a significant impact of industrial emissions. The ambient levels of benzene and formaldehyde were additionally affected by vehicular emissions and secondary formation, respectively. Overall, the VOC levels increased in winter and at night, because of the local weather conditions. In contrast, the formaldehyde concentration increased in summer, owing to its secondary formation in the atmosphere. The ambient VOC levels in Sihwa-Banwol were higher than those in other parts of Korea. Additionally, the cumulative cancer risks posed by the toxic VOCs exceeded a tolerable risk level of 1 × 10-4 in not only the industrial areas but also the residential areas. The sum of the non-cancer risks in both areas significantly exceeded the threshold criterion of 1. The large amounts of aromatic compounds emitted from the industrial complexes are believed to play a crucial role in the elevated levels of surface ozone in the Seoul metropolitan area during the summer season. Therefore, comprehensive measures for controlling the VOC emissions in the Sihwa-Banwol area need to be prioritized to reduce the health risks for residents of not only this area but also the capital Seoul and its surrounding areas.

Determination of heavy metals in the ambient atmosphere.

Heavy metal determination in ambient air is an important task for environmental researchers because of their toxicity to human beings. Some heavy metals (hexavalent chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni)) have been listed as carcinogens. Furthermore, heavy metals in the atmosphere can accumulate in various plants and animals and enter humans through the food chain. This article reviews the determination of heavy metals in the atmosphere in different areas of the world since 2006. The results showed that most researchers concentrated on toxic metals, such as Cr, Cd, Ni, As and lead. A few studies used plant materials as bio-monitors for the atmospheric levels of heavy metals. Some researchers found higher concentrations of heavy metals surrounding industrial areas compared with residential and/or commercial areas. Most studies reported the major sources of the particulate matter and heavy metals in the atmosphere to be industrial emissions, vehicular emissions and secondary aerosols.

Recent Studies on the Speciation and Determination of Mercury in Different Environmental Matrices Using Various Analytical Techniques.

This paper reviews the current research on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques, including the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), ICP-mass spectrometry (MS), atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Approximately 96 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical instruments published in international journals since 2015 were reviewed. All analytical parameters, including the limits of detection, linearity range, quality assurance and control, applicability, and interfering ions, evaluated in the reviewed articles were tabulated. In this review, we found a lack of information in speciation studies of mercury in recent years. Another important conclusion from this review was that there were few studies regarding the concentration of mercury in the atmosphere.

Occurrence and Concentrations of Toxic VOCs in the Ambient Air of Gumi, an Electronics-Industrial City in Korea.

This study was carried out to characterize the occurrence and concentrations of a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including aliphatic, aromatic, halogenated, nitrogenous, and carbonyl compounds, in the ambient air of Gumi City, where a large number of electronics industries are found. Two field monitoring campaigns were conducted for a one year period in 2003/2004 and 2010/2011 at several sampling sites in the city, representing industrial, residential and commercial areas. More than 80 individual compounds were determined in this study, and important compounds were then identified according to their abundance, ubiquity and toxicity. The monitoring data revealed toluene, trichloroethylene and acetaldehyde to be the most significant air toxics in the city, and their major sources were mainly industrial activities. On the other hand, there was no clear evidence of an industrial impact on the concentrations of benzene and formaldehyde in the ambient air of the city. Overall, seasonal variations were not as distinct as locational variations in the VOCs concentrations, whereas the within-day variations showed a typical pattern of urban air pollution, i.e., increase in the morning, decrease in the afternoon, and an increase again in the evening. Considerable decreases in the concentrations of VOCs from 2003 to 2011 were observed. The reductions in the ambient concentrations were confirmed further by the Korean PRTR data in industrial emissions within the city. Significant decreases in the concentrations of benzene and acetaldehyde were also noted, whereas formaldehyde appeared to be almost constant between the both campaigns. The decreased trends in the ambient levels were attributed not only to the stricter regulations for VOCs in Korea, but also to the voluntary agreement of major companies to reduce the use of organic solvents. In addition, a site planning project for an eco-friendly industrial complex is believed to play a contributory role in improving the air quality of the city.

Recent Developments in the Speciation and Determination of Mercury Using Various Analytical Techniques.

This paper reviews the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry, voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma techniques, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography. Approximately 126 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques published in international journals since 2013 are reviewed.

Characterization of odorous compounds (VOC and carbonyl compounds) in the ambient air of Yeosu and Gwangyang, large industrial areas of South Korea.

Odorous compounds play an important role in air pollution in industrial areas and the residential areas surrounding them. This study measured the odorous volatile organic compounds (VOC) and carbonyl compounds at Yeosu and Gwangyang, two large industrial areas of South Korea, during four seasons of 2008-2009. Along with these two cities, the same odorous compounds were measured at Suncheon, which was selected as a control site. The concentrations of VOC and carbonyl compounds that were listed as odorous air pollutants by the Ministry of Environment of South Korea are discussed. Benzene and formaldehyde were included in the target analytes because of their carcinogenic nature. Most researchers only examined the concentration of odorous compounds in ambient air but the present study evaluated the odor intensity, which is a new parameter that will help better understand the precise odor perceived by people. This paper describes the seasonal variations and spatial distribution of the above-mentioned odorous compounds at the specified sites. Pearson correlation coefficients between the odorous compounds and other air pollutants, such as ozone, CO, SO2, NO2, and PM10, and meteorological conditions, such as temperature and wind speed, provide the source information of odorous VOC and carbonyl compounds.

The characteristics of the appearance and health risks of volatile organic compounds in industrial (pohang, ulsan) and non-industrial (gyeongju) areas.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the health and environmental risk factors of air contaminants that influence environmental and respiratory diseases in Gyeongju, Pohang and Ulsan in South Korea, with a focus on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). METHODS: Samples were collected by instantaneous negative pressure by opening the injection valve in the canister at a fixed height of 1 to 1.5 m. The sample that was condensed in -150℃ was heated to 180℃ in sample pre-concentration trap using a 6-port switching valve and it was injected to a gas chromatography column. The injection quantity of samples was precisely controlled using an electronic flow controller equipped in the gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. RESULTS: The quantity of the VOC emissions in the industrial area was 1.5 to 2 times higher than that in the non-industrial area. With regards to the aromatic hydrocarbons, toluene was detected at the highest level of 22.01 ppb in Ulsan, and chloroform was the halogenated hydrocarbons with the highest level of 10.19 ppb in Pohang. The emission of toluene was shown to be very important, as it accounted for more than 30% of the total aromatic hydrocarbon concentration. CONCLUSIONS: It was considered that benzene in terms of the cancer-causing grade standard, toluene in terms of the emission quantity, and chloroform and styrene in terms of their grades and emission quantities should be selected for priority measurement substances.

Characterization of carbonyl compounds in the ambient air of an industrial city in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to characterize spatial and temporal variations of carbonyl compounds in Gumi city, where a number of large electronic-industrial complexes are located. Carbonyl samples were collected at five sites in the Gumi area: three industrial, one commercial, and one residential area. Sampling was carried out throughout a year from December 2003 to November 2004. At one industrial site, samples were taken every six days, while those of the other sites were for seven consecutive days in every season. Each sample was collected for 150 minutes and at intervals of three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening). A total of 476 samples were analyzed to determine 15 carbonyl compounds by the USEPA TO-11A (DNPH-cartridge/HPLC) method. In general, acetaldehyde appeared to be the most abundant compound, followed by formaldehyde, and acetone+acrolein. Mean concentrations of acetaldehyde were two to three times higher in the industrial sites than in the other sites, with its maximum of 77.7 ppb. In contrast, ambient levels of formaldehyde did not show any significant difference between the industrial and non-industrial groups. Its concentrations peaked in summer probably due to the enhanced volatilization and photochemical reactivity. These results indicate significant emission sources of acetaldehyde in the Gumi industrial complexes. Mean concentrations of organic solvents (such as acetone+acrolein and methyl ethyl ketone) were also significantly high in industrial areas. In conclusion, major sources of carbonyl compounds, including acetaldehyde, are strongly associated with industrial activities in the Gumi city area.

The emissions of major aromatic VOC as landfill gas from urban landfill sites in Korea.

In this study, concentrations of major aromatic VOCs were determined from landfill gas (LFG) at a total of five municipal landfill sites in Korea including Nan Ji (NJ), Woon Jung (WJ), Sam Poong (SP), Hoei Chun (HC), and No Hyung (NH). The concentration levels of those VOC were found to be significantly different, mainly as a function of such a parameter as landfill aging. The VOC concentrations measured from the unclosed landfill sites (e.g., WJ) were characterized by exceedingly high values above a few tens of ppm. However, the results of the abandoned site (e.g., SP) were about three orders of magnitude lower than the others so as to merely exceed the typical ambient concentration levels. It was most striking to find a systematic dominance of toluene over other aromatic VOC under most circumstances. The LFG flux values of all aromatic VOC and the four specific major ones (termed as BTEX: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) were also computed for each vent pipe from all study sites using their concentrations and the concurrently determined environmental parameters. The results, if calculated in terms of the average BTEX quantity emitted per vent pipe, showed that the magnitude of their emissions can vary substantially, with the values ranging from 0.05 (SP) to 49.2 kg yr(-1) (WJ in wintertime). The LFG flux values of aromatic VOC, when compared to the contribution of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), were able to explain a constant, but minor, proportion of the LFG carbon budget.