The Characteristics of Ambient Gases Pollutant, South Korea

Abstract

In this study, DPNH-sampling technique, indophenol method, gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and High performance liquid chromatography were applied to conduct three days continuous measurements in areas of Gunsan city, South Korea to detect the concentration of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, styrene and ammonia emissions level during 21 th to 23 rd of October 2012. A total 288 samples were collected at six different locations included residential and industrial areas of the city. The sampling was run in the period of 6 hr for three days. With the combination of local meteorological data, including wind direction and speed, temperature and humidity, the result showed that the concentration of ammonia were higher during the afternoon when temperature increases while the values of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and styrene were high during the night and early morning. The major source of ammonia, aldehydes and styrene were mainly industries chimney with high average concentration. Highest level of ammonia concentration was detected as 125.8 ppb in the atmosphere during the third day 12 pm when temperature raised to 20.1 o C. The results indicate that in addition the formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and styrene average levels ranged from 3 to 11 ppb, 1.2 to 5.6 ppb and 4 to 16.2 ppb during sampling time. This pilot study was undertaken to provide reliable information on distribution patterns of gaseous pollutants in ambient air in Gunsan. The results indicated that the values of emitted pollutants concentration investigated in the present study were below the limits that are mandatory in the South Korea guidelines.