The Metallic Composition of Aerosols at Three Monitoring Sites in Korea During Winter 2002

Abstract

In the present study, the distribution patterns of various metals were analyzed and compared using PM samples collected concurrently from three monitoring sites located in Korea (Seoul, Busan, and Jeju island) in December 2002. As these sites can represent metal pollution with different degrees of anthropogenic activities, their concentration levels were distinguished in a systematic manner in the order of Jeju, Busan, and Seoul. By comparing the present data sets with those measured previously from other locations in Korea and around the world, we attempted to diagnose the general status of elemental pollution on the Korean peninsula. Through an application of different statistical approaches, the major processes controlling elemental levels were assessed for each of the three study sites. The results indicated the importance of both crustal and anthropogenic sources in all sites with their relative roles varying significantly from each other. The results of the metal analysis data, when examined in relation to back trajectory analysis, confirmed that their concentration changes are affected quite sensitively with air mass movement patterns. The overall results of this study consistently indicated the contribution of a strong anthropogenic source area (e.g., China) to the observed metal concentration levels in the study area, but the strengths of such signals vary considerably across the Korean peninsula.

Concentrations of TSP-Bound Metals in Four Urban Residential Locations in Seoul, Korea

“…The metal concentrations (ng m -3 ) in Kanpur were also found in the considerably high range of 300-6170 (Fe), 200-1630 (Zn), 70-1030 (Pb), 2-43 (Cd), 32-400 (Cr), and 40-270 (Ni) (during 2002-2003) [44]. Except for Fe, Cu, Ba, and Mn, the metal concentrations in this study were about two to six times lower than those measured in Seoul during winter 2002 [45]. As seen in Table 5, the mean Pb and Ni concentration levels at all four sites in the present study of 67.6 and 9.59 ng m -3 , respectively, are around three and five times less than 200 (Pb) and 46.3 ng m -3 (Ni) at Sejong University, Seoul in December 2002 [44].…”

Identification and quantification of shipping emissions in Bohai Rim, China

“…The number of ports with cargo handling capacity more than one hundred million tons per year had reached to 22 by 2010, half of which are located in the Bohai Rim (Report on China Shipping Development, 2010). The concentration of vanadium (often referred to emissions from heavy oil) in PM 2.5 observed at Jeju Island in Korea had been rapidly risen from 1.1 to 8.5 ng·m −3 during 2001 to 2006 (Kim et al, 2006;Moon et al, 2008;Nguyen et al, 2009). Vanadium concentration largely attributed to the increase of ship emission around the sea waters.…”

Source Apportionment of PM2.5 at Urban and Suburban Sites in a Port City of Southeastern China

“…For example, the concentration of V increased from 2.4 ng m -3 in 2008 to 4.9 ng m -3 in 2009-2010 in Tianjin, China (Gu et al, 2011;Zhao et al, 2013), and increased from 13 ng m -3 in 2002 to 70 ng m -3 in 2011-2012 in Qingdao (Guo et al, 2004;Wu et al, 2013). In Korea, the concentration of V in PM 2.5 observed in Jeju Island increased rapidly from 1.1 ng m -3 in 2001 to 8.5 ng m -3 in 2006 (Kim et al, 2006;Moon et al, 2008;Nguyen et al, 2009). The observed concentration of V for the port of Rotterdam showed significant decrease due to the ban of HFO use by ships since 2008 because fuels now in use contain much less sulfur and vanadium (Visschedijk et al, 2013).…”