Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment

Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment (한국대기환경학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Distribution of Airborne Hexavalent Chromium Concentrations in Large Industrial Complexes in Korea

  • Kang, Byung-Wook (Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation) ;
  • Lee, Hak-Sung (Department of Environmental Engineering, Seowon University) ;
  • Kim, Jong-Ho (Department of Environmental Engineering, Hanseo University) ;
  • Hong, Ji-Hyung (National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Kim, Rok-Ho (National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Seo, Young-Kyo (National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Han, Jin-Seok (Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, An-yang University) ;
  • Baek, Kyung-Min (Department of Environmental Engineering, Yeungnam University) ;
  • Kim, Min-Ji (Department of Environmental Engineering, Yeungnam University) ;
  • Baek, Sung-Ok (Department of Environmental Engineering, Yeungnam University)
  • Received : 2016.09.02
  • Accepted : 2016.10.13
  • Published : 2016.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a field evaluation which used sampling and analytical methods to determine the levels of airborne hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) in major industrial complexes in Korea over a seven year period (2007-2013). Cr(VI) concentrations were determined using cellulose filter sampling and ion chromatography analysis. In order to validate the analytical performance of these methods, studies were also carried out to investigate data quality control (QC) parameters, such as the method detection limit (MDL), repeatability, and recovery efficiencies. The average concentrations of Cr(VI) for the nine industrial complexes in Korea were in the range of 0.09 to $1.40ng/m^3$, which is similar to of the concentrations in other industrial areas around the world. The impacts of Cr(VI) emissions from industrial areas on Cr(VI) concentrations in neighboring-residential areas were considerably low, and the dispersion of Cr(VI) from industrial areas to residential areas was estimated to be 'not-significant'. Cr(VI) levels were not affected by seasonal variation, which suggests that chromium was emitted continuously from the industrial sources throughout the year. The concentration of Cr(VI) measured accounted for 0.7 to 9.4 percent of the total chromium level, which is a low percentage compared to those in other urban areas around the world. This is the first report in an international journal of a field study conducted in Korea to determine the concentration of Cr(VI) in the ambient air of industrial and residential areas.

Keywords

References

  1. Barceloux, D.G. (1999) Chromium. Journal of Toxicology-clinical Toxicology 37, 173-194. https://doi.org/10.1081/CLT-100102418
  2. Bell, R.W., Hipfner, J.C. (1997) Airborne hexavalent chromium in southwestern Ontario. Journal of Air and Waste Management Association 47, 905-910. https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1997.10464454
  3. California EPA (2002) Standard operating procedure for the analysis of hexavalent chromium in ambient atmospheric levels by ion chromatography, SOP MLD039, 8 p.
  4. Cohen, M.D., Costa, M. (2006) Chromium, Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposures and Their Health Effects, 2nd Ed (edited by Lippman, M), John Wiley and Sons, NJ, 173-191.
  5. Cohen, M.D., Kargacin, B., Klein, C.B., Costa, M. (1993) Mechanisms of chromium carcinogenicity and toxicity. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 23, 255-281. https://doi.org/10.3109/10408449309105012
  6. Kang, B.W., Han, J.S., Lee, M.D., Lee, H.S., Kim, J.H., Son, E.S., Baek, S.O. (2009) Concentration characteristics of airborne hexavalent chromium in the industrial area. Journal of Korean Soiciety for Atmospheric Environment 25(3), 179-187. (in Korean with English abstract) https://doi.org/10.5572/KOSAE.2009.25.3.179
  7. Khlystov, A., Ma, Y. (2006) An on-line instrument for mobile measurements of the spatial variability of hexavalent and trivalent chromium in urban air. Atmospheric Environment 40, 8088-8093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.09.030
  8. Kimbrough, D.E., Cohen, Y., Winer, A.M., Creeman, L., Mabuni, C. (1999) A critical assessment of chromium in the environment. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 29, 1-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389991259164
  9. Kotas, J., Stasicka, Z. (2000) Chromium occurrence in the environment and methods of its speciation. Environmental Pollution 107, 263-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(99)00168-2
  10. Li, Y., Pradhan, N.K., Foley, R., Low, G.K.C. (2002) Selective determination of airborne hexavalent chromium using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Talanta 57, 1143-1153. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0039-9140(02)00196-0
  11. Lin, L., Fan, Z., Lioy, P.J. (2008) The distribution of chromium species as a function of particle size for chromium waste laden soils, in Final Technical Report to New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection, 46 p.
  12. Nusko, R., Heumnann, K.G. (1997) Cr(III)/Cr(VI) speciation in aerosol particles by extractive separation and thermal ionization isotope dilution mass spectrometry, Fresenius. Journal of Analytical Chemistry 357, 1050-1055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002160050303
  13. Richter, P., Grino, P., Ahumada, I., Giordano, A. (2007) Total element concentration and chemical fractionation in airborne particulate matter from Santiago, Chile. Atmospheric Environment 41, 6729-6738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.04.053
  14. SCAQMD (2000) Multiple air toxics exposure study in the South Coast Air Basin (II), South Coast Air Quality Management District.
  15. Seigneur, C.H., Constantinou, E. (1995) Chemical kinetics mechanism for atmospheric chromium. Environmental Science and Technology 29, 222-231. https://doi.org/10.1021/es00001a029
  16. Seinfeld, J.H., Pandis, S.N. (2006) Atmospheric chemistry and physics-From air pollution to climate change, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0-471-72018-8, 66.
  17. Singh, J., Pritchard, D.E., Carlisle, D.L., Mclean, J.A., Montaser, A., Orenstein J.M., Patierno, S.R. (1999) Internalization of carcinogenic lead chromate particles by cultured normal human lung epithelial cells: formation of intracellular lead-inclusion bodies and induction of apoptosis. Toxicology and Applied Parmacology 161, 240-248. https://doi.org/10.1006/taap.1999.8816
  18. Talebi, S.M. (2003) Determination of total and hexavalent chromium concentrations in the atmosphere of the city of Isfahan. Environmental Research 92, 54-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(02)00036-1
  19. Tirez, K., Silversmit, G., Bleux, N., Adriaensens, E., Roekens, E., Servaes, K., Vanhoof, C., Vincze, L., Berghmans, P. (2011) Determination of hexavalent chromium in ambient air: A story of method induced Cr(III) oxidation. Atmospheric Environment 45, 5332-5341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.06.043
  20. USEPA (1984) Health effects assessment for hexavalent chromium, USEPA, Washington, DC.
  21. USEPA (1990) Definition and procedure for the determination of the method detection limit, Code of Fedral Regulations, Part 136, Appendix B, pp. 537.
  22. USEPA (1999) Compendium method IO-3.4: determination of metals in ambient particulate matter using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy, EPA/625/R-96/010a.

Cited by

  1. Effects of Environmental Air Pollution on Pulmonary Function Level of Residents in Korean Industrial Complexes vol.15, pp.5, 2018, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050834
  2. Spatiotemporal Variations and Health Implications of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Ulsan, a Multi-Industrial City in Korea vol.11, pp.5, 2016, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11050547
  3. Monitoring of particulate hazardous air pollutants and affecting factors in the largest industrial area in South Korea: The Sihwa-Banwol complex vol.25, pp.6, 2020, https://doi.org/10.4491/eer.2019.419