• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.169-175
• /
• 2013

Measurement of the phosphorus concentration in aerosols in Beijing, which was a representative East Asian mega-city, was carried out. The optimum procedure for analyzing phosphorus in aerosols was found in this study. Recovery of phosphorus in environmental samples through the improved method was almost 100%. The concentration of phosphorus in TSP was $145{\pm}47\;ng/m^3$, with a seasonal variation showing high concentrations in winter and low concentrations in summer. The concentrations of phosphorus in $PM_{2.5}$ accounted for $35{\pm}6%$ of those in TSP, with no seasonal variations. The major source of phosphorus in aerosols in Beijing was soil dust, and additional sources of phosphorus in fine particles could be coal combustion and biomass burning.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.22 no.2 s.57
• /
• pp.185-188
• /
• 2007

PM10 and PM2.5 in ambient air were collected in Seongbuk-gu area of Seoul for one year, from April 2005 to February 2006, and the concentration of PM-bound mercury was monitored. The annual concentrations of particles were $66.4{\pm}43.2{\mu}g/m^3\;(47.6{\pm}19.1{\mu}g/m^3-106.1{\pm}78.0{\mu}g/m^3)$ in PM10 and $37.2{\pm}20.4{\mu}g/m^3\;(28.0{\pm}23.4{\mu}g/m^3{\sim}42.7{\pm}21.4{\mu}g/m^3)$ in PM2.5, which is about 56% of PM10 concentration. The annual average concentrations of mercury were $0.125{\pm}0.078ng/m^3\;in\;PM10\;and\;0.141{\pm}0.080ng/m^3$ in PM2.5, respectively. In April of Asian dust season in Korea, mercury showed the highest concentration in both PM10 and PM2.5.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.83-95
• /
• 2012

China has been a top producer and exporter of refined lead products in the world since the year 2000. After the phasing-out of leaded gasoline in the late 1990s, non-ferrous metallurgy and coal combustion have been identified as potential major sources of aerosol lead in China. This paper presents the single particle analytical results of ambient aerosol particles collected near a lead smelter using a scanning electron microscopy- energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Aerosol particle samples were collected over a 24-hour period, starting from 8 pm on 31 May 2002, using a high volume TSP sampler. For this near source sample, 73 particles among 377 particles analyzed (accounting for 19.4%) were lead-containing particles mixed with other species (S, Cl, K, Ca, and/or C), which probably appeared to be from a nearby lead smelter. Lead-containing particles of less than $2{\mu}m$ size in the near source sample were most frequently encountered with the relative abundances of 42%. SEM-EDX analysis of individual standard particles, such as PbO, PbS, $PbSO_4$, $PbCl_2$, and $PbCO_3$, was also performed to assist in the clear identification of lead-containing aerosol particles. Lead-containing particles were frequently associated with arsenic and zinc, indicating that the smelter had emitted those species during the non-ferrous metallurgical process. The frequently encountered particles following the lead-containing particles were mineral dust particles, such as aluminosilicates (denoted as AlSi), $SiO_2$, and $CaCO_3$. Nitrate- and sulfate-containing particles were encountered frequently in $2-4{\mu}m$ size range, and existed mostly in the forms of $Ca(NO_3,SO_4)/C$, $(Mg,Ca)SO_4/C$, and $AlSi+(NO_3,SO_4)$. Particles containing metals (e.g., Fe, Cu, and As) in this near source sample had relative abundances of approximately 10%. Although the airborne particles collected near the lead smelter contained elevated levels of lead, other types of particles, such as $CaCO_3$-containing, carbonaceous, metal-containing, nitrates, sulfates, and fly-ash particles, showed the unique signatures of samples influenced by emissions from the lead smelter.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.380-391
• /
• 2010

Airborne in-situ measurements of aerosol/cloud number concentrations were analyzed to investigate the effects of aerosols on warm cloud formation in the Pacific Dust Experiment (PACDEX) during April and May 2007. In the air masses originating from the Asian continent, high concentrations of fine particles including black carbon (BC) were observed when compared to other regions. A strong correlation (r=0.88) between condensation nuclei (CN) having sizes ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mm ($CN_{0.1-1.0}$) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) at 0.4% supersaturation ($CCN_{0.4%}$) suggests that most of the $CN_{0.1-1.0}$ can contribute to cloud formation. The possibility of a cloud droplet formation by BC particles was expected at the high water vapor mixing ratio (WVMR) and the abundance of water-soluble components at the low altitude less than 3 km.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.891-902
• /
• 2004

In order to predict air pollution and Yellow-sand dispersion precisely, it is necessary to clarify the sensitivity of meteorological field input interval. Therefore numerical experiment by atmospheric dynamic model(RAMS) and atmospheric dispersion model(PDAS) was performed for evaluating the effect of temporal and spatial resolution of meteorological data on particle dispersion. The results are as follows: 1) Base on the result of RAMS simulation, surface wind direction and speed can either synchronize upper wind or not. If surface wind and upper wind do not synchronize, precise prediction of Yellow-sand dispersion is strongly associated with upwelling process of sand of particle. 2) There is no significant discrepance in distribution of particle under usage of difference temporal resolution of meteorological information at early time of simulation, but the difference of distribution of particles become large as time goes by. 3) There is little difference between calculated particles distributions in dispersion experiments with high temporal resolution of meteorological data. On the other hand, low resolution of meteorological data occur the quantitative difference of particle density and there is strong tendency to the quantitative difference.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.790-799
• /
• 2005

We investigate the optical properties of aerosols over Gongju by an indirect method using the pound measurement, Sky-radiometer. The analysis period is from January to December, 2004. Skyrad. pack.3 is used to estimate the optical properties, such as the aerosol optical thickness (AOT), single scattering albedo (SSA), ${\AA}ngstron$ exponent $({\alpha})$ and size distribution, of aerosols from the ground measured radiance data. And qualify control is applied to minimize the cloud-contaminated data and improve the quality of analysis results. The 12-month average of AOT, ${\alpha}$, and SSA are 0.46, 1.14, and 0.91, respectively. The average volume spectra of aerosols shows a bi-modal distribution, the first peak at fine mode and the second peak at coarse mode. AOT and coarse particles clearly increases while SSA decreases during the Asian dust events. The optical properties of aerosols at Gongju vary with?seasons, but those are not influenced by the wind direction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.51-54
• /
• 2003

We analyzed radiative properties of aerosols, $CO^{2}$ and clouds using Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds(OPAC) and the Column Radiation Model (CRM). From OPAC, if the soot component is disregarded, dust-like components depict the highest extinction values in the solar spectral range and the lowest. single scattering albedoes, which are attributable to the presence of large particles. In the dust aerosol, the high absorptivity in the infrared may induce a warming of the lower atmospheric layer in the nighttime. The radiative properties of aerosols, clouds and double $CO^{2}$ using the CRM model at Seoul (37N, 127.4 E) on 3 April 2003 were calculated. The solar zenith angle is 65˚ and the surface albedo is 0.1836 during the clear day. The aerosol optical depth change 0.14 to 1.7, which is derived during Asian dust days in Korea. At this time, abedo by aerosols is considered as 0.3. In cloudy condition, the short wave cloud forcing on both the TOA and the surface is -193.89 $Wm^{-2}$ and -195.03 $Wm^{-2}$, respectively, and the long wave cloud forcing is 19.58 $Wm^{-2}$ and 62.08 $Wm^{-2}$, respectively. As a result, the net radiative cloud forcing is -174.31 $Wm^{-2}$ and -132.95 $Wm^{-2}$, respectively. We calculate also radiative heating rates by double $CO^{2}$ during the clear day. The $CO^{2}$ volumn mixing ratio is 3.55E-4.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.65 no.6
• /
• pp.504-511
• /
• 2008

Background: Particulate matter may be toxic to human tissue. Ambient air particulate matter ${\leq}10{\mu}m$ in aerodynamic size ($PM_{10}$), which changes under different environmental conditions, is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. The Asian dust event caused by meteorological phenomena can also spread unique particulate matter in affected areas. We evaluated production of ROS, $TGF-{\beta}$, fibronectin, and $NF{\kappa}B$ by exposing normal epithelial cells to Asian dust particulate matter. Methods: Bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to 0, 50, ${\leq}100{\mu}g/ml$ of a suspension of $PM_{10}$ for 24 h. ROS were detected by measurement of DCF release from DCF-DA by FACScan. $TGF-{\beta}$, fibronectin, and $NF{\kappa}B$ were detected by western blotting. Results: $PM_{10}$ exposure increased the expression of $TGF-{\beta}$, fibronectin, and $NF{\kappa}B$. ROS production and $TGF-{\beta}$ levels were significantly higher with 50 or ${\leq}100{\mu}g/ml$ $PM_{10}$. Fibronectin and $NF{\kappa}B$ production were significantly higher after ${\leq}100{\mu}g/ml$ of $PM_{10}$. Conclusion: $PM_{10}$ from Asian dust particles might have fibrotic potential in bronchial epithelial cells via ROS induction after $PM_{10}$ exposure.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.573-583
• /
• 2005

[ $PM_{10}\;and\;PM_{2.5}$ ] aerosols were collected at Busan from March, 2004 to December, 2004, and the concentrations of some metal elements were chemically analyzed to study their characteristics. The mean concentration of $PM_{10}$ was $58.2{\mu}g/m^3$ with a range of 8.3 to $161.1{\mu}g/m^3$. The mean concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ was $29.3{\mu}g/m^3$ with a range of 2.8 to $65.3\mu}g/m^3$. The mean mass concentrations of Asian dust and non Asian dust in $PM_{10}$ were $121.5\mu}g/m^3$ and $56.0{\mu}g/,^3$ respectively. The mean values of crustal enrichment factors for six elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were all higher than 10, possibly suggesting the influence of anthropogenic sources. The crustal enrichment factors of some heavy metal elements in non-Asian dust (NAD) were higher than those in Asian dust (AD), possibly due to anthropogenic emissions transported from industries around this area by westerly wind. The soil contribution ratios for $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ were $15.2\%$ and $17.5\%$ on the whole. and those of AD/NAD for $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ were 1.9 and 2.1, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.487-497
• /
• 2000

Spring time is a favorable season to be easily observed the Yellow Sand phenomenon in East Asia. In particular most of the phenomenon tend to occur in April. However, Yellow Sand phenomenon was observed from almost the whole country of Korea in winter of 1966, 1977 and 1999. The features of the synoptic weather pattern in the source regions, air stream flow between the source region and Korea, the measurement of TSP concentration, aerosol size distribution, and chemical composition of snow samples associated with Yellow Sand phenomenon were investigated. The result showed the characteristic evolutionary feature of the synoptic system associated with Yellow Sand phenomena, that is, a strong low level wind mobilized the dust within 2 or 3 days before Yellow Sand phenomenon being observed in Seoul. The wind was remarkably intensified in the source region on January 24, 1999 under the strong pressure gradient, A trajectory analysis showed that the Yellow Sand particle could be reached to Korea within 2 days from the source region, Gobi desert, through Loess plateau and Loess deposition region. The TSP concentration at the top of Kwanak mountain during the Yellow Sand phenomenon is abruptly increasing than the monthly mean concentration. The size resolved number concentration of aerosols ranging from 0.3 to 25${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ was analyzed during Yellow Sand episode. It was evident that aerosols were distinguished by particles in the range of 2-3 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to result in the abrupt increase in January 1999, After Yellow Sand phenomenon, there was heavy snow in Seoul. By the analysis of snow collected during that time, it was observed that both the Ca(sup)2+ concentration and pH were increased abnormally compared to those in the other winter season.