• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.481-494
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• 2005

The monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere is a basis for the study of the fate of POPs in multimedia environments. Recently, passive air samplers (PASs) for POPs have been developed. In this paper, we deal with the principle, properties, and applications of the PAS. The principle of PAS, which has no pump, is physical sorption of semi-volatile organic chemicals on various sorbent materials. The PAS is much smaller than a high-volume air sampler and does not need electricity. These properties of the PAS make it possible to conduct various-scaled environmental monitoring all over the world including the Arctic and Antarctic, but the major disadvantage of PAS is its long sampling periods up to 2 years. To date, four kinds of PAS have been developed: polyurethane foam (PUF), polymer-coated glass (POG), semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs), and XAD resin-based PAS. Among them, SPMDs have been commercialized and are most widely used now. Meanwhile, the POPs emitted from China have a large potential to influence the levels and fates of POPs in Korea. Since characteristics of PAS are quite useful to monitor long-range transport of POPs, the use of PAS is highly recommended.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.360-368
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• 2012

Objective: This study was carried out to use pine needles as a passive air sampler (PAS) of atmospheric Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Methods: PCB concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$, ng/$m^3$) and deposited on pine needles ($C_p$, ng/g dry) were analyzed simultaneously from June 1 to December 31. Air samples were taken using a low volume PUF active air sampler and the overall average air volume was about 900-1,000 $m^3$. Pine needles were collected at the end of August and December near the air sampler. Results: $C_a$ were higher at higher air temperature and lower chlorinated PCB congeners, but $C_p$ showed irregular distribution. The average PCB sampling rates from air to pine needles were 0.116 (0.002-0.389) $m^3$/day - g dry. Conclusions: A poor correlation was shown between $C_a$ and $C_p$. However, a good correlation was shown between the logarithm of octanol-air partitioning coefficient ($logK_{oa}$) and log ($C_p/C_a$), and the interrelation was better with longer sampling time (June to December) than shorter sampling time (June to August). The average PCB sampling rates from air to pine needles were the lowest with respect to PUF disk, XAD-2 resin and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) PAS. The average ratio ($C_{a-calc}/C_{a-meas}$) of calculated ($C_{a-calc}$) and measured ($C_{a-meas}$) PCB concentration was 0.69 with a shorter sampling time and 1.24 with a longer, so $C_{a-calc}$ was close to $C_{a-meas}$. It was found that pine needles can be used as PAS of atmospheric PCBs, and are especially suitable for long-time PAS.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2015

Objective: This study was carried out to use pine needles as a passive air sampler (PAS) for atmospheric polychlorinared dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs). Methods: PCDD/Fs concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$, $pg/m^3$) and deposited pine needles ($C_p$, pg/g dry) were analyzed simultaneously from June 1 to December 31. Air samples were taken using two low volume PUF active air samplers with an overall average air volume of approximately $1,200Sm^3$. Pine needles were collected the end of December near the air sampler. PCDD/Fs was analyzed by HRGC/HRMs. Results: A good correlation was shown ($R^2=0.6357$, p=0.0001) between $C_a$ and $C_p$, but a better correlation ($R^2=0.7372$, p<0.0001) existed between the logarithm of octanol-air partitioning coefficient ($LogK_{oa}$) and Log($C_p/C_a$). The average PCDD/Fs sampling rates from air to pine needles were 0.045($0.018-0.185m^3/day-g\;dry$). Conclusion: It was found that pine needles can be used as PAS for atmospheric PCDD/Fs, and they are especially suitable for long time PAS compared to PUF disk PAS.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.734-743
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• 2007

Polyurethane foam-disk passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed in a southern area of Korea for three months. The target compounds were 12 coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The congener profiles measured in this study were the same as those in ambient air and emission gas from the incinerator. A gradient of the total PCBs in different regions (industrial>residential>rural) was observed, suggesting the industrial complex may be an important source of coplanar PCBs. In general, only gas-phase compounds are mainly sequestrated by PAS. In order to estimate the concentration of particle-phase PCBs, a gas/particle partition model was used. A combined result (gas+particle-phase PCBs) was compared with previous results, indicating that the level of coplanar PCBs in our study area is comparable to those in other urban sites in the world. The validation of this method for estimating the total concentration is required through additional backup studies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was carried out in order to estimate atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and sources using pine needles as a passive air sampler (PAS) in urban (Pyeongtaek), semirural (Anseong) and rural (Jincheon) sites. Methods: One-year-old pine needles were collected for analysis of their PAH concentrations ($C_{p,n}g/g$ dry) at the end of December. PAHs concentrations in the ambient air ($C_a$, $ng/m^3$) were calculated with a $Log(C_p/C_a)-LogK_{oa}$ correlational equation. Results: PAHs concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$) were high, in the order of urban ($114.03ng/m^3$), semirural ($105.17ng/m^3$) and rural ($61.91ng/m^3$) sites. However, distributions of PAH isomer concentrations were very similar. PAHs of which molecular weight is smaller than 228.30 (AcPy, Acp, Flu, Phen, Ant, Flt, Pyr, BaA, Chry) made up most of the PAHs in the ambient air (96.6-98.5%). Conclusion: At urban, semirural and rural sites, it was concluded that the main source of PAHs in the ambient air ratio of each PAH isomer concentration was cars, especially diesel vehicles.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2013

Objective: This study was carried out in order to estimate atmospheric Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations using pine needles as a passive air sampler (PAS) in urban, semi-rural and rural regions. Methods: One-year old pine needles were collected to analyze their PCBs concentrations ($C_p$, pg/g dry) at the end of December. PCBs concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$, $pg/m^3$) were calculated with the $logK_{oa}-log(C_p/C_a)$) model. Results: PCBs concentrations in ambient air ($C_a$) were high in the order of urban, semi-rural and rural regions. The lower-chlorinated PCBs showed a higher concentration in ambient air. However, the distribution of PCBs congeners was similar in all three regions. Correlation between $C_a$ and the population density of the three regions was significant ($R^2$=0.9834, p<0.001). Conclusions: It was concluded that although the production and use of PCBs was banned in the1970s, PCBs are currently being produced unintentionally by human activities.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.217-227
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• 2013

Passive air samplers (PAS) have been developed since the early 2000s and widely used for the atmospheric monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). PAS are useful especially for the investigation of source-receptor relationship of POPs because they provide higher spatial resolution data. In Korea, however, only a few research groups have conducted POPs monitoring using PAS. One of the reasons for the limited application of PAS might be due to a complicated calculation method for air concentration. In this study, therefore, we introduced the principle of polyurethane foam (PUF)-PAS, which has been most widely used in the world, and provided an example of the calculation of air concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). As all data tables and equations for this calculation were provided, this method can be used for the conversion of the amount of POPs (ng) in a PUF disk to air concentration ($ng/m^3$).

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.102-111
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the use of polyurethane foam disk passive air samplers (PUF PAS) for better measurement of atmospheric polychlorinared dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) concentrations compared to PUF PAS combined with high volume air samplers (HVS). Methods: Air samples were collected by a low volume air sampler (LVS) and PUF PAS. A total of two pairs were continuously collected for six months, but the PUF was replaced every two months. Results: A good correlation was shown ($R^2=0.8595$, p<0.0001) between atmospheric PCDD/Fs concentration measured by the LVS and PUF PAS. The average air sampling rate ($1.5m^3/day-sampler$) of all PCDD/Fs congeners showed a middle of the means which were measured using a HVS by other researchers in different cities. In addition, the air sampling rates of the LVS for each congener made less difference than did those of the HVS. Conclusion: It was found that measurements using the LVS were less influenced by atmospheric peak PCDD/Fs concentrations. However, trace POPs such as PCDD/Fs may involve relatively large analytical errors in measurement, and as a result the air sampling rate of the respective PCDD/Fs isomer is also likely to involve errors. The method of using a regression straight line between the concentrations obtained from the LVS and those from the PUF PAS was judged higher than the method using the air sampling rate, since the former compensated for the experimental errors in the process of evaluation of atmospheric PCDD/F concentrations using the PUF PAS.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.313-321
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• 2014

Objectives: Pine needles are used as passive air samplers (PAS) of atmospheric persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This study was carried out in order to investigate whether pine needles can also be used as a PAS of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Methods: PBDEs in one to three year-old pine needles were analyzed with HRGC/HRMS. Results: PBDEs in the atmosphere were accumulated in the pine needles. The rate of increase in concentration of lower substituted PBDEs (tri- through hepta-) in pine needles was linear. The rate of increase of the higher substituted PBDEs (octa- through deca-) was also liner, but only up to two year-old pine needles. The concentration did not increase further in older pine needles. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that young pine needles, those that are two years old or less, are recommended for use as PAS of atmospheric PBDEs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2013

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the depositional characteristics of pine needles, pine tree bark, moss, and soil, which are used as a passive air sampler (PAS) of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Methods: All four media were sampled from the same site. PCB concentrations were analyzed by GC/MSD, and the lipid contents were measured using the gravimetric method. Results: The total PCB concentration (IUPAC No. 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180) was the highest in soil (227.97 pg/g dry), followed by pine needles (71.36 pg/g dry), pine tree bark (44.58 pg/g dry), then moss (21.91 pg/g dry). Pine needles contained the highest lipid contents (21.31 mg/g dry), whereas soil (10.01 mg/g dry), pine tree bark (4.85 mg/g dry), and moss (1.92 mg/g dry) contained less. The concentration of lower-chlorinated PCBs was relatively high in pine needles, pine tree bark and moss, but not in soil. The PCB concentrations were proportional to their lipid contents in pine needles, pine tree bark and moss, but a different trend was revealed in soil. Conclusions: The PCBs concentrations in the media were affected by various factors including atmospheric PCB concentrations, lipid contents, and depositional pathways. However, each of these factors had a varying influence depending on the type of medium.