• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.470-482
• /
• 2008

Seasonal variations of chemical composition and optical properties of aerosols at Seoul and Gosan were investigated using the ground-based aerosol measurements and an optical model calculation. The mass fraction of elemental carbon was $8{\sim}17%$, but its contribution on light absorption was high up to $29{\sim}48%$ in Seoul. In Gosan, the contribution of water soluble aerosols on aerosol extinction was $83{\sim}94%$ due to the high mass fraction of these particles in the range of $56{\sim}88%$. Model calculation showed that the water holding capacity of aerosols was larger in Gosan than in Seoul because of higher relative humidity and temperature along with abundant water soluble aerosols. Difference between measured and calculated aerosol optical depths was the highest in summer. This was because aerosol optical depth calculated from ground-based measurements could not consider aerosol loadings at high altitude in spite of high column-integrated aerosol loadings observed by Sun photometer. Although hygroscopic growth was expected to be dominant in summer, the mass concentration of water soluble aerosols was too low to permit this growth.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.107-123
• /
• 2019

The aerosol chemical components in $PM_{2.5}$ in several regions (Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, and Jeju Island) were investigated with regard to their concentration characteristics and optical properties. The optical properties of the various aerosol components (e.g., water-soluble, insoluble, Black Carbon (BC), and sea-salt) were estimated using hourly and daily aerosol sampling data from the study area via a modeling approach. Overall, the water-soluble component was predominant over all other components in terms of concentration and impact on optical properties (except for the absorption coefficient of BC). The annual mean concentration and Aerosol Optical Ddepth (AOD) of the water-soluble component were highest in Seoul (at the Gwangjin site) ($26{\mu}g/m^3$ and 0.29 in 2013, respectively). Further, despite relatively moderate BC concentrations, the annual mean absorption coefficient of BC ($21.7Mm^{-1}$) was highest in Busan (at the Yeonsan site) in 2013, due to the strong light absorbing ability of BC. In addition, high AODs for the water-soluble component were observed most frequently in spring and/or winter at most of the study sites, while low values were noted in summer and/or early fall. The diurnal variation in the AOD of each component in Seoul (at the Gwangjin site) was slightly high in the morning and low in the afternoon during the study period; however, such distinctions were not apparent in Jeju Island (at the Aweol site), except for a slightly high AOD of the water-soluble component in the morning (08:00 LST). The monthly and diurnal differences in the AOD values for each component could be attributed to the differences in their mass concentrations and Relative Humidities (RH). In a sensitivity test, the AODs estimated under RH conditions of 80 and 90% were factors of 1.2 and 1.7 higher, respectively, than the values estimated using the observed RH.

• Particle and aerosol research
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 2021

Size distributions of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and its water-soluble organic and inorganic components were measured between January and February 2021 at an urban site in Gwangju in order to identify the major factors that determine their size distributions. Their size distributions during the study period were mainly divided into two groups. In the first group, PM, NO₃^-, SO₄^2-, NH₄⁺ and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) exhibited bi-modal size distributions with a dominant condensation mode at a particle size of 0.32 ㎛. This group was dominated by local production of secondary water-soluble components under atmospheric stagnation and low relative humidity (RH) conditions, rather than long-range transportation of aerosol particles from China. On the other hand, in the second group, they showed tri-modal size distributions with a very pronounced droplet mode at a diameter of 1.0 ㎛. These size distributions were attributable to the local generation and accumulation of secondary aerosol particles under atmospheric conditions such as atmospheric stagnation and high RH, and an increase in the influx of atmospheric aerosol particles by long-distance transportation abroad. Contributions of droplet mode NO₃^-, SO₄^2-, NH₄⁺ and WSOC to fine particles in the second group were significantly higher than those in the first group period. However, their condensation mode contributions were about two-fold higher in the first group than in the second group. The significant difference in the size distribution of the accumulation mode of the WSOC and secondary ionic components between the two groups was due to the influx of aerosol particles with a long residence time by long-distance transport from China and local weather conditions (e.g., RH).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.458-472
• /
• 2017

The optical properties and direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) of different aerosol components in $PM_{2.5}$ (water-soluble, insoluble, black carbon (BC), and sea-salt) were estimated using the hourly resolution data measured at Aewol intensive air monitoring site on Jeju Island during 2013, based on a modeling approach. In general, the water-soluble component was predominant over all other components with respect to its impact on the optical properties(except for absorbing BC) and DARF. The annual mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm for the water-soluble component was $0.14{\pm}0.14$ ($0.04{\pm}0.01$ for BC). The total DARF at the surface ($DARF_{SFC}$) and top of the atmosphere ($DARF_{TOA}$), and in the atmosphere ($DARF_{ATM}$) for most aerosol components(except for sea-salt) during the daytime were highest in spring and lowest in fall and/or summer. The maximum $DARF_{SFC}$ of most aerosol components occurred around noon (12:00~14:00 LST) during all seasons, while the maximum $DARF_{TOA}$ occurred in the afternoon (13:00~16:00 LST) during most seasons (except for spring). In addition, the estimated $DARF_{SFC}$ and $DARF_{ATM}$ of the water-soluble component were -20 to $-59W/m^2$ and +3.5 to $+14W/m^2$, respectively, while those of BC were -18 to $-29W/m^2$ and +23 to $+37W/m^2$, respectively.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2012

The aim of this review was to assess current knowledge related to the occupational exposure limit (OEL) for fluid aerosols including either mineral or chemical oil that are generated in metalworking operations, and to discuss whether their OEL can be appropriately used to prevent several health risks that may vary among metalworking fluid (MWF) types. The OEL (time-weighted average; 5 mg/$m^3$, short-term exposure limit ; 15 mg/$m^3$) has been applied to MWF aerosols without consideration of different fluid aerosol-size fractions. The OEL, is also based on the assumption that there are no significant differences in risk among fluid types, which may be contentious. Particularly, the health risks from exposure to water-soluble fluids may not have been sufficiently considered. Although adoption of The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's recommended exposure limit for MWF aerosol (0.5 mg/$m^3$ ) would be an effective step towards minimizing and evaluating the upper respiratory irritation that may be caused by neat or diluted MWF, this would fail to address the hazards (e.g., asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis) caused by microbial contaminants generated only by the use of water-soluble fluids. The absence of an OEL for the water-soluble fluids used in approximately 80-90 % of all applicants may result in limitations of the protection from health risks caused by exposure to those fluids.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-17
• /
• 2014

Temporal variations of optical properties of urban aerosol in Seoul were estimated by the Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds (OPAC) model, based on hourly aerosol sampling data in Seoul during the year of 2010. These optical properties were then used to calculate direct radiative forcing during the study period. The optical properties and direct radiative forcing of aerosol were calculated separately for four chemical components such as water-soluble, insoluble, black carbon (BC), and sea-salt aerosols. Overall, the coefficients of absorption, scattering, and extinction, as well as aerosol optical depth (AOD) for water-soluble component predominated over three other aerosol components, except for the absorption coefficient of BC. In the urban environment (Seoul), the contribution of AOD (0.10~0.12) for the sum of OC and BC to total AODs ranged from 23% (spring) to 31% (winter). The diurnal variation of AOD for each component was high in the morning and low in the late afternoon during the most of seasons, but the high AODs at 14:00 and 15:00 LST in summer and fall, respectively. The direct negative radiative forcing of most chemical components (especially, $NO_3{^-}$ of water-soluble) was highest in January and lowest in September. Conversely, the positive radiative forcing of BC was highest in November and lowest in August due to the distribution pattern of BC concentration.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.497-507
• /
• 2015

Real-time and quantitative measurement of the chemical composition in ambient aerosols represents one of the most challenging problems in the field of atmospheric chemistry. In the present study, time resolved application by Aerosol-into-Mist System (AIMS) following by total organic carbon analyzer (TOC) has been developed. The unique aspect of the combination of these two techniques is to provide quantifiable water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) information of particle-phase organic compounds on timescales of minutes. We also demonstrated that the application of the AIMS method is not limited to water-soluble organic carbon but inorganic ion compounds. By correlating the volume concentrations by optical particle sizer (OPS), water soluble organic carbon can be highly related to the secondary organic products. AIMS-TOC method can be potentially applied to probe the formation and evolution mechanism of a variety of SOA behaviors in ambient air.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.418-429
• /
• 2018

Measurements of 24-hr size-segregated ambient particles were made at an urban site of Gwangju under high pressure conditions occurred in the Korean Peninsula late in March 2018. The aim of this study was to understand the effect of air stagnation on mass size distributions and formation pathways of water-soluble organic and inorganic components. During the study period, the $NO_3{^-}$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NH_4{^+}$, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and humic-like substances(HULIS) exhibited mostly bi-modal size distributions peaking at 1.0 and $6.2{\mu}m$, with predominant droplet modes. In particular, outstanding droplet mode size distributions were observed on March 25 when a severe haze occurred due to stable air conditions and long range transport of aerosol particles from northeastern regions of China. Air stagnation conditions and high relative humidity during the study period resulted in accumulation of primary aerosol particles from local emission sources and enhanced formation of secondary ionic and organic aerosols through aqueous-phase oxidations of $SO_2$, $NO_2$, $NH_3$, and volatile organic compounds, leading to their dominant droplet mode size distributions at particle size of $1.0{\mu}m$. From the size distribution of $K^+$ in accumulation mode, it can be inferred that in addition to the secondary organic aerosol formations, accumulation mode WSOC and HULIS could be partly attributed to biomass burning emissions.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.56-70
• /
• 2013

Objectives: This paper aims to investigate the seasonal deposition characteristics of water-soluble ion species by comparing the deposition amount of two samples taken according to different sampling methods of deposition for ambient aerosol such as gases and particulate matters. Methods: Deposition samples were collected using two deposition gauges in the downtown area of Iksan City over approximately two weeks of each season in 2004. The type of deposition gauges consisted of two different sampling methods known as dry gauge and a wet gauge. The dry gauge was empty and used a dry PE bottle with an inlet diameter of 9.6 cm. Before the beginning of each deposition sampling, a volume of 30-50 ml distilled ionized water was added to the wet gauge to wet the bottom during the sampling period. Deposition samples were measured twice per day and analyzed for inorganic water-soluble ion species using ion chromatography. Results: The daily deposition amounts of all measured ions in the dry gauge and the wet gauge showed a significant increase when precipitation occurred, having no difference of deposition amount between in the wet gauge and in the dry gauge. By excluding two samples from rainy days during the sampling period, the mean daily deposition of all ions in dry gauge and wet gauge were $6.58mg/m^2/day$ and $18.16mg/m^2/day$, respectively. The mean deposition amounts of each ion species were higher in the wet gauge than in the dry gauge because of the surface difference of the sampling gauge, especially for $NH_4{^+}$ and ${SO_4}^{2-}$. The mean deposition amounts of $NH_4{^+}$ and ${SO_4}^{2-}$ in the wet gauge were found to be about 15.4 times and 5.2 times higher than that in dry gauge, with a pronounced difference between spring and summer, while the remaining ion species were 1.1-2.0 times higher in the wet gauge than in the dry gauge. Dominant species in the dry gauge were $Ca^{2+}$ and $NO_3{^-}$, accounting for 36.4% and 18.1% of the total ion deposition, whereas those in the wet gauge were $NH_4{^+}$ and ${SO_4}^{2-}$, accounting for 32.5% and 25.0% of the total ion deposition, respectively. Conclusion: The seasonal differences in deposition amounts of water-soluble ion species in ambient aerosol depending on the two types of different sampling methods were identified. This suggests that the removal of ambient aerosol is strongly influenced by the weather conditions of each season as well as the condition of earth's surface, such as dry ground and water.

• Particle and aerosol research
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.7-21
• /
• 2013

Twelve-hour size-resolved atmospheric aerosols were measured to determine size distributions of water-soluble organic carbon(WSOC) during daytime and nighttime, and to investigate sources and formation pathways of WSOC in individual particle size classes. Mass, WSOC, ${NO_3}^-$, $K^+$, and $Cl^-$ at day and night showed mostly bimodal size distributions, peaking at the size range of $0.32-0.55{\mu}m$(condensation mode) and $3.1-6.2{\mu}m$(coarse mode), respectively, with a predominant condensation mode and a minor coarse mode. While ${NH_4}^+$ and ${SO_4}^{2-}$ showed unimodal size distributions which peaked between 0.32 and $0.55{\mu}m$. WSOC was enriched into nuclei mode particles(< $0.1{\mu}m$) based on the WSOC-to-mass and WSOC-to-water soluble species ratios. The sources and formation mechanisms of WSOC were inferred in reference to the size distribution characteristics of inorganic species(${SO_4}^{2-}$, ${NO_3}^-$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^+$, and $Cl^-$) and carbon monoxide. Nuclei mode WSOC was likely associated with primary combustion sources during daytime and nighttime. Among significant sources contributing to the condensation mode WSOC were homogeneous gas-phase oxidation of VOCs, primary combustion emissions, and fresh(or slightly aged) biomass burning aerosols. The droplet mode WSOC could be attributed to aqueous oxidation of VOCs in clouds, cloud-processed biomass burning aerosols, and small contributions from primary combustion sources. From the correlations between WSOC and soil-related particles, and between WSOC and sea-salt particles, it is suggested that the coarse mode WSOC during daytime is likely to condense on the soil-related particles($K^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$), while the WSOC in the coarse fraction during nighttime is likely associated with the sea-salt particles($Na^+$).