The Composition of Non-methane Hydrocarbons Determined from a Tunnel of Seoul During Winter 2000

Measurements of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) were carried out in the Sangdo tunnel and on a nearby roadway in Seoul during the during the periods of heavy(low speed with ∼20km h(sup)-1) and light(high speed with ∼60kmh(sup)-1) traffic in February 2000. In the tunnel, the total NMHC levels during the heavy traffic period were higher than those during the light traffic period by a factor of 2. This was due to the increase of emissions at the low vehicle speed period and the higher dilution effect derived from faster flow of tunnel air at the high vehicle speed period. The average total NMHC concentration in the tunnel was 1.7 times as high as that on the roadway. The species with the highest concentration in the tunnel was ethylene(50.1 ppb), followed by n-butane(34.1 ppb) and propane (21.9 ppb). The concentration ranking in the tunnel was generally in good agreement with that on the roadway, suggesting that the NMHC compositions in the tunnel and on the nearby roadway were primarily determined by vehicle exhausts. However, the NMHC compositions in the Sangdo tunnel do not agree well with other foreign study results, reflecting that the characteristics of vehicle exhausts of Seoul is different from those of other cities. The most prominent difference between this study and other studies is the high mass fractions of butanes and propane. It was be attributed to the wide use of butane-fueled vehicles.