DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) in the Urban Residential Atmosphere of Seoul, Korea

  • Anthwal, Ashish (Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Sejong University) ;
  • Park, Chan-Goo (Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Public Health and Environment) ;
  • Jung, Kweon (Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Public Health and Environment) ;
  • Kim, Min-Young (Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Public Health and Environment) ;
  • Kim, Ki-Hyun (Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Sejong University)
  • Received : 2010.03.30
  • Accepted : 2010.05.07
  • Published : 2010.06.30

Abstract

Automobile emissions have caused a major hydrocarbon pollution problem in the ambient air of many cities around the world. This study was conducted to measure the pollution status of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in some urban residential areas in Seoul, Korea. A total of 20 VOCs (11 aromatic and 9 chlorinated species) were identified at 4 urban residential sites in Seoul, Korea from February 2009 to July 2009. Comparison of total VOC (TVOC) concentration data indicated the dominance of the aromatic species with the maximum (72.2 ppbC) at Jong Ro (JR) and the minimum at Yang Jae (33.4 ppbC). The peak concentration of TVOC occurred during spring at all sites with an exception at Gang Seo (GS), where it was recorded during winter. The distribution of individual VOCs at the study sites was characterized by high toluene concentration. A strong correlation of benzene was also observed with other VOCs and criteria pollutants at all sites (except YJ). The overall results of this study suggest that vehicular emissions have greatly contributed to the increase in VOC pollution at all the study sites.

Keywords

References

  1. Abrantes, R.D., de Assuncao, J.V., Pesquero, C.R. (2004) Emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from light-duty diesel vehicles exhaust. Atmospheric Environment 38, 1631-1640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2003.11.012
  2. Anthwal, A., Jung, K., Kim, H.J., Bae, I.-S., Kim, K.H. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air at four urban locations in Seoul, Korea. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin In Press.
  3. Appel, B.R., Tokiwa, Y., Hsu, J., Kothny, E.L., Hahn, E. (1985) Visibility as related to atmospheric aerosol constituents. Atmospheric Environment 19, 1525-1534. https://doi.org/10.1016/0004-6981(85)90290-2
  4. Atkinson, R. (2000) Atmospheric chemistry of VOCs and $NO_x$. Atmospheric Environment 34, 2063-2101. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00460-4
  5. Baldasano, J.M., Delgado, R., Calbó, J. (1998) Applying receptor models to analyze urban/suburban VOCs air quality in Martorell (Spain). Environmental Science and Technology 32, 405-412. https://doi.org/10.1021/es970008h
  6. Barletta, B., Meinardi, S., Rowl, F.S., Chan, C., Wang, X., Zou, S., Chan, L.Y., Blake, D. (2005) Volatile organic compounds in 43 Chinese cities. Atmospheric Environment 39, 5979-5990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.06.029
  7. Barletta, B., Meinardi, S., Simpson, I.J., Khwaja, H.A., Blake, D.R., Rowland, F.S. (2002) Mixing ratios of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere of Karachi, Pakistan. Atmospheric Environment 36, 3429-3443. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00302-3
  8. Borbon, A., Locoge, N., Veillerot, M., Galloo, J.C., Guillermo, R. (2002) Characteristics of NMHCs in a French urban atmosphere: overview of the main sources. The Science of the Total Environment 292, 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(01)01106-8
  9. Brocco, D., Fratarcangeli, R., Lepore, L., Petricca, M., Ventrone, I. (1997) Determination of aromatic hydrocarbons in urban air of Rome. Atmospheric Environment 31, 557-566. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(96)00226-9
  10. Broderick, B.M., Marnane, I.S. (2002) A comparison of the C2-C9 hydrocarbon compositions of vehicle fuels and urban air in Dublin, Ireland. Atmospheric Environment 36, 975-986. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00472-1
  11. Chan, C.C., Spengler, J.D., Ozkaynak, H., Lefkoulou, M. (1991) Commuter exposure to volatile organic compounds in Boston, Massachusetts. Journal of Air and Waste Management 41, 1594-1600. https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1991.10466955
  12. Chan, C.Y., Chan, L.Y., Wang, X.M., Liu, Y.M., Lee, S.C., Zou, S.C., Sheng, G.Y., Fu, J.M. (2002) Volatile organic compounds in roadside microenvironments of metropolitan Hong Kong. Atmospheric Environment, 36, 2039-2047. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00097-3
  13. Cheng, L., Fu, L., Angle, R.P., Sandhu, H.S. (1997) Seasonal variations of volatile organic compounds in Edmonton, Alberta. Atmospheric Environment 31, 239-246.
  14. City of Seoul (2010) http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/about/fact.php.
  15. Cocker, III D.R., Mader, B.T., Kalberer, M., Flagan, R.C., Seinfeld, J.H. (2001) The effect of water on gasparticle partitioning of secondary organic aerosol: II. m-xylene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene photooxidation systems. Atmospheric Environment 35, 6073-6085. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00405-8
  16. Derwent, R.J., Davies, T.J., Delaney, M., Dollard, G.J., Field, R.A., Dumitrean, P., Nason, P.D., Jones, B.M.R., Pepler, S.A. (2000) Analysis and interpretation of the continuous hourly monitoring data for 26 C2-C8 hydrocarbons at 12 United Kingdom sites during 1996. Atmospheric Environment 34, 297-312. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00203-4
  17. Ferrari, C.P., Kaluzny, P., Roche, A., Jacob, V., Poster, P. (1998) Aromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes in the atmosphere of Grenoble, France. Chemosphere 37, 1587-1601. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(98)00142-8
  18. Gee, I.L., Sollars, C.J. (1998) Ambient air levels of volatile organic compounds in Latin American and Asian cities. Chemosphere 36, 2497-2506. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(97)10217-X
  19. Gelencsr, A., Siszler, K., Hlavay, J. (1997) Toluene-benzene concentration ratio as a tool for characterizing the distance from vehicular emission sources. Environmental Science and Technology 31, 2869-2872. https://doi.org/10.1021/es970004c
  20. Guo, H., Wang, T., Simpson, I.J., Blake, D.R., Yu, X.M., Kwok, Y.H., Li, Y.S. (2004) Source contributions to ambient VOCs and CO at a rural site in eastern China, Atmospheric Environment 38, 4551-4560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.05.004
  21. Han, X., Naeher, L.P. (2006) A review of traffic-related air pollution exposure assessment studies in the developing world, Environment International 32(1), 106-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2005.05.020
  22. Ho, K.F., Lee, S.C., Guo, H., Tsai, W.Y. (2004) Seasonal and diurnal variations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere of Hong Kong. Science of the Total Environment 322, 155-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.10.004
  23. Hong, Y.J., Jeng, H.A., Gau, Y.Y., Lin, C., Lee, I.L. (2006) Distribution of volatile organic compounds in ambient air of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 119, 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9003-x
  24. Hoque, R.R., Khillare, P.S., Agarwal, T., Shridhar, V., Balachandran, S. (2008) Spatial and temporal variation of BTEX in the urban atmosphere of Delhi, India. Science of the Total Environment 392, 30-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.08.036
  25. Kelessis, A.G., Petrakakis, M.J., Zoumakis, N.M. (2006) Determination of benzene, toulene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in the urban air of Thessaloniki, Greece. Environmental Toxicology 21(4), 440-443. https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20197
  26. Khoder, M.I. (2007) Ambient levels of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere of Greater Cairo. Atmospheric Environment 41, 554-566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.08.051
  27. Kim, K.H., Kim, M.Y. (2002) The distributions of BTEX compounds in the ambient atmosphere of the Nan-Ji-Do abandoned landfill site in Seoul. Atmospheric Environment 36, 2433-2446. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00191-7
  28. Kim, Y.M., Harrad, S., Harrison, R.M. (2001) Concentrations and sources of VOCs in urban domestic and public microenvironments. Environmental Science and Technology 35, 997-1004. https://doi.org/10.1021/es000192y
  29. Kourtidis, K., Ziomas, I., Zerefos, C., Kosmidis, E., Symeonidis, P., Christophilopoulos, E., Karathanassis, S., Mploutsos, A. (2002) Benzene, toluene, $O_3,\;NO_2\;and\;SO_2$ measurements in an urban street canyon in Thessaloniki, Greece. Atmospheric Environment 36, 5355-5364. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00580-0
  30. Lai, C.H., Chen, K.S., Ho, Y.T., Chou. M.S. (2004). Characteristics of $C_2-C_15$ hydrocarbons in the air of Urban Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Atmospheric Environment 38, 1997-2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2003.11.041
  31. Lee, S.C., Chiu, M.Y., Ho, K.F., Zou, S.C., Wang, X. (2002) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban atmosphere of Hong Kong. Chemosphere 48, 375-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(02)00040-1
  32. Liu, C., Xu, Z., Du, Y., Guo, H. (2000) Analyses of volatile organic compounds concentrations and variation trends in the air of Changchun, the northeast of China. Atmospheric Environment 34, 4459-4466. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(00)00102-3
  33. Na, K., Kim, Y.P. (2001) Seasonal characteristics of ambient volatile organic compounds in Seoul, Korea. Atmospheric Environment 35, 2603-2614. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(00)00464-7
  34. Nguyen, H.T., Kim, K.H., Kim, M.Y. (2009) Volatile organic compounds at an urban monitoring station in Korea. Journal of Hazardous Materials 161, 163-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.03.066
  35. Odum, J.R., Jungkamp, T.P.W., Griffin, R.J., Forstner, H.J.L., Flagan, R.C., Seinfeld, J.H. (1997) Aromatics, reformulated gasoline, and atmospheric organic aerosol formation. Environmental Science and Technology 31, 1890-1897. https://doi.org/10.1021/es960535l
  36. Rappengluck, B., Schmitz, R., Bauerfeind, M., Cereda-Balic, F., von Baer, D., Jorquera, H., Silva, Y., Oyola, P. (2005) An urban photochemistry study in Santiago de Chile. Atmospheric Environment 39, 2913-2931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.12.049
  37. Rudd, H.J. (1995) Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from Stationary Sources in the United Kingdom: Speciation, AEA Technology Report, AEA/CS/16419-033/REMA029/Issue 2, NETCEN, Culham Laboratory, Oxfordshire.
  38. Seaton, A., MacNee, W., Donaldson, K., Godden, D. (1995) Particulate air pollution and acute health effects. The Lancet 345, 176-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(95)90173-6
  39. Singh, H.B., Zimmerman, P.B. (1992) Atmospheric distributions and sources of nonmethane hydrocarbons. In Gaseous Pollutants: Characterization and Cycling (Nriagu, J.O. Ed), Wiley, New York, USA, pp. 177-225.
  40. Smith S., Stribley, F.T., Milligan, P., Barratt, B. (2001) Factors influencing measurements of $PM_10$ during 1995-1997 in London. Atmospheric Environment 35, 4651-4662. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00117-0
  41. Srivastavaa, A., Joseph, A.E., Devotta, S. (2006) Volatile organic compounds in ambient air of Mumbai-India. Atmospheric Environment 40, 892-903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.10.045
  42. Tavares, M. Jr., Pinto, J.P., Souza, A.L., Scarminio, I.S., Solci, M.C. (2004) Emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from diesel engine in a bus station, Londrina, Brazil, Atmospheric Environment 38, 5039-5044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.06.020
  43. Tsai, J.H., Hsu, Y.C., Yang, J.Y. (2004) The relationship between volatile organic profiles and emission sources in ozone episode region-a case study in Southern Taiwan. Science of the Total Environment 328, 131-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.01.020
  44. Tsujino, Y., Kuwata, K. (1993) Sensitive flame ionization detector for the determination of trace of atmospheric hydrocarbons by capillary gas chromatography. Journal of Chromatography 642, 383-388. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9673(93)80102-E
  45. US EPA (1993) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) on Benzene, Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH.
  46. Wang, X.M., Sheng, G.Y., Fum, J.M., Chan, C.Y., Lee, S.C., Chan, L.Y., Wang, Z.S. (1993) Urban roadside aromatic hydrocarbons in three cities of the Pearl River Delta, People's Republic of China. Atmospheric Environment 36, 5141-5148.
  47. Wang, P., Zhao, W. (2008) Assessment of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) near major roads in urban Nanjing, China. Atmospheric Research 89, 289-297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2008.03.013
  48. Wang, T., Guo, H., Blake, D.R., Kwok, Y.H., Simpson, I.J., Li, Y.S. (2005) Measurements of trace gases in the inflow of South China sea background air and outflow of regional pollution at Tai O, Southern China. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 52, 295-317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-005-2219-x
  49. World Health Organization (WHO) (1999) Air Quality Guidelines for Europe. WHO Regional Publication, European Series. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen.

Cited by

  1. Characteristics of Hazardous Volatile Organic Compounds (HVOCs) at Roadside, Tunnel and Residential Area in Seoul, Korea vol.27, pp.5, 2011, https://doi.org/10.5572/KOSAE.2011.27.5.558
  2. Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air at Four Residential Locations in Seoul, Korea vol.29, pp.9, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2011.0280
  3. Characterization of Odorous Compounds (VOC and Carbonyl Compounds) in the Ambient Air of Yeosu and Gwangyang, Large Industrial Areas of South Korea vol.2014, pp.None, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/824301
  4. Spatiotemporal variations of air pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, CO, PM10, and VOCs) with land-use types vol.15, pp.18, 2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10857-2015
  5. Spatiotemporal variations of air pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, CO, PM10, and VOCs) with land-use types vol.15, pp.12, 2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-16985-2015
  6. Observations of BTEX in the ambient air of Kuala Lumpur by passive sampling vol.192, pp.6, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08311-4