Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment (한국대기환경학회지)

Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment (한국대기환경학회)
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Time-series Variation of Atmospheric Radon Concentrations at Gosan Site, Jeju Island

제주도 고산측정소의 대기 라돈농도 시계열 변화

  • Ko, Hee-Jung (Department of Chemistry, Jeju National University) ;
  • Sin, Seung-Hee (Department of Chemistry, Jeju National University) ;
  • Hu, Chul-Goo (Department of Environmental Engineering, Jeju National University) ;
  • Kim, Won-Hyung (Department of Chemistry, Jeju National University) ;
  • Kang, Chang-Hee (Department of Chemistry, Jeju National University) ;
  • Kang, Dong-Hun (Korea Global Atmospheric Watch Center, Korea Meteorological Administration) ;
  • Chambers, Scott (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation)
  • Received : 2012.12.07
  • Accepted : 2013.01.20
  • Published : 2013.02.28
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Abstract

The realtime monitoring of radon ($^{222}Rn$) concentrations has been carried out from Gosan site, Jeju Island for three years of 2006~2008, in order to evaluate the background level and timely variational characteristics of atmospheric radon. The mean concentration of radon measured during the studying period was $2965mBq/m^3$ with its annual mean values in the range of $2768{\sim}3124mBq/m^3$. The relative ordering of the seasonal mean concentrations was seemed to vary such as winter ($3578mBq/m^3$) > fall ($3351mBq/m^3$) > spring ($2832mBq/m^3$) > summer ($2073mBq/m^3$). The monthly mean concentrations were in the order of Jan>Feb>Oct>Nov>Dec>Mar> Sep>Apr>May>Jun>Aug>Jul, so that the highest January value ($3713mBq/m^3$) exceeded almost twice as the July minimum ($1946mBq/m^3$). The hourly concentrations in a day showed the highest level ($3356mBq/m^3$) at around 7 a.m., increasing during nighttime, while reaching the lowest ($2574mBq/m^3$) at around 3 p.m. From the backward trajectory analysis for a continental fetch of radon, the high concentrations (10%) of radon matched with the air mass moving from the Asia continent to Jeju area. In contrast, the low concentrations (10%) of radon were generally correlated with the air mass of the North Pacific Ocean. In comparison by sectional inflow pathways of air mass, the radon concentrations were relatively high from the north China and the Korean peninsula.

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References

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