Comparison of Airborne Lead Concentration in and Around Lead Production Plant

재생 납 생산 공장과 인근 지역의 공기 중 납 농도 수준 비교

Abstract

Objective: This study is conducted to evaluate airborne lead concentration in and around lead production plant. Methods: Airborne lead concentration was monitored simultaneously inside of the processes of lead recycling factory and outside of factory which include stack, boundary of factory and residential area 1 km and 7.5 km from factory, respectively. All samples were measured three times at 1.5 m from the ground and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer or flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Results: All airborne lead concentrations measured inside of factory($13.9{\mu}g/m^3-252.9{\mu}g/m^3$) and outside of factory($0.001{\mu}g/m^3-54.97{\mu}g/m^3$) showed log-normal distribution. Geometric mean lead concentration, $54.81{\mu}g/m^3$, measured inside of factory was significantly higher than outside of factory, $0.20{\mu}g/m^3$(p<0.01). Among the samples measured inside the factory, lead concentration was the highest in the refining process($59.02{\mu}g/m^3-252.9{\mu}g/m^3$). In the case of the samples outside the factory, the nearest chimney was the highest($3.84{\mu}g/m^3-54.97{\mu}g/m^3$), and the lead concentration at the farthest place, 7.5 km from the factory was the lowest($0.001{\mu}g/m^3-1.7{\mu}g/m^3$). The arithmetic lead concentration, $0.45{\mu}g/m^3$ in the residential area near the factory was below the atmospheric environment standard of $0.5{\mu}g/m^3$, but the maximum concentration of $3.4{\mu}g/m^3$ was exceeded. Conclusions: Airborne lead concentration in residential area, 1 km away from lead recycling plant, may exceed ambient air standard of $0.5{\mu}g/m^3$.

Figure 1. Location of sampling site

Figure 2. Distribution of airborne lead concentrations

Figure 3. Comparison of airborne lead concentrations by sampling sites

Figure 4. Comparison of airborne lead concentrations by sampling sites outside of factory (Bar and error bar are represented as geometric mean and maximum value, respectively)

Figure 5. Comparison of airborne lead concentrations by sampling sites outside of factory and inside of factory (Bar and error bar are represented as geometric mean and maximum value, respectively)

Table 1. Analytical condition of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer

Table 2. Analytical condition of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer

Table 3. Analytical condition of flame atomic absorption spectroscopy

Table 4. Limit of detection by analytical equipment

Table 5. Summary of airborne lead concentrations by sampling sites

Table 6. Detailed descriptive statistics of airborne lead concentrations by sampling time and sites