• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.241-248
• /
• 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted to provide scientific and effective information on phytoncides, which are associated with forest healing, and to activate recreational forests. Methods: The target sites were natural recreation forests, a forest park and an arboretum, and the control sites were three urban parks. The samples were collected at a volume of 6.0 L and a flow rate of 0.1 L/min for one hour using a low volume pump and the solid adsorbent sampling method. The phytoncide compounds adsorbed in the Tenax TA tube were analyzed by a automatic heat desorption unit and GC-MS. Results: By type of recreational forest, the annual concentrations of phytoncide (monoterpene) for the forest park showed the highest concentration with $1.450{\mu}g/m^3$, while those for the arboretum showed the lowest concentration at $0.892{\mu}g/m^3$, and thus the concentration of the forest park was approximately 1.6 times higher than the arboretum. The season showing the highest concentration of phytoncides was summer (June) and the forest park was the highest among the recreational forests. The concentrations of major components for phytoncide showed in descending order: ${\alpha}-pinene$, ${\beta}-pinene$, camphene, 3-carene and limonene. The seasonal concentration of ${\alpha}-pinene$, camphene and ${\beta}-pinene$ by type of recreational forest increased in April, which is characterized by low temperature and humidity, and the seasonal concentration of camphene decreased with higher humidity. The meteorological factors which had the high correlation with the concentration of total terpene were temperature and humidity. $CO_2$ and $O_2$ showed an inverse correlation. Conclusion: The major components of phytoncide were ${\alpha}-pinene$, ${\beta}-pinene$, camphene, 3-carene and limonene in descending order of concentration. Further and systematic study on the chemical nature of individual phytoncides, and on the effect of phytoncides on humans needs to be performed.