• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.336-340
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• 2009

The issue of acid precipitation and related environmental problems in East Asia has been emerging. To evaluate the acidity and chemical characteristics of rainwater in Korea, its chemical properties during cultivation season from April to October were investigated at Taean in 2007. Also, to estimate the contribution of ions on its acidity, ion composition characteristics and neutralization effects by cation ions were determined. The ion balance between cations and anions values showed high correlation. The mean values of pH and EC were 4.9 and $32.9{\mu}S\;cm^{-1}$, respectively. The EC of rainwater showed seasonal characteristic, which was $91.4{\mu}S\;cm^{-1}$ with relatively low rainfall compared with other monitoring periods. $Na^+$ was the main cation followed by $NH_4{^+}$ > $Ca^{2+}$ > $H^{+}$ > $Mg^{2+}$ > $K^+$. Among these ions, $Na^{+}$ and $NH_4{^+}$ covered over 70% of total cations. In the case of anion, the order was $SO_4{^{2-}}$ > $NO_3{^-}$ > $Cl^{-}$. The mean value of sulfate, which is main anion component in the samples was $152.1{\mu}eq\;L^{-1}$. Also, 90% of soluble sulfate in rainwater was $nss-SO_4{^{2-}}$(non-sea salt sulfate). With fractional acidity and theoretical acidity of rainwater samples, $NH_4{^+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ contributed greatly in neutralizing the rain acidity.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.386-390
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• 2013

Recently, special attention has been given to acid rain and its problem to environment such as acid precipitation and air pollution in East Asia. In the present study, rainwater samples were collected from Apr to Nov in 2012. The samples were chemically characterized for the assessment of emission sources. Suwon and Yeoju regions, typical agricultural areas in South Korea, were chosen for study sites. Ion composition and cation-affected neutralization were determined to evaluate the contribution of cations to the acidity of rainwater. Ion and electrical conductivity between the measured and the estimated showed high correlation. The cations observed in Suwon and Yeoju were $Na^+$ > $NH_4{^+}$ > $K^+$ > $Ca^{2+}$ > $Mg^{2+}$ > $H^+$ and $Na^+$ > $K^+$ > $NH_4{^+}$ > $Ca^{2+}$ > $Mg^{2+}=H^+$, respectively. The anions of all sites were $SO{_4}^{2-}$ > $NO_3{^-}$ > $Cl^-$. While the amounts of sulfate, one of the major dissolved components of rainwater, were 77.6 and 75.6 ueq $L^{-1}$ in Suwon and Yeoju, the ones of NSS-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ (Non-Sea Salt sulfate) were 83 and 82% in Suwon and Yeoju, respectively. The comparison of observed pH values ($pH_{obs}$) with the theoretical pH values ($pH_{the}$) showed that the neutralization of rain water considerably went along during the study periods. The highest amounts of rainfall throughout the year in Suwon and Yeoju were 572.3 and 484.6 mm in July, and its corresponding nitrogen loadings in Suwon and Yeoju were 5.28 and 3.50 kg $ha^{-1}$, respectively. The major ion contents for crop growth with $SO{_4}^{2-}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $K^+$ and $Mg^{2+}$ were 51.7, 5.2, 11.8 and 1.8 kg $ha^{-1}$ in Suwon and 34.2, 4.0, 4.2 and 1.1 kg $ha^{-1}$ in Yeoju.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.603-613
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• 2011

The collection of $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ samples was made at Gosan site of Jeju Island. Their ionic compositions of both inorganic and organic phases were then analyzed to examine their acidification and neutralization characteristics in atmospheric aerosols. The mass concentrations of $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ at Gosan site were $37.6{\pm}20.1$ and $22.9{\pm}14.3{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively, showing the content ratio of $PM_{2.5}$ to $PM_{10}$ as 61.0%. In the evaluation of ionic balance, the correlation coefficients (r) between the sums of cationic and anionic equivalent concentrations were excellent with 0.982 ($PM_{10}$) and 0.991 ($PM_{2.5}$). The concentration ratios of $PM_{2.5}/PM_{10}$ derived for nss-$SO_4^{2-}$, $NO_3^-$, and $NH_4^+$ were 0.94, 0.56, and 1.02, respectively, indicating the relative dominance of fine fractions. The acidifying capacity of inorganic anions ($SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$) in $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ were 96.5% and 97.3%, while those of organic anions ($HCOO^-$ and $CH_3COO^-$) in each fraction were 2.9% and 2.0%, respectively. On the other hand, the neutralizing capacity of $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ by $NH_3$ were 72.8% and 82.3%, while their $CaCO_3$ counter parts were 22.5% and 13.3%, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.89-100
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• 1999

The rain water samples were collected at Chunchon and Seoul by using wet only automatic sampler from January 1996 through 1997. The daily base rain water samples collected over than 95% rainy events components, $SO_4^{-2}$, $NO_3^-$, $CI^-$, NH_4^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Na^+$, and $K^+$, by ion chromatography. In 1996, about 77% of sampled rain water showed below pH 5.6 and the 60% of rain water was lower than pH 5.0. The volume weighted average pH was 4.7 at all sites. In 1997, the volume weighted average pH was 4.6 and 4.9 at Seoul and Chunchon, respectively. Among the rain water samples,, 87% and 55% fo samples showed below than pH 5.6 and 5.0, respectively. The pH value of Chunchon was significantly (p＜0.05) lower than Seoul at the rain samples for less than 20mm rainfall. However conductivity of the rain samples were 20.9$\mu$S/cm for 1996 and 27.7$\mu$S/cm for 1997 at Seoul, and 19.1$\mu$S/cm for 1996 and 14.1$\mu$S/cm for 1997 at Chunchon. $H_2SO_4$ and $HNO_3$ contributed 65.9% and 29.6% of free acidity at Seoul, respectively. The ratio of [$NO_3^-$]/[nss-$SO_4^{-2}$] were 0.43 at Seoul and 0.51 at Chunchon for rain samples for less than 20mm rainfall. The annual wet deposition of $CI^-$, $NO_3^-$, $SO_4^{-2}$, $H^+$M, $Na^+$, NH_4^+$, $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, and $Ca^{2+}$, respectively, 568.8kg/$ extrm{km}^2$, 1489.3kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 3184.8kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 20.9kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 249.4kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 1091.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 189.8kg/ $\textrm{km}^2$, 90.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$ and 702.4kg/$\textrm{km}^2$ at Seoul for 1996; 656.4kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 2029.7kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 3280.7kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 27.2kg /$\textrm{km}^2$, 229.4kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 1063.9kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 106.9kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 78.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 645.3kg/$\textrm{km}^2$ at Seoul for 1997; 116.9kg/ $\textrm{km}^2$, 983.3kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 1797.0kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 21.4kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 83.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 648.1kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 78.0kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 22.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 368.8kg/$\textrm{km}^2$ at chunchon for 1996; 100.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 1077.6kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 1754.0kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 13.4kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 146.0kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 602.3kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 88.8kg/$\textrm{km}^2$, 16.2kg/$\textrm{km}^2$ and 206.8kg/$\textrm{km}^2$ at chunchon for 1997.