• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to determine the residual amounts of PAHs in environmental samples such as crop, soil and water collected from paddy, upland fields and forestlands near industrial zone and/or a thermal power plant in South Korea. All of the samples were analyzed by GC-mass spectrometer. The average contents of total PAHs in soil samples were 140.2 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$ and the range was from 4.3 to $662.9{\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$. The detection of benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h) anthracene which have strong carcinogenecity was ranged from 14.2 to 167.8 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$. The residual amounts and detection frequency of PAHs in soil samples from the iron and heavy industrial areas near Pohang and Busan were 3-folds more than those of the other areas. Amounts of PAHs in upland soil samples was 1.5 folds higher than those of paddy soil samples, suggesting that it may be related to the content of organic matter in soil. The average contents of total PAHs in crop samples were 9.7 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$ which ranged from 4.5 to 52.2 ${\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$. However, the residual amounts of PAHs in water samples were not detected. These results showed that soils and crops were slightly contaminated with PAHs. Therefore, the investigation should be continued for evaluating a safety or risk assessment through expansion of regions and crops.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.247-258
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• 2018

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the degree of air pollution can be evaluated via examination of local plants. Selected sites included two parks in an industrial area, as well as two parks in an urban area. Selected plant samples comprised one-year-old pine shoot leaves. Leaves growing over 2 m from the ground were collected from over 10 pine trees. Leaf surface was analyzed for deposition of 14 trace elements and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including particle size and mass, surface imaging, precipitation-mediated particle removal rate, and concentration. Particle size ranged from 0.4 to $200{\mu}m$, and the volume percentage of particles ${\leq}10$ was 20 %. Deposited particle mass ranged from 0.450-0.825 mg, and precipitation-mediated removal rate ranged from 10.0-27.6 %. Trace element concentration, as measured by ICP/MS after microwave acid digestion, was 18.8-26.3 mg/kg As, 0.08-0.13 mg/kg Be, 0.06-0.08 mg/kg Cd, 4.91-17.8 mg/kg Cr, 5.26-405 mg/kg Cu, 1,930-2,670 mg/kg Fe, 3.03-28.1 mg/kg Pb, 26.9-42.8 mg/kg Mn, 2.66-10.4 mg/kg Ni, 4,560-8,730 mg/kg Al, 2,500-6,120 mg/kg Ba, 5.27-17.8 mg/kg Rb, 40.9-95.3 mg/kg Sr, and 4,030-8,260 mg/kg Zn. Concentration of PAHs, as analyzed by GC/MS/MS after liquid-liquid extraction and purification of deposited particles, ranged from 1.17 to 12.378 mg/kg for ${\Sigma}PAH_{16}$ and from 1.17 to 12.378 mg/kg for ${\Sigma}PAH_7$.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2021

A new high speed rotation type-passive sampling device (HSR-PSD), which can rotate seawater at high speed and absorb easily and quickly the freely dissolved hydrophobic organic contaminants from seawater, was developed and then applied around the Korean Peninsula. Freely dissolved concentrations (Cfree) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined using the HSR-PSD with low density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets as a passive sampler. Furthermore, dissolved concentrations (Cdissolved) of PAHs in seawater were also obtained from high volume water sampling as a conventional method to account for actual bioavailability. When the LDPE sheets were rotated in the HSR-PSD at 900 rpm, PAHs with log KOW 3.4 ~ 5.2 were equilibrated between the LDPE and water in 5 hours. Although the high molecular weight PAHs with log KOW 5.6 ~ 6.8 was expected to be 2 to 30 days to reach the equilibrium, the Cfree of the PAHs at equilibrium could be corrected using performance reference compounds in 5 hours. Meanwhile, the total Cfree of PAHs were from 0.32 to 1.2 ng/L, which were higher than reported values in other oceans, but lower than in coastal water such as estuary, harbor, or shore. A bioavailability from the detected PAHs was highest at the sampling line near the dumping site of the Yellow Sea. Predicted residual concentrations in biota were relatively higher in offshore including the dumping site than in coastal regions.

• Clean Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.198-205
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• 2010

Two sets of thermal reaction experiment for chlorinated hydrocarbons were performed using an isothermal tubular-flow reactor in order to investigate thermal decomposition, including product distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons. The effects of $H_2$ or Ar as the reaction atmosphere on the thermal decomposition and product distribution for dichloromethane($CH_2Cl_2$) was examined. The experimental results showed that higher conversion of $CH_2Cl_2$ was obtained under $H_2$ atmosphere than under Ar atmosphere. This phenomenon indicates that reactive-gas $H_2$ reaction atmosphere was found to accelerate $CH_2Cl_2$ decomposition. The $H_2$ plays a key role in acceleration of $CH_2Cl_2$ decomposition and formation of dechlorinated light hydrocarbons, while reducing PAH and soot formation through hydrodechlorination process. It was also observed that $CH_3Cl,\;CH_4,\;C_2H_6,\;C_2H_4$ and HCl in $CH_2Cl_2/H_2$ reaction system were the major products with some minor products including chloroethylenes. The $CH_2Cl_2$/Ar reaction system gives poor carbon material balance above reaction temperature of $750^{\circ}C$. Chloroethylenes and soot were found to be the major products and small amounts of $CH_3Cl$ and $C_2H_2$ were formed above $750^{\circ}C$ in $CH_2Cl_2$/Ar. The thermal decomposition reactions of chloroform($CHCl_3$) with argon reaction atmosphere in the absence or the presence of $CH_4$ were carried out using the same tubular flow reactor. The slower $CH_3Cl$ decay occurred when $CH_4$ was added to $CH_3Cl$/Ar reaction system. This is because :$CCl_2$ diradicals that had been produced from $CHCl_3$ unimolecular dissociation reacted with $CH_4$. It appears that the added $CH_4$ worked as the :$CCl_2$ scavenger in the $CHCl_3$ decomposition process. The product distributions for $CHCl_3$ pyrolysis under argon bath gas were distinctly different for the two cases: one with $CH_4$ and the other without $CH_4$. The important pyrolytic reaction pathways to describe the important features of reagent decay and intermediate product distributions, based upon thermochemistry and kinetic principles, were proposed in this study.