• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.675-688
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• 2007

To characterize organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) contents, daily $PM_{2.5}$ measurements were performed in August 2006 (summer) and Jan $11{\sim}Feb$ 12 2007 (winter) at an urban site of Gwangju. Daily size-segregated aerosol samples were also collected for WSOC analysis. No clear seasonal variations in EC and WSOC concentrations were observed, while seasonal differences in OC concentration, and OC/EC and WSOC/EC ratios were shown. The WSOC/OC ratio showed higher value in summer (0.56) than in winter (0.40), reflecting the greater enhancement of secondary WSOC formation at the site in summer. Secondary WSOC concentrations estimated using EC tracer method were in the range $0.0{\sim}2.1\;{\mu}g/m^3$ (average $0.42\;{\mu}g/m^3$) and $0.0{\sim}1.1\;{\mu}g/m^3\;(0.24\;{\mu}g/m^3)$, respectively, accounting for $0{\sim}51.6%$ (average 16.8%) and $0{\sim}52.5%$ (average 13.1 %) of the measured WSOC concentrations in summer and winter. Sometimes higher WSOC/OC ratio in winter than that in summer could be attributed to two reasons. One is that the stable atmospheric condition often appears in winter, and the prolonged residence time would strengthen atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds. The other is that decrease of ambient temperature in winter would enhance the condensation of volatile secondary WSOC on pre-existing aerosols. In summertime, atmospheric aerosols and WSOC concentrations showed bimodal size distributions, peaking at the size ranges $0.32{\sim}0.56\;{\mu}m$ (condensation mode) and $3.2{\sim}5.6\;{\mu}m$ (coarse mode), respectively. During the wintertime, atmospheric aerosols showed a bimodal character, while WSOC concentrations showed a unimodal pattern. Size distributions of atmospheric aerosols and WSOC with a peak in the size range $0.32{\sim}0.56\;{\mu}m$ were observed for most of the measurement periods. On January 17, however, atmospheric aerosols and WOSC exhibited size distributions with modal peaks in the size range $1.0{\sim}1.8\;{\mu}m$, suggesting that the aerosol particles collected on that day could be expected to be more aged, i.e, longer residence time, than the aerosols at other sampling periods.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.239-254
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• 2015

Little information on HUmic-Like Substances (HULIS) in ambient particulate matter has been reported yet in Korea. HULIS makes up a significant fraction of the water-soluble organic mass in the atmospheric aerosols and influence their water uptake properties. In this study 24-hr $PM_{2.5}$ samples were collected between December 2013 and October 2014 at an urban site in Gwangju and analyzed for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble OC (WSOC), HULIS, and ionic species, to investigate possible sources and formation processes of HULIS. HULIS was separated using solid phase extraction method and quantified by total organic carbon analyzer. During the study period, HULIS concentration ranged from 0.19 to $5.65{\mu}gC/m^3$ with an average of $1.83{\pm}1.22{\mu}gC/m^3$, accounting for on average 45% of the WSOC (12~ 73%), with higher in cold season than in warm season. Strong correlation of WSOC with HULIS ($R^2=0.91$) indicates their similar chemical characteristics. On the basis of the relationships between HULIS and a variety of chemical species (EC, $K^+$, $NO_3{^-}$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, and oxalate), it was postulated that HULIS observed during summer and winter were likely attributed to secondary formation and primary emissions from biomass burning (BB) and traffics. Stronger correlation of HULIS with $K^+$, which is a BB tracer, in winter ($R^2=0.81$) than in summer ($R^2=0.66$), suggests more significant contribution of BB emissions in winter to the observed HULIS. It is interesting to note that BB emissions may also have an influence on the HULIS in summer, but further study using levoglucosan that is a unique organic marker of BB emissions is required during summer. Higher correlation between HULIS and oxalate, which is mainly formed through cloud processing and/or photochemical oxidation processes, was found in the summer ($R^2=0.76$) than in the winter ($R^2=0.63$), reflecting a high fraction of secondary organic aerosol in the summer.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.411-429
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• 2015

The Korea Ministry of Environment has established an air quality standard for $PM_{2.5}$ in 2012 and it is effective from January 2015. In this study, we review various aspects of $PM_{2.5}$ in China, including its measurement, modeling, source apportionment, and health effect, and suggest future research directions for $PM_{2.5}$ studies in Korea. Measurements studies for $PM_{2.5}$ have examined organic marker compounds and $^{14}C$ as well as inorganic aerosols for distinguishing sources. Modeling results supported that the control of $PM_{2.5}$ pollution in big city needs effective cooperation between city and its surrounding regions. The major $PM_{2.5}$ sources in China have been identified to be secondary sulfur, motor vehicle emissions, coal combustion, dust, biomass burning, and industrial sources, however, they have seasonal dependency. Especially, the severe haze pollution event during January 2013 over eastern and northern China was driven to a large extent by secondary aerosol formation. Short-term exposure to $PM_{2.5}$ is strongly associated with the increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as total non-accidental mortality. Considered previous $PM_{2.5}$ studies in China, analysis of specific organic species using online measurement, chamber experiment for secondary aerosol formation mechanism, and development of parameterizing this process in the model are needed to elucidate factors governing the abundance and composition of $PM_{2.5}$ in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2005

An experimental investigation of the gas-phase photooxidation of toluene-NO$_{x}$-air mixtures at sub-ppm concentrations has been carried out in a 6.9 ㎥, indoor smog chamber irradiated by blacklights. Measured parameters in the toluene-NO$_{x}$ experiments included aerosol, $O_3$, NO, NO$_2$, NO$_{x}$ CO, SO$_2$ toluene, and air temperature. The initial toluene concentration ranged from 225 ppb to 991 ppb and the initial concentration ratio of toluene/NO$_{x}$ in ppbC/ppb was in the range of 5～20. It was found that the variation of aerosol number concentration with irradiation time caused by the photooxidation of toluene-NO$_{x}$-air mixtures depended on the initial toluene concentration for similar concentration ratio of toluene/NO$_{x}$. The dependency of initial toluene concentration on the photooxidation of toluene-NO$_{x}$-air mixtures for toluene/NO$_{x}$= 5～6 seemed to be opposite to that for toluene/NO$_{x}$=10～11. The maximum number concentration of aerosols formed by photooxidation and the aerosol yield depended on both initial toluene concentration and initial concentration ratio of toluene/NO$_{x}$. In this study, the aerosol yield, defined as aerosol formed per unit toluene consumed, was found to be 0.01～0.16.und to be 0.01～0.16.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2016

Particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere has wide-ranging health, environmental, and climate effects, many of which are attributed to fine-mode secondary organic aerosols. PM concentrations are significantly enhanced by primary particle emissions from traffic sources. Recently, in order to reduce $CO_2$ and increase fuel economy, gasoline direct injected (GDI) engine technology is increasingly used in vehicle manufactures. The popularization of GDI technique has resulted in increasing of concerns on environmental protection. In order to better understand variations in chemical composition of particulate matter from emissions of GDI vehicle versus a port fuel injected (PFI) vehicle, a high time resolution chemical composition of PM emissions from GDI and PFI vehicles was measured at facility of Transport Pollution Research Center (TPRC), National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Korea. Continuous measurements of inorganic and organic species in PM were conducted using an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). The HR-ToF-AMS provides insight into non-refractory PM composition, including concentrations of nitrate, sulfate, hydrocarbon-like and oxygenated organic aerosol, and organic mass with 20 sec time resolution. Many cases of PM emissions during the study were dominated by organic and nitrate aerosol. An overview of observed PM characteristics will be provided along with an analysis of comparison of GDI vehicle versus PFI vehicle in PM emission rates and oxidation states.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.337-346
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• 2011

24-hr integrated measurements of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in PM2.5 were made between May 5 and September 25, 2010, on a six-day interval basis, at the Metropolitan Area Air Pollution Monitoring Supersite. A macro-porous XAD7HP resin was used to separate hydrophilic and hydrophobic WSOC. Compounds that penetrate the XAD7HP column are referred to hydrophilic WSOC, while those retained by the column are defined as hydrophobic WSOC. Laboratory calibrations using organic standards suggest that hydrophilic WSOC includes lowmolecular aliphatic dicarboxylic acids and carbonyls with less than 4 or 5 carbons, amines, and saccharides. While the hydrophobic WSOC is composed of compounds of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids with carbon numbers larger than 4~5, phenols, aromatic acids, cyclic acid, and humic-like Suwannee River fulvic acid. Over the entire study period, total WSOC accounted for on average 48% of OC, ranging from 32 to 65%, and hydrophilic WSOC accounted for on average 30.5% (9.3~66.7%) of the total WSOC. Based on the previous results, our measurement result suggests that significant amounts of hydrophobic WSOC during the study period were probably from primary combustion sources. However, on June 9 when 1-hr highest ozone concentration of 130 ppb was observed, WSOC to OC was 0.61, driven by increases in the hydrophilic WSOC. This result also suggests that processes, such as secondary organic aerosol formation, produce significant levels of hydrophilic WSOC compounds that add substantially to the fine particle fraction of the organic aerosol.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.64-74
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• 2017

In this study, we have analyzed relationship between the measured Water Soluble Organic Carbon (WSOC) concentrations and the estimated aerosol water content of $PM_{10}$ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to $10{\mu}m$) for the period between September 2006 and August 2007 at Seoul, Korea. Water content of $PM_{10}$ was estimated by using a gas/particle equilibrium model, Simulating composition of Atmospheric Particles at Equilibrium 2 (SCAPE2). The WSOC concentrations showed low correlation with Elemental Carbon (EC), but Water Insoluble Organic Carbon (WISOC) were highly correlated with EC. It seemed that hydrophilic groups were produced by secondary formation rather than primary formation. As with the previous studies, WSOC showed good correlation with secondary ions ($NO_3{^-}$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NH_4{^+}$), especially WSOC was highly correlated with $NO_3{^-}$ that is a secondary ion formed by photochemical oxidation from more local sources than $SO_4{^{2-}}$. No apparent correlation between the measured WSOC and estimated water content was observed. However, WSOC showed good correlation with estimated water content when it was assumed that relative humidity was higher than the deliquescence relative humidity of the system. In conclusion, WSOC is correlated with water content by hygroscopic ions and it is expected that nitrate play an important role among the water content and WSOC.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.91-106
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• 2021

Daily PM_2.5 was collected during summer period in 2020 in Gwangju to investigate its chemical and light absorption properties. In addition, real-time light absorption coefficients were observed using a dual-spot 7-wavelength aethalometer. During the study period, SO₄^2- was the most important contributor to PM_2.5, accounting for on average 33% (10-64%) of PM_2.5. The chemical form of SO₄^2- was appeared to be combination of 70% (NH₄)₂SO₄ and 30% NH₄HSO₄. Concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis indicated that SO₄^2- particles were dominated by local pollution, rather than regional transport from China. A combination of aethalometer-based and water-extracted brown carbon (BrC) absorption indicated that light absorption of BrC due to aerosol particles was 1.6 times higher than that due to water-soluble BrC, but the opposite result was found in absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) values. Lower AAE value by aerosol BrC particles was due to the light absorption of aerosol BrC by both water-soluble and insoluble organic aerosols. The BrC light absorption was also influenced by both primary sources (e.g., traffic and biomass burning emissions) and secondary organic aerosol formation. Finally the ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of NH₄⁺, C-H groups, SO₄^2-, and HSO₄^2-. The presence of HSO₄^2- supports the result of the estimated composition ratio of inorganic sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) and bisulfate (NH₄HSO₄).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.461-476
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• 2014

Continuous Water-Soluble Organic Carbons (WSOC) by the Particle Into Liquid Sampler - Total Organic Carbon (PILS-TOC) analyzer were measured at the Seoul intensive monitoring site from June 17 through July 5 in 2014. In addition, the 24 hour integrated PM2.5 collected by Teflon and Quartz filters were analyzed for water soluble ions by Ion chromatography (IC), WSOC by TOC from water extracts, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) by carbon analyzer using the thermal optical transmittance (TOT) method, and mass fragment ions (m/z) related to alkanes and PAHs (Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer-Thermal Desorption (GC/MS-TD). Based on the statistical analysis, four different Carbonaceous Thermal Distributions (CTDs) from OCEC thermal-gram were identified. This study discusses the primary and secondary sources of WSOC based on the Classified CTD, organic mass fragments, and diurnal patterns of WSOC. The results provide knowledge regarding the origins of WSOC and their behaviors.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2020

The organic carbon in the ambient particulate matter (PM) is divided into primary organic carbon (POC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) by their formation way. To regulate PM effectively, the estimation of the amount of POC and SOC separately is one of important consideration. Since SOC cannot be measured directly, previous studies have evaluated determination of SOC by the EC tracer method. The EC tracer method is a method of estimating the SOC value from calculating the POC by determining (OC/EC)pri which is the ratio of the measured values of OC and EC from the primary combustion source. In this study, three different ways were applied to OC and EC concentrations in PM_2.5 measured at Seoul for determining (OC/EC)pri: 1) the minimum value of OC/EC ratio during the measurement period; 2) regression analysis of OC vs. EC to select the lower 5-20% OC/EC ratio; 3) determining the OC/EC ratio which has lowest correlation coefficient value (R²) between EC and SOC which is reported as minimum R squared method (MRS). Each (OC/EC)pri ratio of three ways are 0.35, 1.22, and 1.77, respectively from the 1 hourly data. We compared the (OC/EC)pri ratio from 1hourly data with 24 hourly data and revealed that (OC/EC)pri estimated from 24 hourly data had twice larger than 1hourly data due to the low time resolution of sampling. We finally confirmed that the most appropriate value of (OC/EC)pri is that calculated by a regression analysis of 1 hourly data and estimated SOC amounts at PM_2.5 of the Seoul atmosphere.