• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.18-26
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• 1987

In order to investigate the character of air pollution by heavy metals and to elucidate the possible sources in Seoul city, this study was performed to measure the concentrations of heavy metals of total suspended particulate and air pollutants such as $SO_2, NO_2, CO, CH_4$, Non-methane hydrocarbon, ozone at the residential-traffic area (shinchon dong) in January and February, 1986. The results are as follows: 1. $SO_2$ and TSP concentration were 135ppb and 167 $\mug/m^3$ in average, respectively. 2. While concentrations of heavy metals such as Fe, Cu, Pb in the ambient air seems gradually decreasing annually, Ni compound has been shown the tendency of increasing. 3. Among heavy metals in TSP analysed, the iron was detected at the highest level, 0.905% and the cadimium was the lowest 0.004% in average, respectively. 4. V, Fe and Zn compounds in air were observed to be highly correlated with their correlation coefficients(r) higher than 0.7. Pb compound was highly correlated to the levels of Zn and Fe, however relatively less correlated to V compound. 5. Among concentrations of heavy metals in the particulates, V and Ni compounds were highly correlated with coefficient(r) of 0.8587; the cause might be imagined by the fact of releasing from combustion of fuel oil. Fe, Pb and Zn compounds were highly correlated $SO_2$ concentration. It might be explained that they were released by combustion of coal. 6. The level of $SO_2$ was highly correlated to most of heavy metals: especially correlation coefficient(r) to Pb compound was 0.9081. Pb compound was also highly correlated to NO, CO and TSP. TSP showed higher correlation to Pb and Cd compounds than to V and Ni compounds. It might be assumed that particulate was mainly produced by combusting coal from space heating and by exhausting gasoline and diesel oil from transportation rather than by burning fuel oil.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.233-244
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• 1994

The phenomenon of yellow sand (dust clouds) occurred in Korea during the spring of 1993 and 1994 is studied in detail. In total 6 cases including 15 days of yellow sand were observed in 1993 and the annual number of these events was found to increased. Examinations in this study include meteorological charts satellite imagery, pilot reports (PIREP) of Korea Air Force, and air concentrations of total suspended particulates(TSP). We present on estimation of total atmospheric loadings based on the observation and theory. According to the PIREP, in general the dust clouds travelled in the lower troposphere up to the level 5km. The visibility within the clouds was in the range of 3-8km The area covered by yellow sand in an event exceeded 0.4 M $\textrm{km}^2$ . According to trajectory analyses, dust clouds invaded Korea in April and May 1993 were landed in the sink area after 2~4 days travelling for 2,000~3,000km from a source region. Estimates of total atmospheric loadings of a dust cloud for April 23~24 in 1993 were 1.5 M ton. In addition, 7 dust storms were also reported in synoptic observations in NW China and Mongolia during the spring in 1994. The yellow sand was not reported with meteorological observations in Korea, however pilots reported significant dust clouds over the Yellow Sea on 8 and 13 April and 20 May 1994.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.485-493
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• 2011

In Korea, PM (Particulate Matter) emissions caused by coal-fired power plants are measured by a system, so called Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS), which uses foreign emission factors. However, the system fails to reflect the characteristics of domestic power plants. In this regard, this study aims to develop local, accurate domestic emission factors. The study measured the amount of TSP (Total Suspended Particulates), PM10 and PM2.5 by collecting samples from the latter parts of pollution control devices which were installed at 3 bituminous-fired power plants and 3 anthracite-fired power plants. The results showed that the average concentrations of TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 measured at bituminous-fired power plants were 4.63 mg/$Sm^3$, 2.96 mg/$Sm^3$ and 3.07 mg/$Sm^3$ respectively, much higher than those from anthracite-fired power plants (2.96 mg/$Sm^3$, 2.47 mg/$Sm^3$ and 1.37 mg/$Sm^3$, respectively). In addition, bituminous-fired power plants showed higher ratios of PM10/TSP and PM2.5/TSP with 0.66 and 0.92, respectively, compared to 0.82 and 0.46, the ratios of PM10/TSP and PM2.5/TSP measured in anthracite-fired power plants. Emission factors based-on concentration measurements were also higher for bituminous-fired power plants, and PM with smaller particles tended to have bigger difference in emission factors between the two fuels. This study calculated the amount of PM emissions by using the estimated emission factors. When it comes to the PM emissions, it was less than that of CAPSS while similar to that of CleanSYS in its amount. It is expected that the emission factors developed by this study will be used in Korea replacing foreign emission factors currently used in Korea by ensuring the objectivity and reliability as domestic emission factors.

• IE interfaces
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.237-248
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to make an economic analysis of power plant utilities by examining electricity generating costs with environmental consideration. Economic growth has caused pollutant emission, and subsequent environmental pollution has been identified as a very real limit to sustainable development. Considering the enormous role of electricity in the national economy, it is thus very important to study the effect of environmental regulations on the electricity sector. Because power utilities need large investments during construction, operation and maintenance, and also require much construction lead time. Economic analysis is the very important process in the electric system expansion planning. In this study, the levelized generation cost method is used in comparing economic analysis of power plant utilities. Among the pollutants discharged of the electricity sector, this study principally deals with the control activities related only to $CO_2$, and $NO_2$, since the control cost of $SO_2$, and TSP (Total Suspended Particulates) is already included in the construction cost of utilities. The cost of electricity generation in a coal-fired power plant is compared with one in an LNG combined cycle power plant. Moreover this study surveys the sensitivity of fuel price, interest rate and carbon tax. In each case, this sensitivity can help to decide which utility is economically justified in the circumstance of environmental regulations.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.269-280
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• 2018

This paper reports the results of field evaluation to determine the levels of heavy metals in major industrial complexes in Korea over a seven year period (2007~2013). The measurement of heavy metal was conducted using quartz fiber filter sampling and ICP-AES analysis. In order to validate the analytical performance of these methods, studies were also carried out to investigate data quality control(QC) parameters, such as the method detection limit (MDL), repeatability, and recovery efficiencies. The average concentrations of total suspended particulates (TSP) for the nine industrial complexes in Korea were $104{\sim}169{\mu}g/m^3$, which was higher than other industrial complexes and urban areas. The Sihwa and Banwol industrial complexes were shown to be the biggest contributing sources to high TSP emission ($159{\mu}g/m^3$ and $169{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively). The concentrations of heavy metals in TSP were higher in the order of Fe>Cu>Zn, Pb, Mn>Cr, Ni, As and Cd. It was observed that Fe was the highest in the Gwangyang and Pohang steel industrial complexes. The concentrations of Zn and Pb were high in Onsan, Sihwa and Banwol industrial complexes, and this was attributed to the emission from the nonferrous industry. Additionally, Cr and Ni concentrations were high in the Sihwa and Banwol industrial complexes due to plating industry. On the other hand, Ulsan and Onsan industrial complexes showed high Cr and Ni concentrations as a response to the emission of metal industry related to automobile. The correlation analysis revealed the high correlation between Cr and Ni in plating industry from Sihwa and Banwol industrial complexes. Adding to this, components related to coal combustion and road dust showed high correlation in Pohang and Gwangyang industrial complexes. Then Onsan and Ulsan industrial complexes showed high correlation among components related to the nonferrous metals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.360-372
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• 2010

Concentrations of ambient air particles such as total suspended particulates (TSP), particulate matter $(PM)_{10}$, and $PM_{2.5}$, were monitored simultaneously from May to June, 2007, at four locations at Alashan and Beijing in China, and Seoul and Gosan in South Korea. These monitoring sites are in the pathway of Asian dust (AD) storms traveling from China to the Korean peninsula. An AD event was observed in the Korean peninsula on May 25-26. During the sampling period, the average concentrations of TSP and PM10 were each higher than $150\;{\mu}g/m^3$ in Alashan and Beijing, but not in Seoul and Gosan. The concentration of TSP in Alashan (where the dust storm originated) on the day of the AD event reached $1824.7\;{\mu}g/m^3$, this being the highest concentration of air particles observed during the sampling period. The level was decreased to 15% of this ($274.7\;{\mu}g/m^3$) in Seoul and to 8.7% ($159.0\;{\mu}g/m^3$) in Gosan when the AD was observed two days later in Korea. Gosan, a representative background site in East Asia, displayed the lowest concentration of particles, with this maximal TSP concentration of $159\;{\mu}g/m^3$. Inorganic element contents in the air particles were also measured, and the concentrations in the four different regions compared. Concentrations of anthropogenically-enriched heavy metals in $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, were higher in the metropolitan cities of Beijing and Seoul compared to non-industrialized regions of Alashan and Gosan. However, the concentrations of inorganic soil elements including iron, magnesium, aluminum sodium, and manganese, were higher in Alashan compared to those in other sampling sites.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.543-553
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• 2014

The environmental behavior of $SO_2$ was investigated in terms of the factors affecting the temporal variabilities by analyzing the data sets obtained from the Yongsan district in Seoul from 2004 till 2013. To this end, the relationship between $SO_2$ and relevant parameters including particulate matters (such as $PM_{2.5}$, $PM_{10}$, and TSP (total suspended particulates)) and gaseous components ($CH_4$, CO, THC (total hydrocarbon), NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbon), NO, $NO_2$, NOx, and $O_3$) was investigated in several aspects. Over a decade, the annual mean concentrations of $SO_2$ varied in the range of $4.36-5.86nmole\;mole^{-1}$ (min-max) which was about five times lower than the regulation guideline set for the air quality management in Korea. In fact, this pattern greatly contrasts with some other air pollutants of which concentrations exceeded their guideline values significantly. According to our analysis, $SO_2$ was strongly correlated to the temperature and other relevant parameters. The overall results of this study confirm that the administrative regulation of $SO_2$ levels has been made effectively relative to other airborne pollutants.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.33-42
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• 2020

Emission factors for ammonia and particulate matters (PMs) from livestock buildings are of increasing importance in view of the environmental protection. While the existing emission factors were determined based on the emission inventory of other countries, in situ measurement of emission factors is required to construct an accurate emission inventory for Korea. This study is to report measurements of ammonia and PMs emissions from mechanically-ventilated pig houses, which are common types of pig barns in Korea. Ventilation rates and concentrations of ammonia and PMs were measured at the ventilation outlets of a weaner unit, a growing pig unit and a fattening pig unit to calculated the emission factors. The PMs emission was characterized with different aerodynamic diameters (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and total suspended particulates (TSP)). The measured ammonia emission factors for weaners, growing pigs and fattening pigs were 0.225, 0.869 and 1.679 kg animal^-1 yr^-1, respectively, showing linear increase with pigs' age. The PMs emission factors for three growing stages were 0.023, 0.237 and 0.241 kg animal^-1 yr^-1, respectively for TSP, 0.017, 0.072 and 0.223 kg animal^-1 yr^-1, respectively for PM₁₀, and 0.011, 0.016 and 0.151 kg animal^-1 yr^-1, respectively for PM_2.5. PMs emissions were increased with pigs' age due to increasing feed supply and animal movement. The measured emission factors were smaller than those of the existing emission inventory indicating that the existing ones overestimate the emissions from pig buildings and also suggesting that long-term in situ monitoring at various livestock buildings is required to construct the accurate emission inventory.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 1999

Objectives: To reexamine the association between air pollution and daily mortality in Seoul, Korea using a method of meta-analysis with the data filed for 1991 through 1995. Methods: A separate Poisson regression analysis on each district within the metropolitan area of Seoul was conducted to regress daily death counts on levels of each ambient air pollutant, such as total suspended particulates (TSP), sulfur dioxide $(SO_2)$, and ozone $(O_3)$, controlling for variability in the weather condition. We calculated a weighted mean as a meta-analysis summary of the estimates and its standard error. Results: We found that the p value from each pollutant model to test the homogeneity assumption was small (p<0.01) because of the large disparity among district-specific estimates. Therefore, all results reported here were estimated from the random effect model. Using the weighted mean that we calculated, the mortality at a $100{\mu}g/m^3$ increment in a 3-day moving average of TSP levels was 1.034 (95% Cl 1.009-1.059). The mortality was estimated to increase 6% (95% Cl 3-10%) and 3% (95% Cl 0-6%) with each 50 ppb increase for 9-day moving average of SO2 and 1-hr maximum O3, respectively. Conclusions: Like most of air pollution epidemiologic studies, this meta-analysis cannot avoid fleeing from measurement misclassification since no personal measurement was taken. However, we can expect that a measurement bias be reduced in a district-specific estimate since a monitoring station is hefter representative cf air quality of the matched district. The similar results to those from the previous studios indicated existence of health effect of air pollution at current levels in many industrialized countries, including Korea.