• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 1989

Atmospheric gaseous mercury was automatically measured by a mercury air monitor (Mercury monitor AM-1). The sample air was led to a scrubber and washed with buffer solution, and mercury was trapped with gold coated chromosorb P(AW) was successively eluted by heating the chromosorb and then detected by the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. $SO_2, TSP, NO_x, CO, THC$. and some of meteorological factors were also measured simultaneously with mercury. A significant correlation between the concentration of mercury and those of 2,513 measurements, gaseous mercury concentration ranged from 4.73 to 112.8 $ng/m^3$ with an annual mean of 14.7$ng/m^3$ in urban area. At this place there was a clear seasonal variation with a maximuminDecember-January and aminimum in March-June. A secondary maximum existed in August to September. THe seasonal variation was found that the gaseous mercury in ambient air has a tendency to become low in spring and high in winter. Namely, the average of concentration in winter was about two times, 19.2 $ng/m^3$, higher than that in spring. In Seoul mercury levels on some months mainly Septermber-October increase with increasing relative humidity of the atmosphere. In Olympic park air levels were 8.2 (range 4.4-23.7)$ng/m^3$ with an coefficients of variation of 0.34 and in Seoul sports complex those were 7.7 (rnage 4.4-25.5) $ng/m^3$ with an coefficients of variation of 0.38 within the Seoul olympiad holding period of time. A significant diurnal mercury variation occurs both at the measuring sites and in the period of observation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2019

The effects of UV wavelength and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the formation of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) were investigated in a controlled environment. To remove any other influences than UV wavelength and DOC, purified water was used as the working solution. DGM was instantly produced with irradiation of all UV lights even without DOC; whereas, there was no noticeable increase of DGM during irradiation of visible light. The amount of formed DGM increased as the DOC concentration increased even in dark conditions; however, UV-B irradiation significantly promoted DGM production with DOC present. The rate constants of reduction ranged from $1.4{\times}10^{-6}s^{-1}$ to $3.5{\times}10^{-5}s^{-1}$, with the lower values occurring under the dark condition without DOC and the higher values resulting under UV-B irradiation and high DOC concentration. However, DGM production was not linearly correlated with the DOC concentration at higher range of DOC in this study. Future studies should investigate the effects of DOC concentration on mercury (Hg) reduction over the broad range of DOC concentrations with different DOC structures and with other influencing parameters.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 2004

The emission characteristics of mercury in waste incinerators were investigated to get basic data for the policy development on the emission reduction of mercury (Hg). For the study several important factors were analysed from 4 incinerators such as mercury concentration, emission factors and removal rate for control devices. The results are listed below. Mercury concentrations in the flue gas were 0.39～5.96 $\mu\textrm{g}$/S㎥ in MWI and 2.5～8.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/S㎥ in IWI. The distributions of gaseous and particulate mercury in flue gas were above 99% and below 1 %, respectively. Therefore, in order to remove mercury effectively, it is important to control the gaseous mercury. Mercury concentrations in fly ash collected from control device were found as 16.2～35.6 mg/kg- ash in FF of MWI. Also mercury concentrations at the front and back point of control device of MWI were 33.45～62.65 $\mu\textrm{g}$/S㎥ and 0.88～3.49 $\mu\textrm{g}$/S㎥, respectively. Emission factors were estimated as 3.67～11.67 mg/ton in FF, 2.6～24.5 mg/ton in MWI with SNCR, SDR and FF, 54.9～192.7 mg/ton in IWI with Cyclone and FF. Emissions from Municipal Waste Incinerator were found both in minimum and maximum ranges. Annual mercury emissions emitted from MWI was estimated as 20.0 kg (6.0～33.9 kg).

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.173-183
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• 2010

The high temperature pleated filter bags which were used during this study were made of pleated nonwoven fabric of heat and acid resistant polysulfonate fibers which can withstand the heat up to $300^{\circ}C$ and have a filtration area which is 3 to 5 times larger than the conventional round filter bags. Cartridge module packed with 3 kind of the sulfur impregnated activated-carbon based sorbents were inserted in the inner of the pleated filter bag. This type of pleated filter bag was designed to remove not only the particulate matter but also the gaseous elemental mercury. The electrostatic precipitator part can enhance the particulate removal efficiency and reduce the pressure drop of the pleated filter bag by agglomerated particles to form a more porous dust layer on the surface of the pleated bag which is increased the filter bag cleaning efficiency. In addition, the most of particles are separated from the flue gas stream through the cyclone and the electrostatic precipitator part which were installed at the lower part and main body part of the convergence particulate collector, respectively. Thus reduce particulate loading of the high temperature pleated filter bags were applied in this study to analyze the removal characteristics of particulate matter and gaseous elemental mercury.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.4258-4264
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• 2011

The total mercury concentration ($Hg_T$) of surface snow samples collected along a ~1500 km transect in east Queen Maud Land was determined using inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry to address the behavior of Hg on the Antarctic Plateau. Due to the volatile nature of mercury, measures were taken against Hg loss from standard solutions by choosing appropriate container material and stabilizing agents. Glass bottles with Teflon-lined caps were superior to Teflon and polyethylene containers in protecting against Hg loss, but addition of gold chloride ($AuCl_3$) or bromine chloride (BrCl) was necessary to ensure preservation of Hg. As Hg loss was also observed in snowmelt samples, our analysis may underestimate the actual amount of HgT in the snow. Even so, the measured HgT was still very low (< 0.4-10.8 pg $g^{-1}$, n = 44) without a signal of depositional enhancement accompanying photo-oxidation of atmospheric elemental mercury in austral midsummer. Moreover, the dynamic variation along the traverse implies spatial and temporal heterogeneity in its source processes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.268-274
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• 2010

Emission of heavy metals as hazardous air pollutants has been focused with tightening regulatory limits due to their hazardousness. Measurements and characteristic investigations of heavy metals emitted from a commercial power plant burning anthracite coal have been carried out. The plant consists of a circulating fluidized bed combustor, a cyclone, a boiler and an electrostatic precipitator(ESP) in series. Dust and gaseous samples were collected to measure main heavy metals including gaseous mercury before ESP and at stack. Dust emissions as total particulate matter (TPM), PM-10 and PM-2.5 at inlet of ESP were very high with 23,274, 9,555 and $7,790mg/Sm^3$, respectively, as expected, which is much higher than those from pulverized coal power plants. However TPM at stack was less than $0.16mg/Sm^3$, due to high dust removal efficiency by ESP. Similarly heavy metals emission showed high collection efficiency across ESP. From particle size distribution and metal enrichment in sizes, several metal concentrations could be correlated with particle size showing more enrichment in smaller particles. Mercury unlike other solid metals behaved differently by emitting as gaseous state due to high volatility. Removal of mercury was quite less than other metals due to it's volatility, which was 68% only. Across ESP, speciation change of mercury from elemental to oxidized was clearly shown so that elemental mercury was half of total mercury at stack unlike other coal power plants which equipped wet a scrubber.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 2006

Ambient gas phase mercury concentrations including elemental mercury ($Hg^0$) were measured at the Potsdam, Stockton, and Sterling sites in NY from 2000 to 2003. Also, concentrations of ambient reactive gaseous mercury (RGM; $Hg^{2+}$) were measured at the Potsdam site during one year. The contribution of RGM($4.2{\pm}6.4pg/m^3$) was about $0.2{\sim}3%$ of the total gas phase mercury concentration measured (TGM: $1.84{\pm}1.24,\;1.83{\pm}0.32,\;3.02{\pm}2.14ng/m^3$ in Potsdam. Stockton, and Sterling, respectively) at the receptor sites. Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF), a hybrid receptor modeling incorporating backward trajectories was performed to identify source areas of TGM. Using PSCF, southern New York, North Carolina, and eastern Massachusetts were identified as important source areas in the United States, while the copper smelters and waste incinerators located in eastern Quebec and Ontario were determined to be significant sources in Canada. The Atlantic Ocean was suggested to be a possible mercury source. PSCF incorporating back-dispersion and deposition was applied for RGM , as well as PSCF based on 2-days back-trajectories. Two different approaches yielded considerably different results, primarily due to the consideration of dispersion rather than deposition. Using back-trajectory based PSCF, eastern Ohio, southern New York, and southern Pennsylvania where large coal -fired power plants area located were identified as the large sources in US. Metallurgical industry located in eastern Quebec was resolved as well. From the result of back-dispersion and deposition based PSCF, Pennsylvania, mining facilities around Lake Superior, Toronto, Boston, MA, Quebec, and coal power plants in NY were identified to be the significant source areas for Potsdam site.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.11 no.E
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• pp.55-62
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• 1995

The distribution of airborne mercury was investigated from several districts of Seoul, five other major cities and two rural areas during the period April, 1994 to March, 1995. The method used in this study involves absorption of gaseous mercury on CHromosorb$^R$ A coated with gold and detection by cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. The atmospheric mercury concentrations in Seoul ranged from N.D. to 120.17 ng m$^3$ (mean 27.01 $\pm 9.42 ng m^{-3}, N=139$), while those in rural areas ranged from 1.72 to 8.24 ng $m^{-3} (mean 4.57 \pm 3.07 ng m^{-3}, N=5$). The spatial distribution characteristics of mercury distribution in urban air were examined by comparing mercury levels as a function of the distance from the urban center. Temporal distribution trends of airborne mercury were also studied using the monthly mean mercury data of various districts in Seoul. The atmospheric mercury concentration around Mokdong wastes incinerator in Seoul were also investigated.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2010

The atmospheric geochemistry of mercury is generalls represented by gaseous elemental phase that exhibits the high environmental mobility and relatively long atmospheric residence time (c.a., 1 year) with its high chemical stability. In the recognition of the environmental significance of its global cycling, enormous efforts have been devoted to the measurements of Hg exchange across air-soil boundary. To be able to describe the fundamental aspects on this subject, the current development in the measurements of atmospheric exchange rates of mercury has been summarized using the current database reported worldwide. As a first step, different techniques commonly employed in its measurements are introduced with the discussions on their merits and disadvantages. Then, the results derived from various field measurement campaigns are also compared and discussed. The direction for the future study of mercury is presented at last.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.693-703
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• 2008

The important source of the mercury in water-column is the influx of atmosphere mercury, via dry and wet deposition. In this study, wet deposition of mercury was estimated to be $14.56{\mu}g/m^2$ during 15 months at the Lake Soyang, which is a little higher than those observed in the several rural US Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) sites with similar precipitation depth. The mercury concentration in precipitation did not show a positive correlation with atmospheric RGM (reactive gaseous mercury) concentration, while maintaining good correlation with atmospheric $PM_{2.5}$ at Soyang Dam. This result suggests that the contribution of particulate Hg to the total Hg wet deposition should be more significant than that of RGM. In this study, both precipitation depth and precipitation type affected the amount of wet deposition and the concurrent mercury levels in precipitation. There was generally an inverse relationship between precipitation depth and Hg concentration in precipitation. Precipitation type was another factor that exerted controls on the Hg concentration in precipitation. As a result, the highest concentration of Hg was observed in snow, followed by in mixture (snow+rain) and in rain.