• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2012

The quantitative composition of total suspended particulates (TSP) in the atmosphere is identified to consist mainly of ions, organic carbon (OC), element carbon (EC), and metals. In terms of environmental analysis, the rest of the TSP composition may be defined as unknown fraction (${\Sigma}X$) which is yet difficult to analyze both quantitatively and qualitatively. In this study, the major components of TSP were measured at an urban residential area (Gang Seo) in Seoul, Korea from February to December 2009. These TSP data were analyzed in various respects to explain the relationship between known and unknown constituents. During this study period, TSP was comprised mainly of unknown compounds (48.6%) followed by ions, OC, EC, and metals. The results of this study indicate that the distribution of ${\Sigma}X$ exhibits a strong similarity with ${\Sigma}Anions$, as they both increase with increasing TSP levels. However, if the concentrations of ${\Sigma}X$ and ${\Sigma}Anion$ are normalized against TSP, they exhibit a strong inverse correlation with each other due probably to larges differences in solubility. To establish a better strategy for air quality control in urban atmosphere, more efforts are needed to characterize unidentified proportion of particulate matters.