| Source Identification and Trends in Atmospheric Particulate-bound Mercury at Seoul and Baengnyeong, South Korea |
| 서울과 백령도의 대기 중 입자상 수은의 분포 특성 및 발생원 추정연구 |
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노샘1, 박광수2, 김혁2, 유석민2, 임용재2, 이민도2, 석광설2, 김영희2 |
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2국립환경과학원 |
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| Abstract |
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PM2.5-bound mercury (PBM) was monitored at weekly intervals for three years (from 2014 to 2016) at an urban (Seoul) and rural site (Baengnyeong) in South Korea. The average PBM concentrations in PM2.5 samples over the entire sampling period were 12±11 pg/m3 and 36±34 pg/m3 for Baengnyeong and Seoul, respectively. Seasonal differences were pronounced, with concentrations being highest in winter due to local meteorological conditions (high gas-particle coefficient due to low temperature and low mixing layer height in winter) as well as seasonal factors, such as coal combustion for heating purposes in China. In Baengnyeong, the significant positive correlation of PBM with PM2.5, air pollutants, and heavy metals suggested that coal combustion in China might be the most important source of ambient mercury in Korea. In winter, no correlation of PBM with PM2.5, air pollutants, and heavy metals was seen in Seoul. Furthermore, Seoul showed higher PBM/PM2.5 and Pb/PM2.5 ratios in winter due to the strong atmospheric oxidation-reduction reaction conditions as well as local and regional PBM sources. We conclude that immediate attention must be given to addressing PBM levels in Korea, including considering it as a key component of future air quality monitoring activities and mitigation measures |
| Key Words:
Mercury, PM2.5, Atmospheric particulate-bound mercury, Urban site, Rural site, Temporal variation, Air pollution |
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