Abstract for presentation at 14th IUAPPA World Congress

Size Distribution and Heavy Metals Contents of Particles Collected at Industrial Areas

  • Byeong-Kyu Lee, University of Ulsan, Korea
  • Aeri Kim, University of Ulsan, Korea
  • Trang Dong, University of Ulsan, Korea
  • Trang Duong, University of Ulsan, Korea
  • Euryang Jeong, University of Ulsan, Korea
  • Haengah Kim Lee, University of Ulsan, Korea
  • Rupak Aryal, University of Ulsan, Korea

    • This study analyzed size distribution and heavy metal content of particles collected from the non-ferrous metal and petrochemical industrial complex (IC) areas of Ulsan, the largest industrial city in Korea, during the summer season. An ambient cascade impactor, which has eight separation steps for size-separated PM samples that are less than 10 µm in an aerodynamic diameter, was used for daily PM samplings. The originally collected and size-separated PMs were combined as three size groups, such as 0-1.1, 1.1-4.7, and 4.7-10 µm, of the particles for analysis of heavy metals.
    The average concentrations of PM10 collected in the petrochemical IC (Petro IC) and the non-ferrous metal IC (NFM IC) areas during the sampling periods were 60.0 and 51.2 µg/m3, respectively. The highest mass fraction of PM in the Petro IC site was observed in the size range of 0.4 - 0.7 µm followed by 0.7 - 1.0 µm and 1.1 - 2.1 µm in turn. The highest fractions in the NFM IC site were observed in 0.7 - 1.0 and 4.7 - 5.8 µm followed by 1.1 - 2.1 and 2.1-3.3 µm. The average fractions of PM2.5 out of PM10 concentrations were about 68 and 43% in the Petro IC and the non-ferrous metal IC sites, respectively. The average concentrations and fractions of fine particles, 0-1.1 µm, were 25.1 µg/m3 and 41.8 % in the Petro IC site, respectively. However, they were 15.2 µg/m3 and 29.0 % in the NFM IC site, respectively. Their values of coarse particles, 4.7-10 µm, were 13.5 µg/m3 and 22.5 % in the Petro IC site, respectively, and they were 16.6 µg/m3 and 31.6 % in the NFM IC site.
    The total concentrations of cadmium, zinc and lead in the PM samples from the NFM IC site were much higher than those in the Petro IC site. However, the total concentrations of copper and lead from the NFM IC site were much lower than those in the Petro IC site. The concentrations of heavy metals from three size groups of the PMs were similar in the NFM IC site, but their values from the coarse particles were much higher than those from fine particles in the Petro IC site. This difference in PM and heavy metal levels between two ICs is caused by difference in their main business types.

    Conference Organiser - ICMS Pty Ltd