Analysis of air pollution in two major Korean cities: trends, seasonal variations, daily 1-hour maximum versus other hour-based concentrations, and standard exceedances

Atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic inorganic nitrogen in airborne particles and precipitation in the East Sea in the northwestern Pacific Ocean

The atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic nitrogen is an increasingly important new source of nitrogen to the ocean. Coastal areas east of the Korean Peninsula are suitable for the investigation of the effects of atmospheric anthropogenic nitrogen on the ocean nutrient system because of the low riverine discharge rates and the prevailing influence of the East Asian outflow. Thus, we measured the concentrations of nitrate (NO₃^-) and ammonium (NH₄⁺) in airborne particles and in precipitation from March 2014 to February 2016 at a coastal site (37.08°N, 129.41°E) on the east coast of Korea. The dry deposition of NO₃^- (27-30 mmol N m^-2 yr^-1) was far greater than that of NH₄⁺ (6-8 mmol N m^-2 yr^-1). The greater rate of dry NO₃^- deposition was associated with air masses traveling over northeastern China and central Korea. In contrast, the rates of wet deposition of NO₃^- (17-24 mmol N m^-2 yr^-1) and NH₄⁺ (14-27 mmol N m^-2 yr^-1) were comparable and were probably associated with in-cloud scavenging of these ions. The results indicate that the total deposition of NO₃^- and NH₄⁺ combined could contribute to ~2.4% and ~1.9% of the primary production in the coastal areas east of the Korean Peninsula and in the East Asian marginal seas, respectively, which would be a lower bound because the dry deposition of reactive nitrogen gas was not included. Our study shows that the atmospheric input of anthropogenic NO₃^- and NH₄⁺ may substantially increase phytoplankton biomass in the coastal waters of the East Sea near the Korean Peninsula.

Air Quality in Lanzhou, a Major Industrial City in China: Characteristics of Air Pollution and Review of Existing Evidence from Air Pollution and Health Studies

Air pollution contributes substantially to global health burdens; however, less is known about pollution patterns in China and whether they differ from those elsewhere. We evaluated temporal and spatial heterogeneity of air pollution in Lanzhou, an urban Chinese city (April 2009-December 2012), and conducted a systematic review of literature on air pollution and health in Lanzhou. Average levels were 141.5, 42.3, and 47.2 µg/m³ for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM₁₀), NO₂, and SO₂, respectively. Findings suggest some seasonality, particularly for SO₂, with higher concentrations during colder months relative to warmer months, although a longer time frame of data is needed to evaluate seasonality fully. Correlation coefficients generally declined with distance between monitors, while coefficients of divergence increased with distance. However, these trends were not statistically significant. PM₁₀ levels exceeded Chinese and other health-based standards and guidelines. The review identified 13 studies on outdoor air pollution and health. Although limited, the studies indicate that air pollution is associated with increased risk of health outcomes in Lanzhou. These studies and the high air pollution levels suggest potentially serious health consequences. Findings can provide guidance to future epidemiological studies, monitor placement programs, and air quality policies.

A dramatic shift in CO and CH4 levels at urban locations in Korea after the implementation of the Natural Gas Vehicle Supply (NGVS) program

Concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH(4)) in air were measured at both urban roadside (U-RS) and urban background (U-BG) stations in Seoul, Korea over an 11 yr period (1996-2006). The overall mean values of CO were 1.16+/-0.63 (U-RS) and 1.08+/-0.77 ppm (U-BG), while those of CH(4) were 2.24+/-0.42 (U-RS) and 2.06+/-0.31 ppm (U-BG). The diurnal patterns of CO tended to peak near rush hour, while those of CH(4) showed increases at night. An examination of the seasonal data showed that the CO values were consistently higher during winter, while CH(4) values were highly variable across seasons with relatively large spatial variations. Because of the noticeable change in air quality parameters after the year 2000, the mean data for both compounds were examined between 1996-2000 (period I) and 2001-2006 (period II). The analysis of long-term trends revealed that the concentrations of both compounds decreased very rapidly during period I, while changes were not significant during period II. The results of this comparative study confirm that both urban locations have experienced dramatic changes in the major pollutant levels, particularly in CO after the implementation of the Natural Gas Vehicle Supply (NGVS) program.

Effects of ozone on growth, yield and leaf gas exchange rates of two Bangladeshi cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

To clarify the effects of O(3) on crop plants cultivated in Bangladesh, two Bangladeshi wheat cultivars (Sufi and Bijoy) were grown in plastic boxes filled with Andisol and exposed daily to charcoal-filtered air or O(3) at 60 and 100 nl l(-1) (10:00-17:00) from 13 March to 4 June 2008. The whole-plant dry mass and grain yield per plant of the two cultivars at the final harvest were significantly reduced by the exposure to O(3). Although there was no significant effect of O(3) on stomatal diffusive conductance to H(2)O of flag leaf, net photosynthetic rate of the leaf was significantly reduced by the exposure to O(3.) The sensitivity of growth, yield, yield components and leaf gas exchange rates to O(3) was not significantly different between the two cultivars. The results obtained in the present study suggest that ambient levels of O(3) may detrimentally affect wheat production in Bangladesh.

Does one size fit all? The suitability of standard ozone exposure metric conversion ratios and implications for epidemiology

Several exposure metrics have been applied in health research and policy settings to represent ozone exposure, such as the 24 h average and daily 8 h maximum. Frequently, results calculated using one exposure metric are converted using a simple ratio to compare or combine findings with results using a different metric. This conversion, however, assumes that such a ratio is constant across locations and time periods. We investigated the appropriateness of this conversion method by examining the relationships among various forms of ozone concentrations (24 h average, daily 1 h maximum, and daily 8 h maximum) within and between communities for 78 US communities from 2000 to 2004 and compared results to commonly used conversion ratios. We explored whether the relationships between ozone exposure metrics differ by region, weather, season, and city-specific characteristics. Analysis revealed variation in the relationship among ozone metrics, both across communities and across time within individual communities, indicating that conversion of ozone exposure metrics with a standard ratio introduces uncertainty. For example, the average ratio of the daily 8 h maximum to the daily concentration ranged from 1.23 to 1.83. Within a community, days with higher ozone levels had lower ratios. Relationships among metrics within a community were associated with daily temperature. The community-average exposure metric ratios were lower for communities with higher long-term ozone levels. Ozone metric ratios differed by season because of the different rate of change of ozone metrics throughout the year. We recommend that health effects studies present results from multiple ozone exposure metrics, if possible. When conversions are necessary, more accurate estimates can be obtained using summaries of data for a given location and time period if available, or by basing conversion ratios on data from a similar city and season, such as the results provided in this study.

Characteristic behavior of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in Seoul megacity, Korea

We measured the concentrations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and other photochemically reactive species, including O3, NO2, and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), in the Seoul Metropolitan area (SMA) during May through June in 2004 and 2005. PAN was determined using a fast chromatograph with luminol-based chemiluminescence detection. Mixing ratios of PAN ranged from below the detection limit (0.1ppbv) to 10.4ppbv with an average of 0.8ppbv. O3 concentrations ranged from 0 to 141ppbv. The average PAN/O3 ratio of 0.07 was higher than that observed in cities of Europe and North America (0.02) where control strategies have been enforced to reduce hydrocarbon emissions through extensively reformulated gasoline programs. Strong positive correlations between daily PAN and O3 maxima during the day demonstrate that similar photochemical factors controlled the production of these two chemicals. However, relationships between PAN and its precursors, NO2 and NMHCs, suggest that PAN production was more sensitive to NO2 than NMHCs levels whereas O3 production was limited by the overall availability of NMHCs. It is likely that the compositions of NMHCs in SMA were favorable for PAN production because of the low fractions of oxygenated compounds in automobile fuels. PAN maxima were observed around noon, which was 2-3h earlier than the much broader O3 maxima that occurred in the midafternoon. After reaching the maximum, PAN concentrations rapidly dropped within a few hours, which could be largely due to thermal destruction and to limited production under the typically low NO2 levels that occurred in the early afternoon. The heterogeneous destruction of particulate matter could be an additional sink for PAN in SMA.

Phytotoxic risk assessment of ambient air pollution on agricultural crops in Selangor State, Malaysia

The phytotoxic risk of ambient air pollution to local vegetation was assessed in Selangor State, Malaysia. The AOT40 value was calculated by means of the continuously monitored daily maximum concentration and the local diurnal pattern of O3. Together with minor risks associated with the levels of NO2 and SO2, the study found that the monthly AOT40 values in these peri-urban sites were consistently over 1.0 ppm.h, which is well in exceedance of the given European critical level. Linking the O3 level to actual agricultural crop production in Selangor State also indicated that the extent of yield losses could have ranged from 1.6 to 5.0% (by weight) in 2000. Despite a number of uncertainties, the study showed a simple but useful methodological framework for phytotoxic risk assessment with a limited data set, which could contribute to appropriate policy discussion and countermeasures in countries under similar conditions.

Analysis of roadside inhalable particulate matter (PM10) in major Korean cities

A data analysis of three major Korean cities was conducted to assess roadside inhalable particulate matter 10 microm or smaller in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), including temporal and meteorological variations, over a recent period of 4 to 6 years. The yearly roadside PM10 concentrations presented a well-defined increasing trend or no trend depending on the roadside monitoring station. Most mean values exceeded or approximated the Korean standard of 70 microg/m3 per year for PM10. A representative roadside diurnal trend was characterized by a distinct morning maximum. In most cases, the Sunday roadside concentrations were similar to or somewhat lower than the weekday concentrations, and the PM10 concentrations presented a well-defined seasonal variation, with the maximum concentration in March. The monthly maximum concentrations observed in March were most likely attributable to Asian dust storms. In two metropolitan cities (Seoul and Busan), the frequency of days with roadside PM10 concentrations exceeding the standard of 150 microg/m3 per 24 h was much lower for the roadside monitoring stations than for the residential monitoring station, whereas in the third city (Daegu), this result was reversed. Interestingly, the average maximum concentrations observed for the roadside sites in Seoul and Busan during March were higher than those for the residential sites, suggesting that the roadside concentrations responded more to the dust storms than the residential areas. The relationship between the pollutant concentrations and five important meteorological parameters (solar radiation, wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation) showed that the number and type of meteorological variables included in the equations varied according to the monitoring station or season. Finally, the current results confirmed that attention should be given to the PM10 exposure of residents living near roadways.

Characteristics of roadside air pollution in Korean metropolitan city (Daegu) over last 5 to 6 years: temporal variations, standard exceedances, and dependence on meteorological conditions

The present study performed a roadside data analysis to provide baseline data for exploring associations between environmental exposure to four gaseous pollutants and health effects on residents living near roadways. The yearly roadside concentrations of CO and SO2 showed a well-defined decreasing trend, whereas those of NO2 and O3 exhibited the reverse trend. In most cases, the diurnal trends of the roadside concentrations were well-defined for all seasons, plus the daytime concentrations were higher than the nighttime concentrations. In contrast to the other target pollutants, the daytime O3 concentrations observed at the roadside sites were lower than those observed at the residential site, likely due to high-levels of fresh NO from traffic emissions that rapidly react with O3, thereby reducing the O3 roadside level. The Sunday roadside concentrations of CO, NO2, and SO2 were similar to or somewhat lower than the weekday concentrations. Conversely, for O3 the Sunday roadside concentrations were similar to or somewhat higher than the weekday concentrations. The higher O3 concentrations on Sunday may be due to the reduced titration from a decrease in NOx emissions under VOC-limited conditions (low VOC/NOx conditions). The monthly averages of O3 concentrations exhibited the reverse seasonal variation to the other target compounds, with peak O3 concentrations between April and June, and the second peak between August and October. It is also suggested that for O3, the 8-h standard is more stringent than the 1-h standard, while for NO2 and SO2, the 1-h standard is more stringent than the 24-h standard. The multiple regression equations obtained from the relationship between the concentrations and five meteorological parameters indicated that the number and type of meteorological variables in the equations varied according to the pollutant, monitoring station, or season.

Atmospheric versus lithogenic contribution to the composition of first- and second-order stream waters in Seoul and its vicinity

The spatial variations in the chemistry of first- and second-order stream waters (N = 65) were investigated in the easterly bound of Seoul in order to assess the effects of urban air pollution on surface water chemistry. The sulfate (SO4(2-)) was high (range 3.9-17.8 mg l(-1), mean 11.8 mg l(-1)) within 30 km away from the center of Seoul, compared to the levels (range 1.1-7.7 mg l(-1), mean 4.3 mg l(-1)) observed in remote areas (30-70 km away). Both graphical examination and statistical evaluation (variogram) of sulfate concentration data consistently showed the decrease of sulfate concentration with increasing distance. The results of mass balance modeling also indicate that the concentrations of SO4(2-), Cl- and Na+ may be affected mainly by dry/wet deposition. However, the spatial variations of major cations such as Ca2+ and Na+ are well explained by the reaction of rainwater with diverse rocks in the watercourse. The water type was found to change from Ca(-Na)-SO4) type to Ca(-a)-HCO3 type with the increasing distance. It is thus inferred that the pollutants like SO2 emitted from strong man-made source areas of Seoul are transported to the considerable distance (at least 30 km away) by westerlies and that such mechanism may lead to the changes of the anion composition in surface water. In the remote area (> 30 km away from Seoul), the stream water chemistry appears to be influenced more effectively by the weathering of rock-forming minerals.