WP3 Contamination Source Identification and Apportionment
Wednesday, 16 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(AAA-1117-776499) Atmospheric TGM (Total Gaseous Mercury) Concentrations and Source Identification using Hybrid Receptor Modeling in Seoul, Korea.

Yi, S.M.¹, Kim, S.H.¹, Huh, J.B.¹, Zoh, K.D.¹, Han, Y.J.², ¹ Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea² Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Korea

ABSTRACT- The objectives of this study were to measure ambient TGM concentrations in Seoul Korea, to determine the temporal variation of TGM, and to identify of TGM source areas using back-trajectory and back-dispersion based hybrid receptor modeling. Ambient TGM concentrations were measured at the roof of Graduate School of Public Health building in Seoul, Korea for a period of January to October 2004 and analyzed using CVAFS (Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry). Average TGM concentration was 3.43 ± 1.17 ng/m³. There was a significant positive correlation between TGM and PM2.5, indicating that reduction of Hg²⁺ to Hg⁰ occurred in liquid water contained in smog. The temporal variations of TGM were not statistically significant. Also, the strong correlation between TGM and SO₂ concentrations indicated that the source of TGM was from fossil fuel combustions including coal combustion. Hybrid receptor modeling incorporating backward trajectories including potential source contribution function (PSCF) and residence time weighted concentration (RTWC) and PSCF incorporating back-dispersion was performed to identify source areas of TGM. Using these models, central and eastern Chinese industrial areas and the west coast of Korea were determined as important source areas. Additionally, PSCF incorporating back-dispersion indicated that the major industrial areas of Russia including Vladivostik and Khabarovosk and some industrial areas of Japan including Hiroshima were significant sources.

Key words: TGM, PSCF, RTWC, LPDM