Airborne volatile aromatic hydrocarbons at an urban monitoring station in Korea from 2013 to 2015. (1st March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khan, Azmatullah; Szulejko, Jan E.; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Brown, Richard J.C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental management. Volume 209(2018)
• Page Start: 525
• Page End: 538
• Publication Date: 2018-03-01
• Subjects: Benzene -- Toluene -- Air pollution -- Urban -- Seoul; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; 363.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.12.055
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-4797

Abstract

Abstract: The concentrations of C6 -C10 volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) in air were measured at an urban air quality monitoring station in Jong-Ro, Seoul, Korea, between 2013 and 2015. Their temporal patterns (e.g., diurnal, intraweek, daily) were assessed individually and collectively as groups of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and xylene (BTESX); total aliphatic hydrocarbon (TALHC: C2 -C12 ); total aromatic hydrocarbon (TARHC: C6 -C10 ); and total hydrocarbon (THC: C2 -C12 ). The highest mean AHC concentrations over the 3-year study (in ppb (v/v)) were observed for toluene (6.0 ± 4.3), followed by the xylenes (1.5 ± 1.3), ethylbenzene (0.85 ± 0.93), benzene (0.73 ± 0.77), and styrene (0.16 ± 0.30) nL/L. The mean ppbC ((v/v), nL∙atm∙C/nL∙atm) values for BTESX, TALHC, TARHC, and THC were 65.8, 113, 77.7, and 191 ppbC, respectively. For most AHC species (e.g., toluene, styrene, and BTESX), only weak seasonal trends were observed in contrast to temporally varying species like nitric oxide (NO) (e.g., 26.3 ppb (January–February) vs. 8.5 ppb (July–August) during weekdays in 2013). Furthermore, toluene and NO concentrations were much higher (up to a factor 3) on weekdays than on Sunday for most weeks. This might reflect reduced anthropogenic activities on Sunday. Highlights: Toluene was the major BTESX. Propane was major hydrocarbon in all 56 hydrocarbons. Toluene and NO has strong correlation. Both toluene and NO showed much higher working day levels compare to Sunday.