Chia-Ying Chang

Monitoring ambient air pollutants and apply Woods’ model in the prediction seasonal dry deposition at Chang-Hua (urban) and Kao-Mei (wetland) county, Taiwan

The main purpose for this study was to monitor ambient air particles and metallic elements (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb) in total suspended particulate (TSP) concentration and dry deposition. In addition, the calculated/measured dry deposition flux ratios of ambient air particles and metallic elements (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb) were evaluated using Woods’ model at urban and wetland areas for the 2009–2010 period. The results indicated that the mean highest concentrations of metallic elements Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb in TSP were found in Chang-Hua (urban) sampling site. And as for the two characteristic sampling sites, the Woods’ model exhibits better dry deposition of particulates of 18 µm particle size than the rest of the other particle sizes at any sampling site in this study. The average calculated/measured flux ratios for two seasons (summer and fall) by using Woods model at 2.5, 10 and 18 µm particles sizes were also studied. The results indicated that the average calculated/measured flux ratios orders for two seasons of various particles sizes were all displayed as Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > particle. And these calculated/measured flux ratios orders were Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > Cr > Pb > particle and were Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > particle > Pb, during spring and winter seasons, respectively. Finally, in the spring and summer seasons of Gao-Mei (wetland) sampling site, the average calculated/measured flux ratios using Woods’ model was found to be 2.5, 10 and 18 µm, showing the order of the calculated/measured flux ratios to be Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Cr > Pb > particle. And the calculated/measured flux ratio orders were Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr > particle > Pb and were Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Cr > particle > Pb for fall and winter season, respectively.

A study of particulates and metallic element concentrations in temple

Concentrations of ambient suspended particulates were measured at Tzu Yun Yen temple in Taiwan (120°, 34′, 46.2″E, 24°, 16′, 17.1″N), where semi-open incense burning is characteristic. Many pilgrims from different areas with various beliefs visit the temple and burn incense. Samples were collected with a universal sampler used for measuring suspended particulate concentrations. Sampling period was from August 8, 2006, to October 6, 2006. The average PM10 concentrations measured at the temple were 16% higher than 125 μg/m3 (this value is the outdoor air quality standard according to Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)). In coarse particulates (PM2.5–10), the mean metallic elements concentrations are in the order of Ca>Mg>Zn>Fe>Mn>Cr>Cu>Pb during weekend and weekday sampling. In addition, the fine particulates (PM2.5) mean metallic elements concentrations are in the order of Ca>Mg>Fe>Zn>Cr>Mn>Pb>Cu during weekend sampling and Ca>Fe>Mg>Zn>Cr>Mn>Pb>Cu during weekday sampling.

Atmospheric total arsenic (As), (As3+) and (As5+) pollutants study in central Taiwan

This investigation measures the concentrations of arsenic (As), (As3+), (As5+) in total suspended particles (TSP) and dry deposits at five characteristic sampling sites in central Taiwan during the years 2009–2010, and identifies their seasonal variations. The investigation was performed in region in which a science park, transportation, waste incineration facility, fossil fuel combusting steel factory, electronics factory, plastic factory, chemical factory and Taichung Thermal Power Plant (TTPP) are located. The Bei-shi sampling station and He-mei town sampling station were located in, an area of heavy transportation. The Quan-xing sampling station was close to an electronics factory and a fossil fuel combusting steel factory. The As for Chang-Hua sampling station was located at the chemical factory. Finally, the Gao-Mei wetland sampling station was close to a waste incineration; they were characterized as a waste incineration plant and TTPP. The highest average concentrations of arsenic in TSP were found at Quan-xing (industrial) and the lowest were found at He-mei (residential). The average amounts of dry deposited arsenic (As), (As3+) and (As5+) were highest at the Quan-xing (industrial) site and lowest at the Gao-mei (wetland) site. The average seasonal concentrations of (As), (As3+) and (As5+) in TSP and the average dry deposited amounts were highest in the autumn and lowest in the summer at five sampling sites.

Atmospheric Arsenic (As) Concentrations in Different Countries During 2000–2011

This review study discusses total average concentrations of arsenic (As) in PM10 and PM2.5 in different countries, which included Serbia, Taiwan, Canada, Spain, China, Portugal-Sines, Greece, Korea, France, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Finland, Scotland, Switzerland, United States (Southern California), Italy (Venice) during 2000–2011. Generally, the main sources for As in ambient air in different countries were copper smelters, traffic exhaust, coal use, industrial activities, petrochemical plant, incinerator plants, domestic heating, ship traffic, burning biomass, incinerator emissions, agriculture, mining industry, and foundries. The data show that ambient air As concentrations in PM10 in Serbia in 2000 were the highest while those in PM10 in the United States (Southern California) in 2009 were ranked the lowest. The data also indicate that ambient air concentrations in PM2.5 in Shanghai in 2008 were the highest while those in Greece in 2003 were the lowest. Average ambient air concentrations in PM10 decreased significantly during 2000–2010 in Serbia and Spain. Finally, average ambient air concentrations in PM10 decreased while ambient air particle bound As (As(p)) concentrations in PM2.5 increased during period 2000–2010 and then decreased during 2000–2010.

Use of Mercury Dry Deposition Samplers to Quantify Dry Deposition of Particulate-Bound Mercury and Reactive Gaseous Mercury at a Traffic Sampling Site

A dry deposition plate (DDP), which collects particulate-bound mercury Hg(p) was used in this study (Fang et al., 2011a; 2011b). In addition, knife-edge surrogate surface (KSS) was used to collect ambient air particulate-bound mercury Hg(p) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) (Huang et al., 2011). The above two samplers were used to collect ambient air particulate-bound mercury Hg(p) and RGM at Huang-Kuang (traffic) sampling site during the daytime and nighttime sampling periods for this study. The results indicate that the mean rate of dry deposition of particle-bound mercury Hg(p) from ambient air, determined using the dry deposition plate, was 0.025 ng/m2*min and 0.018 ng/m2*min in the daytime and the nighttime sampling periods, respectively. The mean rate of dry deposition of particle-bound mercury Hg(p), collected using a KSS of quartz was 0.026 ng/m2*min and 0.018 ng/m2*min in the daytime and nighttime sampling periods, respectively. The mean rate of dry deposition of RGM collected from a KSS of an ion-exchange membrane (IEM) in the daytime and nighttime sampling periods was 0.027 ng/m2*min and 0.020 ng/m2*min, respectively.

Modeling Metallic Elements Dry Deposition for Daytime and Nighttime Sampling Period at a Traffic Sampling Site

The main purpose of this study was to monitor ambient air particles and metallic elements (Zn, Pb, Mg, and Ca) in total suspended particulates (TSP) concentrations and dry deposition. In addition, the calculated/measured dry depositions flux ratios of ambient air particles and metallic elements (Zn, Pb, Mg, and Ca) were also evaluated using Woods model at Hung Kuang (traffic) site in Central Taiwan from years 2011 to 2012. The results indicated that: 1) the mean highest concentration for metallic element Zn occurred at 10 μm particle size during the daytime sampling period; 2) the mean highest concentration of metallic elements Mg occurred at 23 μm particle size during the nighttime sampling period; and 3) the mean highest concentration of metallic element Pb occurred at 20 μm particle size for the average sampling time of the daytime and nighttime sampling periods at this traffic sampling site.

Temporal variability in atmospheric Hg released from natural and anthropogenic sources in central Taiwan

From September 2011 to February 2012, ambient air particulate and particulate-bound mercury [Hg(p)] concentrations were measured, together with dry deposition using a cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS) analyser, at two characteristic sampling sites in central Taiwan. Results from the sampling site at Westin Park indicated that the lowest particulate dry deposition and lowest average particulate concentrations in total suspended particles (TSP) occurred in September (29.70±7.47 μ g m−2×min) and February (34.38±13.60 ng m−3), respectively. Moreover, results from the Gung-Ming junior high school (airport) site, showed that the highest average particulate dry deposition and average highest particulate concentrations in TSP occurred in February (156.76±30.36 μ g m−2×min) and January (125.49±9.51 ng m−3), respectively, during the winter. The Dragon Steel Plant and Han-Shian Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation were both nearby. These factors led to the high Hg(p) concentrations at Taichung Airport (TA) compared with Westin Park. Local large suspended particulates from heavy traffic were the main reason for the high average Hg(p) deposition at Westin Park compared with TA in this study.

Application of Baklanov and Sorensen's Model in the Prediction of Ambient Air Particle and Metallic Elements Dry Deposition at Traffic, Industrial and Wetland Areas

The main purpose of this study was to monitor ambient air particles and metallic elements (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Pb) in total suspended particulates (TSP) concentration and dry deposition. In addition, the calculated/measured dry deposition flux ratios of ambient air particles and metallic elements (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Pb) were evaluated using Baklanov model at a traffic, an industrial (Quan-xing) and a wetland (Gao-mei) area in Central Taiwan between 2009 to 2010. The results indicated that the mean highest concentrations of metallic elements Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Cu in TSP occurred at Quan-xing industrial sampling site. The results also showed that the Baklanov and Sorensens model exhibited better dry deposition fluxes for 10-μm particle size at these three characteristic sampling sites for all metallic elements. The metallic element Fe exhibited better dry deposition flux results for 5.6-μm particle size at these three characteristic sampling sites (when using Baklanov and Sorensens model).