Youn-Suk Son

Chemical speciation of size-segregated floor dusts and airborne magnetic particles collected at underground subway stations in Seoul, Korea

Previous studies have reported the major chemical species of underground subway particles to be Fe-containing species that are generated from wear and friction processes at rail-wheel-brake and catenaries-pantographs interfaces. To examine chemical composition of Fe-containing particles in more details, floor dusts were collected at five sampling locations of an underground subway station. Size-segregated floor dusts were separated into magnetic and non-magnetic fractions using a permanent magnet. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDX), iron metal, which is relatively harmless, was found to be the dominating chemical species in the floor dusts of the <25 μm size fractions with minor fractions of Mg, Al, Si, Ca, S, and C. From SEM analysis, the floor dusts of the <25 μm size fractions collected on railroad ties appeared to be smaller than 10 μm, indicating that their characteristics should somewhat reflect the characteristics of airborne particles in the tunnel and the platform. As most floor dusts are magnetic, PM levels at underground subway stations can be controlled by removing magnetic indoor particles using magnets. In addition, airborne subway particles, most of which were smaller than 10 μm, were collected using permanent magnets at two underground subway stations, namely Jegi and Yangjae stations, in Seoul, Korea. XRD and SEM/EDX analyses showed that most of the magnetic aerosol particles collected at Jegi station was iron metal, whereas those at Yangjae station contained a small amount of Fe mixed with Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, and C. The difference in composition of the Fe-containing particles between the two subway stations was attributed to the different ballast tracks used.

Seasonal variations of monoterpene emissions from Pinus densiflora in East Asia.

The emission rates and compositions of monoterpene from Pinus densiflora were investigated in the Gumsung (GM) and Worak (WM) mountains. The standard emission rates (ERs: ERs is the monoterpene emission rate at standard temperature, 30 degrees C) from P. densiflora ranged from 0.817 to 1.704 (microgC/gdw-h). The ERs and beta-values of total monoterpene were measured at the two study sites (GM and WM). In the spring and summer, the ERs were the highest, while relatively low values (<0.058microgC/gdw-h) were measured in the autumn and winter. In GM and WM sites the beta-value obtained for the different seasons ranged from 0.047 to 0.179, with an average of 0.09. The major monoterpene compounds from P. densiflora were alpha-pinene, myrcene, beta-phellandrene, d-limonene and alpha-terpinene. The fractional compositions of individual monoterpene compounds were significantly different between the two test sites in the summer and winter. The ERs of the older group (31-40 years) were higher than those in the younger group (21-30 years). However, the monoterpene compositions were similar between the two age groups.

Iron Speciation of Airborne Subway Particles by the Combined Use of Energy Dispersive Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis and Raman Microspectrometry

Quantitative energy-dispersive electron probe X-ray microanalysis (ED-EPMA), known as low-Z particle EPMA, and Raman microspectrometry (RMS) were applied in combination for an analysis of the iron species in airborne PM10 particles collected in underground subway tunnels. Iron species have been reported to be a major chemical species in underground subway particles generated mainly from mechanical wear and friction processes. In particular, iron-containing particles in subway tunnels are expected to be generated with minimal outdoor influence on the particle composition. Because iron-containing particles have different toxicity and magnetic properties depending on their oxidation states, it is important to determine the iron species of underground subway particles in the context of both indoor public health and control measures. A recently developed analytical methodology, i.e., the combined use of low-Z particle EPMA and RMS, was used to identify the chemical species of the same individual subway particles on a single particle basis, and the bulk iron compositions of airborne subway particles were also analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The majority of airborne subway particles collected in the underground tunnels were found to be magnetite, hematite, and iron metal. All the particles collected in the tunnels of underground subway stations were attracted to permanent magnets due mainly to the almost ubiquitous ferrimagnetic magnetite, indicating that airborne subway particles can be removed using magnets as a control measure.

Removal of particulate matter emitted from a subway tunnel using magnetic filters.

We removed particulate matter (PM) emitted from a subway tunnel using magnetic filters. A magnetic filter system was installed on the top of a ventilation opening. Magnetic field density was increased by increasing the number of permanent magnet layers to determine PM removal characteristics. Moreover, the fans frequency was adjusted from 30 to 60 Hz to investigate the effect of wind velocity on PM removal efficiency. As a result, PM removal efficiency increased as the number of magnetic filters or fan frequency increased. We obtained maximum removal efficiency of PM10 (52%), PM2.5 (46%), and PM1 (38%) at a 60 Hz fan frequency using double magnetic filters. We also found that the stability of the PM removal efficiency by the double filter (RSD, 3.2-5.8%) was higher than that by a single filter (10.9-24.5%) at all fan operating conditions.

Development of an activated carbon filter to remove NO2 and HONO in indoor air

To obtain the optimum removal efficiency of NO2 and HONO by coated activated carbon (ACs), the influencing factors, including the loading rate, metal and non-metal precursors, and mixture ratios, were investigated. The NOx removal efficiency (RE) for K, with the same loading (1.0 wt.%), was generally higher than for those loaded with Cu or Mn. The RE of NO2 was also higher when KOH was used as the K precursor, compared to other K precursors (KI, KNO3, and KMnO4). In addition, the REs by the ACs loaded with K were approximately 38-55% higher than those by uncoated ACs. Overall, the REs (above 95%) of HONO and NOx with 3% KOH were the highest of the coated AC filters that were tested. Additionally, the REs of NOx and HONO using a mixing ratio of 6 (2.5% PABA (p-aminobenzoic acid)+6% H3PO4):4 (3% KOH) were the highest of all the coatings tested (both metal and non-metal). The results of this study show that AC loaded with various coatings has the potential to effectively reduce NO2 and HONO levels in indoor air.

Nicotine, aerosol particles, carbonyls and volatile organic compounds in tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes

BackgroundWe aimed to assess the content of electronic cigarette (EC) emissions for five groups of potentially toxic compounds that are known to be present in tobacco smoke: nicotine, particles, carbonyls, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and trace elements by flavor and puffing time.MethodsWe used ECs containing a common nicotine strength (1.8%) and the most popular flavors, tobacco and menthol. An automatic multiple smoking machine was used to generate EC aerosols under controlled conditions. Using a dilution chamber, we targeted nicotine concentrations similar to that of exposure in a general indoor environment. The selected toxic compounds were extracted from EC aerosols into a solid or liquid phase and analyzed with chromatographic and spectroscopic methods.ResultsWe found that EC aerosols contained toxic compounds including nicotine, fine and nanoparticles, carbonyls, and some toxic VOCs such as benzene and toluene. Higher mass and number concentrations of aerosol particles were generated from tobacco-flavored ECs than from menthol-flavored ECs.ConclusionWe found that diluted machine-generated EC aerosols contain some pollutants. These findings are limited by the small number of ECs tested and the conditions of testing. More comprehensive research on EC exposure extending to more brands and flavor compounds is warranted.

Compensation of Light Scattering Method for Real-Time Monitoring of Particulate Matters in Subway Stations

The concentrations in the underground should be monitored for the health of commuters on the underground subway system. Seoul Metro and Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation are measuring several air pollutants regularly. As for the measurement of concentrations, instruments based on -ray absorption method and gravimetric methods are being used. But the instruments using gravimetric method give us 20-hour-average data and the -ray instruments can measure the concentration every one hour. In order to keep the concentrations under a healthy condition, the air quality of the underground platform and tunnels should be monitored and controlled continuously. The instruments using light scattering method can measure the concentrations every less than one minute. However, the reliability of the instruments using light scattering method is still not proved. The purpose of this work is to study the reliability of the instruments using light scattering method to measure the concentrations continuously in the underground platforms. One instrument using -ray absorption method and two different instruments using light scattering method (LSM1, LSM2) were placed at the platform of the Jegi station of Seoul metro line Number 1 for 10 days. The correlation between the -ray instrument and the LSM2 (

Spatial Variability of AERONET Aerosol Optical Properties and Satellite Data in South Korea during NASA DRAGON-Asia Campaign

We investigated spatial variability in aerosol optical properties, including aerosol optical depth (AOD), fine-mode fraction (FMF), and single scattering albedo (SSA), observed at 21 Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites and satellite remote sensing data in South Korea during the spring of 2012. These dense AERONET networks established in a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) field campaign enabled us to examine the spatially detailed aerosol size distribution and composition as well as aerosol levels. The springtime particle air quality was characterized by high background aerosol levels and high contributions of coarse-mode aerosols to total aerosols. We found that between-site correlations and coefficient of divergence for AOD and FMF strongly relied on the distance between sites, particularly in the south-north direction. Higher AOD was related to higher population density and lower distance from highways, and the aerosol size distribution and composition reflected source-specific characteristics. The ratios of satellite NO2 to AOD, which indicate the relative contributions of local combustion sources to aerosol levels, represented higher local contributions in metropolitan Seoul and Pusan. Our study demonstrates that the aerosol levels were determined by both local and regional pollution and that the relative contributions of these pollutions to aerosols generated spatial heterogeneity in the particle air quality.

Development of a Pretreatment System for the Analysis of Atmospheric Reduced Sulfur Compounds

A new pretreatment system was used to evaluate a technology to analyze reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs). To conduct this research, a self-developed custom dryer (Desolvator) and a thermal desorber system (TDS) were installed in the front of GC/PFPD. The syringe pump inside the TDS was devised in such a way that it can be desorbed in a relatively low desorption temperature and low vacuum (730 Pa). When comparing water removal efficiency of the Desolvator and frequently used Nafion dryer, the removal efficiency of the Desolvator stood between 94.6 and 96.1%, considerably higher and more stable than the Nafion dryer (81.3-94.5%). Moreover, analyses were made under various conditions in order to minimize the loss of samples when analyzing sulfur compounds using the TDS, and it was determined that adsorption temperatures less than -25 °C and a flow rate of 50 mL/min were appropriate for the efficient analysis of these sulfur compounds. Moreover, the desorption flow rate and the degree of a vacuum were found to be significant variables for the RSCs desorption. Besides, it was observed that a peculiar peak was formed by thermal decomposition when some sulfur compounds were rapidly desorbed at high desorption temperatures.

Variations of BVOCs Emission Characteristics according to Increasing PAR

In this study, emission rates (ER) of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) were measured by varying levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). An appropriate plan for ozone reduction according to increasing ecology area ratio in future metropolitan areas was suggested. Several trees were selected as representative tree species in urban areas. Emission rates and composition ratios of monoterpene and isoprene emitted from these trees were estimated and compared. As a result, it was found that emission rates of BVOCs were considerably different depending on tree species. Especially, BVOCs emitted from Platanus orientalis and Quercus mongolica could significantly affect ozone increase in the metropolitan area, because the emission rates were several thousands to ten thousand times higher than those emitted from Zelkova serrata and Prunus serrulata. Furthermore, it was observed that emission rates of BVOCs by species increased maximum up to 10 times when PAR, which has close relations with temperature, rose. It was concluded that tree species such as Zelkova serrata et al., was appropriate for metropolitan areas since the species has low ozone potential and good landscape. Suppose this type of trees are planted on purpose in the urban areas, better ambient air quality will be promised in the future.