title: An investigation into the relationship between the major chemical components of particulate matter in urban air.
abstract: Particulate matter (PM) generally comprises such chemical components as inorganic ions, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and metals. In terms of environmental studies, these major chemical components of particulate matter (MCP) are important in understanding PM distribution, behaviors and source apportionment. In this study, the MCP fractions of total suspended particles (TSP) were measured at an urban residential area in Seoul, Korea from February to December in 2009. The behavior of each individual MCP was studied in order to explain their relationship to environmental conditions and sources. The MCP measured during this study period was able to account between 54% (spring) to 67% (fall) of total TSP composition. During the study period, it was found that the TSP sampled comprised mostly: anions, OC, cations, EC, and metals in decreasing order of abundance. Although such relative ordering seems to remain fairly constant over time, the relative balance of this relationship may be altered by variations in environmental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment & Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Jin
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zang-Ho
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Shon
authors.forename: Chan Goo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang-Keun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chul-Un
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.forename: Richard J C
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Air quality; Anion; Cation; Industrial; Metal; TSP