title: PCDD and PCDF concentrations in a traffic tunnel environment.
abstract: In an effort to understand the fundamental aspects of air quality in traffic tunnel environments, field campaigns were conducted to measure polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and other important pollutants within two traffic tunnels in Nam San (NS) and Hong Ji (HJ) in Korea in 2009 and 2010. The mean concentrations of ∑PCDD/Fs (in fg/m(3)) at the two tunnel sites were 1270 (± 880) and 1200 (± 810), respectively. These values were moderately lower than those measured at a non-tunnel urban background site (1350 (± 780) fg/m(3))--selected as a reference in this study. In addition, seasonal patterns of dioxin concentrations were clearly evident at the traffic tunnels like the urban reference site, showing higher levels during the winter (and spring) than the summer (and fall). The observed seasonal variations were driven by changes in the concentrations of ∑PCDF congeners, while ∑PCDD concentrations showed little seasonality. The results of our study suggest that there is no significant difference in source characteristics between the two investigated tunnel sites and urban location, although the role of gasoline and diesel fueled vehicles are considered as the major source in determining the PCDDs and PCDF levels in a tunnel environment. However, given the relative increase in other important ambient pollutant (e.g. PM10) concentrations over ∑PCDD/Fs in tunnel air (compared to urban background air), the balance of sources in tunnels is clearly different from those in urban air overall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea; International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia.
authors.forename: Md Mahmudur
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kkim61@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ki-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Analytical Science Division, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Rd, Teddington TW11 0LW, UK.
authors.forename: Richard J C
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Public Health & Environment, Seoul 137-734, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Il Sang
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Public Health & Environment, Seoul 137-734, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Goo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001336:Automobiles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Correlation analysis; Diesel vehicle; Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs); Tunnel