Metals in airborne particulate matter from the first and second industrial complex area of Taejon city, Korea

To understand the metal distribution characteristics in a rapidly urbanized area, we collected and analyzed particulate matter (PM) samples for the metal concentrations. Using our measurement data for various metal species, we examined both the extent of metal pollution in the study area and the seasonality in their distribution characteristics. Results showed that each metal exhibited their occurrences in diverse concentration ranges over several orders of magnitude such as the mean values ranging from minimum value of 0.07 (Be) to maximum value of 1633 ng m−3 (Fe). In addition, the extent of metal pollution in the study area was in general comparable with those typically observed from a strongly polluted urban area, if comparison was made with the results of previous studies. Examinations of their temporal distribution patterns indicated that most of metals tend to exhibit seasonal peaks during winter (or spring) seasons, similarly to the observed pattern for PMs. Moreover to explain the factors regulating their mobilization properties, the data were analyzed through the application of correlation analysis. Results of our correlation analysis showed that most metals can exhibit strong positive correlations each other, while they tend to be inversely correlated with most of important meteorological parameters (including air temperature and precipitation). Based on the overall results of our study, we conclude that the site may be strongly impacted by man-made sources but that many characteristics of their cycling are not significantly different from those generally observed from natural environments.