Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment最新文献

{"title":"Revisiting wintertime nitrate formation and recirculation in Seoul using box model simulations","authors":"Sung Hoon Park,&nbsp;Yusin Kim,&nbsp;Minjoong J. Kim,&nbsp;Ji Yi Lee,&nbsp;In Ho Song,&nbsp;Gookyoung Heo,&nbsp;Jung Min Park","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00089-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00089-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Wintertime particulate matter (PM) episodes in Seoul are marked by elevated nitrate, yet nighttime formation remains poorly understood. We reexamined high-PM periods during the Fine Particle Research Initiative in East Asia considering National Differences (FRIEND) campaign (December 2020–January 2021) using a box model Korea Air Quality Observation-Based Box model (KAB) enhanced with a double-layer structure and expanded sensitivity tests. Contrary to previous work, residual-layer chemistry alone did not explain nighttime nitrate underestimation. Instead, model results indicate that recirculation of secondary pollutants—exported under westerlies and reintroduced under northeasterlies—was the primary driver of elevated nighttime nitrate. Prescribing a background nitrate concentration during PM episodes greatly improved model–observation agreement, highlighting the importance of regional transport. Empirical Kinetic Modeling Approach (EKMA) simulations with the tuned model show that ozone, nitrate, and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation during PM episodes occurred in a volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited and nitrogen oxides (<span>(:{text{N}text{O}}_{text{x}})</span>)-saturated regime. Under these high-<span>(:{text{N}text{O}}_{text{x}})</span> conditions, precursor reductions produced only modest decreases in secondary pollutants although it is possible that the sensitivity was substantially underestimated because the KAB model represents recirculation using a constant boundary condition. Sensitivity analyses further show that aromatic VOCs—especially xylene species—play a disproportionately large role in secondary pollutant formation relative to their mass contribution. These results underscore the influence of regional recirculation and aromatic hydrocarbon chemistry on wintertime secondary pollution, and emphasize the need for improved treatment of regional transport, SOA formation, and VOC speciation to support effective winter air-quality management in the Seoul metropolitan area.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00089-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimation of benzene concentration and flux from a flare stack using differential absorption LiDAR","authors":"Yuseon Lee,&nbsp;Dukhyeon Kim,&nbsp;Jeonghun Kim,&nbsp;Keehong Kim,&nbsp;Hannui Gil,&nbsp;Sunghwan Cho,&nbsp;Wonseok Jung,&nbsp;Youngmin Noh","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00085-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00085-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, a Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system was employed to remotely quantify the concentration distribution and flux of benzene released from a flare stack. The measurements were conducted on May 2, 2024, at Plant B located within the A petrochemical industrial complex in Korea, and a total of six repeated measurements were performed for a single flare stack. The on-resonant wavelength <span>(:left({lambda:}_{on}right))</span> was determined as 252.1998 nm through a cell scan procedure. A cross-wind measurement geometry was applied to obtain transverse concentration distributions at a distance of approximately 400–430 m from the DIAL. The scan was conducted over 11 lines (line 1–11) ranging from 14.9° to 15.9°. Each line was measured for 50 s at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, yielding 500 shots per line and a total scan duration of 550 s per measurement. The maximum observed benzene concentrations were 2.62, 3.17, 3.11, 2.65, 3.13, and 2.23 ppm for each case. By combining the concentration data with flare stack height wind speeds estimated using a logarithmic wind profile, the corresponding benzene flux was calculated as 7.13, 6.18, 7.61, 8.11, 10.33, and 10.17 kg·hr⁻¹, respectively. The results indicate that wind speed variations significantly influence flux estimation. This study represents the first reported application of a remote DIAL system to quantitatively determine benzene flux from an industrial flare stack in Korea.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00085-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148173502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mercury in ambient air: a review on sources, speciation, legislation and measurement methods","authors":"Rishu Agarwal,&nbsp;Shankar G. Aggarwal","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00087-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00087-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mercury being a neurotoxin poses great threat to the human health as well as environment. It is emitted into the atmosphere through both natural and anthropogenic sources and can travel long distances over time before being scavenged and deposited in the deep ocean beds or mineral soils thus becoming a global concern. It occurs in atmosphere largely in three different forms, viz<i>.,</i> gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) or reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM). Over &gt; 95% of mercury existing in atmosphere is in the GEM form as it is more stable and has a longer residence time. The knowledge and understanding of the mercury emission pathways, its chemical transformations in the atmosphere and eventual deposition in the reservoirs can prove crucial in its management. Recognizing its health effects and environmental impacts, countries have set up various legislations and rules for its monitoring, control and abatement. Minamata convention is one such international treaty that aims at protecting human health and environment from harmful effects of mercury pollution on the land, ocean and atmosphere. Health effects occurring from ingestion of mercury polluted waters and contaminated fish is a commonly known phenomenon but studies on impacts of inhalation of mercury polluted air are still limited. Various studies on model simulations for estimation of actual mercury levels that can be ascribed to the anthropogenic or natural sources are performed over the last few decades. However, a small number of studies are available on ground-based quantitative measurements of mercury species in ambient air. Also, a few methods have been developed to measure the mercury concentration in the ambient air over the years but even at present date, global consensus on its measurement method has not been achieved. This study reviews the available knowledge on interdisciplinary aspects of the mercury pollution in ambient air including its sources and emissions, its species and their behavior in the atmosphere, existing global legislation and monitoring methods. The study also proposes the way ahead in meeting the international commitments for Asian countries like India through inclusion of a ground measurement network and stricter implementation protocols.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture><span>The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.</span></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00087-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148008993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact assessment of ozone on crop productivity in Japan: an epidemiological approach using the boundary line technique","authors":"Yoshiyuki Kinose,&nbsp;Takio Kaneko","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00086-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00086-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Tropospheric ozone (O₃) is widely recognized as a threat to global food security due to its detrimental effects on crop productivity. Previous studies have determined exposure-response functions, e.g., yield response to O₃ metrics, through controlled O₃ exposure experiments. However, this approach requires substantial cost and time. Therefore, we aimed to derive exposure-response functions epidemiologically and assess the impact of O₃ on the productivity of rice and Japanese mustard spinach in Japan. Accumulated O₃ exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40, ppm h) during the growth period was calculated at O₃ monitoring stations and spatially interpolated using the ordinary kriging method, then averaged for each prefecture. We derived the exposure-response relationships between prefecture-scale AOT40 and crop yields using the boundary line technique. Our results clearly demonstrated that yields of both species are reduced with increasing AOT40 levels, showing a decline of 2.01% and 8.24% per unit AOT40 in rice and Japanese mustard spinach, respectively. These sensitivities are broadly consistent with the previous findings from controlled O₃ exposure experiments. While O₃-induced yield reductions estimated using the derived functions varied considerably across prefectures and years, the estimated reductions in total national production were 8.7% and 13.4% for rice and Japanese mustard spinach, respectively, on average during the period from 2010 to 2023. These findings highlight the usefulness of the epidemiological boundary line technique in identifying the exposure-response functions of crop yields to O₃ and the urgent need for mitigation and adaptation strategies to ensure high and stable crop production in Japan.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture><span>The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.</span></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00086-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147796958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural cleaning effects on deposited atmospheric particles: a case study of Asian dust, pollen, and volcanic ash","authors":"Kenji Miki","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00084-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00084-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Natural atmospheric particles, such as yellow sand, pollen, and volcanic ash, are frequently deposited on exposed surfaces, potentially reducing the optical performance of solar panels and other transparent systems. However, the removability of these particle types under environmental conditions has not been compared systematically. In this work, we conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate the removability of yellow sand, pollen, and volcanic ash deposited on slide glass surfaces as representative natural particulates. Controlled wind and simulated rainfall were applied separately and in combination to investigate particle adhesion and cleaning behavior. Although pollen was efficiently removed by wind, it had the greatest effect on light transmittance per unit weight. In contrast, yellow sand exhibited strong adhesion and low removability.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00084-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147738536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Volatile organic compounds near livestock farms and croplands: implications for secondary organic aerosol formation potential","authors":"Soo-Jin Jeong,&nbsp;Ji-Won Jeon,&nbsp;Sung-Won Park,&nbsp;Hyo-Won Lee,&nbsp;Pyung-Rae Kim,&nbsp;Sang-Deok Lee,&nbsp;Young-Ji Han","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00083-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00083-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key precursors of ozone and secondary organic aerosols (SOA), yet emissions from agricultural and livestock activities remain largely unrecognized in emission inventories. This study conducted field measurements of 34 VOC species near livestock facilities and adjacent croplands in Chuncheon, South Korea, during April, December, and February to characterize their composition, temporal variation, and secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP). Sum of the measured VOCs concentrations were highest in February, with alkanes comprising about 60% of the mass. However, aromatics—particularly multi-substituted compounds—dominated the SOAFP, contributing over 99% of the total. Distinct afternoon peaks (14:00–15:00) coincided with higher temperature, solar radiation, and facility operations such as feed handling and disinfection. The major SOA precursors were <i>toluene</i> and <i>1</i>,<i>2</i>,<i>3-trimethylbenzene</i> in April, and BTEX compounds during the cold months. Despite their omission from South Korea’s official inventory, livestock-related VOCs were found to be chemically reactive and significant SOA precursors. These results highlight the need to include agricultural VOC emissions—especially aromatic species—into national emission inventories and control strategies to better predict and mitigate SOA formation in rural environments.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00083-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147642411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mobile high-resolution BTEX monitoring and seasonal cumulative health risks from BTEX and PM2.5-metals in a petrochemical complex","authors":"Shin-Young Park,&nbsp;Joon-sig Jung,&nbsp;Dong keun Lee,&nbsp;Jung-min Park,&nbsp;Jong-hee Jang,&nbsp;Cheol-Min Lee","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00081-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00081-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study evaluated multi-pollutant exposure and health risks of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) and PM_2.5-bound heavy metals in the Ulsan Mipo National Industrial Complex, one of Korea’s largest petrochemical zones. Real-time BTEX concentrations were measured using a Me-DOAS system, while PM_2.5 chemical components were simultaneously analyzed to assess both acute and chronic exposures. Ethylbenzene (31.28 ± 29.39 µg/m³) and m-xylene (35.39 ± 37.21 µg/m³) were dominant among BTEX, showing concentrations 5–10 times higher than those reported in other industrial regions. Diurnal and seasonal variations were significant, with BTEX peaking in winter and nighttime, whereas PM_2.5 and metallic constituents (Mn, Co, Cd, V) peaked in spring. Probabilistic exposure assessment revealed that HQ values for all pollutants were generally below 1.0, indicating negligible non-cancer risks. However, short-term evening and nighttime peaks led to higher HQ for benzene and p-xylene, occasionally approaching the threshold. Time-resolved cancer risk analysis showed nighttime benzene exposure dominated total carcinogenic risk (median ECR: 3.4E-07–5.5E-07; exceedance ≤ 8.3%). These results highlight the importance of temporal variability in exposure assessment and support the use of high-resolution monitoring for time-sensitive health risk management in industrial environments.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00081-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147607152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regional air quality modeling of ethylene oxide in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan","authors":"Yuuki Sakai,&nbsp;Hiroo Hata,&nbsp;Kazuya Inoue,&nbsp;Kenichi Tonokura","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00082-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00082-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a volatile organic compound that poses both acute and chronic risks to human health, prompting governments worldwide to implement measures aimed at reducing ambient EtO concentrations. In this study, regional chemical transport model calculations were performed using the EtO emission inventory provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. The target area and period were the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) in 2017. The results indicated that the modeled atmospheric EtO concentrations were lower than the observed concentration at all monitoring sites in the GTA, with the discrepancy reaching up to one order of magnitude. Long-range transport of EtO from the Asian continent to Japan was not identified as the primary cause of this discrepancy. Instead, the significant discrepancy might be attributed to global background concentrations of EtO, resulting from its long tropospheric lifetime. To improve the accuracy of atmospheric EtO assessments using chemical transport models, it is essential to account for global emissions.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00082-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147559711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Nighttime waste wood burning and its impact on urban air quality: multi-Year measurements in central Seoul, Gwanghwamun, South Korea","authors":"Chaehyeong Park,&nbsp;Seoyeong Choe,&nbsp;Min Young Song,&nbsp;Sung-Kyun Shin,&nbsp;Hajeong Jeon,&nbsp;Dong-Hoon Ko,&nbsp;Myoungki Song,&nbsp;Min-Suk Bae","doi":"10.1007/s44273-026-00080-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-026-00080-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-026-00080-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147340292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Continuous observation of atmospheric speciated mercury at a site near the crater of Mt. Aso volcano","authors":"Kohji Marumoto","doi":"10.1007/s44273-025-00079-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44273-025-00079-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Volcanic and geothermal activities are one of the major emission sources of mercury (Hg), emitting 500 tons y^− 1 into the atmosphere, and it is known that there are three main forms of Hg released to the atmosphere from these activities: gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and particle-bound mercury (PBM). In this study, the concentrations of GEM, GOM and PBM_2.5 (PBM in particles less than 2.5 μm) were continuously observed for 2 years at Sensuikyo Station, located 2.5 km northeast from Nakadake No. 1 Crater of Mt. Aso. The observed mean concentrations of GEM, GOM, and PBM_2.5 in the entire period were 1.64, 0.021 and 0.021 ng m^− 3, while maximum concentrations were 9.04, 2.45 and 3.20 ng m^− 3, respectively. The concentrations increased significantly when the volcanic activity was high and when the wind blew from the crater. Under high volcanic activity, the mean concentrations of GEM, GOM and PBM_2.5 were 1.3, 4.1, and 15.3 times higher than those during calm conditions. Changes in GOM and PBM_2.5 concentrations between active and calm conditions were significantly higher than those of GEM. The amplitude of volcanic tremors is usually used as a reference indicator of the volcanic activity. GOM and PBM_2.5 concentrations became higher before the volcanic tremor amplitude increased. However, the reliability of atmospheric GOM measurements in volcanic regions with high levels of acidic gases is still debatable. Therefore, PBM_2.5 concentrations can be used as one of the indicators to assess the activity of Mount Aso volcano.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":45358,"journal":{"name":"Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44273-025-00079-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145950680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}