Temporal Variation of Atmospheric Radon-222 and Gaseous Pollutants in Background Area of Korea during 2013-2014

Abstract

Real-time monitoring of hourly concentrations of atmospheric Radon-222 (222Rn, radon) and some gaseous pollutants (SO2, CO, O3) was performed throughout 2013-2014 at Gosan station of Jeju Island, one of the cleanest regions in Korea, in order to characterize their background levels and temporal variation trend. The hourly mean concentrations of radon and three gaseous pollutants (SO2, CO, O3) over the study period were 2216±1100 mBq/m3, 0.6±0.7 ppb, 211.6±102.0 ppb, and 43.0±17.0 ppb, respectively. The seasonal order of radon concentrations was as fall (2644 mBq/m3)≈winter (2612 mBq/m3)>spring (2022 mBq/m3)>summer (1666 mBq/m3). The concentrations of SO2 and CO showed similar patterns with those of radon as high in winter and low in summer, whereas the O3 concentrations had a bit different trend. Based on cluster analyses of air mass back trajectories, the air mass frequencies originating from Chinese continent, North Pacific Ocean, and the Korean Peninsula routes were 30, 18, and 52%, respectively. When the air masses were moved from Chinese continent to Jeju Island, the concentrations of radon and gaseous pollutants (SO2, CO, O3) were relatively high: 2584 mBq/m3, 0.76 ppb, 225.8 ppb, and 46.4 ppb. On the other hand, when the air masses were moved from North Pacific Ocean, their concentrations were much low as 1282 mBq/m3, 0.24 ppb, 166.1 ppb, and 32.5 ppb, respectively.

Keywords

• radon-222
• gaseous pollutants
• air mass pathway
• gosan station
• back trajectory