Title: Study of particulates and metallic elements at a farm sampling site in central Taiwan

Authors: Guor-Cheng Fang, Yuh-Shen Wu, Cheng-Nan Chang, I-Lin Yang, Shyh-Chyi Chang, Chia-Chium Chu, Peter Pi-Cheng Fu

Addresses: Air Toxic and Environmental Analysis Laboratory, Hungkuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung 433, Taiwan. Air Toxic and Environmental Analysis Laboratory, Hungkuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung 433, Taiwan. Department of Environmental Science, Tunghai University Taichung 407, Taiwan. Department of Environmental Science, Tunghai University Taichung 407, Taiwan. Department of Environmental Science, Tunghai University Taichung 407, Taiwan. Department of Internal Medicine, Cien Yu Regional Teaching Hospital, Lin Yuang, Kaohsiung 832, Taiwan. Division of Biochemical Toxicology National Center for Toxicological Research Jefferson, AR 72079, USA

Abstract: The total suspended particle (TSP) concentration, dry deposition and wind speed were measured with a PS-1 sampler, a dry deposition plate and a Weather Monitor II (#7440), respectively, at the Experimental Farm of Thunghai University in Taiwan. Taiching Industrial Park, Taichung Cong Road (traffic) and a hospital incinerator are close to the sampling site. The sampling time was from August 2001 to December 2001. The average dry deposition flux, the TSP concentration, dry deposition velocities, average wind speed and maximum wind speed were recorded as 617.7 ± 281.4 mg/day/m², 117.5 ± 17.6 µg/m³, 5.9 ± 2.2 cm/s, 2.7 ± 1.3 m/s and 7.6 ± 2.3 m/s, respectively, at this sampling site. Good correlation coefficients (R) of the TSP concentration and the dry deposition flux with wind speed were found, with values of 0.46 and 0.50, respectively. The concentrations and dry deposition of the total metallic elements were also obtained. The results indicated that the concentrations of anthropogenic elements (Pb, Mn, Cd, Ni, Cr and Zn) were mostly higher than those obtained in other studies around the world. The average dry deposition fluxes and TSP concentrations for Zn and Pb were 0.45 and 0.42, respectively. The same phenomenon was also observed for Fe and Mg (R = 0.59 and 0.65). The results indicate that these elements were all coming from the same emission sources at the farm sampling site.

Keywords: dry deposition; metallic elements; Taiwan; TSP.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2003.003316

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2003 Vol.19 No.3, pp.243 - 258

Published online: 21 Aug 2003 *

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