Long-range atmospheric transport of organochlorine pesticides from China to South Korea: Evidence from Deokjeok Island

Ho-Young Lee; Sung-Deuk Choi; Min-Kyu Park; Yoon-Se Lee; Chul-Su Kim; Cheol-Hee Kim; Lim-Seok Chang

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143964

Long-range atmospheric transport of organochlorine pesticides from China to South Korea: Evidence from Deokjeok Island

Chemosphere. 2024 Dec 20:370:143964. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143964. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ho-Young Lee¹, Sung-Deuk Choi², Min-Kyu Park³, Yoon-Se Lee⁴, Chul-Su Kim⁵, Cheol-Hee Kim⁶, Lim-Seok Chang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil, Urban, Earth, and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hylee@unist.ac.kr.
² Department of Civil, Urban, Earth, and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea; UNIST Environmental Analysis Center (UEAC), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: sdchoi@unist.ac.kr.
³ Department of Civil, Urban, Earth, and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: mkpark86@unist.ac.kr.
⁴ UNIST Environmental Analysis Center (UEAC), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: 30296@unist.ac.kr.
⁵ UNIST Environmental Analysis Center (UEAC), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kimcs@unist.ac.kr.
⁶ Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: chkim2@pusan.ac.kr.
⁷ Climate and Air Quality Research Department, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: lschang@korea.kr.

PMID: 39694293
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143964

Abstract

The influence of transboundary air pollutants originating from the Asian continent on South Korea has been a major concern. Although organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been banned for several decades, they continue to be detected in the Korean environment. However, studies on the long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) of OCPs in South Korea, particularly in background areas, remain limited. This study investigated the atmospheric levels, sources, and behavior of OCPs at Deokjeok Island, a background site near the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Total concentrations of 24 OCPs ranged from 53.6 to 325 pg/m³, which are lower than those reported by the national POPs monitoring network of South Korea and similar to levels found in other background regions in Northeast Asia. HCB (62.7 pg/m³, 45%) and PeCB (46.6 pg/m³, 33%) were the most dominant OCPs in the gaseous phase, whereas DDTs were predominant (1.65 pg/m³, 44%) in the particulate phase. Gaseous OCPs were strongly influenced by past use and re-emissions, while ongoing emissions and LRAT were the major sources of particulate OCPs. The consistent detection of mirex provides strong evidence of LRAT. In addition, correlation analysis and the Clausius-Clapeyron equation indicated that DDTs were significantly influenced by LRAT. Concentration-weighted trajectory maps identified East, North, and Northeast China as the major source regions for gaseous OCPs, driven by re-emissions, while the primary source areas for particulate OCPs were Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, and Shandong. Air/soil fugacity fractions showed equilibrium or net deposition for most OCPs (except PeCB), indicating the dynamic environmental behavior of OCPs influenced by past use and LRAT. This study provides evidence of LRAT of OCPs to South Korea, demonstrating the significant impact of transboundary pollution. These results highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring of both historically and currently used pesticides at receptor sites in Northeast Asia.

Keywords: Deokjeok Island; Fugacity fraction; LRAT; OCPs; POPs.