Preliminary study on organic pollutants in atmosphere of Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao

Guoying Sheng, Jiamo Fu, Yu Chen, Xinming Wang, Shuncheng Lee, L. Y. Chan, Zhishi Wang

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The composition and origin of the volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds exist in air and aerosol samples in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao were analyzed and discussed in the present paper. Volatile or-ganic compounds(VOCs)were absorpted in a Tekmar absorption sampling tube by using a TMP-1500 air sam-pler, and analyzed on an integrated system of Tekmar 6032 aero-sampler/3000 purge &-trap concentrator inter-faced with a HP5972AGC/MSD. Aerosol samples (total suspended particulate, TSP)were collected with TH-1000L High-volume TSP samplers. Semi-volatile organic compounds in aerosol, after ultrasonic extraction from glass-fiber filter and further separation with column chromatography, were also quantitatively analyzed with GC/MSD. The results showed that organic pollutants, such as BTEX, halohydrocarbons, monoterpenes, PAHs, steranes and hopanes, were widely detected in the ambient atmospheric of the three cities. The main sources of these compounds include anthropogenic emissions, geological dust and floral/plant emissions. Vehicle exhaust emissions were suggested to be the predominant pollution sources for the organic pollutants in the ambi-ent atmosphere. The anthropogenic air pollution in Macao was found to be more serious than that in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
Original languageEnglish
JournalHuanjing Kexue/Environmental Science
Volume20
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jul 1999

Keywords

  • Aerosol
  • Atmospheric determination
  • Atmospheric environment
  • Guangzhou
  • Hong Kong
  • Macao
  • Organic compounds
  • VOCs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Environmental Science

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