Although concentrations of hazardous air pollutants(HAPs) are very low in the atmosphere, a growing attention has been paid on such compounds due to their high toxicity and bioaccumulation potentials into human body. In oder to control and mer to the amount of these materials in ambient air, it is necessary to construct monitoring system of them and to know the current concentration level of HAPs above all. In this work, the ambient concentrations of hazardous air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds(VOCs) and carbonyls inside shipbuilding companies and its nearby residential areas were analyzed.
The VOCs that emit in painting processes of shipbuilding were analyzed. And 19 kinds of VOC was detected. The major components of VOCs were m,p-Xylene(24.9%), n-Butanol(19.3%), o-Xylene(15.9%), Ethylbenzene(15.4%), 2-Propanol(7.9%), 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene(6.1%) and m,p-Ethyltoulene(3.5%). Its measured concentration of total VOCs was about 3,433 ppb. And we measured ambient concentrations of VOCs at sampling sites(F1∼3, R1∼3). The major components of VOCs were m,p-Xylene, Ethylbenzene, o-Xylene, n-Butanol, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene and Toluene, m,p-Ethyltoluene which founded as major VOC compounds emitted from painting processes of shipbuilding. The total VOCs concentration of sampling sites(F1∼3) in the shipbuilding companies was higher, as the sampling site was nearer from ship's workplace.
The carbonyl compounds that emit in painting processes of shipbuilding were analyzed. And the carbonyl compounds measured was only formaldehyde 3.42 ppb. The amount of carbonyl compounds that emit in painting processes of shipbuilding is assumed to be negligible. And we measured ambient concentrations of carbonyl compounds at sampling sites(F1∼3, R1∼3). The major components of carbonyl compounds were Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde and Aceton+Acrolein. The formation of carbonyl compounds could be occurred by the secondary chemical reactions of VOCs than emitted in painting processes of shipbuilding.
Consequently, residential areas nearby shipbuilding companies have influenced by operation of shipbuilding companies because high concentrations of VOCs was measured in painting processes of shipbuilding and it is similar the major VOCs analyzed in all of sampling sites(F1∼3, R1∼3).
The results of this study shows proper counterplans need to be established for the reduction of hazardous air pollutants emitted from shipbuilding companies.