Volatile organic compounds in ambient air of a major Asian port: spatiotemporal variation and source apportionment

Thi-Hieu Le; Chitsan Lin; Duy-Hieu Nguyen; Nicholas Kiprotich Cheruiyot; Chung-Shin Yuan; Chung-Hsuang Hung

doi:10.1007/s11356-022-24138-7

Volatile organic compounds in ambient air of a major Asian port: spatiotemporal variation and source apportionment

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Mar;30(11):28718-28729. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-24138-7. Epub 2022 Nov 18.

Authors

Thi-Hieu Le¹, Chitsan Lin^{2

3}, Duy-Hieu Nguyen⁴, Nicholas Kiprotich Cheruiyot^{5

6}, Chung-Shin Yuan⁷, Chung-Hsuang Hung⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811213, Taiwan.
² Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan. ctlin@nkust.edu.tw.
³ College of Maritime, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan. ctlin@nkust.edu.tw.
⁴ College of Maritime, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan.
⁵ Super Micro Mass Research and Technology Center, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan.
⁶ Center for Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan.
⁷ Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81164, Taiwan.

PMID: 36399295
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24138-7

Abstract

This study investigated the spatiotemporal variation and source characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Kaohsiung Harbor, one of the busiest ports in the world. The VOCs' potential to form ozone (O₃) and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) was also examined. The temporal variation was studied in February, May, July, and November of 2020, while the spatial distribution was investigated in the export processing zone (KEPZ) and at the two port entrances (E1 and E2). The most polluted month in the harbor was November (37.7 ± 12.6 ppbv), while the most polluted site was the industrial area (KEPZ). A significant positive correlation was found between VOCs and O₃ (r = 0.985). Meanwhile, a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.449) was observed between VOCs and secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP), mainly affected by the concentration of toluene in the study area. The diagnostic ratios indicated that the air parcels in the site were "fresh," and three possible ambient sources of VOC were identified by the positive matrix factorization (PMF): industrial emissions (53.6%), freight transport emissions (29.6%), and others (17.7%). The study highlights the current state of VOCs and their potential sources in the port city of Kaohsiung, which can be used to enhance the strategies for regulating and controlling industrial activities and improving air pollution control measures to reduce VOC emissions.

Keywords: Air quality; Diagnostic ratio; Harbor city; Industrial port; Ozone formation potential (OFP).

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
China
Cities
Environmental Monitoring
Ozone* / analysis
Vehicle Emissions / analysis
Volatile Organic Compounds* / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Vehicle Emissions
Volatile Organic Compounds
Ozone