Occurrence, Potential Sources, and Risk Assessment of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Han River Basin, South Korea

Jong Kwon Im, Soon Ju Yu, Sujin Kim, Sang Hun Kim, Hye Ran Noh and Moon Kyung Kim
Additional contact information
Jong Kwon Im: National Institute of Environmental Research, Han River Environment Research Center, 42, Dumulmeori-gil 68beon-gil, Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do 12585, Korea
Soon Ju Yu: National Institute of Environmental Research, Han River Environment Research Center, 42, Dumulmeori-gil 68beon-gil, Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do 12585, Korea
Sujin Kim: Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
Sang Hun Kim: National Institute of Environmental Research, Han River Environment Research Center, 42, Dumulmeori-gil 68beon-gil, Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do 12585, Korea
Hye Ran Noh: National Institute of Environmental Research, Han River Environment Research Center, 42, Dumulmeori-gil 68beon-gil, Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do 12585, Korea
Moon Kyung Kim: Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwank-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Increasing public awareness about the aesthetics and safety of water sources has shifted researchers’ attention to the adverse effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on humans and aquatic organisms. A total of 17 VOCs, including 10 volatile halogenated hydrocarbons and seven volatile non-halogenated hydrocarbons, were investigated at 36 sites of the Han River Basin, which is the largest and most important drinking water source for residents of the Seoul metropolitan area and Gyeonggi province in South Korea. The VOC concentrations ranged from below detection limits to 1.813 µg L ?1 . The most frequently detected VOC was 1,2-dichloropropane, with a detection frequency of 80.56%, as it is used as a soil fumigant, chemical intermediate, and industrial solvent. In terms of geographical trends, the sampling sites that were under the influence of sewage and industrial wastewater treatment plants were more polluted with VOCs than other areas. This observation was also supported by the results of the principal component analysis. In the present study, the detected concentrations of VOCs were much lower than that of the predicted no-effect concentrations, suggesting low ecological risk in the Han River. However, a lack of available ecotoxicity data and limited comparable studies warrants further studies on these compounds.

Keywords: surface water; Seoul; ecological risks; WWTP; industrial complexes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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