Abstract
Concentrations of dicarboxylic acids and related polar compounds were measured in the atmospheric aerosols collected from Gosan, Cheju Island, from April 2003 to April 2004, using a capillary gas chromatography. A homologous series of C2-C12 dicarboxylic acids were detected in the aerosols including straight chain saturated, unsaturated, branched chain, hydroxylated, and aromatic species. Homologous ?-oxocarboxylic acids (C2-C9) were also detected as well as pyruvic acid and ? -dicarbonyls (C2-C3). Molecular distribution of diacids demonstrated that oxalic (C2) acid is always the most abundant throughout four seasons followed by C3 and C4 diacids. Total concentrations of the diacids ranged from 146-2113 ng/m3. Their concentrations showed a seasonal trend with a maximum in spring. The spring maximum can be explained by a long-range transport of pollutants and photochemically aged organic aerosols originated from East Asia including North China.
