Temporal changes of transboundary air pollutants in East Asia by analyzing spheroidal carbonaceous particles within lake sediments and unmelted snow

Abstract

We examined temporal and spatial trends in the concentrations of spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) and the chemical compositions of SCPs in core samples of bottom sediments collected from ponds and lakes in China, Korea and Japan. Fresh snow samples were also collected for analysis from the top of Mt. Fuji, Japan.
Temporal trends in the concentrations of SCPs at Yasha-ga-ike pond (YSH), in the Hokuriku region, are similar to those in urban areas in Japan before the 1970s. However, the trends differ for the period since the 1980s. Since the 1980s, the chemical compositions of SCPs at YSH are similar to those in China. Furthermore, several SCPs in the snow samples are similar in composition to SCPs in China. Therefore, some SCPs are transported from China to Japan via passive drifting in the free troposphere.