Airborne particles collected from a heavily industrialized site were analyzed by chemical speciation of seven trace metals: Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and As. The average concentrations were as follows: Zn, 502.0 ± 230.7; Pb, 176.5 ± 310.9; Cu, 111.9 ± 82.7; As, 38.0 ± 31.0; Cr, 21.5 ± 24.4; Cd, 20.8 ± 17.4; and Ni, 11.4 ± 8.4 ng/m3. The median enrichment factor (EF) values of Cd (7,280), As (1,030), Cu (215), Zn (214), and Pb (143), with respect to iron, were much larger than 100. We observed that Cd was found in the soluble and exchangeable form (56.9%), and that Pb and Cr were found in carbonates, oxides and the reducible form (69.8% and 61.1%, respectively). These two forms, which are the most easily absorbed into human body tissue, predominated in most of the trace metals investigated in this study.

• Gi Ho Jeong(Department of Chemistry, Pusan National University) Corresponding Author
• Ji Young Lee(Department of Chemistry, Pusan National University)
• Ji Yong Moon(Department of Chemistry, Pusan National University)
• Sung In Lee(Department of Chemistry, Pusan National University)