Influence of Korean Forests on the Fate of Persistent Organic Pollutants: Multimedia Environmental Modeling |
국내 산림이 잔류성 유기오염물질의 거동에 미치는 영향: 다매체 환경모델링 |
장윤석, 최성득 |
포항공과대학교 |
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Abstract |
The influence of forests on the long-term (1930-2030) fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in South Korea, i.e. forest filter effect, was evaluated using a regional dynamic multimedia environmental model,CoZMo-POP 2. Chemical properties for eleven selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB- 8, 28, 31, 52, 101, 105, 118, 138, 153, 180, 194), emissions data, and physical parameters for environmental compartments were used as input data for the model. The model results (long-term trends of PCB concentrations and amount fractions) indicated that the levels of PCBs could be reduced in a factor of two to three in air, water, soil, and sediments by forest canopies and forest soil. We conclude that forests, as a buffer zone for POPs storage, play an important role in determining the levels and fate of POPs in South Korea, resulting from the successful implementation of reforestation and forest management programs since the early 1970s. For more reliable evaluation of the role of Korean forests, an improved multimedia environmental model has to be developed to reflect the long-term changes in climate and forest parameters. |
Key Words:
forest, forest filter effect, POPs, PCBs, multimedia environmental model |
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