Simultaneous Investigation of Air Pollution at Two West Japan Sites

In this study, as a result of having investigated air pollutants including the mutagenic/carcinogenic substances at two sites (Dazaifu and Yurihama) simultaneously, it was suggested that Asian dust was found even on the day on which it was not announced by the Meteorological Agency, and transboundary pollution by the artificial origin occurred with or without Asian dust. These pollutions were found on the same days at the two sites. As the source of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the influence of coal/biofuel combustion was large in both Dazaifu and Yurihama on the day when highly concentration was observed. However, in Yurihama, even on the day when only low concentration was observed, the effect of coal/biofuel combustion was large. Furthermore, the mutagenic substances were also scattered at high concentrations on the same days at both sites. Moderate or strong correlations were found for all parameters for concentrations of total suspended particles, Fe, Pb, SO42-, and total PAHs and mutagenicity with and without S9 mix at the two sites. It was suggested that Dazaifu and Yurihama were also susceptible to the transboundary pollutants from Mainland China, and it was inferred that the effect of this transboundary pollution was particularly large in Yurihama.