To determine the nitrogen dioxide level in indoor air as one of the many harmful atmospheric pollutants, a total 200 sampling locations in Seoul and its suburbs were selected. A Palmes tube based upon Fick's 1st law of passive diffusion was used for gaseous nitrogen dioxide absorption. Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide diffuses through the tube and forms a stable complex with triethanolamine coated on a stainless steel screen in the tube. This complex was spectroscopically analyzed by adding a coloring reagent. The average nitrogen dioxide level obtained from 200 sampling locations in Seoul and its suburban areas investigated over 3 seasons, was 60.22 ppb with the range of 43-79 ppb. The nitrogen dioxide level tended to accumulate in the winter. The relationship between nitrogen dioxide in the level and the type of business or fuel, differences in the amount of fuel consumed and facility of ventilation are discussed.
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