Relationship between PM1.0 and PM2.5 in urban and background areas of Republic of Korea

This study investigates the vertical distribution of pollutants emitted from coal yards using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Vertical concentration measurements of black carbon (BC) and particulate matter (PM) in a range of 1 m to 100 m above ground level (AGL) in the central coal yard showed clear spatial patterns and gradients of these pollutants. In addition, measurements were taken at specific heights (1 m, 30 m AGL, and 60 m AGL) at seven locations approximately 3 km from the yard. Thirteen measurements were carried out during the non-heating period under similar weather conditions. The measured BC concentrations decreased significantly with increasing altitude, with ground-level concentrations reaching 1.88 ± 0.61 µg/m3 and decreasing by over 46% at 80 m AGL. Similarly, PM10 concentrations at 60 m AGL decreased by 21.7%, with values of 25.99 ± 9.24 µg/m3 measured near the ground level and 16.52 ± 8.31 µg/m3 at 60 m AGL. The maximum coal particle pollution from the coal depot ranges from 500 to 1,000 m. The study showed a significant decrease in BC concentrations with height above the coal yard surface. Concentrations of PM10 and PM10-TSP showed a complex distribution influenced by local emissions and long-range particle transport. Meteorological factors, especially wind speed and direction, significantly influenced the pollutant dispersion. In addition, higher pollutant concentrations were measured during dry periods than after rainfall. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the dispersion patterns and potential impacts of coal dust, enabling the implementation of targeted mitigation strategies and improved pollution control measures.

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Characteristic of PM2.5 concentration and source apportionment during winter in Seosan, Korea

Won,

Lee,

Song

et al. 2024

Asian J. Atmos. Environ

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Seosan is a concentrated industrial complex in the midwestern region of Korea. A study was conducted from December 2020 to January 2021, measuring PM2.5 and chemical components in Seosan using online instruments every hour. The concentration of PM2.5 during the winter season was 31.4±17.8 μg/m3, exceeding the national ambient air quality standard of Korea. The mass fraction of organic matter, elemental carbon, three major ions, five minor ions, crustal elements, and trace elements in PM2.5 accounted for 24.5%, 4.36%, 32.0%, 2.82%, 4.11%, and 5.17% of the total PM2.5 mass concentration, respectively. Source identification was conducted using positive matrix factorization modeling, revealing eight sources of PM2.5: Secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA), vehicle exhaust, industry, coal combustion, biomass burning/incinerator, oil combustion, soil, and aged sea salt. Source contributions varied during high pollution episodes (HPE), with SIA dominating in HPE1 and soil and aged sea salt in HPE2. The potential source contribution function and conditional probability function were utilized to estimate the potential local and regional emission areas for the identified sources. In Seosan, vehicle exhaust and biomass burning/incinerator were primarily influenced by local sources. SIA, industry, and oil combustion sources were significantly affected by short-range transport from eastern China. Soil and aged sea salt, which exhibited high contributions during HPE2, were associated with long-range transport from Inner Mongolia. Coal combustion was attributed to both local sources, particularly large industrial complexes near Seosan, and long-range transport from Northeast China and Inner Mongolia. Graphical Abstract

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Relationship between PM1.0 and PM2.5 in urban and background areas of Republic of Korea

Cited by 6 publications

References 48 publications

Analysis of Vertical Distribution of Air Pollution Based on Drones: A Case Study on the Main Road in Hefei

Analysis of Vertical Distribution of Air Pollution Based on Drones: A Case Study on the Main Road in Hefei

Environmental impact assessment of the coal yard and ambient pollution

Characteristic of PM2.5 concentration and source apportionment during winter in Seosan, Korea

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