Analysis of Impact Factors on the Variation of PM10 Concentration in Seoul, Korea.

To identify the primary factor affected the decreased PM₁₀ concentration in Seoul which is the capital city of Korea, wind speed and emissions in 2003 and 2004 were analyzed. The level of air pollution is intense in Seoul and continually increased since the late 1990s. However the concentration of PM₁₀ has been greatly declined recently. In particular, the concentration of PM₁₀ decreased 14% in 2003 and 2004 excluding the Asian dust periods. It is suggested that the major factors for the decrease are differences in wind speed between the two years and the period of constant breeze. In 2003, intense Asian dust events happened frequently and it increased the concentration of total PM₁₀. The intense dust events were influence by the speed and duration of the wind. It is considered that the meteorological condition was the primary drive for the change of the concentration of PM₁₀. The decreased emissions seem to be the additional factor for the change in the concentration of PM₁₀. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]