Particulate sulfate levels at a rural site in Israel

Ambient particulate sulfate measurements have been intermittently performed at a rural site in Israel over a period of more than two years. Concurrent measurements of ambient pollutants (SO₂, NO–NO_x, and O₃), as well as meteorological data, were also carried out. The daily data included four particulate sulfate samples representing four successive 6 h accumulating periods. The measured concentrations of sulfate ions ranged from a low 2 g m^-3 observed during the winter season to a high of >50 g m^-3 obtained during the summer. Little correlation was obtained between the sulfate concentration and either O₃ or SO₂, although sulfate and O₃ showed a similar diurnal and annual trend. Based on the data distribution and on a photochemical model, it was concluded that a large part of the particulate sulfate observed at the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea must be related to long-range transport from distant sources.     

Development and performance evaluation of statistical models correlating air pollutants and meteorological variables at Pantnagar,India

Ambient air quality in respect of SO₂, NO₂ and total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) was monitored at Pantnagar, India from May, 2008 to April, 2009 and statistically analyzed with meteorological variables such as relative humidity (RH), wind speed (WS), precipitation (P) and mean air temperature (T). TSPM was found to be the major air pollutant causing significant deterioration of air quality with annual mean concentrations of 280 μg/m³. Further, weekly mean air pollutant concentrations were statistically analyzed through stepwise multiple linear regression analysis in respect of independent meteorological variables to develop suitable statistical models. Both NO₂ and TSPM concentrations were found to have been influenced by meteorological variables with coefficient of determination (R²) of 82.21 and 92.84%, respectively. However, atmospheric SO₂ revealed only 22.87% of dependencies on meteorological variables. Partial correlation coefficients revealed that wind speed has the maximum influence (77.80 and 31.50%) on proposed equations for NO₂ and SO₂, closely followed by weekly mean temperature (73.60 and 24.30%). However, in case of TSPM, individual contribution of ambient temperature (94.40%) was found maximum, followed by relative humidity (86.50%). Model performances were evaluated through both quantitative data analysis techniques and statistical methods. Nearly 98 and 95% of potential error has been explained by the model developed for TSPM and NO₂, while in case of SO₂, it is found as only 61%. Therefore, performances of models (for TSPM and NO₂) to predict ambient weekly mean concentrations based on forecasted weather parameters were found to be excellent, however, performance of model developed for SO₂ was found only satisfactory.     

不同人为源排放清单对大气污染物浓度数值模拟的影响:以浙江省为例

应用大气化学模式WRF-Chem(Weather Research and Forecast-Chemistry),分别选用亚洲排放源清单INTEX-B(Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-Phase B)、REASv2.1(Regional Emission inventory in Asia version 2.1)以及全球排放源清单HTAP_v2(Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution version 2),对浙江省2013年12月进行模拟,分别记为IN、RE和HT试验,研究人为源排放清单对大气污染物浓度数值模拟的影响。结果表明,3组试验合理的反映出PM2.5(空气动力学当量直径小于等于2.5μm的颗粒物,即细颗粒物)、PM10(空气动力学当量直径小于等于10μm的颗粒物,即可吸入颗粒物)和NO_2近地面浓度的时空分布特征,相关系数为0.5~0.8,85%以上的模拟值落在观测值的0.5~2倍范围内,但对SO_2近地面浓度模拟较差。IN、RE、HT试验对PM2.5和PM10的模拟偏差均成递减趋势,约为30%、16%和6%,HT试验的模拟值更加接近观测。INTEX-B清单中PM2.5的一次排放与二次气溶胶前提物SO_2均高于REAS与HTAP清单,因此会导致更多的硫酸盐生成,从而进一步增加PM2.5浓度。HTAP_v2清单中较低的NH3排放会抑制硝酸盐的生成,从而有助于降低PM2.5浓度。3个清单的基准年与模拟年的差异对SO_2浓度模拟的准确性影响更大,INTEX-B清单中SO_2排放量明显高于REASv2.1与HTAP_v2清单,尤其在浙北和沿海工业发达地区,导致IN试验模拟的SO_2在这些地区存在明显高估。3组试验模拟的NO_2浓度偏差最小且更为接近(-8%~4%),主要原因是3个清单在浙江省的NOx排放十分一致。从3组试验结果之间的差异程度来看,浙江省范围内PM2.5、PM10、SO_2和NO_2逐日浓度模拟值之间的平均差异程度分别约为14%、15%、51%和16%,最大差异程度分别为69%、78%、137%和132%。月均浓度与逐日浓度的平均差异程度基本一致,但最大差异程度明显更低。总体来看3组试验模拟的PM2.5、PM10与NO_2的差异程度明显低于SO_2。     

Competing impact of anthropogenic emissions and meteorology on the distribution of trace gases over Indian region

The spatial distribution of trace gases exhibit large spatial heterogeneity over the Indian region with an elevated pollution loading over densely populated Gangetic Plains (IGP). The contending role and importance of anthropogenic emissions and meteorology in deciding the trace gases level and distribution over Indian region, however, is poorly investigated. In this paper, we use an online regional chemistry transport model (WRF/Chem) to simulate the spatial distribution of trace gases over Indian region during one representative month of only three meteorological seasons namely winter, spring/summer and monsoon. The base simulation, using anthropogenic emissions from SEAC⁴RS inventory, is used to simulate the general meteorological conditions and the realistic spatial distribution of trace gases. A sensitivity simulation is conducted after removing the spatial heterogeneity in the anthropogenic emissions, i.e., with spatially uniform emissions to decouple the role of anthropogenic emissions and meteorology and their role in controlling the distribution of trace gases over India. The concentration levels of Ozone, CO, SO₂ and NO₂ were found to be lower over IGP when the emissions are uniform over India. A comparison of the base run with the sensitivity run highlights that meteorology plays a dominant role in controlling the spatial distribution of relatively longer-lived species like CO and secondary species like Ozone while short-lived species like NO_X and SO₂ are predominantly controlled by the spatial variability in anthropogenic emissions over the Indian region.     

Size-resolved characteristics of inorganic ionic species in atmospheric aerosols at a regional background site on the South African Highveld

Aerosols consist of organic and inorganic species, and the composition and concentration of these species depends on their sources, chemical transformation and sinks. In this study an assessment of major inorganic ions determined in three aerosol particle size ranges collected for 1 year at Welgegund in South Africa was conducted. SO₄^2? and ammonium (NH₄⁺) dominated the PM₁ size fraction, while SO₄^2? and nitrate (NO₃) dominated the PM_1–2.5 and PM_2.5–10 size fractions. SO₄^2? had the highest contribution in the two smaller size fractions, while NO₃^? had the highest contribution in the PM_2.5–10 size fraction. SO₄^2? and NO₃^? levels were attributed to the impacts of aged air masses passing over major anthropogenic source regions. Comparison of inorganic ion concentrations to levels thereof within a source region influencing Welgegund, indicated higher levels of most species within the source region. However, the comparative ratio of SO₄^2? was significantly lower due to SO₄^2? being formed distant from SO₂ emissions and submicron SO₄^2? having longer atmospheric residencies. The PM at Welgegund was determined to be acidic, mainly due to high concentrations of SO₄^2?. PM₁ and PM_1–2.5 fractions revealed a seasonal pattern, with higher inorganic ion concentrations measured from May to September. Higher concentrations were attributed to decreased wet removal, more pronounced inversion layers trapping pollutants, and increases in household combustion and wild fires during winter. Back trajectory analysis also revealed higher concentrations of inorganic ionic species corresponding to air mass movements over anthropogenic source regions.     

Relative influence of air pollutants and weather conditions on solar radiation – Part 1: Relationship of air pollutants with weather conditions

Summary Air pollution measurements from January 1999 to December 2003 were studied in 14 sites covering most of Egypt, with the aim of understanding the governing processes pollutants phase interaction. The nature of the contributing sources has been investigated, and some attempts have been made to indicate the role played by neighboring regions in determining the air quality at these sites. The seasonal variability of particulate matter (PM₁₀) and some gaseous pollutants (e.g., SO₂, NO₂, CO and O₃) were analyzed. Their relationships with meteorology were also examined. The results reveal that levels of major air pollutants were not significantly different at the rural and background sites during any season. On contrary the high atmospheric loading for PM₁₀, CO and SO₂ was frequently observed in winter at the urban sites. As expected, the prevailing winds were found to have an influence not only on air pollutants but also on the correlation between them.     

Spatiotemporal analysis of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations over the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Time series of pollutants and weather variables measured at four sites in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2002 and 2004, were used to characterize temporal and spatial relationships of air pollution. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) were compared to national and international standards. The annual median concentration of PM₁₀ was higher than the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) on all sites and the 24?h means exceeded the standards on several occasions on two sites. SO₂ and CO did not exceed the limits, but the daily maximum of CO in one of the stations was 27% higher on weekends compared to weekdays, due to increased activity in a nearby Convention Center. Air temperature and vapor pressure deficit have both presented the highest correlations with pollutant??s concentrations. The concentrations of SO₂ and CO were not correlated between sites, suggesting that local sources are more important to those pollutants compared to PM₁₀. The time series of pollutants and air temperature were decomposed in time and frequency by wavelet analysis. The results revealed that the common variability of air temperature and PM₁₀ is dominated by temporal scales of 1?C8?days, time scales that are associated with the passage of weather events, such as cold fronts.     

Preliminary modelling results of an urban air quality model verifying the prediction of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone over the Sydney basin

Summary The air quality modelling system (HIRES-AIRCHEM) of The University of New South Wales is tested with regard to forecast distributions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) over the Sydney basin and surrounding area. This is achieved by assimilating the emissions inventory of the New South Wales State Environment Protection Authority. This inventory contains both road and non-road sources. The HIRES-AIRCHEM system was run over the greater Sydney metropolitan area for a four day period in February 1998. During this period O₃ readings, in particular, exceeded the EPAs threshold maximum of 80ppb. The model forecasts of the NO₂-, SO₂- and O₃-distributions verify well with the EPAs monitored readings. Diurnal concentrations are greatest in the late afternoon, as expected, when photochemical processes are most active. Furthermore, the forecast spatial distribution of NO₂ and SO₂ shows maximum values radiating out along major roads from the Sydney CBD and other population centres. This is consistent with NO₂ and SO₂ being major pollutants associated with vehicular traffic. These promising results have significant implications for possible future use of the system as a tool for routinely assessing air quality.     

The influence of medium-range transport on O3 levels at a rural site in Israel

Simultaneous ozone measurements were made at a rural site, 25 km SSW of the city of Jerusalem, and in the center of the city during a period of 28 months. The ozone data were supplemented by SO₂, NO/NO _x ,and meteorological measurements at both sites. Elevated ozone concentrations were recorded at the rural site, mostly during the spring months (May and June) during which the monthly averages and the monthly averages of the daily 30 min maximum levels equalled those measured in the city. During the summer months, both average and peak levels were lower at the rural site by 20 and 35 ppb. The increased ozone levels at the rural site were accompanied by a parallel increase of SO₂ and NO _x ,suggesting hat the excess ozone at the rural site is a result of a transformation during transport of air pollutants from coastal sources.     

Synergies in addressing air quality and climate change

Air quality is a serious concern for the protection of human health and our natural environment. The pollutants contributing the most to both local and transboundary air pollution problems are SO₂, NO_x, NH₃, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and fine particulate matter (PM), and mostly originate from the same sources as greenhouse gases. There are thus strong interactions between strategies designed to improve air quality and those addressing climate change. This article examines these interactions, and the benefits of combined strategies with greater attention to the overall environmental impacts, and finding the ‘win—win’ solutions. Illustrations are provided from the development of policy in Europe under the UN ECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, which is now inextricably linked with strategies to control greenhouse gases.     

Features of the atmospheric cycle of aerosol trace elements and sulphur dioxide revealed by baseline observations in Canada

Selected applications of baseline aerosol, SO₂ and deposition chemistry observations in Canada are reviewed to illustrate how new insight can be gained into features of the atmospheric pathway of trace substances such as sources, transformation and removal. A strong annual variation in Arctic aerosol concentration is a manifestation of particle residence times that are much longer in winter than in summer. Differences in the variation of SO₄ ⁼ and V concentrations in the Arctic winter are due to SO₂ oxidation. The mean rate of oxidation between November and April ranges from 0.04 to 0.25%/h and is a minimum in December, January and February. Br measured on filters in the Arctic peaks in concentration later (March and April) than anthropogenic particulate matter suggesting photochemical production. Acidity in Arctic aerosol and in glacial ice are correlated. The relationship yields a best estimate of acidity in the absence of anthropogenic influences of 5.8 mole/l. Coincident air and precipitation measurements of sulphur oxides indicate that on average in eastern Canada 60% of SO₄ ⁼ in rain originates from SO₂ oxidation in the storm. Trends in Arctic ice core acidity and SO₂ emissions in Europe are similar, that is, little variation in the first half of the century and a marked increase since the mid 1950's. This is consistent with meteorological and chemical evidence linking Arctic air pollution with Eurasian sources.     

Study of a high SO2 event observed over an urban site in western India

Continuous measurements of SO₂, NO_x and O₃ along with sampling based measurements of CO, CH₄, NMHCs and CO₂ were carried out during May, 2010 at Ahmedabad. The diurnal variations of SO₂ in ambient air exhibited elevated values during the night and lower levels during the sunlit hours. The mean concentration of SO₂ during the study period was 0.95 ± 0.88 ppbv. However, the ambient SO₂ exceeded 17 ppbv in the night of 20 May, 2010. On the same day, tropospheric columnar SO₂ from OMI showed almost 350% increase corroborating the surface observations over an extended height regime. This was also the highest columnar value of SO₂ during the summer of 2010. Columnar loadings were also found to be high for formaldehyde, precipitable water vapor and aerosol optical depth on 20 May. Elevated concentrations were also recorded for other trace gases like NO₂ and O₃. Analysis of related data of trace gases indicated characteristics of fresh emissions with dominant contributions from mobile sources during the study period. However, SO₂/NO₂ ratio of 0.36 during the event period on 20th May connotes non-local influences. Analyses of meteorological parameters suggest combined impacts of transport and inversion causing higher levels of SO₂ and other pollutants during 20?C21 May. Episodes of such enhancements may perturb chemical and radiative balance of the atmosphere.     

Chemical components of lower tropospheric aerosols in the high arctic: Six years of observations

Six years of observations (1980 to 1986) of the composition of lower tropospheric aerosols at Alert on northern Ellesmere Island in the Canadian high Arctic yield insight into the seasonal variation of Arctic air pollutants as well as of substances of natural origin. A principal component analysis of 138 observations of 21 aerosol constituents (major ions, metals, nonmetallic trace elements) for the most polluted period of December to April identified not only a soil, sea salt and anthropogenic aerosol component, but also one associated with photochemical reactions in the atmosphere that occur at polar sunrise. Depending on the source of their gaseous precursors, elements in the photochemical component can be natural or anthropogenic in origin. For instance, SO₄ ^2-, existing mostly as H₂SO₄, originates probably from both anthropogenic and natural sources while Br^– is likely of marine origin. In contrast, SO₄ ^2- in the anthropogenic component has the stoichiometry of NH₄HSO₄. In the winter months, over 90% of Arctic SO₄ ^2- is in the anthropogenic and photochemical components.In winter, a substantial portion (11 to 35%) of Na⁺ is associated with the anthropogenic aerosol component suggesting either that marine aerosols have been physically or chemically modified by interactions with air pollution or that there are anthropogenic sources of Na⁺.The aerosol soil component is controlled by both local and distant dust sources. During a year, it has two peaks at Alert, one in April/May coinciding with the Asian dust storm season and one in September.There is a marked difference in the seasonal variation of particulate Br^– and iodine concentrations in the air. Both have a peak in April/May associated with polar sunrise and, hence, photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. However, iodine also peaks in early fall. This may be a product of biogenic iodine emissions to the atmosphere during secondary blooms in northern oceans in late summer.Presented at the Second Conference on Baseline Observations in Atmospheric Chemistry (SABOAC II) in Melbourne, Australia, November 1988     

Carboxylic Acids: Seasonal Variation and Relation to Chemical and Meteorological Parameters

Formic and acetic acid measured as daily averages in 1993–1994show equal and highly correlated concentrations up to 3 ppb in the summer(May–August). In the winter (October–March) the formicacid/acetic acid ratio was 0.6 and the formic acid concentrations wereusually below 1 ppb. In winter the carboxylic acids correlate withO_x, NO_y, SO₂ and particulatesulphur. The main sources are suggested to be ozonolysis of anthropogenicalkenes and reactions between peroxyacetyl radicals and RO₂radicals. In spring–summer the carboxylic acids correlate withO₃, O_x, HNO₃, PAN,NO_y, SO₂, particulate sulphur and temperature.In addition to the sources of the winter a contribution from ozonolysis ofbiogenic alkenes is likely. Quite similar formic acid/acetic acid ratios forall wind directions suggest that the source(s) are atmospheric oxidationprocesses distributed over large areas. The highest concentrations occurringfor winds from east to south and the correlation with e.g., particulatesulphur indicate chemical production in polluted air masses during longrange transport.     

Local and regional sources of fine and coarse particulate matter based on traffic and background monitoring

The aim of this study was to identify local and exogenous sources affecting particulate matter (PM) levels in five major cities of Northern Europe namely: London, Paris, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Besides local emissions, PM profile at urban and suburban areas of the European Union (EU) is also influenced by regional PM sources due to atmospheric transport, thus geographical city distribution is of a great importance. At each city, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, SO₂, CO and O₃ air pollution data from two air pollution monitoring stations of the EU network were used. Different background characteristics of the selected two sampling sites at each city facilitated comparisons, providing a more exact analysis of PM sources. Four source apportionment methods: Pearson correlations among the levels of particulates and gaseous pollutants, characterisation of primal component analysis components, long-range transport analysis and extrapolation of PM size distribution ratios were applied. In general, fine (PM_2.5) and coarse (PM₁₀) particles were highly correlated, thus common sources are suggested. Combustion-originated gaseous pollutants (CO, NO₂, SO₂) were strongly associated to PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, primarily at areas severely affected by traffic. On the contrary, at background stations neighbouring important natural sources of particles or situated in suburban areas with rural background, natural emissions of aerosols were indicated. Series of daily PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratios showed that minimum fraction values were detected during warm periods, due to higher volumes of airborne biogenic PM coarse, mainly at stations with important natural sources of particles in their vicinity. Hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model was used, in order to extract 4-day backward air mass trajectories that arrived in the five cities which are under study during days with recorded PM₁₀ exceedances. At all five cities, a significantly large fraction of those trajectories were classified in short- and medium-range clusters, thus transportation of particulates along with slow moving air masses was identified. A finding that supports the assumption of long-range transport is that, at background stations, long-range transportation effects were stronger, in comparison to traffic stations, due to less local particle emissions. Short-range trajectories associated to PM transport in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Hamburg were mainly of a continental origin. All three cities were approached by slow moving air masses originated from Poland and the Czech Republic, whereas Copenhagen and Stockholm were also influenced by short-range trajectories from Germany and France and from Jutland Peninsula and Scandinavian Peninsula, respectively. London and Paris are located to the north-west part of Europe. Trajectories of short and medium length arrived to these two megacities mainly through France, Germany, UK and North Atlantic.     

基于极端随机树方法的WRF-CMAQ-MOS模型研究

随着城市化、工业化的快速发展,空气污染已经成为了公众最关注的问题之一。为了提高空气质量预报的准确度,以多尺度空气质量模型（Community Multi-Scale Air Quality,CMAQ）为工具,结合中尺度WRF（Weather Research and Forecast Model）气象预报数据、气象观测数据、污染物浓度观测数据,基于极端随机树方法建立了WRF-CMAQ-MOS（Weather Research and Forecast Model-Community Multi-Scale Air Quality-Model Output Statistics）统计修正模型。结果表明,结合WRF气象预报的CMAQ-MOS方法明显修正了由于模型非客观性产生的模式预报偏差,提高了预报效果。使用线性回归方法不能获得较好的优化效果,选取极端随机树方法和梯度提升回归树方法对模型进行改进和比较,发现极端随机树方法对结合WRF气象要素的CMAQ-MOS模型有较大的提升。针对徐州地区空气质量预报,进一步使用基于极端随机树方法的WRF-CMAQ-MOS模型对2016年1、2、3月的空气质量指数（AQI）及PM_2.5、PM₁₀、NO₂、SO₂、O₃、CO六种污染物优化试验进行验证,发现优化效果最为明显的两种污染物分别是NO₂及O₃,2016年1、2、3月整体相关系数NO₂由0.35升至0.63,O₃由0.39升至0.79,均方根误差NO₂由0.0346减至0.0243 mg/m3,O₃由0.0447减至0.0367 mg/m3。文中发展的WRF-CMAQ-MOS统计修正模型可以有效提升预报精度,在空气质量预报中具有很好的应用前景。      

Chemical characterization and multivariate analysis of atmospheric PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> particles

The new European Council Directive (PE-CONS 3696/07) frames the inhalable (PM₁₀) and fine particles (PM_2.5) on priority to chemically characterize these fractions in order to understand their possible relation with health effects. Considering this, PM_2.5 was collected during four different seasons to evaluate the relative abundance of bulk elements (Cl, S, Si, Al, Br, Cu, Fe, Ti, Ca, K, Pb, Zn, Ni, Mn, Cr and V) and water soluble ions (F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₂ ⁻, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, Na⁺, NH₄ ⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) over Menen, a Belgian city near the French border. The air quality over Menen is influenced by industrialized regions on both sides of the border. The most abundant ionic species were NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻ and NH₄ ⁺, and they showed distinct seasonal variation. The elevated levels of NO₃ ⁻ during spring and summer were found to be related to the larger availability of the NO_x precursor. The various elemental species analyzed were distinguished into crustal and anthropogenic source categories. The dominating elements were S and Cl in the PM_2.5 particles. The anthropogenic fraction (e.g. Zn, Pb, and Cu) shows a more scattered abundance. Furthermore, the ions and elemental data were also processed using principal component analysis and cluster analysis to identify their sources and chemistry. These approach identifies anthropogenic (traffic and industrial) emissions as a major source for fine particles. The variations in the natural/anthropogenic fractions of PM_2.5 were also found to be a function of meteorological conditions as well as of long-range transport of air masses from the industrialized regions of the continent. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Estimation of transboundary transport contribution to the air pollution in the far east region using the chemistry transport model

The CHIMERE mesoscale chemistry transport model is used for the quantitative assessment of the contribution of transboundary transport of anthropogenic admixtures from China to the surface concentrations of major suspended pollutants, aerosol PM₁₀, ozone O₃, and nitrogen oxides NO_x in the Far Eastern region. Analyzed in detail are the time series of concentration of mentioned substances computed with the model taking account and not taking account of anthropogenic emissions in China. It is revealed that the transboundary transport of anthropogenic pollutants can cause the recurring episodes of manyfold increase in the concentration of PM₁₀ in the south of Khabarovsk region, as well as more rare variations of O₃ and NO_x concentration. The trajectory and synoptic analysis demonstrated that the episodes of the increase in the concentration of PM₁₀ and O₃ in the south of the region mainly depend on the carryover of air masses from northeastern China in the front part of continental cyclones.     

An analysis on the concentration characteristics of PM2.5 in Seoul,Korea from 2005 to 2012

PM2.5 is a big issue as it is considerably more harmful than other sizes of particulate matter. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 25 μg m^?3 as the daily average concentration, and 10 μg m^?3 per day as an annual average. To keep up with global trends, it is first necessary to understand the current status and characteristics of PM2.5 concentrations in Korea. Using the PM2.5 data measured by Seoul Metropolitan City from November 2005 to March 2012, the author analyzed its statistical characteristics and correlations with other air pollutants. For the time period from 2005 to 2012, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 was 27 μg m^?3, three times the WHO standard. Also, the daily average PM2.5 concentration of 215 days per year also exceeded the WHO standard. However, the number days exceeding the Korean daily average standard of 50 μg m^?3 to be enacted in 2014 was only three. PM2.5 concentration had a high correlation (r = 0.84) with PM10, and also showed high correlations with gaseous pollutants, such as SO₂, NO₂, and CO, but not O₃. This study suggests that the Korean government should strengthen their standard to match the criteria used by WHO.     

Chemical compositions of wet precipitation and anthropogenic influences at a developing urban site in southeastern China

A comprehensive study on the chemical compositions of wet precipitation was carried out from January 2004 to December 2004 in Jinhua, southeastern China's Zhejiang Province. All samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity and major ions (F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and NH₄⁺). The rainwater was typically acidic with a volume-weighted mean pH of 4.54, which ranged from 3.64 to 6.76. SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ were the main anions, while NH₄⁺ and Ca²⁺ were the main cations. The concentrations of these major ions were generally higher compared to those reported in other parts of the world, but much lower than those in northern China.Wet deposition fluxes of major ions showed pronounced seasonal variations with maximum in spring and minimum in autumn. Significant correlations were found in soil-derived species among Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺ and sea-salt species between Na⁺ and Cl⁻. Other relatively good correlations were also observed between Ca²⁺ and SO₄^2-, Mg²⁺ and SO₄^2-, Mg²⁺ and NO₃⁻, Mg²⁺ and Cl⁻. Principal component analysis was also performed on individual precipitation to find possible sources of the major ionic species. Varimax rotated four components accounting for 85.9% of the total variance, and were interpreted as acid and alkaline pollutants, sea spray and mixed source, soil and acid/neutralization. Calculation of enrichment factors for rainwater components relative to soil and seawater indicated that Ca²⁺ and K⁺ mainly originated from the terrestrial source, and SO₄^2- and NO₃⁻ were mostly attributed for the anthropogenic activities in the study area. In general, the results suggested that precipitation chemistry is strongly influenced by anthropogenic sources rather than natural and marine sources. The pollutants in rainwater were mainly derived from long distance transport, local industry and traffic sources.