Estimation of Local and Transboundary Impacts on Pm2.5 Source Contributions by the Unprecedented Cross-Country Experiment During the Covid-19 Outbreak

34 Pages Posted: 16 Feb 2022

See all articles by Youngkwon Kim

Youngkwon Kim

Seoul National University

Seung-Muk Yi

Seoul National University

Kwonho Jeon

National Institute of Environmental Research

Jieun Park

Seoul National University

Kyuseok Shim

Seoul National University

Sang-Woo Kim

Seoul National University

Hye-Jung Shin

National Institute of Environmental Research

Philip K. Hopke

University of Rochester

Abstract

Korea and China have been regulating fine particulate matter (PM2.5) sources because it causes severe impacts on public health and economic losses in Northeast Asia. Despite stringent regulations, local and transboundary impacts of PM2.5 sources continue to affect air quality in Seoul, Korea and are not yet fully understood, raising cross-country issues. The early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak during January–March 2020 was an unprecedented period that provided a cross-country experiment to separate the local and transboundary impacts on contributions of PM2.5 sources identified in Seoul. Thus, Seoul’s PM2.5 concentrations and source contributions during this period were statistically evaluated relative to comparable periods in 2019 using dispersion normalized positive matrix factorization (DN-PMF) and synoptic meteorological analysis. The monthly average of PM 2.5 concentration and contributions of secondary nitrate, sulfate, biomass burning, and district heating and incineration in Seoul in March 2020 decreased significantly (−47%, −54%, −59%, −75%, and −52%, respectively) (p < 0.001) compared to 2019. Especially, episodes 1 and 2 showed transboundary impacts of PM 2.5 sources under meteorological patterns favorable for long-range transport from China to Seoul. During episode 1, residential coal combustion in northeastern China enhanced sulfate and secondary nitrate contributions in Seoul. During episode 2, China's emission reductions reduced the contributions from the primary sources (primary sulfate, biomass burning, district heating and incineration, mining industry, metallurgical industry, and oil combustion) and secondary nitrate to the maximum in Seoul. However, during episode 3, atmospheric stagnation on the Korean Peninsula enhanced the contributions of mobile and coal combustion in Seoul. The COVID-19 pandemic in China clearly separated the local and transboundary impacts on the contributions of PM2.5 sources in Seoul.

Keywords: PM2.5, COVID-19, source apportionment, dispersion normalized PMF, transboundary pollution

Suggested Citation

Kim, Youngkwon and Yi, Seung-Muk and Jeon, Kwonho and Park, Jieun and Shim, Kyuseok and Kim, Sang-Woo and Shin, Hye-Jung and Hopke, Philip K., Estimation of Local and Transboundary Impacts on Pm2.5 Source Contributions by the Unprecedented Cross-Country Experiment During the Covid-19 Outbreak. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4032561 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4032561

Youngkwon Kim

Seoul National University ( email )

Kwanak-gu
Seoul, 151-742
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Seung-Muk Yi (Contact Author)

Seoul National University ( email )

Kwanak-gu
Seoul, 151-742
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Kwonho Jeon

National Institute of Environmental Research ( email )

Jieun Park

Seoul National University ( email )

Kwanak-gu
Seoul, 151-742
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Kyuseok Shim

Seoul National University ( email )

Kwanak-gu
Seoul, 151-742
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Sang-Woo Kim

Seoul National University ( email )

Kwanak-gu
Seoul, 151-742
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Hye-Jung Shin

National Institute of Environmental Research ( email )

Philip K. Hopke

University of Rochester ( email )

300 Crittenden Blvd.
Rochester, NY 14627
United States

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