A Study on the Relationship of PM10 between China and Korea Using Big Data for a Sustainable Environment

Abstract

This paper aims to find the relationship between PM10 (particulate matter) concentrations in Seoul and Beijing for a sustainable environment. The influence of Beijing’s PM10 concentrations on those of Korea has been extensively discussed since 2019. Previous studies have presented conflicting opinions on the origin of particulate matter in Korea. Some argued that the particulate matter in Korea had its origin in foreign countries, while others emphasized that particulate matter concentrations in Korea were affected by Korean domestic factors. Thus, we try to answer this controversial question based on actual data. For this, we analyze the correlation between concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) in Seoul and Beijing using hourly data for Shunyi, Beijing and Jung-gu, Seoul from March 2014 to February 2017 and examine how particulate matter in Seoul has been affected by particulate matter in Beijing, taking into consideration wind speed and wind direction, through regression analysis. We hypothesize that particulate matter concentrations in Beijing have affected concentrations in Seoul, and that this would be confirmed if there were a correlation between concentrations of particulate matter in Beijing and concentrations in Seoul when the wind blew from China to Korea. The results of this paper are as follows: (i) When considering the 42-h delay and wind direction, the correlation between Seoul_PM10 and Beijing_PM10 becomes more pronounced. (ii) Regression analysis confirms the influence of Beijing’s factors on Seoul’s PM10 concentrations. (iii) Interaction effects between Beijing PM10 concentration and Beijing wind speed are also identified, indicating a stronger impact when the wind blows more strongly from Beijing. This paper contributes to understanding the dynamics of fine dust in Korea, emphasizing the importance of considering external factors, especially from China.