Characteristics of Locally Occurring High PM2.5 Concentration Episodes in a Small City in South Korea

Abstract

In this study, the ionic and carbonaceous compounds in PM2.5 were analysed in the small residential city of Chuncheon, Korea. To identify the local sources that substantially influence PM2.5 concentrations, the samples were divided into two groups: samples with PM2.5 concentrations higher than those in the upwind metropolitan area (Seoul) and samples with lower PM2.5 concentrations. During the sampling period (December 2016–August 2018), the average PM2.5 was 23.2 μg m−3, which exceeds the annual national ambient air quality standard (15 μg m−3). When the PM2.5 concentrations were higher in Chuncheon than in Seoul, the organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations increased the most among all the PM2.5 components measured in this study. This is attributable to secondary formation and biomass burning, because secondary OC was enhanced and water soluble OC was strongly correlated with K+, EC, and OC. A principal component analysis identified four factors contributing to PM2.5: fossil-fuel combustion, secondary inorganic and organic reactions in biomass burning plumes, crustal dust, and secondary NH4+ formation.