Ambient particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in major urban areas of Korea during 1996-2010

In this study, ambient particulate matter pollution was investigated using monthly PM10 concentration data collected from seven major cities in Korea from 1996 to 2010. The highest mean value for the whole study period is seen from the capital city, Seoul (63.2 ± 17.9 μg m-3), while the lowest is from Ulsan (46.7 ± 14.8 μg m-3). The concentrations of PM10 in all cities exhibited seasonal variations with the peak values occurring consistently in spring (March or April). The PM10 data in each city consistently exhibited strong correlations (p < 0.01) with gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO2, and CO), except for O3 (p > 0.05). The analysis of long term trends of PM10 levels indicates a weak but consistent decline in concentrations in most cities with the relative average annual reductions of between 0.4 and 2.8% y-1.