Statistical Characteristics of Air Quality Index DAQx*-Specific Air Pollutants Differentiated by Types of Air Quality Monitoring Stations: A Case Study of Seoul, Republic of Korea

Hyunjung Lee (), Sookuk Park and Helmut Mayer
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Hyunjung Lee: Department of Urban Climatology, Office for Environmental Protection, City of Stuttgart, D-70182 Stuttgart, Germany
Sookuk Park: Laboratory of Landscape Architecture, Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Bioscience and Industry, College of Applied Life Science, Jeju National University, Jeju-si 63243, Republic of Korea
Helmut Mayer: Chair of Environmental Meteorology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-25

Abstract: Seoul has a high density of air quality monitoring stations (AQMSs) grouped into roadside, urban, and background types. Using the extensive data from 42 AQMSs in the period 2018 to 2021, the statistical characteristics of air pollutants required to calculate the daily air quality index DAQx* (daily maximum 1 h O 3 and NO 2 means and daily 24 h PM 10 and PM 2.5 means) are determined, depending on station types and three temporal periods (individual years, winters, and summers). The results for (i) annual cycles, which include peak concentrations of PM 10 (up to 517 µg/m 3 in May 2021) and PM 2.5 (up to 153 µg/m 3 in March 2019) owing to transboundary transport, (ii) annual medians, (iii) annual scattering ranges, (iv) partitioning of frequencies into DAQx*-related concentration ranges, and (v) maximum daily variations within individual station types indicate clear statistical air pollutant characteristics depending on the station types. They were primarily caused by different emission and atmospheric exchange conditions in a circular buffer around each AQMS, which are often approximated by urban form variables. The maximum daily variations were highest in the middle NO 2 concentration range of the “satisfying” class for the roadside type (between 53% in summer 2019 and 90% in winter 2020).

Keywords: Seoul; air quality monitoring stations; air quality index DAQx*; air pollutant variability; station types; period 2018 to 2021 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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