Regional Trends in Short-Term High Concentrations of Criteria Pollutants from National Air Monitoring Stations

While attainment rates for $SO_2$ and CO approached 100%, those for $PM_{10}$, $NO_2$, and $O_3$ have been low during the past decade. The attainment rates for 24-h $PM_{10}$ and 8-h $O_3$ have been only 1~3% and 5~12%, respectively, since the standards were strengthened in 2007. Variations in the 99th percentiles of 24-h $PM_{10}$, 8-h $O_3$, and 24-h $NO_2$, which are used as criteria for determining exceedance of standards, were examined by region. Because the analysis was based on short-term high-concentrations, the effects of Asian dust were observed for $PM_{10}$. Accordingly, it is necessary to specify whether exceptional events such as Asian dust will be included or not in determining the exceedances of standards. While variations in $NO_2$ were not large, there was an increasing trend in $O_3$. In the Yeongnam region, the increasing rate of $O_3$ concentrations was small although the decreasing rate of $NO_2$ was the greatest. In the Gangwon region, $NO_2$ concentrations were almost unchanged, but $O_3$ concentrations experienced a significant increase. Regional management strategies targeting short-term high concentrations of criteria pollutants analogous to the Special Act for the greater Seoul area will aid in improving attainment rates.

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