• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2000

In order to understand the wintertime intermittent characteristics of the trans-boundary air pollutant transport observed in East Asia, a numerical simulation of the long-range transport of pollutants was applied using an atmospheric transport model(STEM-II). The numerical simulation was carried out for the entire month of January 1997 and specific atmospheric aerosol (including sulfate, nitrate, and other ion compounds0 observation data were compared from four observation sites(Cheju Island, Kanghwa Island, Dazaifu, and Fukue Island). The observation data revealed that concentration peaks were intermittently observed at 3 to 4-day intervals plus the four observation sites exhibited a very similar spatial variation. The horizontal and spatial scale of the heavily polluted air masses was analyzed based on numerical results. The mechanism of the intermittent transport of air pollutants was clearly explained by a comparison of the observed data with the numerical output. It was found that the wind pattern variations associated with the synoptic scale pressure system changes play an extremely important role in the transport of pollutants in this region.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2001

The atmospheric conditions and the transport mechanism of long-range transport of air pollutants from coastal area to inland area were investigated using regular meteorological data and air pollution data obtatined from the southeastern area of Korea. Daytime temperature over the inland area(Taegu) was higher than that over the coastal area(Pusan) and the temperature difference of about 5~6$^{\circ}C$ when the thermal low most fully developed and the sea level pressure over Taegu was lower than that over Pusan by about 4~5hPa at that time. Therefore this low pressure appeared to the thermally induced low. Air mass polluted from the coastal area during the morning period was transported inland area, at first by the sea breeze and by the large scale wind system toward the thermal low generated in the mountainous inland region. This was explained by the fact that the concentration of air pollutants over Taegu increased throughtout the late afternoon.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.113-132
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• 2003

In May 2001, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for phasing out and eliminating POPs was signed by 90 countries at the Diplomatic Meeting in Stockholm. In 1998, three years before the Convention, the protocols on POPs and heavy metals were adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. Growing attention on POPs and heavy metals during the past 10 years is primarily due to their toxicity in minute quantities. POPs and some metal compounds are even more toxic because of their bioaccumulation potentials associated with a high lipid solubility. Furthermore, owing to their persistence and semi - volatility, they are widely distributed in the environment, traveling great distances on wind and water currents. Recent international cooperation to address POPs and heavy metals has focused on these issues. Long -range transport of those pollutants are particularly concerned since Korea is located downwind of prevailing westerlies from China. In this paper, a review is provided to assess the properties, sources, emissions, and atmospheric concentrations on POPs and heavy metals.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.142-158
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• 2012

This paper investigates the physical and chemical characteristics of long-range transport (LRT) process of air pollutants by employing the MM5-CMAQ and its comparison with local emission dominant (LED) case over northeast Asia. We first classified high air pollution days into LRT and LED cases based on the synoptic meteorological variables of vorticity and geostrophic wind speed/direction at a geopotential level of over 850hPa. LRT cases are further categorized into three types of transport patterns (LRT-I-III) according to the air mass pathways from source regions. LRT-I-III are originated from northern, central, and southern China, respectively, identified by back trajectory analysis. Three LRT-I-III groups have different and unique locations of high pressure and transport pathways. The chemical characteristics showed that the simulated spatial distributions varied in terms of locations of maximum concentrations and the temporal variation of surface concentrations. The primary air pollutants such as $NO_x$, $PM_{10}$ and $SO_2$ of all of three LRT cases are well transported into Korea peninsula with different concentration levels. Of LRT cases, LRT-II has the greatest effect on air quality of Korea peninsula, followed by LRT-I and LRT-III. In comparison with LRT, the LED case shows relatively higher air pollution concentrations in general, but showed a variety of different air quality levels following the emission strength pattern. These widely varying patterns are impling the case dependent multi-directional approach for the development of indicators of long-range transport process over northeast Asia.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.329-339
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• 1993

Due to the global-convection currents, transboundary transport of air pollutants is widely observed in many regions of the world. This study was carried out to investigate the pattern of long-range transport of air pollutants in North East Asia, especially the impact of air pollutants originated in China and Japan on the air quality in Korea. From the meteorological data at the 850 mb surface from May 1986 through April 1987 at 54 obsevation stations in the North East Asia region, the backward and forward trajectories were calculated using interpolation method. And the contributions of pollution sources in neighbor countries to the air quality in Korea were analyzed. It was concluded that air pollution in China had a great influence on the air quality in Korea throughout the year : it could be transported to Korea just within 2 or 3 days most of the time. The trajectory analysis showed that pollution sources in Beijing. Liaoning Province, and Shandong Province, the most heavily industrialized areas in China., were the most influential for the air quality in Korea except for summer season. Durnig summer season, the air pollution in Shanhai and Japan could have moer influence on Korea. Such transboundary transport of air pollutants necessitate international cowork and cooperation in the region of North East Asia.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2007

In order to conduct the environmental assessment of long range transboundary air pollutants over East Asia, the moving pathways of air pollutants are of great importance, which are depending upon the meteorological weather patterns. Therefore regional scale modeling study requires the identified geopotential height distribution patterns to deal with behaviors of long range transport air pollutants for the effective long term atmospheric environmental assessment. In this study the synoptic meteorological classification using cluster analysis technique over Northeast Asia, and its previous applications of the regional scale air pollutant modeling studies were reviewed and summarized in detail. Other synoptic meteorological characteristics over Korean peninsula are also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 2011

Haze phenomena were analyzed to assess the impact of long range transport process on the air quality of Seoul and Busan. We statistically classified haze days observed in both Seoul and Busan into two types of haze cases: stagnant case and long-range transport case, and analyzed the air pollutant levels comparatively for each of the two cases for the period of 2000~2007. The results showed that the long-range transport haze case occurs less frequently with the occurrence frequency of 35.5% than stagnant case with the occurrence frequency of 64.5%. During the observed all haze days, all pollutants have high concentration in comparison with those under other meteorological conditions (Rain, Mist, Dust, Clear, Rain+Mist) except for only $PM_{10}$ of Dust case where its level shows highest among total 6 categorized conditions. The long range transport haze case shows similar levels of $PM_{10}$ and $NO_2$, but higher $SO_2$ and lower $O_3$ compared with stagnant haze cases, suggesting the importance of sulfur chemistry for long range transport haze case and local photochemistry for stagnant haze case. In addition, by employing the NOAA/HYSPLIT-4 backward trajectory model, we subdivided the long range transport haze cases into two different sources: urban anthropogenic high emission areas of central China, and natural emission sources over north China and/or Mongolia. The former long range transport haze case shows higher occurrence (with Seoul 70% and Busan 85%) than the latter haze case (with Seoul 30% and Busan <10%). This is also implying that the long haze phenomena occurred over Korea have been influenced by not only the anthropogenic emissions but also the natural dust emissions. These both emission sources can be good contributors in calculating the source-receptor relationship over Korean atmospheric environment.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2000

Transboundary air pollution has recently become an area of increasing scientific interest and political concern as countries are receiving air pollutants from their neighbors. In order to gain a better understanding of the long-range transport processes of air pollutants and the source-receptor relationships among neighboring countries, an atmospheric transport model coupled with a RAMS(Regional Atmospheric Modeling System) model was applied to the East Asia region during the entire month of January 1993. The scalar transport option of the RAMS model was used to calculate special atmospheric constituents such as trace gases or aerosols. The sulfate production in clouds and rainwater and its removal processes by dry and wet deposition were considered. The sulfate budget from source regions to receptor regions was estimated by analysing the source-receptor relationships. When a specific receptor site revealed a sulfate value higher than the sulfate concentration based on its own source origin, this was taken to indicate long-range transport from another source region. The contribution ratio from various source region was calculated. The contribution ratio of dry and wet deposition was higher on the main continent of the East region. Furthermore, the high deposition amounts were identified on the west coast of Korea and the East China Sea.

• Atmosphere
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.3-18
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• 2004

Neglecting the vertical transport from the surface, most of the previous studies on the long-range transport of pollutants have only considered the horizontal transport caused by the free atmosphere wind. I used a three dimensional numerical model, MM5 (The fifth generation Penn State Univ./NCAR Mesoscale Model) for the simulation of vertical transport of pollutants and investigated the mechanism of the vertical transport of atmospheric pollutants between planetary boundary layer(PBL) and free atmosphere by fronts. From the three dimensional simulation of MM5, the amount of pollutants transport from PBL to free atmosphere is 48% within 18 hour after the development of front, 55% within 24 hour, and 53% within 30 hour. The ratios of the vertically transported pollutant for different seasons are 62%, 60%, 54%, and 43% for spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. The most active areas for the vertical transport are the center of low pressure and the warm sector located east side of cold front, in which the strong upward motion slanted northward occurs. The horizontal advection of pollutants at the upper level is stronger than at the lower level simply because of the stronger wind speed. The simulation results shows the well known plum shape distribution of pollutants. The high concentration area is located in the center and north of the low pressure system, while the second highest concentration area is in the warm sector. It is shown that the most important mechanism for the vertical transport is vertical advection, while the vertical diffusion process plays an important role in the redistribution of pollutants in the PBL.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.211-217
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• 1999

Data on ambient levels of $SO_2$, $NO_x$, and their emissions in Northeast Asia with special emphasis on China are collected and discussed. Also, study results on long-range transport of air pollutants in the region were briefly discussed. It was found that emissions of air pollutants in China are dominant over the region.