The influence of emission sources and meteorological conditions on SO2 pollution in Mongolia

Major urbanization and industrialization began in Mongolia in the mid-1990, and air pollution has since become a challenging environmental problem. This study used air pollution data and meteorological parameters from fourteen monitoring sites to determine spatial and temporal patterns of SO2 in Mongolia from 1996 to 2009 and to estimate the influence of meteorological parameters such as wind speed and direction, temperature and relative humidity on SO2 levels in Ulaanbaatar city from 2005 to 2009. SO2 pollution in urban areas and at the steel industry site was above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard and more serious than at other locations in Mongolia. SO2 pollution in winter was more serious than the other three seasons in Mongolia. SO2 pollution has worsened since 2000 because of rapid urbanization and industrialization. Multiple regression models showed that SO2 concentrations in Ulaanbaatar increased with the decrease of wind speed and temperature, and with the increase of relative humidity. The increase in SO2 pollution in Ulaanbaatar was associated with flow of SOx emitted from industrial sources and gers to the north of the city. This study concludes that SO2 pollution in Mongolia was worsened by the increase in emissions caused by rapid urbanization and industrialization over the last decade and the dispersion of SO2 concentrations in Ulaanbaatar was influenced by the meteorological parameters wind speed and direction, temperature and relative humidity.