Analysis of regional and temporal characteristics of PM10 during an Asian dust episode in Korea

This study analyzes the regional and temporal distributions of PM10 concentrations observed in major metropolitan cities in Korea before, during and after a recent Asian dust episode in 2002. There were spatial and temporal variations in PM10 concentrations among the mid-western, the southwestern, the southeastern, and the southern parts of Korea during this Asian dust period due to the different air mass movement time and the different wind directions and speeds of prevailing winds in each city or region. The origins of the three-day Asian dust episode were identified by an analysis of two-day backward isentropic air trajectories. The different origins for each day also significantly contributed to the spatial and temporal variations in PM10 concentrations. A significant relationship was found between PM10 concentrations on the day preceding the first peak day and the first peak day of the Asian dust period but only in the mid-western areas. The concentrations of PM10 just after the Asian dust episode were much higher than those just before. There was a significant increase in a coarse fraction, having soil origins, of particles during the Asian dust episode. Concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni and Cr extracted from the total suspended particulate (TSP) samples collected in 7 cities during the Asian dust episode were much higher when compared with other days in 2001. However, the Asian dust did not consistently increase the concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper as they are influenced by local sources such as local traffic or industrial emissions.