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Air Quality Change in Seoul, South Korea under COVID-19 Social Distancing: Focusing on PM 2.5

Author

Listed:
  • Beom-Soon Han

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

  • Kyeongjoo Park

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

  • Kyung-Hwan Kwak

    (School of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea)

  • Seung-Bu Park

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

  • Han-Gyul Jin

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

  • Sungju Moon

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

  • Jong-Won Kim

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

  • Jong-Jin Baik

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea)

Abstract

Seoul, the most populous city in South Korea, has been practicing social distancing to slow down the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and other air pollutants measured in Seoul over the two 30 day periods before and after the start of social distancing are analyzed to assess the change in air quality during the period of social distancing. The 30 day mean PM 2.5 concentration decreased by 10.4% in 2020, which is contrasted with an average increase of 23.7% over the corresponding periods in the previous 5 years. The PM 2.5 concentration decrease was city-wide and more prominent during daytime than at nighttime. The concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) decreased by 16.9% and 16.4%, respectively. These results show that social distancing, a weaker forcing toward reduced human activity than a strict lockdown, can help lower pollutant emissions. At the same time, synoptic conditions and the decrease in aerosol optical depth over the regions to the west of Seoul support that the change in Seoul’s air quality during the COVID-19 social distancing can be interpreted as having been affected by reductions in the long-range transport of air pollutants as well as local emission reductions.

Suggested Citation

  • Beom-Soon Han & Kyeongjoo Park & Kyung-Hwan Kwak & Seung-Bu Park & Han-Gyul Jin & Sungju Moon & Jong-Won Kim & Jong-Jin Baik, 2020. "Air Quality Change in Seoul, South Korea under COVID-19 Social Distancing: Focusing on PM 2.5," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6208-:d:404641
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chang-Jin Ma & Gong-Unn Kang, 2020. "Air Quality Variation in Wuhan, Daegu, and Tokyo during the Explosive Outbreak of COVID-19 and Its Health Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Guojun He & Yuhang Pan & Takanao Tanaka, 2020. "The short-term impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on urban air pollution in China," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(12), pages 1005-1011, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shuang Liu & Xingchuan Yang & Fuzhou Duan & Wenji Zhao, 2022. "Changes in Air Quality and Drivers for the Heavy PM 2.5 Pollution on the North China Plain Pre- to Post-COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Hyemin Hwang & Jae Young Lee, 2022. "Impacts of COVID-19 on Air Quality through Traffic Reduction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Hyunjung Lee & Sookuk Park & Helmut Mayer, 2023. "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," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, May.

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