Analysis on Relationship between Urban Development Characteristics And Air Pollution level - A Case of Seoul Metropolitan Region -

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the relationships between urban development patterns and air pollution level for the five pollutants (PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, O3) in the Seoul metropolitan area (SMA) using multiple regression models. We used Kriging methods to interpolate air pollution levels for the areas which are not covered by the 120 air pollution check stations. The analysis results can be summarized as follows. First, population and employment densities are positively related to CAI(Comprehensive air-quality index) values for CO and NO2 with a high statistical significance. Second, manufacturing industry has contributed to increasing CAI levels of O3 and SO2, while areas surrounding thermal power plants have relatively higher levels of PM10, CO, and NO2. Third, number of intersections is positively related to CAI levels of O3 and SO2, while the higher proportion of road area in a zone has contributed to rising CAI levels of CO and NO2. Fourth, it is interesting to find that the CAI levels of PM10, O3, and SO2 are more likely to increase in the suburban areas than in the central city, but those of CO and NO2 tend to rise in the central city. Finally, the CAI levels of PM10, CO, SO2, and NO2 are likely to be high along the west coast of the SMA(Seoul metropolitan area), possibly due to the high concentration of manufacturing industry and proximity to China.