The Analysis of Changes in Particulate Matter Concentrations in East Asia before and after COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic commenced at the end of 2019, inducing a substantial decline in human activities across various sectors, encompassing industry, economy, tourism, and daily life globally. This resulted in a reduction in anthropogenic pollutant emissions. The concentration of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere incorporates influences from both artificial and natural emission sources. East Asia is also notable for experiencing frequent occurrences of yellow dust. Nonetheless, studies conducted by Bae et al. (2023) and Zhang et al. (2020) reported that PM10 concentrations in Korea and China decreased by more than 30% following the emergence of COVID-19. This phenomenon has been commonly observed worldwide. This study delves into whether air quality is deteriorating again now that the pandemic has subsided. It examines long-term changes in air quality in East Asia, covering the Pre-COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 periods, utilizing measurement data. To enhance reliability, the data were obtained from a nationally operated atmospheric measurement station. In addition to PM10, changes in the concentration of gaseous pollutants such as NO2 and SO2 were also analyzed. In instances where changes in air quality occurred, an analysis was conducted to determine whether these changes correlated with human activities. The study explored whether yearly and seasonal weather changes acted as variables and whether air quality fluctuations in urban and rural areas exhibited disparities. Statistical methods such as regression analysis were employed. This study analyzes the impact of human activities on the concentration of fine particulate matter in East Asia and offers implications for the direction of national policies aimed at improving air quality. Reference: Minah Bae, Yoon-Hee Kang, Eunhye Kim, Segi Kim, Soontae Kim (2023), A multifaceted approach to explain short- and long-term PM2.5 concentration changes in Northeast Asia in the month of January during 2016–2021, Science of the Total Environment, Volume 880, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163309 Zhang, J., Cu i, K., Wang, Y.F., Wu , J.L., Hu ang, W.S., Wan, S., and Xu, K. (2020), Temporal variations in the air quality index and the impact of the COVID-19 event on air quality in western China, erosol and Air Quality Research, Vol. 20, No. 7, pp. 1552-1568. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.06.0297 Acknowledgments: This research was supported by Particulate Matter Management Specialized Graduate Program through the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) funded by the Ministry of Environment (MOE)