Regional Characteristics of Particle Size Distribution of PM10

The purpose of this study is to propose management strategies to lower the level of PM10 concentration. First, this study analyzes the characteristics of particle sizes in three different areas, the residential, the roadside, and the industrial areas. Second, it has examined the size of particles which can influence on the increase of PM10 concentration level. The distribution of particle size for PM10 concentration was not different by regions. The highest portion in the observed PM10 is near 0.3 mu m. In addition, both near 2.5 mu m and near 5.0 mu m are found higher in portion. The fractions of PM1.0 and PM2.5 in PM10 are 68.2% and 75.8% respectively. The fraction of PM1.0 in PM2.5 is 89.8%. The particle diameters contributed to the increase of PM10 concentration are different by regions. In the residential area, the sizes of near 0.6 mu m and near 3.3 mu m particles are found to be the cause for the increase of PM10 concentration level. However the particle sizes for the increase of PM10 concentration level are 0.8 mu m and 0.5 mu m in roadside and industrial area respectively. Therefore, fine particles are found as the key factors to raise PM10 concentration level in the two areas, while both fine and coarse particles are in the residential areas. When examined the PM10 concentration level change, it was categorized by two different time zones, the high concentration level time and the lower concentration time. In high concentration time, the PM10 concentration has increased in the morning in the residential and roadside areas. On the contrary, the level has increased in the evening in the industrial area. In low concentration time, the level of PM10 concentration in the roadside area is significantly higher in the morning than the concentration level of other times. There is no significantly different concentration level found in the both residential and industrial areas throughout the day.