Source Apportionment of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in the Chungju City

The purpose of this study is to present the source contribution of the fine particles (PM2.5) in Chungju area using the CMB (chemical mass balance) method throughout the four seasons in Korea. The Chungju's annual average level of PM2.5 was 48.2 mu g/m(3), which exceeded two times higher than standard air quality. Among these particles, the soluble ionic compounds represent 54.2% of fine particle mass. Additionally, the OC concentration in Chungju stayed similar to other domestic cities, while the EC concentration decreased significantly compared to other domestic/international cities. The concentration of sulfur represented the highest composition (8%) among the fine particle compounds. According to the CMB results, the general trend of the PM2.5 mass contributors was the following: secondary aerosols (50.5%: ammonium sulfate 26.5% and ammonium nitrate 24.0%)> gasoline vehicle (18.3%)> biomass burning (11.0%)> industrial boiler (6.0%)> diesel vehicles (4.4%). The contribution of the secondary aerosols was the main cause than others. This impact is assumed to be emitted from air pollutants of urban cities or neighbor countries such as China.