Prediction and Analysis of PM 2.5 Concentration in Seoul Using Ensemble-based Model

Particulate matter (PM) among air pollutants with complex and widespread causes is classified according to particle size. Among them, PM2.5 is very small in size and can cause diseases in the human respiratory tract or cardiovascular system if inhaled by humans. In order to prepare for these risks, statecentered management and preventable monitoring and forecasting are important. This study tried to predict PM2.5 in Seoul, where high concentrations of fine dust occur frequently, using two ensemble models, random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) using 15 local data assimilation and prediction system (LDAPS) weather-related factors, aerosol optical depth (AOD) and 4 chemical factors as independent variables. Performance evaluation and factor importance evaluation of the two models used for prediction were performed, and seasonal model analysis was also performed. As a result of prediction accuracy, RF showed high prediction accuracy of R2 = 0.85 and XGB R2 = 0.91, and it was confirmed that XGB was a more suitable model for PM2.5 prediction than RF. As a result of the seasonal model analysis, it can be said that the prediction performance was good compared to the observed values with high concentrations in spring. In this study, PM2.5 of Seoul was predicted using various factors, and an ensemble-based PM2.5 prediction model showing good performance was constructed.