Characteristics of Atmospheric Compounds based on Regional Multicorrelation Analysis in Honam Area

Particulate Matter (PM) in the atmosphere has serious impacts on human health and the global environmental systems. To reduce anthropogenic PM emissions is of importance to protect public health. In this study, the variation of concentrations in PM2.5, NO2, and O3 of Honam region over the past 6 years (2016-2021) was investigated. A statistical approach (i.e., hierarchical cluster analysis) was performed to present their spatial relationships. As a result, the high concentration of PM2.5 in Iksan-si was found in sources of primary pollutants emitted from industrial complexes and ammonia from large-scale livestock complexes. The high concentration periods of PM2.5 with lower concentrations of NO2 and O3 can be seasonal and secondary PM product contributions. In addition, the concentration of O3 in Buan-gun and Wanju-gun with lower PM levels can be the effect of emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) from sources. It is necessary to strengthen management for reducing emissions by sources and to establish a policy to control precursors of the atmospheric contaminants.