Analysis of the National Air Pollutant Emission Inventory (CAPSS 2015) and the Major Cause of Change in Republic of Korea

In 2015, air pollutant emissions in the Republic of Korea were 792,776 metric tons of CO, 1,157,728 metric tons of NOx, 352,292 metric tons of SOx, 604,243 metric tons of TSP, 233,177 metric tons of PM10, 98,806 tons of PM2.5, 15,934 metric tons of BC, 1,010,771 metric tons of VOCs, and 297,167 metric tons of NH3. Among major emission source categories, the main emission sources and the contributions to emissions, by pollutant, were as follows: road transport (31.0%), biomass burning (29.3%), and non-road transport (17.1%) for CO; road transport (31.9%), non-road transport (26.3 %), and manufacturing industry (14.6%) for NOx; industrial processes (29.9%), energy production (25.9%), and manufacturing industry (24.2%) for SOx; fugitive dust (67.6%) manufacturing industry (20.1%) for TSP; fugitive dust (47.0%) and manufacturing industry (30.4%) for PM10; manufacturing industry (36.8%), fugitive dust (17.5 %), and non-road transport (14.3%) for PM2.5; road transport (42.0%) and non-road transport (39.6%) for BC; solvent use (54.9%) and industrial processes (18.1%) for VOCs; and agriculture (77.8%) and industrial processes (13.3%) for NH3. The data we calculate can be used as official national emissions data for the establishment, implementation, and assessment of air quality-related policy, such as measures to deal with particulate matter, as well as for related modeling and other research.