The public's concern on ambient $PM_{2.5}$ has been increasing in Korea. We have estimated (1) the annual and monthly mean $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations, (2) the frequency by the $PM_{2.5}$ concentration interval, and (3) the high concentration occurrence duration time between 2015 and 2018 at 16 administration regions. We found that there have been differences in all three above parameters' trends among the studied 16 regions in Korea. Still, Jeonbuk showed the highest rank in all three parameters' trends. In Jeonbuk, the average $PM_{2.5}$ concentration and the sum of the frequency fraction when the $PM_{2.5}$ concentration being over $75{\mu}g/m^3$ between 2016 and 2018 was $28.4{\mu}g/m^3$ and 9.0%, respectively. And the days when the $PM_{2.5}$ concentration is over $50{\mu}g/m^3$ between 2015 and 2018 were 149. Chungbuk was the only region with the increasing trend of $PM_{2.5}$ concentration between 2016 and 2018. And in Seoul and Gyeonggi, the average $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations decreased whereas the high concentration frequency fraction increased between 2016 and 2018. Also, it is found that there have been differences in the trends of the frequency by the $PM_{2.5}$ concentration interval and the high concentration occurrence duration time between $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$.

Recently, there has been much research on the effect of fine dust on human body with increasing interest in the fine dust. Thermal power plant, which is considered as one of the main sources of fine dust, is reported to be responsible for 14% of the total amount of domestic fine dust in the Republic of Korea. Therefore, dust collecting devices in the thermal power plant need to be improved. In this study, the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) was considered to substitute for a mist eliminator used in flue gas desulfurization facility. By considering real situation in the flue gas desulfurization facility, the collection efficiency of the ESP was evaluated by using the sprayed limestone slurry particles. The collection efficiency of the ESP was higher than that of the mist eliminator, showing the possibility of replacing the mist eliminator with the ESP in flue gas desulfurization facility.

Since existing measurement sites are required to construct a high-cost PM measuring device and a measuring site of a large area, there is a limit to the construction of a high-resolution measurement network. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a low-cost, high-performance PM measuring device (as an alternative technology) that can increase the resolution of PM measurement, and it is necessary to establish a base to provide real-time PM information for whole people. Therefore, in this study, the alternative technique (light scattering method) for achieving the above object was examined, performance evaluation was carried out, and it was verified that the light scattering method was usable. Various PM measurement results were compared and analyzed to find PM monitoring points and resolutions we would like to propose.

It is important to control fine particles in children care centers, elementary schools, elderly care facilities and so on where vulnerable children and the aged stay during most of their time. This study has investigated $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ concentrations in two classrooms equipped with an air cleaner and two air cleaners, respectively and they were compared to those in a classroom without an air cleaner as well as those outdoors. Eight air cleaners which have various clean air delivery rates (CADRs) between 9.9 and $21.3m^3/min$ were tested in classrooms in two elementary schools in Seoul. Average $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ were $7.3{\pm}0.7$ and $45.5{\pm}4.1{\mu}g/m^3$ in classrooms equipped with an air cleaner and $4.2{\pm}0.6$ and $24.6{\pm}2.5{\mu}g/m^3$ in classrooms with two air cleaners, whereas they were $22.1{\pm}2.6$ and $109.1{\pm}9.6{\mu}g/m^3$ in classrooms without an air cleaner and $36.9{\pm}5.1$ and $74.1{\pm}10.6{\mu}g/m^3$ outdoors, respectively. $PM_{2.5}$ in classrooms could be reduced effectively by using an air cleaner or two air cleaners, because $PM_{2.5}$ was mainly infiltrated from outdoors, however $PM_{10}$ could not because $PM_{10}$ was mainly caused indoors by students' activities. Air cleaners were more effective for removal of $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ in classrooms with a high airtightness than those in classrooms with a relatively low one. Average $CO_2$ in classrooms was about 1500 to 2000 ppm for class hours dependent on the student number per a classroom, which was about 1.5 to 2 times higher than the standard, regardless of the use of air cleaner.