Toxic Haze From China Blankets
A toxic haze enveloped the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday after industrial pollutants from China accumulated in the sky over the West Sea due to high temperatures and weak winds. The Seoul metropolitan area was blanketed in smog in daytime, showing an increase in fine dust density of four to six times over last weekend.According to the Environment Ministry, the pollutants began blowing in from China on Monday to pervade the sky over the entire peninsula. Fine dust density in Songpa-gu, Seoul soared from 42 ㎍/㎥ on Jan. 13 to 189 ㎍/㎥ on Wednesday. The environmental standard is less than 100 ㎍/㎥ daily average. That morning, Bangi-dong at one stage saw 257㎍/㎥, while Nonhyon-dong in Incheon saw 323 ㎍/㎥. The ministry advised the sick and elderly to stay indoors if the daily average density exceeds 200 ㎍/㎥, and everyone to refrain from outdoor activities if the density exceeds 300 ㎍/㎥.
Ultrafine dust density also exceeded the alert level. Lee Seung-mook, an assistant professor of environmental health at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health said ultrafine dust density in Jongno-gu in Seoul rose from 20 ㎍/㎥ on Jan. 14 to 132㎍/㎥ on Wednesday, an increase of more than six times. The U.S. has set the environmental standard for ultrafine dust at less than 65 ㎍/㎥, but Korea has yet to set a standard due to a lack of measuring equipment.
Shin Dong-chun, director of the Yonsei University’s Institute for Environmental Research, said, "Recent international research shows that ultrafine dust causes coronary sclerosis by affecting the respiratory organs and blood vessels in the heart and brains. We have to be on guard against the pollutants blowing in from China."
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