Air Quality in South Korea
The Republic of Korea is regularly subjected to large amounts of air pollution from China, particulate matter (PM) ranging from 2.5 microns and under in length (PM2.5) to 10 microns and under in length (PM10). Particulate matter is a hazardous form of air pollution, which can cause serious health effects when inhaled. These include ischemic heart disease, stroke, obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer when exposed over a long period of time. These harmful pollutants are transported from China by the winds across the Yellow Sea. PM10 is a pollutant which can irritate the eyes and nose, the particles are too big to make their way into the lungs. PM2.5 on the other hand is considered more harmful since it can penetrate deep into the lungs. There are natural and man-made sources of PM2.5 The growth of the Chinese economy in the past decade, paired with much looser environmental regulations than most developed countries, has led to a worsening of the situation. Korea’s Nation Institute for Environmental Research (NIER) has been monitoring the situation for years using stationary air quality monitoring stations and adapted airplanes designed to measure and study air quality over the Yellow Sea between China and Korea.
