Spring in South Korea arrives with a sting -- bad air
Ultrafine dust, the unwelcome March guest, arrives just as Koreans shake off winter and start enjoying outdoors
With spring around the corner, South Koreans are bracing themselves for what has now become standard measures to combat ultrafine dust concentrations.
Authorities on Wednesday enforced the first emergency emissions reduction measures in Greater Seoul this year, as the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast "bad" levels of airborne pollutant concentrations in the area. The weather authorities give warnings based on the concentration of PM 2.5 particles -- ultrafine dust particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter -- with the second-highest "bad" referring to between 36 and 75 micrograms per cubic meter.
March is infamous for having high pollution levels. From 2015 to 2024, the monthly average of ultrafine dust particles was 24.0 micrograms per cubic meter for December, 26.1 for January, 26 for February, and 26.8 for March.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's air environment information website, the average ultrafine dust particle level in March last year was 22 micrograms per cubic meter, the third highest of the year and well over the year-round average of 18. The March figure for 2023 was 31, tied with February for the most polluted month in terms of ultrafine dust levels.
When comparing winter and spring, December to February had higher ultrafine dust levels than March to May. The Seoul website's 2023 figure showed that the winter average was 26 micrograms per cubic meter while the spring average was 23.
But South Koreans are usually more concerned about ultrafine dust problems in spring, as it is when the general public shakes off the winter chill to engage in more outdoor activities. As such, government measures also zero in on air pollution reduction policies during springtime.
Countermeasures against fine dust
Last month, the Ministry of Environment announced strict countermeasures against ultrafine dust particles from Feb. 27 to March 31. This includes ceasing the operation of 28 state-owned coal-fired power stations during this period, as opposed to up to 15 during the winter season.
Truck sweeping high-traffic roads will be increased from twice to four times daily. Other measures include overall inspection of air ventilation systems at public facilities, such as subway stations, and sulfur limits in ship fuel.
Other emergency emissions reduction measures include restricting the use of government cars and limiting some of the large-scale diggings at construction sites.
Experts advise residents to take precautions against ultrafine dust particles and respiratory system irritation.
Pulmonologist Lee See-won of Asan Medical Center wrote in his column that senior citizens, children and people with heart or respiratory diseases should refrain from going outside as much as possible in case of ultrafine dust alerts. He also advised washing one's hands and face after stepping outside and drinking a lot of water to prevent ultrafine dust from entering one's system.
He also noted that on a societal level, people should refrain from using personal cars to curb emissions as much as possible.
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