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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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 Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:47 pm Post subject: Toxic Smog from China Engulfs Korea |
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http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/11/01/2013110101543.html
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The concentration of ultrafine particles in Dongducheon was 2.5 times greater than the safe level set by the Environment Ministry of 100㎍/㎥ per day.
Winter smog carries more ultrafine particles and is more hazardous than the sandstorms that blow over here in spring. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, around 20 to 30 percent of sandstorms consist of ultrafine particles, but smog contains 60 to 70 percent.
Dust can cause asthma and other respiratory illnesses as well as cardiovascular diseases, but the most hazardous substance is ultrafine particles that are not filtered by the bronchial tubes and directly enter the lungs, where they can cause pneumonia.
Smog also contains toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic. "Unlike sandstorms, smog contains various chemicals and heavy metals that react with the sunlight and multiply," said Chun Young-shin at the Korea Meteorological Administration.
It is difficult to predict smog levels since it is not clear where it originates and how many pollutants it contains. The Chinese government does not reveal data about the origin of pollutants, but the most polluted parts of China are along the east coast, which is near Korea. |
OK, here's the part I take issue with: How did the Korean government come up with 100 (a surprisingly even number) as the threshold for "safe"? In the United States, 100 would be an extremely unhealthy amount. I read Bakersfield- the absolute most polluted city in the US (for air quality)- averaged 47. My God, the air in Korea is terrible to breathe. |
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T-J
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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I swear the 47 number is correct. (Your link is a few years out of date.)
http://aqicn.org/city/california/kern/bakersfield-californiaavenue/
Seoul in it's cleanest year ever (due to a fluke spring of little yellow dust) was more polluted than the city with the the worst air in the United States. Anyways, 255 right now in Dongducheon is bad. Yellow dust is toxic, and some of it even reaches as far as Bakersfield (though South Korea is hit much harder obviously).
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| People further from the source of the dust are more often exposed to nearly invisible, fine dust particles that they can unknowingly inhale deep into their lungs, as coarse dust is too big to be deeply inhaled. After inhalation, it can cause long term scarring of lung tissue as well as induce cancer and lung disease. |
My throat is so sore today from breathing the polluted air. Anyone else feeling that? |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Yup, had a sore throat for the last couple of days - never sure if it's a bug, or from the air though. |
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saram_
Joined: 13 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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http://aqicn.org/nearest/
http://aqicn.org/city/korea/seoul/yongsan-gu/
If you click on these links showing air quality in Seoul-
very different numbers are given...
Whats that about? It must be a different measurement or something.
The air is pretty terrible here this weekend. I'll say that for nothing. |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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oh yet another misinformed world traveler rant about korea. here world traveler, since your mental capacity seems to be quite low, let me help you.
a. the usa actually beats south korea in the daily average of pm-10 by around 50%. it however has better pm2.5 readings than south korea.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulates)
b. bakersfield, as of 2012 as you noted, had the highest particle count in the usa on an ANNUAL basis, not just due to pollution travel from china.
c. the readings from bakersfield were for mixed particles including course, fine, and ultrafine, not just ultrafine like the dongducheon reading so the comparison of the two is inaccurate.
d. bakersfield's yearly readings were around 96 - 115㎍/㎥. so you are way off the mark with your 47 number.
(http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/msas/bakersfield-delano-ca.html#pmann)
e. not a single major city in korea broke 60㎍/㎥ pm-10 yearly readings in 2010
(http://www.airkorea.or.kr/airkorea/eng/information/main.jsp?action=annual)
f. 44.3 million people (about 14%) in america live in areas of unhealthy year-round levels of particle pollution. south korea has 50 million people total. guess who wins by a landslide in the total number of people affected by unhealthy air contest?
(http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/key-findings/year-round-particle-pollution.html)
i applaud your attempts but at least try to get your facts straight and i'd suggest trying harder to not come across as completely inept.
Last edited by wishfullthinkng on Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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The reason the air in Korea is far more polluted in than the air in America has to do with the many heavy metals and toxins in the air (such as mercury, arsenic, and lead).
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| Sulfur (an acid rain component), soot, ash, carbon monoxide, and other toxic pollutants including heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, zinc, copper) and other carcinogens, often accompany the dust storms, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi, pesticides, antibiotics, asbestos, herbicides, plastic ingredients, combustion products as well as hormone mimicking phthalates. Though scientists have known that intercontinental dust plumes can ferry bacteria and viruses, "most people had assumed that the [sun's] ultraviolet light would sterilize these clouds," says microbiologist Dale W. Griffin, also with the USGS in St. Petersburg. "We now find that isn't true." |
From T-J's link (about Bakersfield):
Particulate Matter (PM)10: 40
Air Quality Index: roughly 55 (slightly less than that)
| wishfullthinkng wrote: |
| bakersfield's yearly readings were around 96 - 115㎍/㎥. so you are way off the mark with your 47 number. |
Sorry, but your number is off. Show me where you got it. (I don't see an annual average figure on that link anywhere.)
The average typical Korean city is far more polluted than the average typical American city. That is a fact. You could say it's not the Koreans' fault because of the population density and proximity to China, but that doesn't change that there is dirty air present that is unhealthy to breathe. I hope steps can be made to improve the situation (by having a dialogue with China and by taking action to clean up the domestic output).
Last edited by World Traveler on Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
The reason the air in Korea is far more polluted in than the air in America has to do with the many heavy metals and toxins in the air (such as mercury, arsenic, and lead).
| Quote: |
| Sulfur (an acid rain component), soot, ash, carbon monoxide, and other toxic pollutants including heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, zinc, copper) and other carcinogens, often accompany the dust storms, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi, pesticides, antibiotics, asbestos, herbicides, plastic ingredients, combustion products as well as hormone mimicking phthalates. Though scientists have known that intercontinental dust plumes can ferry bacteria and viruses, "most people had assumed that the [sun's] ultraviolet light would sterilize these clouds," says microbiologist Dale W. Griffin, also with the USGS in St. Petersburg. "We now find that isn't true." |
From T-J's link (about Bakersfield):
Particulate Matter (PM)10: 40
Air Quality Index: roughly 55 (slightly less than that) |
once again, wrong.
america has a much higher output of heavy metals (which are cadmium, mercury and lead by the way because apparently you're not familiar with them). heavy metals are normally introduced into the atmosphere by things like fossil fuel combustion, non-ferrous metal production, cement production, waste disposal, etc.
i couldn't find any super recent updates but let's look at a stat from 1995. the emissions of AS and CD from non-ferrous metals:
for AS: usa - 200 (ranked 4th worst)
korea - 131 (ranked 8th worst)
for CD: usa - 112 (ranked 4th worst)
korea - 104 (ranked 5th worst)
now let's look at HG emissions from stationary fossil fuel combustion:
usa - 77 (ranked 5th)
korea - 44 (ranked 10th)
source of info: http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/13630/vrar_appendix_p1_en.pdf
again do your homework instead of sounding like a petulant complainer. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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That information is 20 years old. Things have changed since then. And who knows whether Korea was accurately measuring or even telling the truth back then. Here's something a little more current:
Death and Disability from Air Pollution Down 35 Percent in the US
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130917125037.htm
Last edited by World Traveler on Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Lazio
Joined: 15 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| wishfullthinkng wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
The reason the air in Korea is far more polluted in than the air in America has to do with the many heavy metals and toxins in the air (such as mercury, arsenic, and lead).
| Quote: |
| Sulfur (an acid rain component), soot, ash, carbon monoxide, and other toxic pollutants including heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, zinc, copper) and other carcinogens, often accompany the dust storms, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi, pesticides, antibiotics, asbestos, herbicides, plastic ingredients, combustion products as well as hormone mimicking phthalates. Though scientists have known that intercontinental dust plumes can ferry bacteria and viruses, "most people had assumed that the [sun's] ultraviolet light would sterilize these clouds," says microbiologist Dale W. Griffin, also with the USGS in St. Petersburg. "We now find that isn't true." |
From T-J's link (about Bakersfield):
Particulate Matter (PM)10: 40
Air Quality Index: roughly 55 (slightly less than that) |
once again, wrong.
america has a much higher output of heavy metals (which are cadmium, mercury and lead by the way because apparently you're not familiar with them). heavy metals are normally introduced into the atmosphere by things like fossil fuel combustion, non-ferrous metal production, cement production, waste disposal, etc.
i couldn't find any super recent updates but let's look at a stat from 1995. the emissions of AS and CD from non-ferrous metals:
for AS: usa - 200 (ranked 4th worst)
korea - 131 (ranked 8th worst)
for CD: usa - 112 (ranked 4th worst)
korea - 104 (ranked 5th worst)
now let's look at HG emissions from stationary fossil fuel combustion:
usa - 77 (ranked 5th)
korea - 44 (ranked 10th)
source of info: http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/13630/vrar_appendix_p1_en.pdf
again do your homework instead of sounding like a petulant complainer. |
LOL
Except the USA is nearly 100 times bigger yet you are quoting total emissions. Epic fail... |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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Exactly. Wishfulthinkng is an obnoxious bore/boor who insults people for supposedly not getting their facts straight and arguing well, while it is in fact he who is guilty of that.
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| The N Seoul Tower on Namsan Mountain in central Seoul, South Korea, is illuminated in blue, from sunset to 23:00 and 22:00 in winter, on days where the air quality in Seoul is 45 or less. During the spring of 2012, the Tower was lit up for 52 days, which is four days more than in 2011. |
52 out of 365 days isn't that much…but at least it's an improvement. Overall, the air quality in South Korea is worse than the air quality of the United States.
Last edited by World Traveler on Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Lazio wrote: |
LOL
Except the USA is nearly 100 times bigger yet you are quoting total emissions. Epic fail... |
i'm sorry lazio, your reading comprehension must be off tonite. usa's output is higher than koreas. that means even though they are 100 times bigger they produce that much more as a whole than korea. is that really hard for you to understand? you die-hard 'muricans really can't accept reality can you?
and WT that study was conducted by european scientists. it had nothing to do with who was "telling the truth". if you want to play that card who knows if america or anyone else was "telling the truth" then either?
the fact of the matter is, you've been wrong with almost everything you've posted in this thread and have given no hard evidence to support your claims. |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Exactly. Wishfulthinkng is an obnoxious bore/boor who insults people for supposedly not getting their facts straight and arguing well, while it is in fact he who is guilty of that. |
lol. i'm still waiting for you to prove me wrong.
oh that's right, you can't. keep talking and making yourself sound more foolish champ. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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I already did, big boy.
Average Annual Mean PM-10 Concentration (ug/m³) [2012]
Bakersfield: 54.8
That's half of the number you claimed.
If you're going to accuse me of being unintelligent, you'd better be able to back it up. |
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Popocatepetl
Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Winter in Korea: One Perfect day after another
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| Yup, had a sore throat for the last couple of days - never sure if it's a bug, or from the air though. |
Today and yesterday have been as bad as I ever seen it in Seoul. Try to see further than 500m. |
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