Air quality in Gimpo

Is Gimpo a very polluted city now?

Gimpo is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It sits on the banks of the Han River; North Korea is on the opposite bank. According to a census conducted in 2019, it had an estimated population of approximately 428,000 inhabitants.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter in 2021, Gimpo was experiencing a period of “Moderate” quality air with a US AQI reading of 82. This United States Air Quality Index figure is calculated by collating the recorded levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants. If figures are not available for all six, a level can still be calculated by using what information there is. It can then be used as a metric when comparing one city with another, anywhere in the world. These pollutants are usually, both diameters of PM (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. In the case of Gimpo, all six were recorded. These were as follows; PM2.5 - 27 µg/m³, PM10 - 46 µg/m³, ozone (O₃) - 74 µg/m³, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) - 30.1 µg/m³, sulphur dioxide (SO₂) - 7.9 µg/m³ and carbon monoxide (CO) - 801.5 µg/m³. At 27 µg/m³ for PM2.5, it is almost three times above the advisory limit of 10 µg/m³ as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This level of pollution is not extreme but it would still be advisable to remain indoors for as much as possible and close the doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. Those of a sensitive disposition should take extra care and try not to venture outside until the situation improves. If venturing out is unavoidable, then a good quality mask should be worn at all times. There is an app available from AirVisual which can be found in any app store and is suitable for most mobile devices. This will tell you of the latest levels of pollution which might help decide whether or not to go outside.

Does the level of air quality in Gimpo remain the same throughout the year?

Looking back at the 2020 figures which were published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that throughout the 12 months of the year, Gimpo was experiencing “Moderate” air quality with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The month which saw the worst quality was January with a 31.9 µg/m³ reading. The month with the best air quality was September with a 12.2 µg/m³ reading.

Records regarding air quality have been kept since 2017 when the annual average was 28.4 µg/m³. An improvement was seen for the following year with a reading of 24.0 µg/m³. Unfortunately, a decline was recorded in 2019 when the figure was 26.6 µg/m³, before improving again in 2020 with a 20.9 µg/m³ figure. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most cities reported cleaner air than before. Many vehicles were no longer in daily use as their drivers were encouraged to work from home and not required to drive to the office each day. There were also several small factories and processing units that were closed temporarily so their emissions were no longer part of the local atmosphere.

Where does the polluted air come from in Gimpo?

Fine dust has been found to be a major source of pollution in Gimpo. The transportation sector, such as vehicles, accounted for the highest ratio at 27.42 per cent. Next, 24.84 per cent of industrial fields including 4^th and 5^th types of small and medium-sized business sites and 3.47 per cent of construction pollution sources showed that intensive management in the relevant field was required. The remaining 51.7 per cent was due to external factors. These most likely originate in Mongolia and western China and are carried high on the winds across to South Korea. This Yellow Dust as it is known is of natural origin, but its properties can change over time as it absorbs pollutants emitted from certain areas as it travels through the atmosphere. It can act as a carrier for other airborne toxic substances.

In fact, the concern that harmful substances may be carried in the yellow dust is a concern in Korea.

There has been concern over the possibility that harmful substances such as heavy metals from industrial areas in northern China may be contained in the dust that blows into the Korean Peninsula from Inner Mongolia or Mongolia in China.

What can be done to improve the air quality of Gimpo and its environs?

The city of Gimpo has established and is promoting the 'Comprehensive Plan for Fine Dust Reduction' for clean air and a comfortable living environment where you can breathe with peace of mind. When it was reported that the concentration of ultrafine dust in recent years was the worst in the country, special measures were taken to reduce and manage fine dust.

The target has been set for 18 µg/m³ by 2025, at the moment it is around 26 µg/m³.

What are the common air pollutants and how do they affect human health?

Dust that we thought leader in atmospheric pollution is sulphate, nitrate, ionic components and metal compounds, these consist of hazardous materials such as carbon compounds, mainly in automotive exhaust gas.

Cardiopulmonary disease, caused by lung cancer increases the risk of premature death and, increases lung cancer causes.

Dusts have different health effects depending on their size and concentration. Depending on the particle size, dust is divided into total suspended particles (TSP), ' fine dust ' with a diameter of 10 microns or less, and ' ultra-fine dust ' with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less.

In the troposphere, sunlight meets nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds to form oxygen atoms, which combine with the surrounding oxygen gas to form ozone. Ozone is poisonous in the summer months. The reason is that strong sunlight in summer activates the production of this ozone further. Prolonged exposure to ozone can cause coughing, eye pain, and shortness of breath. Decreased lung function may also be present.

Nitrogen oxide is found in automobile exhaust emissions and is an important source of nitrogen compounds formed through the high-temperature combustion process. Sudden water builds up around the lungs, making it difficult to breathe' Acute Pulmonary Oedema 'causes.