Questions rise over tripartite research on air pollution
Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae speaks during the meeting held at government complex in Sejong, Nov. 18. / Yonhap
By Kim Jae-heun
A joint report by Korea, China and Japan has shown that about 32 percent of ultrafine dust pollution found in three metropolitan cities in Korea came from China.
However, many Koreans doubt the findings, believing the numbers have been underestimated, especially regarding the winter when pollution levels rise alongside an increase in the use of heating in China.
The Ministry of Environment announced at a press confeence Wednesday, the results of the “Long-range Trans-boundary Air Pollutants in Northeast Asia” (LTP) research project, which was drawn from a combination of studies by experts from the three nations.
According to the report, China was responsible for about 32 percent of ultrafine dust in Korea in 2017 on an annual basis, while 52 percent of the air pollution was produced domestically. Japan was only blamed for 2 percent of the air contamination.
The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) under the ministry said the research was meaningful because China, which previously refused to accept any responsibility for the air pollution in Korea, admitted to a 32 percent contribution.
However, Kim Soon-tae, an environmental and safety engineering professor at Ajou University, said it is meaningless to look at a single annual average as a result.
“If we really want to know about the amount of ultrafine dust that affects our lives, we have to look at the monthly average,” Kim said.
The LTP report shows only the yearly average without data for each month, while Korea suffers the most from highly concentrated ultrafine dust from China during winter between November and March. It also showed the dust levels and contributions in just three Korean cities ― Seoul, Busan and Daejeon ― which have a large number of cars and thus the domestic contribution is higher.
Additionally, the report was made by calculating the average of studies done by the three nations, and Chinese studies said China was only responsible for 23 percent of ultrafine dust in Korea on a yearly basis while Korean researchers said it produced 39 percent.
Environmental engineering professor Cho Seog-yeon at Inha University also questioned the difference between the results of Korean and Chinese scientists' studies of the external factors causing air pollution in Korea.
“The LTP report presented averages of 23 percent and 39 percent, so I have to question the accuracy of this research,” Cho said.
A ministry official said at the press conference that China was responsible for nearly 70 percent of ultrafine dust here during winter, as Korean researchers said China's contribution was 74.6 percent between Jan. 11 and 15 this year.
In a related move to combat air pollution, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will conduct anti-dust measures daily from December to March. It used to carry them out only when dust levels were expected to be high the following day.
During the four months, public organizations in the city will run a two-day rotation system for their private cars based on their license plate numbers, while increasing parking fees by 50 percent for older diesel-powered vehicles.