Air Pollution in Seoul, South Korea
Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants to the air, which endangers all the living things on the planet. The level of particulate matter in Seoul city in recent years has risen to 115 micrograms per cubic meter, which is too high as compared to the World Health Organization regulation, which sets the minimum level of the particulate matter to 25 micrograms as a daily average. General causes of air pollution in any country include the burning of fossil fuels and the release of harmful gases to the air. Air pollution causes severe effects on human beings living on the planet. Smog and soot caused by combustion of fossil fuels reduces the distance, which the human eye can see.
The primary cause of air pollution in Seoul is fine dust according to the study conducted by Dong Jong-in, a professor in South Korea (Lee, 1999). The fine dust accumulates in the air due to the emission of hazardous gases from the production industries in South Korea. Air pollution has caused the residents of Seoul city to suffer adverse effects. Some days when the levels of the fine dust are high, the residents suffer choking on their throat when they inhale the polluted air. As a result, during these days when the levels of the fine dust are too high the residents are forced to stay indoors to avoid the effects of inhaling the contaminated air.
Efforts have been made in recent to reduce air pollution in Seoul. Efforts include implementing several policies to curb the alarming rates of air pollution in the city. Public servants in the city are restricted from traveling to the town in some days using their cars. This has been fruitful in reducing air pollution because the rate at which fuel gases are released to the air is significantly reduced. Another major step which has been taken to reduce air pollution in the city is by capping thermal plant power output hence reducing harmful gas emissions.
In general, air pollution endangers the lives of human beings in the affected areasStrict measures have to be taken to avoid the harmful effects of pollution.