The present particulate matter condition and the policies in Korea
Youngro KIM
8 class, International Linguistic School, Vladivostok, Primorsky region, Russia
Country: South Korea
Teacher: Tatyana Vshivkova
Particulate Matter (PM) which is also called as fine dust or particulates is one of the most environmental problem that attracts global attention. The EEA (European Environmental Agency) said that in 2014, about 400,000 people died early due to Particulate Matter in EU member countries. Now, in the news, it's easy to hear that you should reduce outdoor activities as much as possible on high dust levels.
I was wondered exactly what Particulate Matter is and started to search about it. Then I also searched the present particulate matter condition in Korea and what kind of Particulate Matter policies which Korean Government is implementing.
Particulate Matter is a very small complex mixture of airborne particles which contain Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, ozone, carbon monoxide, etc. Particulate Matter is a pollutant with particle size of 10μm or less. It means that PM is about 9 times smaller than the sand on a beach. PM is usually caused by smoke of cars and the burning of the fossil fuel. In general, fine dusts spread well in low-precipitation seasons. PM is harmful for human body, this is a fact that everyone knows. However, people don't know how it can be dangerous to our bodies. PM enters our body through the eyes, nose, and skin, causing dermatitis, respiratory disease, and heart disease. In particular, the matter called BC (black carbon) from diesel can cause cancer easily. The smaller the size, the more dangerous the PM is. This is because if the fine dust has a diameter of 2.5 μm or less, it can penetrate into the blood and develop into a stroke. Fine dusts can be classified as PM-10, PM-2.5, PM-0.1, and TSP (Total Suspended Particle) depending on their diameters, and PM-10 and PM-2.5 are mainly used as global environmental standards.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a PM recommendation level of PM-10 at a daily average of 50 ug/m3, an annual average of 20 ug/m3, and PM-2.5 at a daily average of 25 ug/m3 at an annual average of 10 ug/m3. Korea′ PM environment standard set PM-10 to 100 ug/m3 per day on average, 50 ug/v3 per year on average, PM-2.5 to 50 ug/v3 per day and 25 ug/m3 per a year/ This about 2 to 2.5 times more than the WHO standard, which means that the atmospheric situation in Korea is bad.
PM coming from China occupies a considerable proportion among Korea's fine dust. It is supposed that it occupies at least 30 to 50% and at most 60 to 80%.
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The Ministry of Environment of Korea is implementing policies such as shutting down coal-fired power plants temporarily and introducing natural gas buses. However, the problem of fine dust from China has no clear solution or improvement.
I learned from this search that Particulate Matter was a more serious problem than I thought and it was quite surprised that Russia's PM problem is not so serious though it is near China. It's time that all nations should work together to solve this problem to make the world better place to breathe.
Wastewater treatment plant with integration of constructed wetland for the village of Bolshyie Koty, Eastern Siberia
Le Bras, Eloïse
Master of Sciences in Environmental Management, Kiel School of Sustainability, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Germany
Country: Germany
Up to 90 % of wastewater in developing countries flows untreated into rivers, lakes and highly productive coastal zones, threatening health – both of communities and ecosystems – food security and access to safe drinking and bathing water. The main sources of water pollution are human settlements and industrial and agricultural activities, and the development of the tourism has led to growing concerns in the last decades. Sewage treatment is a relevant topic and will be the topic of this report. Indeed, wetlands provide a variety of services and functions necessary for the dynamic equilibrium and well-being of the systems they are placed in: among others, they can act as biofilters, stabilize sediments and remove pollutants from the water, such as heavy metals and nutrients. As such they could be integrated or used as model in order to achieve a more efficient and “natural” cleansing of waters.
The aim of the project presented in this report is therefore to study the possibility to build a wastewater treatment plant with the insertion of a constructed wetland for the Russian village of Bolshie Koty, Eastern Siberia.
The reason why this area was chosen as case study is that this tiny village, where no more than thirty permanent residents live, lies on the shores of one of the most famous water basins worldwide, the Lake Baikal. Indeed, it is the deepest lake in the world as well as the biggest freshwater reservoir (20% of the planet surface water). Its ecological importance has been known and studied for a long time, but this has not prevented heavy anthropogenic pressures to threaten its delicate equilibrium, placing it at the center of a complex web of interest groups, ranging from industries to local communities, from the business of tourism to environmental groups, all seeing the lake as a valuable resource for different and often colliding purposes. The project tackles one issue in particular: the lacking of wastewater treatment in the settlements along the lake’s shorelines.
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The report is structured as follows: first the theoretical design of a wastewater treatment plant is explained, and what are the different options of integrating a wetland within the process; a second section is dedicated to the functioning of wetlands in relation to water cleansing. The case study is introduced in the presentation only, in three steps: the climatic, geomorphological and hydrological characteristics of the region, the existing anthropogenic pressures (with particular attention to climate change), and a more detailed description of Bolshie Koty. Local communities and their needs are therefore at the center of the present study, and their culture and values as well as their economic power were also taken into account, together with the unique climatological and environmental conditions of the area.
The presentation ends with the presentation of the management proposal to address the issue of household sewage treatment for the village, and a mention of the further steps that would be needed to concretely implement it.
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