2010 Geog Project

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Group members : Tai Lin Yuan  Jamie Chua  Addison Pang  Dylan Ho  Roy Wong  2D  Air Pollution In Korea

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What is air pollution? Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, dust, fumes or odour in harmful amounts. That is, amounts which could be harmful to the health or comfort of humans and animals or which could cause damage to plants and materials. - Air pollution can be found both outdoors and indoors.  Pollutants can be trapped inside buildings, causing indoor pollution that lasts for a long time. Air Pollution

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Lots of us, teenagers or adults or even small kids are all obsessed with K-pop music as well as their dramas , languages spoken , languages written , their culture, food and fashion, its like all so perfect and unique. But we never ever realised or concern about the serious air pollution in their country. So we wanted to know more about Korea not only about their songs but their environmental problems that includes air pollution. why do we choose Korea as our country of research ?

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Traditional Sports and Games : -Not just a children's past time, many older Koreans enjoy flying kites, especially on major holidays such as Ch'usok and the Lunar New Year. The traditional Korean kite (yon) is made with bamboo sticks and Korean paper. -Paduk has a very large following in Korea. Played on a 19x19 line checkerboard, two players alternate placing their pieces on the board to try to surround their opponent. The one who "captures" the most amount of real estate wins. -Traditionally, spinning tops were spun in an enclosed box, with points scored for various actions. Language : The Koreans are one ethnic family speaking one language. The Korean language is spoken by more than 65 million people living on the peninsula and its outlying islands as well as 5.5 million Koreans living in other parts of the world.  Modern Korea has several different dialects including the standard one used in Seoul and central areas, but they are similar enough that speakers/listeners do not have trouble understanding each other. More about Korea...

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Human Causes Motor vehicles Industries Construction works Natural causes Volcanic eruptions Forest fire Biology decay Oxides of Nitrogen from lightning Causes of air pollution

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Motor vehicles: - In many cities, it is estimated that as much as 90 percent of dust and smoke particles present in the air are emitted by vehicles. Emissions also contain harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Industries : Large amounts of dust and smoke are released into air. When fossil fuels are burnt in power stations, besides dust, waste is also released into the air. This includes fine, black, carbon-based smoke particles called soot, as well as poisonous gases like sulfur dioxide. Construction work : The clearing of land , construction of buildings and transportation of construction materials pollute the air with dust and some particles. Particles may be transported by wind to nearby residential areas. Human Causes

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Volcanic Eruptions : - Large amounts of volcanic ash, smoke and gases are released during eruptions. - Volcanic gases that pose the greatest potential hazards are sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen fluoride. Although ash is not highly toxic, ash can also get in your eyes and scratch them, especially when it's windy. Ash can be hazardous to grazing livestock and can damage or force the shutdown of drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities by clogging or damaging equipment. Forest Fires : - They occur when there is prolonged hot and dry weather. - Dust and smoke particles produced in a forest fire are suspended in the air and may be carried by winds to areas surrounding the forest or even other nearby countries. Natural Causes

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South Korea did not care about the air environment until the 1980's that Korea began paying close attention to the environment, but the problems have arisen so quickly, that the Korean government has not been able to manage all of them. One of the arising problems in connection with rapid industrialization is acid rain. Studies indicate that a large part of Asia is being threatened by acid rain. Factory smoke and automobile exhaust fumes contribute to the sulfur-oxides contained in the precipitation of rain. Although China is the largest producer of sulfur dioxide emissions in Asia accounting for 20 million tons of SO2 emissions in 1987, South Korea is also a major producer of SO2. The cause of air pollution in Korea. South Korea

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Yellow sand cause by industrial pollution in China is blown from China to Seoul causing hazardous air pollution. Plants which grow only in heavily polluted areas have appeared in Seoul and nearby towns, indicating how serious environmental pollution is in Korea. The level of air pollution in Korea is high, especially in the winter due to the mass consumption of fossil fuels. Aggravating the air pollution problem is the skyrocketing number of motor vehicles, especially private passenger vehicles resulting from the significant rise in incomes. In Seoul, 60 percent of air pollutants come from motor vehicle exhaust emissions include more stringent emission standards and improve fuel quality. City sewer systems are overtaxed. Other issues include water pollution from sewer discharge and industrial effluents, acid rain, drift net fishing, and wasteful packaging of consumer goods. Continue...

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Consequences Air pollutants, such as dust, smoke and harmful gases can be carried by winds from their source to other parts of the country or across international boundaries to other countries. For example, in recent times, hazy skies have been occurring almost every year but were especially bad in 1997. Smoke particles from the burning forests in Indonesia were carried by winds to nearby countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, causing hazy skies in the Southeast Asian region.

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Dust and smoke can cause difficulty in breathing as well as irritations to people’s throats and eyes. When we are exposed to dust and smoke for a long time, we can develop respiratory problems such as bronchitis and asthma. When a city experiences a smog, toxic gases such as carbon monoxide can attack a person’s respiratory system, increasing the risk of developing lung and heart diseases, and even cancer. Some studies have shown that the lifespan of people in cities is shortened by an average of one to two years due to air pollution. Consequences Health Problems

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High amounts of dust and smoke in the air make it difficult for us to see distant objects, Thus, when countries experience a haze, airports may have to stop all flights until visibility improves. It also poses an inconvenience and may be dangerous for those driving vehicles. Traffic hazards Consequences

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Consequences In some cities, acid rain causes air pollution, destroys forests, kills fish in rivers and lakes, as well as corrodes buildings. Acid rain is a common problem in places which have large number of heavy industries present. Risks to the environment from air pollution include climate change from emissions of greenhouse gases and the creation of larger holes in the ozone layer from emissions of ozone-depleting substances Environmental Problems

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What consequences have Korea face? Air currents from China carry sulfur oxide, the major cause of acid rain. Acid rain in the Pacific region is affecting cultural symbols, destroying vegetation, polluting oceans and affecting wildlife. Acid rain reduces visibility, pollutes lakes and streams, destroying fish and other forms of life. Acid deposition results from the chemical transformation and transport of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Seoul has a reputation for being one of the worst cities in the world in terms of smog. In the summer months, city goers even wear surgical masks over their faces to minimize how much soot they breath

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Recent epidemiologic studies show that gestational exposure to air pollution adversely affects pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight in preterm birth. In this study, we evaluated the acute effect of air pollutants on low birth weight throughout the gestational period using the birth cohort between 1999 and 2003 in Seoul, South Korea. Difficulties in breathing from air pollution and from asthma can lead to increased risks for suicide, independent of psychiatric illness, according to 2 new Asian population studies. In one, South Korean researchers found a 9% increase in suicide associated with ambient particulate matter, with an 18.9% increase for this association in those with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Continue...

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Solutions International efforts : Governments from various countries and international organisations, such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), need to work closely to reduce pollution. National efforts : Enforcing laws and regulations to control the amount of pollutants emitted by industries and to ensure that companies treat their waste before disposing them Using alternative sources of energy which does not release any harmful materials into the environment Using advanced technology to treat waste and remove pollutants Developing proper waste disposal methods - Landfills and incineration Educating the public to produce less waste

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Solutions Individual efforts: On a personal level, driving and flying less, and conservation reduces a person’s "carbon footprint"—the amount of carbon dioxide a person is responsible for putting into the atmosphere. The 3Rs ; Recycle, Reuse and Reduce We can buy environmentally friendly products such as rechargeable batteries with lower mercury content or products made of recycled materials , this will also reduce the amount of waste we produce.

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As South Korean companies lack the expertise to install the required desulfurizers at their plants. South Korean firms are seeking assistance from leading Japanese companies and are in the tentative stages of working toward technological cooperation. Bilateral legislation between Korea and Japan, Japan and China, and Korea and China have been established. Agreements between these countries are in progress towards improving the environment of the Pacific Region. Seoul recently has begun to make a transformation into a greener city. The mayor of the city since 2002 has put his green ideas to work at making Seoul eco-friendlier, and cleaning up the city What have Korea do to help minimize the problem?

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The primary objective of the second IES-South Korea project was to deepen understanding among Korean policy makers and the research community of the advantages of an IES approach, the methodologies for conducting associated analyses, and the benefits of the measures analyzed. Specific goals included: implementing a health benefits model for Seoul; developing co-benefits analyses and evaluating the impacts of selected measures from the SAQMP and select GHG reduction measures; developing an alternate suite of measures, identified through optimization analysis, that cost effectively meet GHG and local air pollution goals; 4) supporting integrated policymaking by the Ministry of Environment's Climate Change Team; 5) continuing cooperation with the national outreach campaign on air quality; and 6) continuing the presentation of IES results in national and international forums. What have Korea do to help minimize the problem?

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What have we learnt about Korea We learnt that Korea has a serious pollution as compared to other countries , example , Singapore. But they did take actions against it after realise how terrible air pollution has harm them and their environment.

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The problem we face while doing this project. We have difficulties when it comes to meeting up to do project, as everyone has their things, so we rarely come out with all group members to do together. We can’t stop playing a fool , when we meet up , we didn’t do the project , we fool around , jokes around, nobody is serious about the project and everyone is not cooperating. Solutions : 1) We decide to go home and do separately and combine everything together, this make things even easier for us.

Resources taken. : 

Resources taken. http://www1.american.edu/TED/KORPOLL.htm Geography Sec 2 Textbook http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-korea-country-profile.html http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/725311