[Opinion] Seoul-type Smog

Mexico is notorious for its air pollution along with major cities like China. Resident employees of the foreign companies receive the occupational hazard allowance due to the pollution. Hotels have information bulletins that warn not to open the window for the purpose of ventilation. The principal carrier of pollution is dust which contains heavy metals. The density of heavy metals in the body of Mexican citizen is 20 times higher than that of the U.S. citizen. The pollutants, which come from automobiles and factories, are congested in the Mexico City because the Mexico City is a valley located 2000 meter above sea level. This is the major cause of the pollution.

- London is notorious for the disaster caused by air pollution. London-type smog creates suffocation since smoke from the coal combustion, which cannot be diffused to the air, is mixed with fog. Even a royal order, an order to execute if one does not reduce the amount of coal use, was issued in the 14th century in order to prevent the air pollution. There were serious damages after the Industrial Revolution. However, air in London is relatively clean today.

- Air pollution in the metropolitan area, including Seoul, has become worse. For instance, the pollution level of nitrogen dioxide and the infinitesimal dust exceeded the standard level by 46 times and 168 times relatively. Of course, these levels were higher than last year. Although air pollution is affected by the weather condition, such as drought and fog, the emission of the pollutants is the major problem. For instance, 85 percent of the total amount of the air pollution comes from automobiles. Therefore, the smog consisted of the automobiles fume mixed with fog is called Seoul-type smog.

- The automobile gas pollution doe not end here. The substance, which is contained in the gas, changes to the second level pollutant by reacting with the sunrays. The automobile exhaust fumes causes the so-called LA-type smog as well as the depletion of the ozone layer which causes the eye and the respiration disease. The government is carrying out the ozone warning system to reduce the damages caused by the depletion of the ozone layer and to caution the air pollution. The ozone warning signals were issued several times in Seoul this year. However, people do not seem to care. It is true that the health of people is threatened by the pollution.

[Editorialist Yoon Deuk-Hun] dhyoon@donga.com