“The worst-recorded yellow dust storm hit the nation on Saturday, causing the weather agency to issue its first nationwide warning, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.” This was the 5th yellow sand storm this year. Some areas hit 2,847 micrograms per cubic meter in one area! 1
So here’s the lowdown, with links, on yellow dust:
Comes from China’s deserts.
“China’s expanding deserts now cover one-third of the country because of overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl and drought. The shifting sands have led to a sharp increase in sandstorms — the grit from which can travel as far as the western United States.According to one source, China isn’t the only offender:
“The Chinese Academy of Sciences has estimated that the number of sandstorms has jumped six-fold in the past 50 years to two dozen a year.” 2
Some of the dust hitting Korea every year comes from Mongolia and some comes from as far away as Uzbekistan, where Soviet-era policies turned much of the Aral Sea into a massive toxic dust bowl. 3Not just a recent phenomena:
The first record of the dust phenomenon in Korea is found in the reign of Silla Dynasty's King Ahdalla (174 A.D.). It was called "Woo-To". At that time, the people believed that the God in the heaven became so angry that they lashed down dirt instead of rain or snow. This is why, whenever the King or his subjects saw a dust phenomenon, they would be frightened.
In the reign of Baekje Dynasty's King Kungusu in 379 A.D., there was the following record in April: "Dust fell all day long." There was a record that the sky of the Baekje's capital was darkened like night by dustfall in march in the reign of King Mu (606 A.D.).
Although these dust phenomena mainly occur during the springtime, there were some records of them occurred in winter as well. During the reign of Goguryeo Dynasty's King Bojang in 644 A.D., it was recorded that there was a red snow that fell from the sky in October. We can guess that Asian Dust was mixed with snow at that time.
The definition of Asian Dust event was introduced in the 「Goryeosa」 as follow: "There was dirt on clothes without getting wet by rain." It was called "Mae () or To-Woo". 4
Recent danger of dust:
The dust, while irritating, is not especially dangerous by itself [or at least so says this article]. What is dangerous is the cocktail of sulfur, heavy metals (such as mercury) and other pollutants the dust storms pick up as they cross northern China. 5
Additional toxins:
Dangers: Dust particles, measuring one to 10 microns 8 or 301-500 parts per million in a cubic meter of air 9
In humans:
- Aggravate bronchitis and cause pinkeye, sinusitis and ear infections
- Exposure can cause respiratory problems,
- High particulate air-pollution levels have been linked to higher mortality rates.
- children living in Inner Mongolia have less lung capacity than children living on South Korea’s Jeju Island. 10
- From a report in 2008: The state-sponsored Korea Environment Institute said the dust kills up to 165 South Koreans a year, mostly the elderly or those with respiratory ailments, and makes as many as 1.8 million ill. 11
For South Korea… is estimated at up to 5.5 trillion won ($5.82 billion) 12 Wikipedia also has interesting stories about the economic hardship it poses.
Where to check for yellow dust:
- www.seoul.amedd.army.mil
- Additionally, some cell phone providers offer alert text messages, but supposedly only in Korean (google search for it!)
Asia’s solution: tree planting
The city government signed an accord… to invest 50 million won (42,000 dollars) in the planting project led by Future Forest, a South Korean environmental group operating in China for the past 10 years.
The investment will be used to purchase and plant some 72,000 poplar and desert willow trees in Inner Mongolia's Kubuqi Desert, 600 kilometres (370 miles) west of Beijing. 13
1. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/205213-Korea-Nation-hit-by-worst-ever-yellow-dust-storm
2. http://rokdrop.com/2010/03/20/yellow-dust-storms-plague-china-korean-peninsula/
3. http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2010/03/220_16754.html
4. http://web.kma.go.kr/eng/weather/asiandust/intro.jsp
5. http://web.kma.go.kr/eng/weather/asiandust/intro.jsp
6. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,95882,00.html
7. http://www.springerlink.com/content/en4544hh84148q03/
8. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,95882,00.html
9. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,95882,00.html
10. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,95882,00.html
11. http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/32120
12. http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/32120
13. http://www.physorg.com/news176567358.html
