[In-Depth Review] 4th Industrial Revolution Technologies and Environmental Pollution

Kim Dong-cheol, Ph.D. in Engineering · Advisor at Bespin Global

The Rhine River, the heart of European civilization, is an important water resource flowing through several countries. During Hitler's regime in Germany, polluting industries were heavily concentrated around the Rhine River. Not only in Germany, but 20% of chemical plants in OECD countries are located along riverbanks. For this reason, large and small pollution incidents continue to occur. It may be a small relief that there has been no intentional contamination of the river water due to war.

In November 1986, a fire broke out at a chemical plant in Basel, Switzerland, located in the upper reaches of the Rhine River. This fire turned a 400 km stretch of the Rhine into a "river of death" for a long time due to pesticides and disinfectants containing mercury. In South Korea, an emergency situation occurred in March 1991 when phenol leaked into the Nakdong River, contaminating drinking water. Phenol is a toxic chemical that causes various cancers and neurological disorders. The 30 tons of leaked phenol contaminated the drinking water in the Daegu area, and the accident was discovered when citizens reported unusual taste and odor in the tap water. This incident terrified the entire Yeongnam region.

Marine pollution causes global problems beyond river pollution. The book "Environmental Disasters and Human Survival Strategies" (Park Seong-soon, 2020) provides a well-organized account of related cases. Developed countries frequently send their hazardous waste to developing countries, a practice known as Third World dumping, causing massive damage that continues to this day. I believe there are many more such incidents that remain undisclosed.

Each country must tightly manage areas corresponding to their territorial waters, even setting aside pollution issues. In this process, data generated by the Internet of Things (IoT) should be shared and analyzed between countries to create a global cooperation model. In cases like Japan’s Fukushima, where coastal waters are polluted, a country may be reluctant to share its data, but from a broader perspective, this approach is no longer novel if we want to build a healthy marine ecosystem.

Air pollution has an immediate impact on humans and flora and fauna. Currently, the atmosphere provides a delicate environment suitable for human life, but even slight changes can cause significant damage. Especially, air pollution is a field where post-facto solutions are more difficult. In the United States, the Clean Air Act was enacted in 1963 and has continuously evolved into a powerful law. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established to set air quality standards, emission limits, and regulate various pollutants.

South Korea shares several environmental factors with Japan and China. If it is revealed that a particular country fails to take measures that meet global standards and affects neighboring countries, it would be a national embarrassment. Switzerland, which polluted the Rhine River, not only paid astronomical compensation to neighboring countries but was also condemned as the main culprit of environmental pollution. Technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are expected to demonstrate convergent value in creating a cleaner Earth in these areas.