'Gyeonggi-do Sky Has Cleared'... Lowest Level of Fine Dust Since Seasonal Management System Implementation

The concentration of ultrafine dust in Gyeonggi-do has dropped to the lowest level.

Gyeonggi-do announced on the 3rd that the average concentration of ultrafine dust (PM-2.5) in the province during the ‘5th Seasonal Fine Dust Management Period’ implemented from December last year to March this year recorded the lowest level since the seasonal management system was introduced in 2019.

The seasonal fine dust management system is a policy that enforces strengthened measures to reduce and control fine dust emissions from December to March, the period when high concentrations of fine dust occur.

During this seasonal fine dust management period, the average concentration of ultrafine dust in the province was 24㎍/㎥, which is 4㎍/㎥ (14%) lower than the average concentration of 28㎍/㎥ during the same period last year.

Yearly Trends in Fine Dust Concentration in Gyeonggi Province

The number of ‘Good (15㎍/㎥ or less)’ days during this period was 38, an increase of 12 days compared to the 4th seasonal management period, and 27 days more than before the system was implemented, more than tripling.

On the other hand, the number of ‘Bad (36㎍/㎥ or more)’ days was 26, which is 8 days fewer than during the 4th seasonal management period and 23 days fewer than before the system was implemented. Notably, there were no ‘Very Bad (76㎍/㎥ or more)’ high concentration fine dust days this year, whereas there were 9 such days before the system was introduced.

As the ultrafine dust pollution level has generally improved, the number of ultrafine dust advisories and warnings issued during this year’s seasonal management period also significantly decreased. The number of advisories and warnings, which was 38 days before the system was implemented, dropped by 22 days to 16 days this year, and decreased by 4 days compared to the 4th seasonal management period.

Gwon Bo-yeon, director of the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "We plan to quantitatively analyze the factors reducing fine dust by sector during the 5th seasonal management period and provide the results to related departments," adding, "The provided data is expected to be usefully utilized in establishing effective fine dust reduction policies."