Korean vessels to analyze fine dust from China

The South Korean Ministry of Environment is reviewing ways to measure find dust that comes from China across the West Sea by setting up a measuring instrument on a vessel. It is projected that the instruments will be set up on some 35 vessels from 2020 when the budget is reflected to the revised supplementary budget.

Operation of the measuring instruments is to analyze the impact and amount of fine dust flying over from China in various angles. Currently, there is only one ground observation post on Baekryeong Island, which is in the northernmost part of the West Sea. The ministry is operating a fine dust observation plane upgraded from a small size to medium size from March 9 for better observation. Vessels with measuring instruments would allow South Korea to analyze fine dust from land, sea and air. It is planning to launch a Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer in the second half of this year.

Previously in April last year, the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences and the National Institute of Environmental Research conducted a fine dust sea experiment using “Gisang-1,” a vessel owned by the Korea Meteorological Administration. The cost of fine dust measuring instruments is projected to be around 120 million won to 150 million won per vessel that includes protective gears for external measuring devices, batteries and information receivers.


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