Yellow Dust

In Korea the dust of pressing concern comes in yellow.  Call it yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind—it is one and the same.  Although it can impact Korea at any time, spring is prime time.  February through May designate the official season, with April and early May holding historic honors for the most critical manifestations.

Since my arrival in Korea last August, I have heard all manner of horror tales regarding the yellow dust.  “Just wait until spring,” various sorts intoned.  (Apparently the spring of 2010 was one of the worst yellow dust seasons ever recorded.)  Over the last nine months of living here in Seoul, there have certainly been days I’ve observed a jaundiced hue to the skies overhead, but would that be the dreaded “yellow dust” or the smoggy haze of big city reality?  On Monday when walking to school, I noted that the Korean guys in uniform (I can never decide if they are military or police) patrolling outside the gate to the garrison wore masks.  Knowing they spend goodly chunks of time outside, I suspected air quality might not be too good.  At school several students mentioned how dry their throats were due to the yellow dust and a couple were in full out sneeze and snot mode.  Sure enough, when I checked on a military website, on May 1, there was a “yellow dust alert.”  Air quality must have improved, though, because students still went outside at lunch, and no Korean kids were sporting masks on the streets of Seoul!

Still, this week I have spent some of my down minutes researching yellow dust on the Internet . . .

The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia, northern China, and Kazakhastan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds.   In the last decade or so, it has become a serious problem due to the increase of industrial pollutants contained in the dust, to include heavy metals, in combination with the increasing desertification in China that causes longer and more frequent occurrences.  China, Korea, and Japan regularly experience the brunt of yellow dust.  Indeed, most of Southeast Asia has experienced its impact at one time or another.  On occasion yellow dust has even been observed in the western USA, having traversed the entire Pacific Ocean.

And for Korea specifically:

• The annual "yellow dust" spring storms that originate in China's Gobi Desert before sweeping south to envelop the Korean peninsula and parts of Japan, are blamed for scores of deaths and billions of dollars in damage every year in South Korea.
• The sand storms have been increasing in frequency and toxicity over the years because of China's rapid economic growth and have added to increased tensions with both South Korea and Japan over recent years. 
• 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. Annual economic damage to South Korea from the storms is estimated at up to 5.5 trillion won ($5.82 billion), according to the institute.
• Medical officials long have warned that the dust particles, measuring one to 10 microns, aggravate bronchitis and cause pinkeye, sinusitis and ear infections. New studies have shown the dust also can cause respiratory problems, and high particulate air-pollution levels have been linked to higher mortality rates. A recent study by South Korean, Chinese and Mongolian researchers — conducted amid concerns about the dust storms — showed children living in Inner Mongolia have less lung capacity than children living on South Korea’s Jeju Island.
• About half of the air pollutants in the atmosphere in Korea at any time are carried in from China.
• Some activists have long urged the government to verify the pollutants blowing in from China and to ask Beijing to take remedial action. The authorities have delayed the release of reports on how air pollutants from China affect Korea and Japan, and a ministry official said the cautious stance was taken out of concern over a possible diplomatic conflict caused by the report.

With international pressure and support, China has taken steps to plant trees in desert areas and claim they have 12 billion trees already planted.  In 2007, South Korea sent several thousand trees in an effort to help mitigate the impact of yellow dust. China received the trees but stated that they would decide where the trees would be planted.  Evidently, these trees were largely planted along highways. 

The military website here in Korea provides the following suggestions to help diminish the negative health effects of yellow dust:

• Avoid outdoor activities, especially for the elderly, young children and those with asthma or other airway diseases.
• Keep windows and doors closed.
• Remove contact lenses and wear glasses.
• Brush your teeth and wash your hands, face and eyes with warm water upon returning indoors.
• Drink plenty of water to keep your tears flowing.
• Use air filters to keep air cleaner and humidifier to increase humidity levels.
• Wash dust off fruit and vegetables before consuming.
• Wash hands before preparing food.

Generally, when I arrive home after school now—whether or not I walked or drove for the commute—I wash my hands and wipe my face, especially the eye area, with one of those facial cleansing towelettes.  That alleviates the minor issues I’ve had with itchy, burning eyes for the rest of the evening anyway!

The first known record of an Asian Dust event in Korea was in 174 AD. Then the dust was known as "Uto (우토, 雨土)", meaning “Raining Sands,” and was believed to be the result of an angry god sending down dust instead of rain or snow.  I tell you what, all the rain in Seoul is “Uto”!  I have a black car, and there has never been any form of precipitation—rain, sleet, or snow—during my residence in Seoul that has not rendered my car muddy!