Author Topic: Air pollution - bad enough to leave Korea? (Read 96827 times)

pigeonfart · « **on:** April 16, 2014, 01:18:53 PM »

Levels of pollution are ridiculously high today (year by year i've seen it get worse).

Have you noticed many of your students and co-workers having chesty coughs this week? I've noticed it, and i have a chesty cough and wheeze myself. I've enjoyed living in Korea for many years but i'm seriously reconsidering moving out of Asia within the next year or two, solely because of that issue. Sad but true. I want to stay but it's getting worse and i'm (literally) sick of it. Anyone else seriously put off by this? Maybe i'll move to Jeju-do if i can't make myself leave Korea. I've heard the air is much better there.

http://aqicn.org/map/ (map of pollution in Asia)

http://www.airkorea.or.kr/airkorea/eng/index.htm (미세먼지 분석서 pollution forecast)

http://www.korea.amedd.army.mil/webapp/yellowSand/
(U.S. millitary Yellow sand forecast)

gtrain83 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2014, 01:28:10 PM »

After what I have been through this year with sickness, yes I am put off by it. I want to leave as well, and this is a huge reason why.

specter13 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2014, 01:33:06 PM »

I was thinking the exact same thing today. I have an app that shows the level and it is over 200 today, that is a very unhealthy level.

I would like to say a very special **** YOU to China, stop polluting the rest of Asia.

Pizza · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2014, 01:42:14 PM »

I'm in the same boat. This year has been the worst. Been sick since the beginning of March.

kyndo · « **Reply #4 on:** April 16, 2014, 01:56:17 PM »

Quote from: Pizza on April 16, 2014, 01:42:14 PM

I'm in the same boat. This year has been the worst. Been sick since the beginning of March.

I guess this is really dependent on one's location in Korea. You guys are up near Seoul?
I'm a few clicks East of Daegu, but I haven't noticed any particularly (punpunpun) bad air quality (And I'm outside quite a bit).

wolve · « **Reply #5 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:02:31 PM »

I never used to get sick back in australia but since I arrived 2 months ago I've been sick every day. I used to suffer badly from asthma and this is bringing on a very weezy chest and pretty ****** over it already. It is one of the reasons I cannot see myself staying here for more than a year.

Life Improvement · « **Reply #6 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:45:24 PM »

Quote from: kyndo on April 16, 2014, 01:56:17 PM

Quote from: Pizza on April 16, 2014, 01:42:14 PM
I'm in the same boat. This year has been the worst. Been sick since the beginning of March.
I guess this is really dependent on one's location in Korea. You guys are up near Seoul?
I'm a few clicks East of Daegu, but I haven't noticed any particularly (punpunpun) bad air quality (And I'm outside quite a bit).

Maybe you have super strong lungs/ a super strong immune system?

Air pollution in Korea is much worse than the air in our home countries. I'd say it's the #1 drawback to living here and a good reason to leave. I've about had it myself. I'm seriously considering packing up and heading home (because of the unhealthy polluted air).

http://aqicn.org/map/southkorea/

http://aqicn.org/map/newyork/

mikeD · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:50:07 PM »

I live in the south on Geoje island. The air quality seems pretty good here. I am also by the sea so I guess there is a source of clean air coming in. Better move to the south. I'm also in a rural area. Better avoid the major cities. I can see how they would be a problem for one's health.

gtrain83 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:50:29 PM »

After viewing the maps, I can only wonder how 99% of the Chinese population doesn't have lung cancer. 579??

Freeto · « **Reply #9 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:51:42 PM »

Runny nose with a sore throat and hoarse voice. My co-t pleaded with my students to pay extra attention in class today because he figured I was sick from the pollution.

kyndo · « **Reply #10 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:53:12 PM »

Quote from: Life Improvement on April 16, 2014, 02:45:24 PM

Maybe you have super strong lungs/ a super strong immune system?

Air pollution in Korea is much worse than the air in our home countries. I'd say it's the #1 drawback to living here and a good reason to leave. I've about had it myself. I'm seriously considering packing up and heading home (because of the unhealthy polluted air).

http://aqicn.org/map/southkorea/

http://aqicn.org/map/newyork/

Nah, I think it has more to do with local geography, prevailing winds etc: certain valleys back home would be smoke free even during the peak forest fire seasons, while others would have black skies. Might be that the same principle applies here.

And I don't doubt parts of Korea get craploads of pollution: I was in Beijing a while ago during a smog spike... my god that was horrible. I'm just surprised that that miasma fades to the extent it does before rolling over the northern bits of S. Korea.

***

Looking at the real-time pollution monitoring index (which is kinda cool, btw, thanx for posting it), the air quality seems to be slightly better here in Korea than in both China and Japan, so there's that, at least.
http://aqicn.org/map/

nschenk512 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 16, 2014, 03:01:36 PM »

Busan. Ugh. I'm looking out the window and I can't see the skyline. It's so gross. I've been coughing hard all day.

MayorHaggar · « **Reply #12 on:** April 16, 2014, 03:04:56 PM »

It's been really bad since like last November. Last spring and summer were pretty smoggy, but it was mainly just hazy, and not anywhere as bad as this winter and spring have been. The pollution here really sucks and people here don't really seem to pay much attention to it. It's smoggy and hazy as heck and you still see people shielding their faces with pocketbooks...they mainly just care about sunlight.

gagevt · « **Reply #13 on:** April 16, 2014, 04:02:35 PM »

I figured that might be the reason, why so many of my students are coughing as well as why my throat has started to get a bit sore since yesterday. Today I cnouldn't see the usually visible mountains from my class. I'm in Pohang btw, so POSCO doesn't help things, but today has been the worst I've seen since I arrived in Korea 7/8 months ago. Pleading for a good rain soon. Just as my ankle has been getting better and I'm ready to start footballing again, we get this disgusting smog. I'm apprehensive about doing such hard exercise outside during days like this. Especially when I've already god a semi-sore throat going on.

MayorHaggar · « **Reply #14 on:** April 16, 2014, 04:35:24 PM »

Yellow dust levels jumping noticeably today:

http://web.kma.go.kr/eng/weather/asiandust/timeseries.jsp

Gaikoku.org · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2014, 07:56:55 PM »

Quote from: gtrain83 on April 16, 2014, 02:50:29 PM

After viewing the maps, I can only wonder how 99% of the Chinese population doesn't have lung cancer. 579??

As terrible as air pollution is it still takes quite a while to cause its worst effects. I'm sure we're all statistically more likely to see the worst stuff here in a few years than in the same period in our respective home countries but a jump from one in a million to one in 750,000 is still unlikely. Just gotta deal with it being gross and getting kinda sick more frequently unfortunately.

cabralcm · « **Reply #16 on:** April 16, 2014, 09:05:25 PM »

The air quality measurements for Korea might deceptively lower than those reported for China and Japan.

http://aqicn.org/map/

Take a look at the link above, select a city in China, Japan and Korea.

Cities in China and Japan have measurements for particulate matter 10 (PM 10) and particulate matter (2.5). While Korea only has measurements for PM 10.

Why does this matter? Because PM 2.5 are the particles that have severe adverse health effects in comparison to PM 10. PM 2.5 are smaller and more toxic particles that travel deeper into the alveoli in your lungs and have longer lasting effects. For more information see: http://www.airinfonow.org/html/ed_particulate.html

If PM 2.5 measurements are being omitted, then the Korean air quality index will seem be healthier than it actually is.

You can find Korea air reports here:
http://www.airkorea.or.kr/airkorea/eng/index.htm
http://www.airkorea.or.kr/airkorea/index.htm (Korean)

cereal killer · « **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2014, 09:09:21 PM »

Quote from: specter13 on April 16, 2014, 01:33:06 PM

I was thinking the exact same thing today. I have an app that shows the level and it is over 200 today, that is a very unhealthy level.

I would like to say a very special **** YOU to China, stop polluting the rest of Asia.

Oh, please. Stop blaming China for the pollution here. Korea does a bang up job of polluting itself and everybody else. They lack just as many regulations here as they do in China.

Quaelyn · « **Reply #18 on:** April 16, 2014, 10:12:22 PM »

I've been dealing with nasty sore throats and dry mouth and dry eyes for months now. I already had asthma, and the pollution and other nastiness here has made it so much worse

I cannot wait to leave in a few months and get back to actual fresh air.

EL34 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2014, 10:53:48 PM »

Quote from: Pizza on April 16, 2014, 01:42:14 PM

I'm in the same boat. This year has been the worst. Been sick since the beginning of March.

I had chronic sinus and ear infections (the Eustachian tubes connects it all together)thanks to the pollution. It got so bad that the year before I got surgery, I had been sick 9 months out of the year...and by sick I mean tinnitus, vertigo, sinus headaches, post nasal drip that affected my digestive system. Was a wreck. Our kid's starting to get some of the same symptoms, so it's one of the reasons why we're getting the heck out.