제 21 호 Yellow Dust: An Unwelcome Guest of Spring
Kicker: LIFE
Yellow Dust: An Unwelcome Guest of Spring
By Ye-Dam Hwang, Reporter
Have you ever suffered from yellow dust? As spring comes, yellow dust comes to our daily lives. Yellow dust refers to a phenomenon in which small sand, loess, or dust in deserts and loess zones in the center of the Asian continent, such as China and Mongolia, floats in the sky and then flies far in the upper wind. It contains oxides such as magnesium, silicon, aluminum, iron, potassium, and calcium. Yellow dust gives damage not only to our health but also to industry, mainly through air pollution. The yellow dust phenomenon damages us every year, so it is necessary to prepare and cope with yellow dust, and it is important to know about this.
The Causes and the Process of the Yellow Dust Phenomenon
Yellow dust is a phenomenon in which fine sand dust, which has risen high in the sky by the wind, spreads in the atmosphere and then gradually falls after covering the sky. The main source of yellow dust affecting Korea are the desert areas of China and Mongolia (Taklamakan, Sea Factor, Ten-gel, Ordos, Gobi, Manchuria) and the loess areas of the Yellow River Midstream. These dry areas in China’s northwest have less than 400mm of annual precipitation and are mostly deserts, so a lot of sand dust is generated. Of the dust emitted from the source, 30% usually sinks back to the source, 20% is transported to the surrounding area, and 50% is transported long distances and deposited in some area such as Korea, Japan, and the Pacific Ocean.A satellite picture of yellow dust phenomenon
https://terms.naver.com/imageDetail.naver?cid=63166&docId=2108692&imageUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdbscthumb-phinf.pstatic.net%2F1843_000_1%2F20120618162240124_JRT4PSLR9.jpg%2F192_i1.jpg%3Ftype%3Dm4500_4500_fst_n%26wm%3DY&mode=entry&clickArea=relatedImage&categoryId=51014
Another cause of yellow dust is that dry soil, which had been frozen throughout the winter, melts in spring and breaks down into small pieces, generating small sand dust less than 20㎛ in size. When a low pressure passes on the sand dust generated in this way, it rises to a high altitude of 3,000m to 5,000m due to strong rising air currents and then moves by the westerlies and jet stream at a speed of about 30m per second. Yellow dust is created in these ways and blows into our country and damages us every spring.
The Damage from Yellow Dust
Yellow dust, a phenomenon in which small sand blows in the wind and falls, causes great damage not only in terms of health but also in industrial terms. First, in terms of health, yellow dust causes air pollution, mainly causing diseases in a person’s respiratory organ and eyes, such as asthma, irritable conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and dry eye syndrome. When yellow dust phenomenon occurs, patients with severe asthma or the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, especially bronchial asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, may experience worsening of existing symptoms, so stricter management is required.
Next, in terms of industry, there was more damage than I expected. When thick yellow dust occurred in March 2003, there was a problem in the operation of precision machinery such as semiconductors and aircraft, causing a lot of damage. Businesses that produce silicon wafers, a raw material for semiconductors, increased the number of defective products despite 100% operating air purifiers at manufacturing factories. Automobile manufacturers stopped painting work for an hour due to the growing concern that dust would mix on the surface. In addition, yellow dust also affected aircraft safety, causing many flights to be canceled. According to a study by the Samsung Economic Research Institute, strong yellow dust caused 5 trillion won in industrial damage and 10 trillion won in health damage.
In the case of crops, yellow sand dust blocks the pores that the plants breathe and interferes with the growth of trees with wide leaves, and when the pores are closed, resistance increases and metabolism is abnormal. When yellow dust adheres to the surface of a greenhouse, the amount of sunlight transmission decreases, and photosynthesis cannot be properly performed, causing disorder of growth.
The Method of Prevention
Then, what are the preventive methods to prevent yellow dust damage and how to deal with it in case of occurrence? First, check the windows to prevent yellow dust from entering the room at ordinary households, prepare protective glasses, masks, and long-sleeved clothes when going out, and refrain from outdoor activities for the elderly and respiratory patients. Avoid going out as much as possible when yellow dust occurs, wear protective glasses and masks when going out, and wash your hands and feet after returning home. In addition, it is recommended to wash and eat agricultural and fishery products such as vegetables and fruits exposed to yellow dust. Livestock in the paddock should be promptly evacuated into the shed so that they cannot be exposed to yellow dust. Close the doors and windows of greenhouses and sheds, and make as little contact with outside air as possible.
Foods to prevent diseases caused by yellow dust include fruits, garlic, green onions, onions, and pork. First, if water is insufficient, the respiratory mucosa becomes dry and there is a high probability that yellow dust components penetrate, so drinking water, eating fruits, and vegetables can prevent immunity from deteriorating. Second, garlic has the effect of discharging mercury, and sulfur components contained in garlic and onions combine with heavy metals such as mercury in the body and have the effect of being excreted in feces, thereby preventing the accumulation of mercury in yellow dust in the body. Finally, pork can help prevent diseases caused by yellow dust because it has the effect of neutralizing pollutants accumulated in the lungs and absorbing and excreting heavy metals in the body.
The yellow dust phenomenon is a rising and clear problem that comes every year especially in spring time. Thus, check the methods of prevention of yellow dust and keep healthy. I hope you will have a healthy school life in preparation for yellow dust in spring during the upcoming semester.
Sources:
https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=40942&docId=1155636&categoryId=32299
https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=58947&docId=3577742&categoryId=58981
https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=63166&docId=2108692&categoryId=51014
https://blog.naver.com/kbsavingsbk/223051957905
https://www.safekorea.go.krr/idsiSFK/neo/main_m/nat/dustStorm.html#none
