Alternative analysis of the transboundary air pollution problems in Northeast Asia

The recently increasing industrialization and urbanization in Northeast Asia has led to a large volume of air pollutants being emitted in this region. The growth rate of the total emissions is still increasing alarmingly. China has been the major contributor to the total emissions of air pollutants in Northeast Asia. Westerly winds, a unique regional meteorological phenomenon, prevail throughout the year, and the long-range transport of air pollutants is propelled by those winds. As a result, nations in Northeast Asia are very concerned about potential problems with long-range transport of air pollutants from foreign sources. This is because air pollutants emitted from one nation's ground facilities and mobile sources travel hundreds or even thousands of miles by the effects of air pressure and wind drift, and can bring damage to other nations' ecosystems and human health. For example, Korea is located in the eastern part of the region and it can be significantly affected by the air pollutants transported from China.; This dissertation research deals with the transboundary air pollution problem between China and Korea. Among many problems related to transboundary air pollution, this study concentrates on the following two issues: (1) Firstly, the negative consequences of transboundary air pollution from China at industrial sites in Korea; and (2) Secondly, the prediction of the future impact of China's sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions on the air quality in Korea.; The results of the case study in Chapter 3 show evidence of the negative impacts of the transboundary air pollution in Korea. The production loss in Korea is an example of the negative impact brought about by transboundary movement of Chinese air pollutants. The runs of the computer aided simulation model in Chapter 4 show projected emission trends in China and Korea until the year 2010. The simulation results show that the total amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in China and Korea will continue to increase at high rates, which means more and more of those air pollutants are projected to be transported from China into Korea. The total amount of Chinese emissions was more than ten times, in the case of sulfur dioxides, and one hundred times, in the case of the nitrogen oxides, the amount of the Korean emissions during the years from 1990 through 1996. Therefore, a small portion of the Chinese emissions, if transported into Korea, will cause a great increase of the concentration level of those air pollutants in Korea. The simulation model shows several scenarios of policy options which are effective in slowing down the growth rates of the Chinese and Korean emissions, and thus the growth rates of the amount of air pollutants to be transported from China into Korea.; The findings of this study will be useful in raising public awareness in China and Korea, and will provide public policy makers with grounds for future environmental policy generation and cooperation in order to control air pollution and the transboundary air pollution problems in both nations.