Chungnam Implements 'Ozone Alert System' and Strengthens Monitoring Starting This Month

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province will strengthen monitoring by implementing an ozone alert system starting this month and installing additional air pollution monitoring stations.

The Provincial Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 14th that the "Ozone Alert System" will be in effect from the 15th of this month to October 15th.

The ozone alert system is a management framework designed to minimize the health impact of ozone on residents. It measures ozone concentration in the atmosphere and issues a "caution" alert if it reaches 0.12ppm or higher, a "warning" at 0.3ppm or higher, and a "serious warning" at 0.5ppm or higher.

Last year, a total of 29 ozone caution alerts were issued, with 20 of them (69%) occurring in the afternoons of June.

In particular, this year, the average ozone concentration in the region last month increased by 17% (0.054ppm), and the maximum value rose by 46% (0.075ppm), leading to predictions that the first ozone caution alert will be issued earlier than usual.

Accordingly, along with the implementation of the ozone alert system, the province plans to install three additional air pollution monitoring stations in Nonsan Seongdong, Yesan Sapgyo, and Taean Wonbuk, enabling real-time ozone concentration measurement in 37 cities and counties within the jurisdiction.

Ozone has strong irritant and oxidative properties, causing headaches, coughing, chest tightness, and eye irritation, and in severe cases, it can lead to reduced lung function and other damages.

Therefore, when an ozone caution alert is issued, respiratory patients, the elderly, and children are advised to avoid outdoor activities as much as possible, and during a warning, all outdoor activities and strenuous exercise should be avoided.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Health and Environment Research Institute operates a service that sends text messages to residents when an ozone caution alert is issued. The text message service can be subscribed to through the provincial website or the research institute’s website.

Additionally, ozone concentration levels and alert statuses can also be checked through the nationwide real-time air pollution public site "Air Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.