Seoul Institute of Technology Develops Mosquito Prevention Measures: "Mosquito Control Without Insecticides"

Measures to Prevent Vulnerabilities at the Source
Improvement Recommendation Plan for 25 Districts in Seoul Before the Monsoon Season

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Institute of Technology announced on the 15th that it has prepared effective control measures to prevent the occurrence and spread of pests such as mosquitoes that cause inconvenience to citizens' daily lives and to actively resolve related complaints.

So far, mosquito control conducted by Seoul City has mainly involved spraying insecticides diluted with water in septic tanks and sewers. The main active ingredient used is Difenothrin, a low-toxicity substance with safety (carcinogenic risk assessment) confirmed by the US EPA's RED (Reregistration Eligibility Decision) report. However, the amount of insecticide used by each autonomous district has not decreased annually, with about 1,600 liters used per year, costing approximately 50 million KRW.

Accordingly, the Seoul Institute of Technology analyzed mosquito occurrence characteristics and structures by vulnerable facility types in areas with frequent mosquito-related complaints using mosquito occurrence data observed by Seoul City and data from 25 autonomous districts. They proposed an effective method that is cheaper than existing projects and can fundamentally prevent mosquito occurrence.

On-site inspections of major occurrence sites confirmed that a large number of mosquitoes and other pests enter through gaps in septic tanks near low-rise residential areas, manhole covers of sewers, and exposed ventilation ducts. The investigation found that completely sealing these gaps is the most effective method. Sealing the gaps in septic tanks costs about 3,000 KRW per manhole, and if approximately 2,900 septic tanks with fewer than 200 people across Seoul City are treated in this way, the total cost is expected to be about 8.7 million KRW.

Based on the research results, Seoul City plans to recommend complementary methods such as sealing septic tank facilities near low-rise residential areas to the 25 autonomous districts before the rainy season, when an increase in mosquitoes and other pests is expected, to take proactive measures.

Lim Seong-eun, director of the Seoul Institute of Technology, said, “Based on the analysis of this research result, we will propose effective alternatives to enhance citizens' convenience and actively promote research prioritizing citizen safety by analyzing various inconveniences occurring in daily life and seeking the most effective solutions.”

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