Dioxin Concentration in Gyeonggi-do Air Decreases by 41% Compared to Two Years Ago

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Gwanggyo New Office Building

The concentration of dioxins in the air of Gyeonggi Province has decreased by 41% compared to two years ago.

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment conducted air component measurements six times annually last year at six locations including Pyeongtaek, Gimpo, Pocheon, Icheon, Ansan, and Dongducheon, testing for persistent organic pollutants (dioxins and furans, PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

As a result of the tests, the average dioxin concentration was 0.024 pg I-TEQ/㎥, which represents a decrease of 41% and 31% compared to 0.041 pg I-TEQ/㎥ in 2020 and 0.035 pg I-TEQ/㎥ in 2021, respectively. The air quality standard for dioxins is 0.6 pg I-TEQ/㎥.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a carcinogen used as transformer insulating oil, also maintained a decreasing trend with an average of 0.003 pg WHO-TEQ/㎥, compared to the recent two-year average of 0.004 pg WHO-TEQ/㎥.

The Institute attributes this to the continuous strengthening of dioxin emission source management and appropriate environmental policies such as the prohibition of illegal open-air burning.

For polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the concentrations fluctuated with 17.44 ng/㎥ in 2020, 10.90 ng/㎥ in 2021, and 16.29 ng/㎥ in 2022. These changes are due to pollutants generated from daily activities such as heating and automobiles, and the Institute advises careful management.

Dioxins are colorless, odorless, highly toxic chemical substances primarily produced at waste incineration plants and are known as environmental hormones. In 1992, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified them as a genetically transmissible Group 1 carcinogen due to causes such as birth defects.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including naphthalene, anthracene, and phenanthrene, contain many toxic substances, with benzo[a]pyrene known as a carcinogen.

This "Persistent Organic Pollutants and PAHs Survey" has been conducted since 2001, and detailed data can be accessed at the "Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment website data room."

Park Yong-bae, Director of the Institute, stated, "Monitoring of persistent organic pollutants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) not only alleviates public concerns about harmful substances such as dioxins but also proactively identifies the impact of emission sources based on this data. This year, we will further strengthen the air monitoring project for persistent pollutants in residential areas adjacent to municipal waste incineration facilities to protect residents' health and create a safe environment."

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