Daegu Environment Office Conducts Intensive Inspection of 40 Ozone-Generating and Fugitive Emission Sites

On the 1st, the Daegu Regional Environmental Office launched a special inspection targeting fugitive emission facilities and paint manufacturing and sales businesses that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which cause ozone formation, for four months until the end of August, the vulnerable period for ozone, to protect public health.

Fugitive emission facilities refer to facilities where air pollutants are directly released (leaked) into the atmosphere without an outlet, unlike point emission sources such as chimneys.

Government Daegu Regional Joint Office Building housing the Daegu Environmental Office.

Ozone is mainly formed in the atmosphere through photochemical reactions when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are exposed to strong sunlight.

Exposure to high concentrations of ozone can cause damage to the respiratory tract and lungs and irritate the eyes and nose, so intensive management is necessary during periods when ozone is likely to occur.

Studies show that exposure to 0.1 ppm of ozone for 30 minutes causes headaches, and exposure to 0.3 ppm for 5 minutes increases breathing rate.

Currently, there are 156 businesses in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions required to report fugitive emissions, and among them, about 40 sites will be intensively inspected for compliance with facility management standards, with administrative actions such as fines planned if violations are confirmed.

In 39 industries, including painting and coating, and automobile parts manufacturing, 46 regulated substances such as toluene and xylene are used, and if facility application requirements are met, they must be reported to the Environmental Office as fugitive emission facilities.

Last year, the Daegu Regional Environmental Office inspected fugitive emission facilities in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions and confirmed violations in five companies for non-compliance with facility management standards and failure to report changes.

Choi Jong-won, head of the Daegu Regional Environmental Office, urged, “Voluntary efforts by businesses are most important to reduce ozone, and we ask for participation in stronger eradication of VOC emissions during the vulnerable ozone period.”

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