Incheon Issued 45 Ozone Warnings Over 21 Days This Year: "Impact of Extended Summer"

Due to the extended summer season, ozone advisories in the Incheon area were issued 18 times more over 8 days than last year.

On the 22nd, the Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute announced that a total of 45 ozone advisories were issued over 21 days this year as a result of operating the ozone alert system.

An ozone advisory is issued when the hourly ozone concentration exceeds 0.12 ppm. Incheon operates the alert zones divided into Southeast, West, Yeongjong-Yeongheung, and Ganghwa areas, and if advisories are issued in all zones at the same time, the issuance date and frequency are counted as 4 times per day.

This year’s ozone advisories in Incheon increased compared to last year’s 27 advisories over 13 days, a phenomenon also observed not only in Seoul and the metropolitan area but nationwide. The main causes were analyzed as favorable meteorological conditions for high-concentration ozone formation, including the highest average summer temperature and increased solar radiation since 1973, along with decreased precipitation.

2023~2024 Ozone Advisory Issuance Status [Provided by Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute]

Ozone is not a primary pollutant directly emitted from cars, workplaces, or homes, but a secondary pollutant generated by photochemical reactions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under sunlight. Ozone, which is not filtered by masks, can affect respiratory and heart diseases, so sensitive groups such as children and the elderly need to be especially cautious.

When high concentrations of ozone are expected, outdoor activities should be avoided, and the alert action guidelines should be checked to prevent harm. This information can be found on the Environmental Information Disclosure System of the city’s Health and Environment Research Institute.

Kwon Moon-joo, director of the Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute, said, "Considering the recent trend of increasingly longer summers, we plan to extend the operation period of the ozone alert system from next year. We will also prepare thoroughly for the upcoming winter season of high-concentration fine dust to protect the health of citizens."

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