Despite Thick Black Smoke, Air Quality Near Kumho Tire Deemed 'Safe'

Yeongsangang River Basin Office Announces VOCs Analysis Results
"All Measured Values Below Reference Standards"

After the fire at Kumho Tire's Gwangju factory, an air quality survey found that the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) near the site were below the health exposure standards.

Black smoke is billowing from Kumho Tire's Gwangju factory due to a fire that occurred on the morning of the 17th. Photo by Song Bohyun

According to the Yeongsangang River Basin Environmental Office on May 26, the office began real-time monitoring of hazardous substances such as VOCs within a 500-meter radius of the fire site starting at 9:20 a.m. on the day of the fire, May 17. The Gwangju city government also deployed a mobile monitoring vehicle to support on-site response.

The environmental office explained that, given the lack of air quality standards for VOCs, it used the 'time-weighted average exposure standard (TWA)' as a reference value when releasing the data. All measured values were below this standard. The results were the same when compared to the 'acute exposure guideline levels (AEGLs),' which are set for the general population, including sensitive groups.

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