Ozone Advisories Issued in Incheon for 16 Days This Year... 5 Days Fewer Than Last Year

The Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute announced on November 4 that, according to this year's operation of the ozone forecast and warning system, ozone advisories were issued 39 times over 16 days, a decrease compared to the previous year (45 times over 21 days).

An ozone advisory is issued when the one-hour average concentration reaches 0.12 ppm or higher. Incheon divides its forecast and warning areas into Southeast, West, Yeongjong·Yeongheung, and Ganghwa zones. This year, the advisories were issued 17 times in the Southeast, 10 times in the West, 11 times in Yeongjong·Yeongheung, and once in Ganghwa.

The decrease in ozone advisories this year is attributed to weather conditions that made it difficult for high concentrations of ozone to form, including an increase in precipitation (from 894.3 mm to 1,373.7 mm) and the number of rainy days (from 69 to 77 days), as well as a decrease in the average maximum temperature (from 25.4°C to 24.3°C) compared to last year.

Environmental Information Disclosure System Ozone Measurement Results. Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute

Ozone is a representative air pollutant during the summer and is a secondary pollutant formed by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under ultraviolet light. It cannot be blocked by masks, and repeated exposure can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

In particular, the average annual ozone pollution level in Incheon has steadily increased, rising by approximately 36% over the past 10 years since 2015. Therefore, children, the elderly, and people with respiratory illnesses need to exercise caution regarding high concentrations of ozone.

Incheon is working to reduce precursor substances that contribute to ozone formation, while also providing citizens with guidelines such as refraining from outdoor activities and using public transportation during high ozone forecasts. Related information can be found on the Environmental Information Disclosure System of the Health and Environment Research Institute.

Kwak Wansoon, Director of the Incheon Health and Environment Research Institute, stated, "Although the number of ozone advisories has decreased, the annual average concentration continues to rise, so we have expanded the forecast period from April 1 to October 31 starting this year. We will continue to proactively respond to high ozone concentrations by providing rapid information using the air quality diagnosis and evaluation system."

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