À̹ÌÁö È®´ë The South Korean government has launched aerial observation to trace origins of fine dust that has emerged as one of the country¡¯s most health-threatening issues with Beechcraft 1900D amid growing demand for close cooperation among neighboring countries to tackle the grave environment issue.
The National Institute of Environmental Research on Thursday unveiled Beechcraft 1900D, a mid-size aircraft that is converted into an aerial observation device to trace pollutants and equipped with equipment that monitors and traces fine dust, at an airfield at Hanseo University in Taean, South Chungcheong Province.
Aerial observation allows information about special distribution of pollutant materials flowing into the Korean Peninsula over the Yellow Sea as well as their moving path and pollutant emissions from industrial complexes. Operations of the special airplane over the Yellow Sea this month will be dedicated to securing evidence of fine dust particles coming from overseas such as China.
The government expects that the 20-seat airplane would allow it to trace the origins of fine dust that has been recently blanketing the Korean Peninsula as well as details of pollutant distribution and moving path by components with its over-the-clock aerial observation. The observation plane is also expected to contribute to unearthing the cause of fine dust concentrations, the source of pollution, and the difference between fine dust during spring and winter seasons based on scientific data.
The aircraft that first flew early this month will monitor and analyze the source of the pollutants until the end of this month. The results are expected to be shared at future joint research with neighboring countries such as China and Japan to find out solutions to tackle the worsening fine-dust problem in the region.
Beechcraft 1900D, previously a 20-seat passenger airplane operated by Hanseo University, was converted into an aircraft for domestic research use. The country¡¯s largest research aircraft can fly for up to five hours at an altitude of 300 meters to 8,000 meters on a single flight. The airplane can carry up to six researchers. Beechcraft 1900D, in particular, enables real-time analysis of fine dust particles through six inlet ports installed on the airplane surface, which inspires outside air into analysis equipment inside the plane. The aircraft can carry up to seven observation device and can observe 12 to 15 categories. Equipment can be replaced if necessary.
The research institute said that Beechcraft 1900D can observe three elements simultaneously, including nitrates and sulfates that create fine dust particles as well as oxidizing agents.
Ultra-fine dust, dubbed PM2.5, that penetrates deeply into blood vessels and lungs is smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Generally, pollutant materials discharged in a form of gas are oxidized into solid matters after going through a chemical reaction in response to light. Beechcraft 1900D allows researchers to observe different materials all at the same time, allowing a deeper understanding of fine dust particles in the air as well as the process in which they are generated.
By Song Kyung-eun and Lee Eun-joo
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