Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations
North Korea’s air quality is poorly understood due to a lack of reliable data. Here, we analyzed urban- to national-scale air quality changes in North Korea using multi-year satellite observations. Pyongyang, Nampo, Pukchang, and Munchon were identified as pollution hotspots. On a national scale, we...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022006353 |
| _version_ | 1828059326598610944 |
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| author | Heesung Chong Seoyoung Lee Yeseul Cho Jhoon Kim Ja-Ho Koo Yong Pyo Kim Younha Kim Jung-Hun Woo Dha Hyun Ahn |
| author_facet | Heesung Chong Seoyoung Lee Yeseul Cho Jhoon Kim Ja-Ho Koo Yong Pyo Kim Younha Kim Jung-Hun Woo Dha Hyun Ahn |
| author_sort | Heesung Chong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | North Korea’s air quality is poorly understood due to a lack of reliable data. Here, we analyzed urban- to national-scale air quality changes in North Korea using multi-year satellite observations. Pyongyang, Nampo, Pukchang, and Munchon were identified as pollution hotspots. On a national scale, we found that North Korea experienced 6.7, 17.8, and 20.6 times greater amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) per unit primary energy supply (PES) than South Korea from 2005 to 2018. Besides, North Korea had a 24.3 times larger aerosol optical depth (AOD) per PES than South Korea from 2011 to 2018. Severe CO and aerosol pollution is aligned with extensive biofuel combustion. High SO2 pollution corresponds with the strong coal dependence of the industry. The change rates of the national average columns for NO2, SO2, and CO were + 3.6, –4.4, and –0.4 % yr−1, respectively. The AOD change rate was –4.8 % yr−1. Overall decreasing trends, except for NO2, are likely due to a decline in coal-fired PES. Positive NO2 trends are consistent with increasing industrial activities. Each pollutant showed consistent patterns of linear trends, even after correcting the influence of transboundary pollution. Flue gas control and biofuel consumption reduction seem necessary to improve North Korea’s air quality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:41:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3c27cdf6d2cf464e955e920f3b263880 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:41:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-3c27cdf6d2cf464e955e920f3b2638802023-01-19T04:16:23ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202023-01-01171107708Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observationsHeesung Chong0Seoyoung Lee1Yeseul Cho2Jhoon Kim3Ja-Ho Koo4Yong Pyo Kim5Younha Kim6Jung-Hun Woo7Dha Hyun Ahn8Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author.Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of KoreaInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361, Laxenburg, AustriaDepartment of Technology Fusion Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of KoreaNorth Korea’s air quality is poorly understood due to a lack of reliable data. Here, we analyzed urban- to national-scale air quality changes in North Korea using multi-year satellite observations. Pyongyang, Nampo, Pukchang, and Munchon were identified as pollution hotspots. On a national scale, we found that North Korea experienced 6.7, 17.8, and 20.6 times greater amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) per unit primary energy supply (PES) than South Korea from 2005 to 2018. Besides, North Korea had a 24.3 times larger aerosol optical depth (AOD) per PES than South Korea from 2011 to 2018. Severe CO and aerosol pollution is aligned with extensive biofuel combustion. High SO2 pollution corresponds with the strong coal dependence of the industry. The change rates of the national average columns for NO2, SO2, and CO were + 3.6, –4.4, and –0.4 % yr−1, respectively. The AOD change rate was –4.8 % yr−1. Overall decreasing trends, except for NO2, are likely due to a decline in coal-fired PES. Positive NO2 trends are consistent with increasing industrial activities. Each pollutant showed consistent patterns of linear trends, even after correcting the influence of transboundary pollution. Flue gas control and biofuel consumption reduction seem necessary to improve North Korea’s air quality.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022006353North KoreaAir qualitySatellite observations |
| spellingShingle | Heesung Chong Seoyoung Lee Yeseul Cho Jhoon Kim Ja-Ho Koo Yong Pyo Kim Younha Kim Jung-Hun Woo Dha Hyun Ahn Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations Environment International North Korea Air quality Satellite observations |
| title | Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations |
| title_full | Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations |
| title_short | Assessment of air quality in North Korea from satellite observations |
| title_sort | assessment of air quality in north korea from satellite observations |
| topic | North Korea Air quality Satellite observations |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022006353 |
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