The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) announced it begins the Korea-China-Japan joint project, Long-range Transport of Air Pollutants Project (LTP), on May 13. The project, which has been conducted since 2000, is to measure long-distance moving air pollutants using an aircraft on the west coast.
In cooperation with Hanseo University, NIER plans to measure long-distance moving air pollutants in the sky over the west coast and the capital area from May 13 to 25 to find out their path and causes of ozone creation. The result of the measurement will be reported at the 14th Korea-China-Japan LTP expert meeting in November, 2011 and used as materials for verifying an air pollution dispersion model, which has been used in the three countries.
In particular, the measurement will be more accurate as problems of an aerial survey were compensated. For the past, a tube for collecting samples was randomly exposed out of the window of an aircraft and batteries for measuring instrument were loaded separately. Also, it has been impossible to measure NOx and NOy simultaneously.
However, for this project, a sample collecting system and a power supply system were improved so that air pollutants can be measured at the same time and particulate matters can be added. In addition, the height for measurement was made higher from 3,000m to 6,000 so that air pollutants can be monitored not only on a scale of a city but also the globe.
The National Institute of Environmental Research expects the improved aerial survey system will enable it to measure air pollutants, which move a long distance, in a more accurate and diverse way and contribute to making plans to reduce the air pollutants.
Source: Apec-vc
