South Korea takes emergency measures to tackle fine dust levels

SEOUL, March 25 (UPI) -- South Korea took emergency measures to respond to a surge in fine dust levels across major cities.

A state-funded air quality tracker Air Korea said Sunday that the level of ultra-fine dust concentration hit 101 micrograms per cubic meter in Seoul and 106 micrograms in the Gyeonggi Provice, marking the "bad" category.

An ultra-fine dust advisory was in place since Saturday evening in the country's capital, after concentration levels surpassed the 90 microgram per cubic meter threshold, Yonhap reported.

With smog and yellow dust shrouding the sky, Seoul has been frequently recording high levels of ultra-fine dust in the air.

Ultra-fine dust particles measure 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, or roughly one-thirtieth of a strand of hair.

It can infiltrate and harm the respiratory system, and has been linked to illnesses including cancer and heart disease.

The environment ministry said it requested local governments to take emergency procedures to contain the level of dust with measures such as placing advisories, reducing hours of operation for public facilities and running "air cleaning trucks" during the day.