SEOUL, March 23 (UPI) -- Airborne dust containing lead and arsenic from China and pollution from coal-firing plants in South Korea are aggravating the quality of air in Seoul.
The Korea Herald reported Monday the increase in ultrafine dust creates thick smog that obstructs views of Seoul's Han River. Residents of Seoul must don protective masks whenever a dust advisory goes into effect in a city that in 2012 had an average of 25.2 micrograms per cubic meter of ultrafine dust -- double the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization.