Seoul, Mar 29 (EFE).- The Korean peninsula on Friday was covered by large amounts of Asian dust, prompting authorities in South Korea to activate alerts over poor air quality.

Due to the levels of Asian dust, also called yellow dust, most of the central and northern regions of South Korea recorded “very unhealthy” air levels, which are activated when PM10 particles – those with a diameter less than 10 nanometers – exceed 150 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

At 8am local time, Seoul recorded about 440 micrograms per cubic meter of dust, while the nearby city of Incheon reported 349 micrograms, according to the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital and Incheon, recorded 424 micrograms, and Gangwon Province, east of the capital region, recorded 329 micrograms.

Asian or yellow dust originates in the deserts of China and Mongolia and travels eastward carried by the wind, especially in spring.

This dust tends to worsen air quality, which is already affected by many particulate pollutants in South Korea.

The KMA has warned that the dust will continue to affect the Korean peninsula until Saturday, while the light rainfall currently prevalent in much of the country is expected to help improve air quality. EFE

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