Airborne fine dust particles decreased by 15.4 percent in June after the government halted the operation of aged coal-burning power plants in South Chungcheong Province, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. 

As part of the Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts to tackle the nation’s worsening air pollution, the government has shut down eight plants aged 30 years or over for the month of June: four in South Chungcheong Province, two in Gangwon Province and the remaining two in South Gyeongsang Province.

According to an analysis by the Ministry of Environment, the level of PM2.5, ultrafine particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, in South Chungcheong went down by 15.4 percent from the previous two years’ average of 26 micrograms per cubic meter to 22 micrograms per cubic meter. 

The data was collected at 40 measuring points, located within a radius of 70 kilometers from the four suspended power plants in the province, which is home to 26 of the country’s 59 coal-fired power plants. 

A study, which factored into its projection weather conditions in June for the past three years, showed a decrease of 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter in the dust concentration level, the ministry said. 

As for the actual amount of PM2.5 emissions, the ministry said the shutdown of the plants resulted in a cut of at least 304 tons, or 15 percent of the total 1,975 tons emitted from coal power plants across the country in June last year, the ministry said.

According to the 2009 data from the National Institute of Environmental Research, the mortality rate is projected to go up by 0.8 percent when the PM2.5. level increases by 10 micrograms per cubic meter. 

During the presidential election campaign, President Moon pledged to lower fine dust concentration levels by 30 percent by reducing the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels and switching to cleaner energy alternatives.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)