It comes out of the Gobi Desert and sweeps down across Korea and parts of Japan every spring, causing scores of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. Schools close, high tech plants go into environmental lockdown, people don breathing masks as the Yellow Dust sweeps south out of China bearing its toxic sand.
What makes the dust lethal are the heavy metals and carcinogens such as dioxins picked up as it passes over China's industrial centres. Dry weather and heavy winds send millions of tons of the stuff southward from February until May.
South Korea says the Yellow Dust storms kill an average of 165-people annually and leave another 1.8-million sick.
What makes the dust lethal are the heavy metals and carcinogens such as dioxins picked up as it passes over China's industrial centres. Dry weather and heavy winds send millions of tons of the stuff southward from February until May.
South Korea says the Yellow Dust storms kill an average of 165-people annually and leave another 1.8-million sick.
2 comments:
There is no exaggeration to your blog "The Yellow Dust Returns". In the spring of 2006, April being the worse month, it was so bad it was very difficult to breath in the subway and on the trains going through the very long tubs. This time last year, while I was in China, it also is not an exaggeration to get up in the morning and not be able to see three streets over in the Qingdao area. All this heading directly across Seoul South Korea and, contrary to what Canadians believe, headed right across North America as well. When the dust, which carried the Foot and Mouth desease into Korea in 2006, falls on the leaves of the trees in South Korea, they shrival up and turn a dirty colour of green....they do not fall off the tress. The chemicals in the air which can be tasted in the mouth, leave ones mouth so dry water doesn't alleviate the problem. The eyes burn and this is the time when the whole population cannot get away from eye infections. Doctors openly blame the Yellow Dust for the medical problems that arise. It is not nice and down right dangerous to ones well being. Cheers
A good read....about water.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23437167/wid=18298287
Post a Comment