Study: Early Deaths from Ultrafine Dust at Current Levels to Triple by 2050

The forecast was made by a research team led by Pohang University of Science and Technology(POSTECH) Environmental Science and Engineering Division Assistant Professor Lee Hyung-joo, in consideration of the nation’s fine dust levels and aging society.

The average ultrafine dust density in the country between 2019 and 2021 was around 20 micrograms per cubic meter, higher than both the government standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter and the World Health Organization’s(WHO) recommended level of five micrograms per cubic meter.

Under an estimate that seniors will take up 40 percent of the population by 2050, the team projected early deaths from ultrafine dust to reach around 110-thousand in 2050, should the density remain around at 20 micrograms per cubic meter. The projection is triple the tally of 34-thousand premature deaths in 2020.

The team said in order to maintain the number of early deaths in the 2020 range by 2050, the country would have to reduce ultrafine dust density levels to six micrograms per cubic meter.