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| The National Physical Laboratory's differential absorption light detection and ranging systems, or DIAL. Courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Research |
By Ko Dong-hwan
A technology that uses light to detect environmentally harmful gas emissions remotely is on its way to help fight pollution in Korea.
Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) is bringing from England "differential absorption light detection and ranging systems (DIAL)". Carried on a semi-trailer, the technology shoots a laser source of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared radiation (IR) and scans clouds for harmful chemicals. Methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ethane, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and benzene are among the chemicals that DIAL can detect.
DIAL boasts better mobility and convenience than the conventional method that requires at least two technicians to climb chimneys while carrying equipment weighing about 20 kilograms. The new technology also allows scientists to examine in real time any doubtful source of harmful emissions without entering the source's site.
DIAL was developed by England's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the late 1990s. Four meters high and 13.6 meters long, it has a detecting room and an analyzing room.
About 10 countries including England, the United States and those in the Middle East have begun using DIAL.
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| Inside DIAL's analyzing room. Courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Research |
NIER and NPL co-tested DIAL for 10 days at a petrochemical complex in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, starting on Sept. 2. The Ministry of Environment, NIER's overseer, said the outcome would be revealed in December.
The two organizations' joint examination is scheduled to expand further in 2020. Korea will fully deploy DIAL in March 2021 after buying the 6.2 billion won ($5.2 million) machine.
Beside its technical strengths, DIAL is expected to raise awareness that Korea's industrial entities can no longer get away with releasing emissions in a country that frequently suffers from air pollution from seasonal particulate matter.
NIER's Climate and Air Quality Department Chief Kim Young-woo said that deploying DIAL would be a catalyst for upcoming national policies to reduce particulate matters and monitor possible sources.
"DIAL's deployment will encourage local manufacturers to make more efforts to generate less air pollutants that can develop into particulate matters or more complex compounds," Kim said.
