A Study on the Spatial Analysis for Environmental Impact Assessment of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS)

This study focuses on the development of method to spatially analyze the environmental impact caused by Hazardous Noxious Substances (HNS). HNS discharged from marine industrial facilities may cause hazards to human health, marine life and coastal ecosystem, resulting in economic, social and environmental damage. However, contamination of HNS is insufficiently recognized and inefficiently controlled in South Korea. Korean government has conducted an R&D project "Development of Technology for Impact Assessment and Management of HNS discharged from Marine Industrial Facilities" since 2021 to manage HNS discharged into sea. As part of the R&D project, the study has been conducted. First, we created three vulnerability maps divided into legal protected areas, habitats, and species. Each vulnerability map has various spatial data, and these data are classified by evaluation factors. For example, evaluation factors in the legal protected areas consist of World Heritage Sites, environmental conservation areas, special management areas, national park, fishing protection zones, etc. The habitat vulnerability map includes wetland, tidal flats, sand beaches and seagrass areas, and the vulnerability map for species consists of various birds and fish. We selected Gwangyang Bay as a study area, which is a national marine industry cluster and emits harmful chemical substances. Spatial and temporal vulnerability was analyzed by four seasons and four spaces (surface, column, seabed, atmosphere) in the study area.