economy

A sci-tech presentation and exhibition for improving the ecological environment of the capital city was held at the Sci-Tech Complex from late March to early April by reflecting the growing demand of the people for clean ecological environment.

On display at the exhibition were pest control instruments developed on the basis of various electrical and physical methods to exterminate harmful insects and provide the people with more civilized living conditions and environment.

Among them the air purifying insecticidal lamp for the extermination of harmful insects took first place for its remarkably high air purifying capacity and harmful insect-killing rate per hour.

These lamps have already been installed at several places in Pyongyang, winning popularity among the people.

“In the past, we used an imported insect killing instrument, which was not so effective. But since the installation of the air purifying insecticidal lamp, we have enjoyed great benefit from it,” said Choe Song Suk, an employee of the Saemaul Tailor’s Shop.

The air purifying insecticidal lamp for the extermination of harmful insects was developed by Kim Kyong Suk, PhD, associate professor and department head of Pyongyang College of Urban Management.

She said that whenever she heard the news about the happy events of moving into new houses and the inaugurations of new streets which happened thanks to the people-oriented policies of the Party and the government each year, she felt an urge to contribute to providing the people with more hygienic and cultured living conditions and environment and so undertook the research project for the extermination of harmful insects.

She first made an in-depth study of the nature of insects, the pest control methods in several countries and others and, on the basis of it, thought over and over again to find the most reasonable way. In those days, she developed a method of exterminating harmful insects by using an electrical pulse stimulator, a harmful insect outbreak forecast and extermination support program and an insecticidal lamp using the insects’ character of enjoying light and colour.

And she carried out simulations dozens of times to solve the technical problems arising in the pest control instruments.

In the course of it, she came to know what harmful insects like and dislike, what their food chain consists of and so on and realized that it is the easiest way to kill harmful insects in the larval stage rather than in their prime and that it is very effective to lure them with light or smell in their prime.

At last, she developed the air purifying insecticidal lamp, a green insect killer device which can easily lure and kill harmful insects and, at the same time, purify the air in the surroundings to protect the ecosystem by combining an LED lamp radiating near-UV rays with a photocatalyst panel that can decompose and remove various kinds of volatile pollutants without causing any secondary pollution by making use of the special liking of insects for light and smell.

According to Ji Yong Nam, rector of the college, Kim had won her doctorate in her early 30s seven years ago by completing the propagating method of Aeguk grass growing in the tropical and subtropical regions for massively cultivating it in the climatic conditions of the country.

“The country has provided the people with excellent living environment by spending a colossal sum of money. By completing a research project for improving the ecological environment, I have followed the dictates of my conscience as a citizen and done my duty as a scientist,” said Kim Kyong Suk.