Bangkok Air Pollution

[MaxYakov]

3 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Nice map... but when walking about, is there actually a lack of visibility? Can you feel it when you breath?

Sure, a lack of visibility when one of the diesel buses (or some other motor vehicle) belches a black cloud of exhaust which you should not feel because you should be wearing a decent mask when out and about in Bangkok. I can actually correlate the lack of visibility when I look across Lumphini Park at the buildings in the Silom area (a few miles) with the RTAQ level on the website.

 

Ref Reply: HERE

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

25 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Nice map... but when walking about, is there actually a lack of visibility? Can you feel it when you breath?

 

The main problem with BKK air pollution right now is one pollutant called PM2.5, very tiny microscopic particles (much smaller than dust) that are too small to be seen by the human eye. The reason they're such a health problem is because of their tiny size, they bypass all the natural defenses in your nose and lungs and have the ability to enter directly into your bloodstream.

 

That kind of pollution may at times be visible... But not necessarily. There were days this week in BKK when I went outside and it looked perfectly clear, but the PM2.5 levels were still very high.  You can't assess PM2.5 levels merely in terms of reduced visibility.

 

As for feeling it, yes, depending on the person and their lung condition, you might well feel some shortness of breath, irrigation, congestion, etc etc.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

FWIW, as I mentioned earlier, today I installed weather proof stripping on the two doors/door frames to our main bedroom that are exposed to outdoor air.

 

As soon as I made that change, my bedroom air purifier went from struggling to keep the bedroom PM2.5 levels in the 20s to down in the single digits for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening/night.

 

The kind I bought and used is relatively cheap and available for order from OfficeMate, among other places. In my use, one package is sufficient to handle one door frame or one good sized window. Installing it on my loose fitting doors made an immediate and noticeable difference.

 

https://www.officemate.co.th/en/scotch-เทปปิดร่องประตู-หน้าต่าง-ภายใน-ขาว-สก๊อตช์-xn004211100-ofm9000486

 

 

If anyone has any other sources for buying this specific kind of product here, please do chime in...

 

[fishism]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

FWIW, as I mentioned earlier, today I installed weather proof stripping on the two doors/door frames to our main bedroom that are exposed to outdoor air.

 

As soon as I made that change, my bedroom air purifier went from struggling to keep the bedroom PM2.5 levels in the 20s to down in the single digits for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening/night.

 

The kind I bought and used is relatively cheap and available for order from OfficeMate, among other places. In my use, one package is sufficient to handle one door frame or one good sized window. Installing it on my loose fitting doors made an immediate and noticeable difference.

 

https://www.officemate.co.th/en/scotch-เทปปิดร่องประตู-หน้าต่าง-ภายใน-ขาว-สก๊อตช์-xn004211100-ofm9000486

 

 

If anyone has any other sources for buying this specific kind of product here, please do chime in...

 

I bought similar from the 60 baht store ( Daiso ) length looks to be only 1.5m so as usual with Daiso, it works out to be more expensive than elsewhere, find it online at https://www.daisoeshop.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=cat_show_pro_detail&pid=1158631 

[fishism]

5 hours ago, fishism said:

I could't find any either online or in some random stores but I did find some Daiso branded ones which are installed on the outside of the unit.( cannot see any mention of pm2.5 or HEPA on the packaging though )

 

It would be great if someone with a particle meter can try them out to see if they work as I couldn't find any pm2.5 meter local to purchase and now with the Chinese shutdown for a week or two, it is even more difficult to source anything.

Here it is https://www.daisoeshop.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=cat_show_pro_detail&pid=1172360

[uhuh]

3 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Nice map... but when walking about, is there actually a lack of visibility? Can you feel it when you breath?

The air tastes sour.

It is very humid (humidity condenses at the dust particles as explained by another poster), that's not normal at this time of the year. 

Smog = smoke + fog, in the beginning the Thais all thought its fog (now they all know its dust)

 

Visibility was poor today even for objects not far away, 20-50 meters

 

I feel a sore throat (many people do), and after going out my lips are dry (and dirty from dust), need to clean my lips and need lip balm

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, fishism said:

I bought similar from the 60 baht store ( Daiso ) length looks to be only 1.5m so as usual with Daiso, it works out to be more expensive than elsewhere, find it online at https://www.daisoeshop.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=cat_show_pro_detail&pid=1158631 

 

Ya, the OfficeMate version is a better buy, at 5+ meters of length for 120 baht.  And it takes pretty much all of the 5+ meter length to cover 3 of the 4 lengths of a door normal frame (two sides and top or bottom).

 

[fishism]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Ya, the OfficeMate version is a better buy, at 5+ meters of length for 120 baht.  And it takes pretty much all of the 5+ meter length to cover 3 of the 4 lengths of a door normal frame (two sides and top or bottom).

 

I just did the top and the door edge with the lock, not sure if airtight, another thing to test when I find a Particle Detector, hopefully the Xiaomi 2s air purifier but stock appear to be out everywhere except from those wanting 3k baht more. I think there is a lot of money to be made from this disaster.

[chubby]

maybe general Too and SEA ASEAN , should look into  the govt  subsidies for next year for  crop burning

 

 

 

https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/farmers-agro-industry-developing-alternatives-to-stubble-burning/story-fw0Sc5PCWcHdjQkHvC5gpO.html

 

just saying, for all the energy spent on  the drama, so little talk of   solving it ......other than the   we should get  the  bad buses  off the road .......  or  maybe they are working on it, and will disclose  something later  55

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, fishism said:

Here it is https://www.daisoeshop.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=cat_show_pro_detail&pid=1172360

That's highly unlikely to have any effect on pm2.5. It's just a basic filter designed to make the work of Japanese housewives a bit easier.

[fishism]

1 minute ago, edwardandtubs said:

That's highly unlikely to have any effect on pm2.5. It's just a basic filter designed to make the work of Japanese housewives a bit easier.

Well at least it will make my housewife duties a bit easier

[MaxYakov]

Does anyone know where I can buy a cheap CO₂ scrubber and an O₂ generator so I can seal my abode up like the nuclear submarines of my distant past?

 

I already have the air purifier (such as it is) and know where to buy the door seal tape thanks to this thread????.

[lopburi3]

Strange the 0500 (latest) readings for my area of Bangkok indicate lower levels than yesterday but visibility and taste say otherwise - and my open room reading read 101-108 (174 AQI) at 0640 (which is the highest I have ever recorded in short time have had meter) but now that sun is up (at least sky lighter) it has lowered to 82 (164  AQI).  Maybe the drone in spraying on the Chok Chai 4 sensor.   

Edited January 31, 2019 by lopburi3

[skippybangkok]

Silly question..... Generally the wind is flowing off the sea... No factories or trucks there..... But down wind is Borneo... Are they burning gnoff again ?

As for Shanghai being better than BKK, would make sense in winter


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Pib]

This morning/7:30am/31 Jan in my western Bangkok (Khet Talingchan) moobaan PM2.5 reading of 25 inside my air conditioned (standard filtering) bedroom.  Outside reading 183.  

Edited January 31, 2019 by Pib

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, skippybangkok said:

As for Shanghai being better than BKK, would make sense in winter

How?  I have been in Shanghai and Beijing in the winter and it was total smog from coal/charcoal cooking/heating fires - admit that was a few decades ago so perhaps not as bad now but believe it is still a major issue.

[edwardandtubs]

Shanghai air quality is improving whereas Bangkok's is worsening so it's likely Bangkok will overtake Shanghai this year.

 

Great article in the New York Times about the situation here:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/world/asia/pollution-thailand-bangkok.html

[balo]

Just got a very interesting result though which dropped the PM 2.5 reading by 10 points to 62 now. We just had the whole place vacuumed and really helped. Evidently the fine dust particles manage to seep in somehow regularly, so vacuuming really helps as a tip to all.

What you really need is an air purifier, best investment I made, I also have the SNDWAY 2.5 and when I turn off the purifier the numbers go up from around 10 to 30-40 . It does normally , but not for the last 2 days because of the extreme pollution we are experiencing here in Chonburi.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, Pib said:

This morning/7:30am/31 Jan in my western Bangkok (Khet Talingchan) moobaan PM2.5 reading of 25 inside my air conditioned (standard filtering) bedroom.  Outside reading 183.  

 

Pib, are you talking AQI numbers above, or micrograms of PM2.5?  And what source are you using to obtain those numbers?

Edited January 31, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[MaxYakov]

4 hours ago, Pib said:

This morning/7:30am/31 Jan in my western Bangkok (Khet Talingchan) moobaan PM2.5 reading of 25 inside my air conditioned (standard filtering) bedroom.  Outside reading 183.  

What is the "standard filtering" of your A/C?

 

My A/C "standard filters" ( very coarse plastic screen) would not even have been able to stop a mosquito until I upgraded them with 3M Filtrete^TM filter material.

[bubba]

Just saw this tweet from Mae Hong Son province:

 

https://twitter.com/SoppongRiverInn/status/1090843547408842753

[Pib]

34 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Pib, are you talking AQI numbers above, or micrograms of PM2.5?  And what source are you using to obtain those numbers?

Readings from my SNDWAY 825 PM2.5 indicator....I think you have the same model.  So, the reading is in micrograms.  

[Pib]

4 hours ago, Pib said:

This morning/7:30am/31 Jan in my western Bangkok (Khet Talingchan) moobaan PM2.5 reading of 25 inside my air conditioned (standard filtering) bedroom.  Outside reading 183.  

Outside PM2.5 reading of 100ug as of 1pm at my place. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 minutes ago, Pib said:

Readings from my SNDWAY 825 PM2.5 indicator....I think you have the same model.  So, the reading is in micrograms.  

 

183 micrograms of PM2.5 outside is a VERY high level... 233 AQI into the purple / very unhealthy range. And much higher than any of the public readings for BKK that I've seen today.

 

And yet you're getting only 25 micrograms inside with only air conditioning and no air purifier??? That seems improbable...

 

I couldn't find a direct source for Taling Chan... But I see one for Nonthaburi from AirVisual, and that showed nothing above 146 micrograms there lately....

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pib]

36 minutes ago, MaxYakov said:

What is the "standard filtering" of your A/C?

 

My A/C "standard filters" ( very coarse plastic screen) would not even have been able to stop a mosquito until I upgraded them with 3M Filtrete^TM filter material.

Yes...just the standard plastic screen that comes with the A/C.....and yes, understand they are not for filtering pollution.   I do plan to buy some 3M Filtrete once I can find it in stock somewhere....been unable to so far. 

[Pib]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

183 micrograms of PM2.5 outside is a VERY high level... 233 AQI into the purple / very unhealthy range. And much higher than any of the public readings for BKK that I've seen today.

 

And yet you're getting only 25 micrograms inside with only air conditioning and no air purifier??? That seems improbable...

 

Goes to show how pollution levels can vary greatly.  There was also some a field burning about a 2 kilometers away this morning so that probably attributed to the high reading.....or it could just be be our area is a magnet for PM2.5 as there are two major roads (#9 Kanchanaphisek...the beltway around Bangkok and #338 Boromrachachonnie Rd)  about 1.5 Km to the north and west of my moobaan. With that PM2.5 100 outside reading our downstairs area inside areas reading is 41 but we have went in and out the front doors several times over the last 30 minutes just before I took the inside reading.   

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Goes to show how pollution levels can vary greatly.  There was also some a field burning about a 2 kilometers away this morning so that probably attributed to the high reading.....or it could just be be our area is a magnet for PM2.5 as there are two major roads (#9 Kanchanaphisek...the beltway around Bangkok and #338 Boromrachachonnie Rd)  about 1.5 Km to the north and west of my moobaan. With that PM2.5 100 outside reading our downstairs area inside areas reading is 41 but we have went in and out the front doors several times over the last 30 minutes just before I took the inside reading.   

 

Here's what I think is a closer monitoring site to your location, just for comparison purposes.

 

Their 94 mcg reading as of noon is pretty close to the 100 mcg outdoor reading you're getting lately...

 

But localized burning earlier today in your area certainly could have produced a spike.

 

https://www.airvisual.com/thailand/bangkok/salathammasop-thawi-watthana

 

As of Noon

 

And the peak earlier today:

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pib]

When I take a look at the two AirVisual monitors closest to me (I'm pretty much in the middle of them), the ones with the 171 and 180 AQI reading I circled below, the AQI 171 at noon todaay equates to PM2.5 of 94 and the AGI 180 at 8pm today equates to PM2.5 of 111.  Since I'm currently getting a PM 2.5 of 100 that's pretty close to what the more expensive monitors are reporting for my general area.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

13 minutes ago, Pib said:

When I take a look at the two AirVisual monitors closest to me (I'm pretty much in the middle of them), the ones with the 171 and 180 AQI reading I circled below, the AQI 171 at noon todaay equates to PM2.5 of 94 and the AGI 180 at 8pm today equates to PM2.5 of 111.  Since I'm currently getting a PM 2.5 of 100 that's pretty close to what the more expensive monitors are reporting for my general area.

 

Agreed. That's what I said above re the Watthana site...

 

But my point was, neither of those sites, if you look at their hourly readings for earlier today, showed the kind of spike of 183 mcg that you mentioned at your home outdoors early in the morning. So it must have been some localized thing like burning. As I said, none of the public reporting sites for the BKK area that I've seen showed that high a level earlier today.