High pollution levels across Thailand forecast for rest of this month

[webfact]

High pollution levels across nation forecast for rest of this month

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

AIR QUALITY in many parts of the country, including Bangkok, deteriorated to harmful levels over the weekend and pollution was predicted to be at a critical level for the rest of the month, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) revealed.
 

PCD urged people to visit its website, www.pcd.go.th, and Facebook page to regularly check the air pollution, as the air particles level of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) or smaller have risen significantly in many provinces due to the recent cold snap, while those most vulnerable, such as those with heart and respiratory diseases, were warned to avoid outdoor activities during this period.

 

PCD’s Air Quality and Noise Management Division director Thalearngsak Petchsuwan said last week’s colder weather contributed to a lack of vertical wind that usually carries polluted air out of the city and caused the accumulation of air particles in many major cities, including Bangkok.

 

“Despite there being a horizontal wind in Bangkok, it has not been enough to lessen air pollution in the city, so I advise people to check the air quality on our website and on Facebook and protect themselves with a face mask,” Thalearngsak said.

 

 

The PM2.5 measurement in many major cities has reached beyond safe standards of both the PCD, which is at 50 micrograms, and the World Health Organisation’s guideline of 25 micrograms. Exposure to large amount of PM2.5 can lead to many sicknesses such as eyes and skin irritation, headache and even heart disease.

 

As of yesterday afternoon, the daily PM2.5 level in Bangkok’s Thon Buri District was as high as 81.3 micrograms per cubic metre of air. Dense smog could also be seen covering the entire capital city, lowering visibility.

 

Meanwhile, the daily PM2.5 level in many provinces, mostly in the Central and Northern regions, also increased beyond safe limits as well such as in Samut Sakhon (109.2 micrograms), Ratchaburi (92.91 micrograms), and Tak (92.43 micrograms).

 

Thalearngsak said Bangkok’s air quality would remain poor during this week at least due to strong cold air coming from the North, and he warned there was a possibility that the severe air pollution would remain until the end of this month, if the weather stayed cold and moist.

 

This was associated with the Meteorological Department’s prediction that the temperature would continue to drop by two to four degree Celsius in the northern, northeastern, central and  eastern parts of Thailand for the rest of this week, as a result of a strong high-pressure system from China.

 

Tara Buakamsri, Thailand’s country director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, praised the PCD for the early warning it posted on its website about the current surge of air pollution in Bangkok and other cities.

 

He pointed out, however, that the PCD could do even better if it included whatever PM2.5 information it had in its calculation of the country’s Air Quality Index (AQI).

 

Tara emphasised that due to the lack of a PM2.5 level, the AQI did not represent real air quality and misled the public, so it was very important that the PCD made sure to include all air pollution factors in the AQI.

 

Thalearngsak admitted that the current AQI did not properly represent real air quality but insisted the PDC had not deliberately tried to conceal information from the public, which had 24/7 access to real-time PM2.5 statistics at http://aqmthai.com/public_report.php

 

“We still do not include PM2.5 in our AQI calculation, because there is still no PM2.5 monitoring device installed in every air quality monitoring station, so the department decided not to use this information in the national AQI, as it would cause different AQI calculation standards among our air quality monitoring stations,” he explained.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30338048

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-06

[peperobi]

Enjoy the paradise...

[Lingba]

rest of the month????...its been here for years and will continue to be here for years to come because we all know nothing will be done to fix it

[YetAnother]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

We still do not include PM2.5 in our AQI calculation, because there is still no PM2.5 monitoring device installed in every air quality monitoring station, so the department decided not to use this information in the national AQI, as it would cause different AQI calculation standards

i call this basic shake-head thai logic;

for those staions that Have the 2.5 measurements and data, Include them and state as much along with the stats; for those stations Not having 2.5, so state that along with it's stats

[Krataiboy]

PCD’s Air Quality and Noise Management Division 

 

Hope they do a better job with air than they do with noise.

[anon4637435435]

Idiots! Its always polluted. The hub of braincell killing, cancer causing pollution.

Thais cant think ahead to the damage this causes to the envieoment. The days of waiting for the rain to wash away the pollution seems to be getting longer and longer and when it does rain everything floods. Funny that as some new studies suggest this is caused by forest fire and agricultural lazy burning smoke specifically being a short term effect instead of just a long term effect with global warming. Thais are digging there own graves really but the ego is too strong. 

[toofarnorth]

54 minutes ago, bsdthai said:

Idiots! Its always polluted. The hub of braincell killing, cancer causing pollution.

Thais cant think ahead to the damage this causes to the envieoment. The days of waiting for the rain to wash away the pollution seems to be getting longer and longer and when it does rain everything floods. Funny that as some new studies suggest this is caused by forest fire and agricultural lazy burning smoke specifically being a short term effect instead of just a long term effect with global warming. Thais are digging there own graves really but the ego is too strong.

Yes and it is all down to the average Thai. If it is not making as much noise from vehicles as poss. it seems to me  make as much smoke from vehicles too.  Just this morning we could smell smoke , on looking out of the window across the soi 50m away was a pile of burning leaves , smoke everywhere , Thai wife afraid to complain , I said if it is still smouldering after lunch I will throw a bucket of water on it. I wouldn't think of making a lot of smoke that drifts over other folk's houses . There, Rant of the day over.

[Colabamumbai]

Black ash all over the house inside and outside here in Chonburi for a month now. It sure isn't coming from my bong. If it touches the clothes, they are stained black.

[farcanell]

shut er down!

Esp you, colabamumbai! ?????

[farcanell]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

AIR QUALITY in many parts of the country, including Bangkok, deteriorated to harmful levels over the weekend and pollution was predicted to be at a critical level for the rest of the month, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) revealed.

So.... improved air, by banning smoking on the beach's, is yet to Be realized.

i don unnerstan.... ban farting, that should help!

 

 

[DM07]

But...but...but ...it's paradise!

If you don't like it...go home!

(sarcasm off)

[Rimmer]

http://aqicn.org/city/thailand/chonburi/health-promotion-hospital-ban-khao-hin/

[Jonmarleesco]

Wonderful. And the pollution is close to twice the PDA's so-say safe limit - which is twice that of the WHO.

[Jonmarleesco]

2 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

PCD’s Air Quality and Noise Management Division 

 

Hope they do a better job with air than they do with noise.

Wouldn't need much of an effort - but probably more than they could manage.

[MaxYakov]

The impact of PM2.5 on the human respiratory system - Journal of Thoracic Disease [Link]

[toofarnorth]

Nothing much to worry about , just a lot of hot air.

[canopy]

Surely the only reason they are dragging their feet this many years and still not releasing the dangerous PM 2.5 air pollution data to the public must be because they could no longer hide the ugly truth about how horribly bad the air quality actually is. So don't expect proper air quality reporting, nor any change to the rampant burning that fuels the problem. Their strategy seems to be sweep it all under the rug rather than let the truth be told or be part of the solution. Props to green peace for helping raise public awareness about this important issue.

 

[aussie11950]

Why is no one in the government trying to find a solution?

Ban open fires altogether with heavy fines.

Give rewards to people reporting fires where it leads to a prosecution.

An individual or a business that needs to burn with a valid reason, must get a licence first.

Villages without a bin collection service, would have to be exempt for the short term.

No more rubbish fires, no more agriculture burning.

End of pollution of the air and save thousands of lives in Thailand.

 

 

[XGM]

On 2/6/2018 at 6:33 AM, aussie11950 said:

Why is no one in the government trying to find a solution?

Ban open fires altogether with heavy fines.

Give rewards to people reporting fires where it leads to a prosecution.

An individual or a business that needs to burn with a valid reason, must get a licence first.

Villages without a bin collection service, would have to be exempt for the short term.

No more rubbish fires, no more agriculture burning.

End of pollution of the air and save thousands of lives in Thailand.

 

No need for rewards, it's easier to spot the fires than it is to spot vehicles that can never pass emission tests and still get their yearly tax / registration renewed year after year. 

 

It's never about lack of laws or procedures in Thailand, it's about giving a #$@% about them.