Smog Airpocalypse Worsens Over Bangkok

[webfact]

Smog Airpocalypse Worsens Over Bangkok

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

 

  

Heavy smog on Thursday morning seen from a condominium in Ladprao area.

 

BANGKOK — Wake up, step outside and start coughing? You’re not the only one.

 

Thursday morning dawned with the capital city blanketed with a thick layer of smog and and air quality pegged at “very unhealthy.”

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2018/02/08/smog-airpocalypse-worsens-bangkok/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-02-08

[SoilSpoil]

"On Thursday morning, Nichon Kongpeth, spokesman of the Pollution Control Department could not be reached for a comment."

 

Very typical. 

[Thian]

Yes it's bad , now my friends cancelled their visit to Thailand to meet us here....can't blame them...who wants the spend their holiday in a smoking chimney?

[PatOngo]

Well suck it up..................and buy a new car!

[Genericnic]

Was going to head to BKK for Chinese New Year but Penang may be the better choice this year.

 

David

[webfact]

Bangkok’s air quality drops again

By Thai PBS

 

 

Bangkok’s air quality dropped again Thursday with the Department of Pollution Control measuring system particles smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) reaching 69-74 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

 

According to Thai safety standards, the safe level of PM2.5 is 50 micrograms.

 

The department said PM2.5 measurement at all five stations at 8.00am today in Bang Na, Wang Thong Larng, Intharapitak road, Rama IV road and Lard Prao showed they were between 69 and 94 micrograms, all exceeding the safety level of 50 micrograms per cubic metre.

 

It said air quality of Bangkok droppedsince the beginning of the week, and was worsened today after Bangkok was blanketed with heavy fog.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bangkoks-air-quality-drops/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-02-08

[peperobi]

In our place, Nakhon Sawan is looking like that too.

[khwaibah]

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

It said air quality of Bangkok droppedsince the beginning of the week, and was worsened today after Bangkok was blanketed with heavy fog.

 

Its SMOG. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smog

[stbkk]

And according to the papers a week or two ago, the WHO 'safe level' is 25, not 50 like the Thai one.

 

 

[VocalNeal]

I'm going running this evening I will do my bit to clean it up a bit.

[webfact]

Bangkok air pollution warning, children asked to stay indoors

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre

 

The skyline is seen through morning air pollution in Bangkok, Thailand February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Residents in Bangkok, one of the world's top tourist destinations, were warned on Thursday the city's air quality had hit dangerous levels just days after the country's pollution control agency appealed to residents to wear face masks.

 

Air pollution in the Thai capital has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks with residents complaining of smog and respiratory problems. Some schools were closed on Thursday or kept children indoors.

 

Air Quality Index (AQI) formulas usually include up to six main pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ground level ozone.

 

The skyline is seen through morning air pollution in Bangkok, Thailand February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

"The Pollution Control Department would like to report the situation of PM2.5 dust in the Bangkok Metropolitan area on February 8. At 12:00 hours it was measured at 72-95 micrograms per m3. Dust is likely to increase in all areas," the Pollution Control Department warned in a statement on Thursday.

 

That compares with a World Health Organization (WHO)guideline of an annual average of no more than 10 micrograms. PM 2.5 is a mixture of liquid droplets and solid particles that can include dust, dirt, soot and smoke.

 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in central Bangkok area as measured by the Pollution Control Department on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. showed a 135 AQI or "unhealthy" level.

 

The Air4Thai mobile phone application, which shows Pollution Control Department readings, does not factor in PM 2.5 or fine particulate matter that pose the greatest risk to human health.

 

Data from the American AirVisual smartphone application showed a 154 AQI reading for Bangkok.

 

"We've received information from my daughter's school that they are monitoring pollution levels and will be keeping the children indoors until it improves," Joanna Lorgrailers, 32, a mother of two who lives in Bangkok, told Reuters.

 

Some international schools in the city have installed their own air pollution measuring devices, said parents, and are in touch with other international schools in cities with high air pollution levels to discuss ways to limit childrens' exposure.

 

The Pollution Control Department did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

 

(Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-08

[richard_smith237]

It is a lot clearer this afternoon than it was this morning. 

 

I suspect that as this week has been cooler, additional advection has resulted in slightly foggy and more humid mornings. The particulates appear to be being held within the humidity - As the sun cooks off the fog the atmospheric pollutant levels are reduced....

 

 

[kotsak]

Looks like particulates with some SO2 in the mix for flavour

https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/particulates/surface/level/overlay=pm10/orthographic=-269.61,13.19,1619

 

Edited February 8, 2018 by kotsak

[ExpatOilWorker]

36 minutes ago, stbkk said:

And according to the papers a week or two ago, the WHO 'safe level' is 25, not 50 like the Thai one.

 

 

Why don't they just change the limit to 100 and declare the pollution problem have been solved?

[janhkt]

Start dealing with the great amount of smoke belching diesel vehicles driving around. If I can spot them, so can the goddamn police.

[ExpatOilWorker]

3 minutes ago, janhkt said:

Start dealing with the great amount of smoke belching diesel vehicles driving around. If I can spot them, so can the goddamn police.

Diesel truck are not the core problem, they were also here a few month ago when the air was clean and clear.

It is the lack of wind and burning of fields by the farmers.

[InMyShadow]

3 hours ago, Thian said:

Yes it's bad , now my friends cancelled their visit to Thailand to meet us here....can't blame them...who wants the spend their holiday in a smoking chimney?

Your friends didn't know about smog and Bangkok? You need to find smarter friends..

[webfact]

PM 2.5 air pollution four times safe upper limit in Bangkok

By The Nation

 

 

Bangkok’s level of PM2.5 particulate matter reached well into the harmful zone on Thursday morning, leading to health warnings from officials and environmental organisation Greenpeace.

 

Over 200 micrograms of the particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller (PM2.5) was recorded in the nation’s capital, posing a health threat to city dwellers.

 

 

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) and Greenpeace issued an air pollution alert for residents of Bangkok other major cities in the upper part of the country, after measurements showed that the level of PM2.5 has risen beyond safe limit in many provinces.

 

According to an air pollution report at http://aqicn.org, the PM2.5 level in Bangkok reached peaked at 203 micrograms at around 7am, a level considered “very unhealthy” and leading to calls for children, adults, and people with respiratory disease to avoid all outdoor exertion.

 

 

The PCD sets 50 micrograms as Thailand’s safe level, while the World Health Organisation’s limit is 25 micrograms.

 

All air-quality monitoring stations in Bangkok found levels higher than 50 micrograms, according to a report from the PCD. The department advised those at high-risk, such as patients with heart disease and respiratory disease, to wear a facemask or avoid outdoor activities and consult their doctor immediately if they feel ill.

 

Greenpeace also warned on its Facebook fanpage that people living in Rayong, Lampang, Chiang Mai, and Khon Kaen, in addition to Bangkok, should be aware of the harmful air pollution level. The level of PM2.5 rose beyond 150 micrograms in all of those provinces.

 

PCD said that the severe air pollution in Bangkok was a result of moist and cool weather trapping pollution within the city, The Meteorological Department predicted that the cold and misty weather in Bangkok would continue until Sunday.

Due to this weather pattern, officials predicted that air pollution will remain a serious problem in Bangkok until at least this coming weekend.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30338316

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-08

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's a more useful site mentioned in the Khaosod article that does include PM2.5 monitoring along with the other pollutants:

 

http://aqicn.org/city/thailand/bangkok/chulalongkorn-hospital/

 

 

 

No air pollution is good pollution. But according to the index chart, the current levels are only at the very low end of unhealthy. As in, avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.

 

 

[Suttisan]

Just imagine Bangkok in ten years time, wearing a mask to work whilst wading through knee deep sewage

[ExpatOilWorker]

2 minutes ago, Suttisan said:

Just imagine Bangkok in ten years time, wearing a mask to work whilst wading through knee deep sewage

You just stepped off the banana boat that arrived this morning?

 

Bangkok is slowly improving. Power cuts are a thing of the past, floodings are less frequent, traffic has actually improved over the last 20 years, despite that are way more cars on the streets now.

Pollution is bad at the moment, but it will eventually blow away.

 

[SoilSpoil]

7 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

You just stepped off the banana boat that arrived this morning?

 

Bangkok is slowly improving. Power cuts are a thing of the past, floodings are less frequent, traffic has actually improved over the last 20 years, despite that are way more cars on the streets now.

Pollution is bad at the moment, but it will eventually blow away.

 

 

Bangkok is sinking at an estimated speed of 1 to 3 cm per year and might be submerged within 15 years. I've lived in Bangkok for over 13 years and have never seen the air quality so bad over such an extended period. Bangkok is not slowly improving and traffic has not improved. 

 

Wear a mask when you go outside, and eat some bananas for some needed anti oxidants. 

[ExpatOilWorker]

20 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

 

Bangkok is sinking at an estimated speed of 1 to 3 cm per year and might be submerged within 15 years. I've lived in Bangkok for over 13 years and have never seen the air quality so bad over such an extended period. Bangkok is not slowly improving and traffic has not improved. 

 

Wear a mask when you go outside, and eat some bananas for some needed anti oxidants. 

OK, you win. Bangkok is fast improving!

[Jonnapat]

2 hours ago, peperobi said:

In our place, Nakhon Sawan is looking like that too.

Agree, looks quite hazy from my place in Nakhon Sawan 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/11/health/pollution-smog-air-filter-protection-explainer/index.html

 

 

Quote

 

The EPA advises people not seek protection only with dust masks, such as paper masks designed to trap large particles, or scarves or bandanas. Small, harmful particles can still slip through.

"The masks designed for industrial use are the most effective," said Khatri, who believes that covering up your nose and mouth when outside is beneficial, despite any debate. Masks can include disposable respirators, known as N-95 or P-100 masks, often used by doctors and researchers to avoid contamination from contagious bacteria.

But Khatri noted there there is no quick fix. Instead, it's "good to have a combination" of measures in place. she said.

Clean your home -- properly

It's about "protecting what you're exposed to," said Khatri, who offers advice to allergy sufferers on the best ways to clean their homes, which will remove more potential pollutants.

Carpeting should be avoided where possible and a "moist wipe down" is advised instead of sweeping. "It's so you're not recirculating what you're trying to remove," she said.

The EPA also advises wet mopping of floors to reduce dust and to avoid vacuum cleaners that do not have a HEPA filter. It's also advised that people sleep in a clean room, with as few windows and doors as possible to further reduce exposure as you sleep.

 

 

[Xaos]

Its not cars its hundrets of bodies they cremate in temples everyday.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[Thian]

2 hours ago, janhkt said:

Start dealing with the great amount of smoke belching diesel vehicles driving around. If I can spot them, so can the goddamn police.

It's also 2stroke engines which pollute the most...like old motobikes, chainsaws, strimmers and so on...don't know if the tuktuk's are still 2stroke if they run on lpg.

[anon4637435435]

Kanchanaburi looks the same. Been choking the past couple nights. Same every year.

[tutsiwarrior]

I walked from sukh soi 6 to Asoke and back this morning...when I got back to the hotel I felt like I was fixin' to die...

 

 

[InMyShadow]

37 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

I walked from sukh soi 6 to Asoke and back this morning...when I got back to the hotel I felt like I was fixin' to die...

 

 

that shouldn't happen. A healthy person wouldn't have any symptoms at all

can I strongly suggest a full medical. events like yours are usually a big wake up call