Smoke, Smog, Dust 2018 Chiang Mai

[wolfmuc]

 

 

2 hours ago, vivid said:

Mae Taeng hospital, over a week now.

 

 

And now the wind blew it away?

Almost unbelievable numbers, max.  PM2.5  496 !

 

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by wolfmuc
rectification

[Sparkles]

There are older songteaws and work vehicles motoring around CM that could never get through an emission test.

 

Leave it to your imagination how they get approval.

[vivid]

On 4/30/2019 at 7:42 AM, vivid said:

Actually at such prolonged + high levels, you can be sure that the health effects are going to be very bad and affects many folks there who cannot leave for one reason or another.

 

 

They are at it again BIG TIME at Wat Chan after just 2 days of slight improvements!  

 

[vivid]

17 hours ago, wolfmuc said:

 

 

 

And now the wind blew it away?

Almost unbelievable numbers, max.  PM2.5  496 !

 

 

 

Yeah, all these are unbelievable, we are comfortably into the month of MAY right now.  (if i remember correctly, Mae Taeng did go into the 700s in March, or at least 600s) 

 Basically they are saying that if the rains do not come big and proper and sustained, fat hope of making this smoke go away.  It'll just be a matter of "how bad it will be" depending on your location.

 

 

[ZeVonderBearz]

Time to take up smoking 40 a day, at least your lungs will feel unaffected by the smoke in CM. This smog is here to stay!

[HaleySabai]

Four more weeks of this and I won't be a least bit concerned about "location"...back to work for 3 months in Tofino where I & family can finally breath, the cleanest air on the planet.

 

The capital of Mongolia is bad too and also a seasonal issue - coal burning during the winter months -

right now Ulaanbaatar is in the green at 42pm2.5.....and where art thou...mmm, 152pm2.5 and no#4 world ranking - right on ChiangMai,really getting your poop in a group!...burn baby burn!!!

 

        My patience have become severally withered -must be the heat - NO,I can't open my window to get some FRESH F$%king AIR...aahhhhh      

[piewarmer]

Smog is back up this morning, the pollution map says CM is up around 150 on average, 

it did get down to 120 the last few days. someone said the smoke stops clouds forming but I'm unsure about that

and I thought after the last few months there would be only scorched earth. Rain dance required.

[canopy]

1 hour ago, piewarmer said:

someone said the smoke stops clouds forming but I'm unsure about that

 

From full article here here:

 

"...the accumulation of PM2.5 particles in the air also affects the precipitation pattern, as a dense cloud of smog impedes the formation of rain clouds, lowers the amount of rain and eventually makes the area more arid."

 

"...from New Year’s Day to April 23, the number of hotspots in North’s nine provinces had already hit 8,551, which is twice as many as the number of hotspots in the same period last year. "

 

This could explain why the region is experiencing more pollution this year, why it is hotter than usual, and why the predicted rains are failing to materialize.

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by canopy

[Bassosa]

7 hours ago, piewarmer said:

Smog is back up this morning, the pollution map says CM is up around 150 on average, 

it did get down to 120 the last few days. someone said the smoke stops clouds forming but I'm unsure about that

and I thought after the last few months there would be only scorched earth. Rain dance required.

Make sense really...less sun, less convection, less cloud build-up during the day, less chance of thunderstorms, rain etc in the afternoon.

[XenZen]

It's been about 100 days where wearing a face mask might make sense.  

 

100 days.....

 

enjoy

[vivid]

[ZeVonderBearz]

Woke up this morning to some of the freshest air I've had in my lungs for about 5 months. I would like to say well done to all those military types who worked hard in their efforts to clear up the smog and create a healthy environment for everyone. You finally did it, well done! Goes to show that with a can do attitude you can do anything. Already looking forward to next year's smog season so we can all go through this again and be greatful once more to all whom clear the air for the population through their determination, will and hard work. Maybe a song to commemorate their outstanding work should be penned - rap, classical, K-pop, whatever!

[piewarmer]

It's down to dangerous just over 100, yay, praise those mist machines

Edited May 13, 2019 by piewarmer

[at15]

mid may still sitting in a gas chamber , can smell the burning inside the home 

[canopy]

I am a few provinces down and it's been raining heavily every day for a week. The overall air quality of Northern Thailand is now comparable to Bangkok and that's a huge improvement. It's been a long time since you could say that.

 

[wolfmuc]

6 hours ago, canopy said:

I am a few provinces down and it's been raining heavily every day for a week. The overall air quality of Northern Thailand is now comparable to Bangkok and that's a huge improvement. It's been a long time since you could say that.

 

You're lucky, Mr canopy.

But you can't speak for the whole Northern Thailand, sorry.

It's only a question of time till thunderstorms and rain will arrive north of Uttaradit etc.

Until then we see/hear a lot of lightning and thunder, but feel no rain.

Here is a nice picture of this situation:

   -   http://weather.tmd.go.th/phs.php

 

 

 

 

[wolfmuc]

I know been that way for all my time
'Til forever, on it goes
Through the circle, fast and slow,
I know it can't stop, I wonder

I want to know
Have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know

 

Thanks to CCR and John Fogerty

[HaleySabai]

After heavy rain Sunday night it was the nicest day in Mae Rim in 3 months....see what tomorrow brings.

[vivid]

Looks like quite decent air in many areas, including CR and MHS.  

 

Think can safely say that it's a wrap for 2019 season.

[markcm19]

Mexico is issuing emergency air warnings for AQI that is matching the weather we are cheering about. Currently sitting around 110!

[HaleySabai]

As of May.17, 11pm

* Mexico City:  1,485sq.km / Pop: 8.8mil / US AQI = 129 / city ranking: no#5

          Enviro.awareness: Government issues emergency health warning

 

* CM Province: 20,107sq.km /Pop: 1.7mil / US AQI = 133 / city ranking: no#4

          Enviro.awareness:thousands of people walk up Doi Suthep......business as usual.

 

 

[orang37]

If you find the onset of (relatively) better air this month is interfering with your staying very depressed, then I think this May 17 Guardian article can help you crawl back into inner darkness, and torment: link : "Air pollution may be damaging ‘every organ in the body"

 

cheers, ~o:37;

[HaleySabai]

Yes indeed,"ignorance is bilss"....unfortunately I'm too aware of the health consequences of polluted air.

 

After a few days of rain this week and I could clearly see the mountain over yonder for the first time in 3 months.I noticed that my breathing pattern changed to a deeper rather than a protective shallow form.

I eagerly hopped on the bike and went for a warm-up 10km ride,without wearing a mask. I've been feeling the effects since with a hack and raw throat.

 

I'm beginning to think normal exposure is the way to live here - observe the locals; even at the peak of the worst air quality(in Mae Rim-502) there were throngs of adults & kids at the Tessabaan jogging ,playing soccer,exercising et...smiling and enjoying life. This local daily activity has been basically uninterrupted since Feb. and they don't appear any worst for wear.

 

When the concept of "bad air-quality" is brought up among Thais I notice, almost always, a slight twinge of annoyment - a  form of subconscious discomfort arises when confronted by a question that forces one into critical thinking...well,we all know where that's going.

The common conclusion among TV gentile regarding air pollution is that "nothing will be done", "nobody cares" et....

may be so, since at the grass-root level there just doesn't seem to be "a problem". So,hence,no problem no worry..."my-pen-rai".

 

Unfortunately - I wasn't subject to that kind of social-engineering in my formative years that would allow me to cope,without question and with a smile, in apparent adversity.

Fortunately - in 2wks I'm back to work for 3-months to a place where my family and I can breath the cleanest air on the urban planet - Canada.

 

                                     The Sky is Blue - Have a Nice Day

[canopy]

Today marks the official start of the rainy season for this year. The air quality picture of Thailand today shows the north still mired in unhealthy air as we approach June, lagging far behind Bangkok air and other areas of Thailand. Surely the rains will break through the layer of smoke anytime now.

 

[XLance]

On 5/20/2019 at 7:57 AM, canopy said:

Today marks the official start of the rainy season for this year. The air quality picture of Thailand today shows the north still mired in unhealthy air as we approach June, lagging far behind Bangkok air and other areas of Thailand. Surely the rains will break through the layer of smoke anytime now.

Yes, it should happen soon I think. El Nino has weakened considerably since the beginning of May so that will help as well (and I don't think the Indian Ocean Dipole will have time to develop and delay the monsoon further).

[HaleySabai]

Hallelujah!....we broke out of the top 50 ranking while sitting in the 'good' at 36,

it's a miracle...for now.

Meanwhile,on the otherside of the planet where I'll be heading to in a couple of weeks is a ranging wildfire, yipee... damn,better bring my mask! ????

[ZeVonderBearz]

Still theres a smog cloud over the holy mountain. It's going to take more than a few sparadic storms to wash 5 months worth of smog out of the sky I suppose. Plus, all the Thai schools have started back so that's 1000's of extra cars on the road each morning and afternoon during school run so if you look at the AQI, CM is clawing its way up the table since last night's rain. Serious investment in mass transit is needed to get some of the cars off the roads if this generation wants to leave a habitable city/country/planet for the next one.

[at15]

The reality is the air is terrible 365 days a year in most of Thailand. The WHO guideline of 10 μg/m³ pm2.5 is rarely seen. And you must remember even 10 μg/m³ is not safe, there is no safe limit of pollution. And what is even more disturbing is the fact that with air pollution the researchers have found the initial dose is what really damages people. Going much higher only slightly increases the negative health effects, it is not a linear model. So while the Thai authorities may think getting down to 20-25 μg/m³ is okay, really its not much different health wise from sitting at 50 μg/m³. We must be staying under 10 μg/m³ pm2.5 at all times to really have a minimal risk. 

Edited May 25, 2019 by at15

[JimGant]

1 hour ago, at15 said:

And what is even more disturbing is the fact that with air pollution the researchers have found the initial dose is what really damages people. Going much higher only slightly increases the negative health effects, it is not a linear model.

Man, that's good to know. I thought my 30 years of smoking had no positive outcome; now I find it "seasoned" me to successfully live in Chiang Mai's crummy air.

[canopy]

20 hours ago, at15 said:

So while the Thai authorities may think getting down to 20-25 μg/m³ is okay

But they don't think anything of the kind. The truth is this:

 

The WHO maintains that PM2.5 poses a health threat when above 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air

 

And this is a direct quote from Thailand's pollution control department director-general [source]:

 

"Thailand is one of those nations that will follow its own levels. Only when PM2.5 soars beyond 100 micrograms per cubic metres of air will the air quality be labelled unacceptable under PCD’s official Thai standard. "

Farcical. Decisions like this show Thailand is completely hopeless of ever taking air quality seriously. They make up their own scale to sweep it under the rug and do nothing even if it exceeds that.