Reports of PM2.5 pollution vary widely as Chiang Mai under deep smog

[webfact]

Reports of PM2.5 pollution vary widely as Chiang Mai under deep smog

By The Nation

 

 

Chiang Mai citizens were left in a pollution haze Thursday as sources released contradictory reports of particulate-based air pollution. One international source reported dangerous levels of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) while a Thai government report shared much lower, yet still very high, readings.

 

According to an air quality report from the International Air Quality Monitoring website http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/, the level of PM2.5 in Chiang Mai reached the “very unhealthy” level of 203 micrograms per one cubic metre of air as of Thursday morning.

 

 

In contrast, data from Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) air quality monitoring station in Chaing Mai showed that the PM2.5 rose to 110.72 micrograms per one cubic metre of air.

 

The PCD considers 50 micrograms to be the safe limit, while the World Health Organisation sets the limit at 25 micrograms.

 

The dense smog was reported throughout Chiang Mai with resulting lowered visibility. It was reported that Doi Su Thep Mountain could no longer be seen from Chiang Mai’s Downtown.

 

 

The dense smog also reduced visibility at Chiang Mai Airport, as planes could not be seen in the distance, but the air traffic was not disrupted.

 

The government’s official Air Quality Index (AQI), as measured by the PCD, showed that the air quality throughout the North, including Chiang Mai, was still within the safe level. The PCD does not include PM2.5 levels in its AQI calculation, despite comments by experts encouraging it to do so.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30339945

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-01

[jak2002003]

How can that be safe?!  

 

 

[Thailand]

It's only haze. The ptb says so.

[trainman34014]

In The Land of Denial the truth is a lost soul.    Never believe a word of what is reported, written or spoken by any Thai organisation as they care for the good of no one.  Face is all that matters. 

[Lungstib]

I came to live in Chiang Mai in 1987 and lived out near Wat Umong. Lots of bicycles, some m'bikes but cars were expensive. Could see the temple on Doi Suthep every day unless rain or clouds obscured view. Since then the endless destruction known as development has created another Bangkok. At 67 I can cycle from C Mai to Doi Saket faster than any car will make at 5pm. That's modernisation for you. A town that was perfect for cycling has been destroyed by vehicles and it should make you cry. I moved away for my own sanity.

[RichardColeman]

Just a few street vendors - nothing to worry about !

[connda]

Now they are importing fish caught 10 km off the coast of Fukushima, Japan. The government says those are safe too.  Ah-huh...  "It's just a little haze people, it's safe to breath, get over it.  Here, enjoy some fission chips too." 

Edited March 2, 2018 by connda

[Ruffian Dick]

It's been "hazy" for more than a week, but this morning, I could taste the smoke. The visual haze doesn't seem to have changed.

[mommysboy]

I'll go with the international standard measurement: aka the truth!

 

I expect the Thai apologists will be along with their smog and mirror arguments quite soon.

[THAIJAMES]

Thai apologist checking in.

I have also been here since 1987.    The world has changed, you make choices and hopefully adapt.

Just did a reading with my PM 2.5 sensor:  70 μg/m³
 

Edited March 3, 2018 by THAIJAMES

[cheeryble]

I see the governor (of the province?) just announced pretty severe penalties for burning.....200kbaht to 2m baht......2-20 years!

This was said to be for burning forest and community land of over 25 rai.

Also 5000 baht rewards for information.

So serious stuff.

It said nothing of penalties or rewards for smaller fires, which are obviously going to make up most.

 

Anyone know?

 

ps Pooyay bahn announced "no burning" over the speaker system a couple of days ago....a step in the right direction.

[THAIJAMES]

I wonder if the above article is fundamentally incorrect as usual for Thai sources.

1.  The http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/ does not display  PM readings in μg/m³ 

But using the AQI (Air Quality Index) method, which is very different.  (I was recently enlightened of this difference by a fellow Thaivisa member)

2 . A 110.72 micrograms per one cubic metre of air as per the above article would be an AQI of 180 - not that much difference from the Thai sources and supposed International sources.

3.  I thought that Thailand provided the measurements to the AQI web site.   180 is the maximum shown in the AQI web site not 200.

 

So although it is "Fake News" it is welcomed fake news as it puts pressure for doing something on the environment.

Edited March 3, 2018 by THAIJAMES
clarification.

[cheeryble]

Here's the link

 

http://thairesidents.com/local/strict-burning-ban-starts-chiang-mai-2/

 

Wonder if they’ve anonymized the reporting fires system

 

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

[mommysboy]

44 minutes ago, THAIJAMES said:

Thai apologist checking in.

I have also been here since 1987.    The world has changed, you make choices and hopefully adapt.

Just did a reading with my PM 2.5 sensor:  70 μg/m³
 

Said so!

[mommysboy]

30 minutes ago, THAIJAMES said:

I wonder if the above article is fundamentally incorrect as usual for Thai sources.

1.  The http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/ does not display  PM readings in μg/m³ 

But using the AQI (Air Quality Index) method, which is very different.

2 . A 110.72 micrograms per one cubic metre of air as per the above article would be an AQI of 180 - not that much difference from the Thai sources and International.

3.  I thought that Thailand provided the measurements to the AQI web site.

 

 

The average Joe is probably used to the AQI figure and thus would be misled in to believing there is no problem when he encounters a figure like 70.  

 

 

[canthai55]

On 3/1/2018 at 5:25 PM, Lungstib said:

 At 67 I can cycle from C Mai to Doi Saket faster than any car will make at 5pm.

Horse Hockey. Lived in Doi Saket over 5 years now. Will take any bet you care to make that your bicycle can beat any car. Traffic worse, but your statement is ludicrous.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 hours ago, THAIJAMES said:

I wonder if the above article is fundamentally incorrect as usual for Thai sources.

1.  The http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/ does not display  PM readings in μg/m³ 

But using the AQI (Air Quality Index) method, which is very different.  (I was recently enlightened of this difference by a fellow Thaivisa member)

2 . A 110.72 micrograms per one cubic metre of air as per the above article would be an AQI of 180 - not that much difference from the Thai sources and supposed International sources.

3.  I thought that Thailand provided the measurements to the AQI web site.   180 is the maximum shown in the AQI web site not 200.

 

So although it is "Fake News" it is welcomed fake news as it puts pressure for doing something on the environment.

 

It's not fake news, as much as it is STUPID news on the part of The Nation.

 

As you noted above, the AQI site doesn't really report their data for PM2.5 in micrograms. They report an entirely different scale of number, the AQI index number for PM2.5.  The two are not interchangeable, and mixing them together is like apples and oranges.

 

The article's 203 reading from the AQI site absolutely would have been the PM2.5 index number, and NOT the actual measurement of micrograms. But I believe the Thai PCD does often use the micrograms numbers, so their 110 would make sense.

 

And more importantly, as you noted, the 110 micrograms actual reading for PM2.5 is pretty close to an AQI index number of 203.

 

So, probably the only thing WRONG about the data is the way The Nation made it seem there were conflicting values, when in fact, it was simply them misinterpreting the data, and wrongly thinking two entirely different kinds of measurements were the same.

 

The important truth here is, whether using the actual PM2.5 value in micrograms or the standardized AQI index scale value, either way, it's BAD pollution.

 

 

 

[THAIJAMES]

21 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Said so!

 

23 hours ago, mommysboy said:

I'll go with the international standard measurement: aka the truth!

 

I expect the Thai apologists will be along with their smog and mirror arguments quite soon.

I guess you can't accept the truth, that the article is incorrect and that you were also incorrect.  We are not debating bad air here that is clear to everyone.  we are debating false news.

[THAIJAMES]

14 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

It's not fake news, as much as it is STUPID news on the part of The Nation.

 

I should have said false and not fake!  Fake would imply that they knew it was false.

But you are probably right, too stupid or lazy to check their facts.

 

The real news should have probably been that the government is reporting in micrograms instead of AQI to make their numbers look lower?

Edited March 4, 2018 by THAIJAMES

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, THAIJAMES said:

I should have said false and not fake!  Fake would imply that they knew it was false.

But you are probably right, too stupid or lazy to check their facts.

 

The real news should have probably been that the government is reporting in micrograms instead of AQI to make their numbers look lower?

 

In truth, the distinction between AQI numbers and actual PM2.5 microgram measurements is probably lost on about 99.9% of the local population.

 

In a better world, journalists are supposed to know better and help educate their readers and put this kind of data into the proper context. But obviously, journalism these days, particularly here, doesn't always operate in a better world.

 

That's what happens when you get people writing about topics that they don't have any professional journalistic experience with and don't take the time to learn and understand the details before they post or publish something.