Smog rings alarm bells in Chiang Mai

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

 

Amid ‘very dangerous’ air pollution, children and elderly told to stay inside

 

The North continued to choke in smog, as air pollution level soared in an increasing number of hotspots after the end of the ban on burning.

 

The level of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in many provinces of the northern region, especially in Chiang Mai, continued to rise yesterday to 100 microrams per cubic metre of air by 6am, as measured by the Pollution Control Department (PCD).

 

 

The Chiang Mai University’s DustBoy app disclosed that by 10am yesterday, all of its PM2.5 monitoring stations had reported harmful level of air pollution, with four reporting a PM2.5 AQI (Air Quality Index) over 300, or hourly PM2.5 level over 250 micrograms – a level considered “very dangerous to all people’s health”. The four stations with a critical red level of PM2.5 AQI were: Debaratana Hospital in Mae Chaem District, which had PM2.5 AQI at 320; San Kamphaeng Hospital (304); Chom Tong Hospital (331), and Chai Prakan Hospital (317).

 

Another two stations at Chiang Dao Public Heath Office (280) and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar (202) were reported to have orange levels of PM2.5 AQI or “very harmful to health”. DustBoy’s single PM2.5 monitoring station in Chiang Rai – at Mae Fah Luang University – reported a very harmful level of PM2.5, at 219 as of 10am.

 

All people within the areas of PM2.5 AQI red and orange zones are warned to avoid all outdoor activities, while sensitive groups of people such as children, the elderly or respiratory disease patients should ensure they remain in clean and air-purified rooms.

 

The prolonged period of haze problem in the North, which dragged on beyond Songkran Festival, was considered to have been caused by the increasing number of hotspots after the burning ban was ended in most provinces on April 20.

 

 

This speculation was confirmed as accurate by data on hotspots from a NOAA satellite, according to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC). The satellite imagery tracked the increase in the number of hotspots in Thailand increasing from one on April 20 (the final date of the burning ban in Chiang Mai and Lamphun) to 39 the next day and 82 on April 22.

 

According to the previous records of northern haze, the smog season normally ended after Songkran Festival in mid-April, due to wetter condition from summer storms and the approaching rainy season.

 

With worsening air pollution lingering longer than expectation, PCD has issued a warning for all related agencies and local authorities in the North to continue to control open burning in their area, especially roadside burning and lighting of fires near or on forestland.

 

PCD also asked that people refrain from outdoor burning of garbage and leftover materials on their farms to help lower the amount of pollution in the air. It also recommended that people with sensitivity to air pollution wear facemasks at all time when outside.

 

The department also warned that the air pollution was likely to continue, and even intensify, today. People should strictly avoid burning especially during the night and morning during this period.

 

Chiang Mai University’s Climate Change Data Centre (CCDC) also reported that NASA, GISTDA, and ASMC satellite data has similarly indicated that the transboundary haze from hotspots outside the country was intensifying the smog problem in Thailand’s North.

 

CCDC concluded that a large number of hotspots have been documented in Myanmar during the past weekend, with hotspot pollution counts reaching as high as 210, according to ASMC data. The smog from these hotspots is tending to drift toward Thailand due to the westerly wind, said the CCDC.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343816

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-24

" The Chiang Mai University’s DustBoy app disclosed that by 10am yesterday, all of its PM2.5 monitoring stations had reported harmful level of air pollution..."

 

this is what happens when you have smart people. they measure stuff. who knows what they might measure next. should close that pesky university and their 4.0 app. problem solved. and turn the internet off too. and those damn satellites lookin' down on everything.

Turning off the internet would be the guaranteed way to have riots on the street: can you imagine no facebook and line??

 

As for the air in CM, I don't need an app. Just look out of the window: no Doi Suthep, no outdoors.

Hopefully we'll get some relief this week. Blow this crap away and drench those careless fire starters ;-) 

 

So bad today, our kids' school told us to come pick them up.  We went to Central this afternoon and couldn't even see the mountains from the top of the parking garage.  Its horrible.  

1 hour ago, Captain_Bob said:

Hopefully we'll get some relief this week. Blow this crap away and drench those careless fire starters ;-) 

 

Yep, so looking forward to tomorrow...  Fed up of coughing every day and tears coming from my eyes.  This year's really bad!

This will hurt tourism big time and is wide spread on social media.

A huge part of tourism are backpackers dining in the many vegan vegetarian restaurants. Seems a bit silly to dine healthy whilst your lungs are Coated in ash particles

6 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

This will hurt tourism big time and is wide spread on social media.

A huge part of tourism are backpackers dining in the many vegan vegetarian restaurants. Seems a bit silly to dine healthy whilst your lungs are Coated in ash particles

I promise you it hurts tourism. My friends and I went there to travel on 

motorbike through the mountains. We literally stayed there for A day and a half and left. We woke up in the morning literally choking with our eyes burning. I honestly don’t think I will ever go back. How people can live there is beyond me. 

But didn't the cigarette ban on Thailand's beaches solve this problem???

On 4/24/2018 at 4:17 PM, mlmcleod said:

But didn't the cigarette ban on Thailand's beaches solve this problem???

Nope, they were all hiding behind trees having a crafty puff...

5 hours ago, mlmcleod said:

But didn't the cigarette ban on Thailand's beaches solve this problem???

All those beautiful beaches up here in Chiang Mai .... :-P

12 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Turning off the internet would be the guaranteed way to have riots on the street: can you imagine no facebook and line??

 

As for the air in CM, I don't need an app. Just look out of the window: no Doi Suthep, no outdoors.

Presumably those freeloading judicial encroachers on the Doi Suthep national park have something to look forward to every year. Serves them right.

The Airport Weather Station at Lampang is currently ringing in at 153 for the 2.5 count.

Check     aqicn.org   

The readings went down last night after the rain and wind, but now back up again to 180 this morning!

Wife and I are planning on driving to Chiang Mai from Bangkok sometime in June.     Probably stay a few days on Doi Inthanon.      Think the weather (smog) will be any better?

I took my Filipina GF to CM some yers ago after raving about how lovely it was. It took six weeks before her breathing returned to normal and her cough went away. Now she tells everyone she knows not to go to CM

 

RINGS THE ALARM BELLS !! They have been ringing for at least ten+ years and not a damn thing has been done about it. The media just recycle last years news stories every twelve months. 

I believe the average person at rest breathes 14 cubic feet per minute of air.  Using an online calculator for cu ft to cu meters I get 14 cubic feet is 0.3964 cu meter, so let's round up to 0.4 and further round it up to 0.5 to make calculations easier and because  0.5 is reasonable if one isn't 'at rest' but moving a bit.  If the PM2.5 are 100 micrograms/cu meter then that would mean one is breathing 100 mcg/cuMeter x 0.5 cuMeter/minute equals 50mcg/minute.  (50 micrograms of PM2.5 inhaled for every minute breathing outside). 

 

I think I'll stay inside in front of the air purifier.  And exercise in a room with an air purifier, too, as the amount of air inhaled rises dramatically with exercise.  No wonder scientists say those exercising in heavy PM2.5 & PM10 pollution are doing more harm than good to their bodies.