Rain makes small dent in still-unsafe Bangkok air

[webfact]

Rain makes small dent in still-unsafe Bangkok air

By The Nation

 

CR:JS100

 

Rainfall in various areas of greater Bangkok on Tuesday morning brought people hope for a lessening of the unsafe level of fine particulates that have dusted the air in recent days.

 

The timing of rain matched the authorities’ previous comment that they would seed the air above Bangkok to create rain if the weather conditions were appropriate. However, the morning rains around Samut Prakan’s Royal Thai Naval Academy and Bangkok's Charoenkrung, Rama III, Silom and Pracha Uthit roads were natural. 

 

The downpours caused an improvement in PM2.5 readings at various sites, including Rama III and Charoenkrung roads. PM2.5 are inhalable particles with diameters generally sized at 2.5 micrometres or smaller.

 

Those areas reported 77 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air on Tuesday morning, down from 92 on Sunday and 81 on Monday. Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district reported 71 micrograms of PM2.5 on Tuesday morning, down from 84 on Sunday and 79 on Monday. 

 

Although the levels were reduced, they were still beyond the safe limit of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air. 

 

Efforts by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Army on Monday night and Tuesday morning to spray water to curb the fine particle dust didn't seem to help much. 

 

One water-spraying site, Paholyothin Road in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, reported 90 micrograms of PM2.5, down marginally from 96 on Sunday and 71 on Monday.

 

The Pollution Control Department said that despite greater Bangkok's increase in condensation, the still winds and fog-prone weather will leave the PM2.5 at a level that “starts to yield health impacts” for Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Twenty-two roadside areas and 15 other areas (away from main roads) reported levels of PM2.5 beyond the safe levels, the department said. It also noted the Thai Meteorological Department's forecast of a 10 per cent chance of rain in Bangkok and nearby provinces on Wednesday.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362270

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-15

[rkidlad]

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

The timing of rain matched the authorities’ previous comment that they would seed the air above Bangkok to create rain if the weather conditions were appropriate.

Shhhhh! The PM has a perfect opportunity to say he prayed for the rain. 

[hotchilli]

Rain will not make a blind bit of difference, some of the pollution particulates will be brought to ground level with the precipitation, then settle on everything creating a coating.

The water will then evaporate and the PM2.5 particulates will rise in the water vapour back into the air to be dispersed once again with the wind.

If the authorities think that rain or even artificial rain is the answer then there is a dire need of a change of personal in the office, to employ someone who knows what PM2.5 pollution actually is, where it comes from and how to deal with it !!

 

 

[VocalNeal]

Just a thought.

 

Maybe those mister fans installed in one's garden might be used for this purpose?