Concerted efforts being made to fight smog, Thai govt assures

[webfact]

Concerted efforts being made to fight smog, govt assures

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

Road sweepers from Ratchathewi District office, Bangkok, wear facemasks distributed by Public Health Ministry officials yesterday.

 

ALL CONCERNED agencies have joined forces to tackle the capital’s smog problem through stricter enforcement of existing laws, while academics suggested that schools and offices be closed on days when air pollution is severe, as PM2.5 is expected to rise to harmful levels again during this weekend.

 

Deputy Prime Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya told a press conference yesterday that the public should not panic about the current smog problem in Bangkok, as the air pollution was not as hazardous as is alleged by many international air-quality monitoring websites. He said the authorities are earnestly engaging with the problem.

 

“During these past few days, we have already implemented some short-term measures to tackle the air pollution such as spraying water, cleaning the roads and making artificial rain. 

 

“We are going to do more by letting all related official agencies ensure stricter enforcement of laws to lower emissions and keep the air clean,” Chatchai said.

 

“The main focus will be on the transport sector. Police will set up more checkpoints to check exhaust release from the vehicles, while there will be a fuel standard upgrade and replacement of old public buses to ensure that there will be lower emissions from the traffic.”

 

 

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said after discussions with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry that the Transport Ministry would press four emergency measures to mitigate air pollution.

 

Arkhom said the first measure would be to order the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and Transport Co Ltd to check and fix their buses to ensure there was no emission of black-smoke from every transport vehicle.

 

The second measure is to switch the fuel for all BMTA buses to biodiesel B20 to limit their pollution emission and environmental impact by the end of this month, while acquiring 2,188 clean energy buses to join the BMTA fleet.

 

The third measure is to let the Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand install water sprays at the expressway in Bang Khun Thian district to lower dust and air pollution caused by trucks.

 

The fourth measure is to suspend the construction of the new mass rapid transit projects on Lat Phrao Road, Srinagarindra Road, Ram-Indra Road and Ramkhamhaeng Road until next Tuesday to reduce the emission of dust from the construction sites.

 

Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana also ordered random inspections on factories in Bangkok and nearby provinces to make sure that every factory followed the pollution emission standard.

 

Need for caution, not panic

 

Meanwhile, Dr Kiat Rakrungtham, deputy rector of Chulalongkorn University, said the alertness among people to the dangers of air pollution was a good thing, but people should not panic. He said health risks from PM2.5 could be reduced by avoiding long exposure to smog on bad air quality days.

 

“People who are living in areas with high air pollution should always determine the level of air pollution and their state of health before going outside and exposing themselves to air pollution,” Kiat said.

 

“If they are not in good health or have to stay outside for long periods of time, they should wear a facemask and reduce the time they spend in outdoor activities.”

 

Dr Chanchai Sittipunt, vice president of Thoracic Society of Thailand, also suggested that as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Bangkok was currently at orange level, people should limit their outdoor activities and schools and offices should also reduce their operation hours to avoid exposure to air pollution.

 

Chanchai said if the AQI level worsens to purple or red-brown level, it means air pollution has reached a critical level. At that point, people should avoid all outdoor activities, and schools and offices should be closed until the situation improves.

 

An AQI level between 101 to 150 is considered orange, while 151 to 200 is red, 201 to 300 is purple, and 301 and above is red-brown.

 

According to the weather forecast, the air quality in Bangkok will worsen today and will not improve until next Tuesday, due to the calm winds and high pressure area approaching from China.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362477

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-18

[mok199]

Field marshall Prayut/God plans on turning back time......see you at the Mall

[SoilSpoil]

Thoudands of people die ezch year because of filthy skies and this fine human specimen is downplaying the situation. Stop the burning.

[Chippy151]

Once again, photos showing people wearing useless masks.

[mikebell]

The officials are taking this very seriously; they found TWO buses emitting black smoke yesterday.  This was in the depot, the officials didn't dare go onto the road (where every second bus is a health hazard) because of the pollution.

[KhunProletariat]

Yesterday I saw some poor bloke sat on the back of a yellow water truck on the main road, spraying water six feet into the air.

 

My initial thought was that it was like putting a band aid on a tumor.

 

Get to the root of the problem! Control CO2 emissions and the number of vehicles on the road and you might get somewhere. Spraying water into the air is a desperate attempt by the junta to make it seem as though they are doing something about it.

 

You ain't fooling me boys.

 

KP.

[Ossy]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He said the authorities are earnestly engaging with the problem.

Yes, I guess that's more than enough to reverse the early symptoms of pneumonia.

[edwinchester]

Hard to believe in this concerted effort against air pollution when a blind eye is turned to all the rampant crop burning in Central Region this time of year.

[SoilSpoil]

5 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Hard to believe in this converted effort against air pollution when a blind eye is turned to all the rampant crop burning in Central Region this time of year.

Problem is that some people actually get richer by polluting the environment. The lower the price of the crop , the higher the margin.   

[Oziex1]

I have just flown from Issan to Phuket the smoke stops at the level of the clouds in a defined level a phenomena known as temperature inversion I think. Anyway the smoke in Issan was making me feel bad and the air in Phuket isn't good but much better than Issan. 

Keep spraying water into the air that'll do it????

[guest879]

there is no need to burn off crops. the chaff should be mulched and put back into the soil to improve its organic matter content. everyone looses by burning it off.

[Eligius]

I saw the fire brigade today spraying water up into the air to 'clear the pollution'. The idea is typically Thai: all done for show, and all rather dubious in its efficacy.

By spraying water vapour into the air, which then attaches to the pollutants (that is the theory) and drags them down to earth, one is simply shifting the pollution problem from one mode into another - from air pollution to acid rain pollution - thus polluting the water table and ultimately the water supply.

 

The junta will never do what really and urgently needs to be done (massively reduce/stop the terrible vehicle-generated pollution, and the burning of crops) - because there is no profit in it for them!

 

[newnative]

Headline should read "Concerted effort NOT being made to fight smog..."   And add, "No meaningful efforts of any sort are being made, government assures."   Another day, more talk, talk, talk.  New buses?  Where are they?  All I ever see are those horrible, ancient, un-airconditioned red buses belching choking black smoke.  As for the other things, why haven't they been doing them already, teeny, tiny small things as they are.

[DM07]

Let's face it: nothing will be done!

 

Here would be one step: abolish the private "public"- transport and join buses to a REAL public- transport, state- run.

Replace all the wrecks, that are counting as buses, with new, modern, less polluting buses and employ the former owners as drivers for a fair wage!

 

But then again: Pattaya is the healthiest city in Thailand, because it has some spas and fitness centers! 

[NCC1701A]

[sup3r1or]

"Deputy Prime Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya told a press conference yesterday that the public should not panic about the current smog problem in Bangkok, as the air pollution was not as hazardous as is alleged by many international air-quality monitoring websites. He said the authorities are earnestly engaging with the problem."

 

What a pile of BS... Repeatedly government monitoring stations were caught cheating on the numbers, hell there was even a photo/video of staff pouring water in North Thailand on one of the sensors from the hose. 

 

Not as bad? Said who? Just a reason to drag out time and do nothing. Honestly I live up North and so far with years of promise nothing is improving with burning season. 

What happened to that promise SMOKE FREE ASEAN BY 2020? 

[Redline]

the air pollution was not as hazardous as is alleged by many international air-quality monitoring websites

 

Always downplaying problems caused by laziness and incompetence.  What benefits would organizations have to lie about air quality in Bangkok ???? unfortunate for the government, technology is getting much cheaper, and making it easier to catch the government lying.  Today they spray water in the air to stop burning and unchecked cars and trucks, and in rainy season we will see boats using their propellers to stop flooding.  What year is this ????????

[dcnx]

6 hours ago, Chippy151 said:

Once again, photos showing people wearing useless masks.

Handed out by the government. Unbelievable really.

 

 

[Chippy151]

3 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Handed out by the government. Unbelievable really.

 

 

Not really if you've been living here for longer than a week. Lol.

[Captain_Bob]

The so-called "experts" should tell the truth about "normal" cheapo drug store masks, that they don't do Jack-Shit in blocking out PM2.5 particles which get absorbed in their lung tissue long-term, potentially resulting in serious respiratory problems years later. Also, wearing the same mask day after day they're just cultivating a personal petri dish with millions of breeding bacteria. 

[Buffy Frobisher]

That graphic borders on being criminal! You need a mask if you're "Outdoors for more than 12 hours"??!! They're kidding!!

 

You're filling your lungs with 2.5 micron particles that are headed for your bloodstream with every breath, and apart from the pulmonary emphysema and lung cancer risk, once in the bloodstream it's also putting you at risk of heart attack and stroke. Every minute outside is damaging your health when the PM2.5 levels exceed 100, not to mention the sludge we're breathing out at Bang Khen where it's been above 400.

 

The American Heart Association says this: “Exposure to PM <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) over a few hours to weeks can trigger cardiovascular disease-related mortality and nonfatal events; longer-term exposure (eg, a few years) increases the risk for cardiovascular mortality to an even greater extent than exposures over a few days and reduces life expectancy within more highly exposed segments of the population by several months to a few years.”

 

I scratch my head in wonder at the IQ levels of some of these Government officials. As a mate of mine used to tell me when I first arrived here, the National IQ is likely a total of ONE, and it's in the hands of a single Government official on any given day.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 hours ago, Chippy151 said:

Once again, photos showing people wearing useless masks.

 

  ...distributed by Public Health Ministry officials yesterday -- nonetheless...

 

The same government health minions assuring the public that the current smog siege really isn't so bad for people's health or deserving of real measures to curb the pollution.

.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya told a press conference yesterday that the public should not panic about the current smog problem in Bangkok, as the air pollution was not as hazardous as is alleged by many international air-quality monitoring websites.

 

Really??   Says who???

 

Not as hazardous as international measurements report.... because... Thailand has weaker air pollution standards than the U.S., UK, and the World Health Organization... And yet, the air pollution levels this past week in BKK have been consistently ABOVE even Thailand's weak 50 mcg threshold for PM2.5.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

 

And that bus was one of the ones they CHECKED!!!! 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

Air pollution ratings for Bangkok:

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

Quote

"The efficiency of the mask is all about how well it fits the contours of your face," said Keith Bein, an associate professional researcher with the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California-Davis. "If there's a gap, air will come through the gap."

 

That's one reason (among others) why the regular drug store or hospital paper masks (like the ones depicted in the OP photo) FAIL!!!  Because they don't achieve an airtight seal everywhere the mask and face come into contact.

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2018-11-15/for-wildfire-safety-only-particular-masks-guard-against-toxic-particulate-matter

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And from the U.S. Food and Drug Admin on masks:

 

Hospital type masks:

 

Quote

While a facemask may be effective in blocking splashes and large-particle droplets, a facemask, by design, does not filter or block very small particles in the air that may be transmitted by coughs, sneezes or certain medical procedures. Facemasks also do not provide complete protection from germs and other contaminants because of the loose fit between the surface of the facemask and your face.

 

N95 masks:

 

Quote

 

An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles.
 

The ‘N95’ designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles. If properly fitted, the filtration capabilities of N95 respirators exceed those of face masks. However, even a properly fitted N95 respirator does not completely eliminate the risk of illness or death.
 

N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. Because a proper fit cannot be achieved on children and people with facial hair, the N95 respirator may not provide full protection.

 

 

Quote

All FDA-cleared N95 respirators are labeled as "single use", disposable devices. If your respirator is damaged or soiled, or if breathing becomes difficult, you should remove the respirator, discard it properly, and replace it with a new one. To safely discard your N95 respirator, place it in a plastic bag and put it in the trash. Wash your hands after handling the used respirator.

 

https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/GeneralHospitalDevicesandSupplies/PersonalProtectiveEquipment/ucm055977.htm

 

And from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

 

Quote

 

Is a surgical mask an N95 respirator?

No. Surgical masks are not designed for use as particulate respirators and do not provide as much respiratory protection as an N95 respirator. Surgical masks provide barrier protection against droplets including large respiratory particles. Most surgical masks do not effectively filter small particles from the air and do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales.²

The NIOSH Science Blog: N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks, posted 10/15/2009, provides an explanation of the science behind and the similarities/differences between NIOSH-approved particulate respirators and surgical masks.
 

² Reference: Rengasamy,S., B.C.Eimer, and R.E.Shaffer. (2009) Filtration performance of FDA-Cleared surgical masks. Journal International Society Respiratory Protection 26; 54-70.

OSHA Video: The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masksl
The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masks. U.S. Department of Labor Video, (2009, December 16). This video is available in English and Spanish and is available for downloading.

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/RespSource3healthcare.html