Some Bangkok Schools Cancel Classes Due To Pollution

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Some Bangkok Schools Cancel Classes Due To Pollution

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

 

Students wear masks at at Patai Udom Suksa School on Jan. 15 in Bangkok, where all outdoor activities and physical education classes were canceled.

 

BANGKOK — Western students have snow days off from school, Thai students have flood days, and now, days off from school due to smog.

 

Although not mandated by education officials, a few schools in the capital have canceled classes for the rest of the week for fear of students falling sick. Satit Chulalongkorn University School, located downtown, said it was canceling classes after some students had taken ill.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2019/01/23/some-bangkok-schools-cancel-classes-due-to-pollution/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2019-01-23

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Air pollution keeping Bangkok students at home

By The Nation

 

 

Air pollution has forced the suspension of classes at private schools across Bangkok this week, though on Wednesday the Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported fewer areas with unsafe levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller.

 

Kindergarten to secondary students at Roong Aroon School in Bang Khun Thien are on unscheduled holiday through Friday after the PM2.5 level topped 90 micrograms per cubic metre of air in the district on Tuesday.

 

The safety limit is 50.

 

Administrators at Lertlah School Petkasem in Nong Khaem district took the same measure and are reportedly considering postponing exams unless the situation improves.

 

In Thawi Watthana district, Plearnpattana School is keeping kindergarten pupils at home through Friday. 

 

Nearby Baanploypoom Kindergarten on Tuesday told parents to use their discretion about what their kids should do, especially if they have health issues. Families unable to arrange babysitting on short notice could send their kids to the school, but all outdoor activities are cancelled.

 

 

The Education Ministry has issued no directives about temporary school closures, leaving it to the discretion of administrators. 

 

On January 14 it instructed directors of schools in unsafe areas to bring their daily flag-raising ceremonies indoors and to make other adjustments with student safety in mind.

 

Dr Kiat Rakrungtham of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, speaking at a recent seminar on the pollution crisis, recommended that schools be closed or class times rescheduled while the problem lingers.

 

He cited a Japanese study’s finding that children under five years developed pneumonitis due to lengthy exposure to fine-particle airborne dust. 

 

Unicef has warned that PM2.5 can migrate from the lungs into the bloodstream and affect other organs. It also said exposure to “large amounts” of PM2.5 during pregnancy could affect the baby’s development.

 

The PCD reported on Wednesday that the PM2.5 level was an unsafe 51-69 micrograms per cubic metre in 14 areas of Greater Bangkok, down from 40 areas on Tuesday, when nearly 10 districts were above 90 micrograms, earning “code-red” status. 

 

It said the situation had improved on Wednesday in most of the code-red areas, including at the Tanon Tok intersection in Bang Kho Laem district, which hit 101 micrograms on Tuesday and was down to 69 on Wednesday. 

 

Phetchkasem Road in Phasi Charoen district was at 100 micrograms on Tuesday and 50 on Wednesday. Rama II Road in Bang Khun Thien went from 96 to 56.

 

Citing a Meteorological Department weather forecast, the PCD said strong winds should dissipate much of the pollution on Thursday. 

 

It reiterated that it was working with other agencies to get polluting vehicles off the road, clean the streets, spray water into the air in trouble spots, stop outdoor burning and create artificial rain.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362781

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-23

[mok199]

The Prayut must step up and at least give out free good quality masks,while he and his flunkeys wait for this to blow over....

Edited January 23, 2019 by mok199

[unamazedloso]

Im in kanchanaburi and my son coughed up blood last night. We had to send him to school because its slightly cleaner air there. Had the police out this morning because my wife had enough and hosed down a charcoal making pot of the neighbour that is making pm2.5 spike to 500 which is the max of our pm2.5 detector on many occasions.

Been all the way to the top to stop this illegal activity but it continues.

Police today said dont gice and try again the correct way but no way  Looking at bkks pm2.5 its heaven compared to here. Here is probably part of the root cause  Illegal forest fires, burning rubish, charcoal manufacture and the biggest seasonal killer sugarcane burning. Its insane.

[Chippy151]

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

The Prayut must step up and at least give out free good quality masks,while he and his flunkeys wait for this to blow over....

That's right. They are keeping themselves busy waiting for the weather conditions to change.

[Bangkok Barry]

12 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Been all the way to the top to stop this illegal activity but it continues.

 

Says it all. really. A very primitive, selfish, corrupt and lazy society. We see it every day in all kinds of ways. Just the way it is with seemingly no desire to change anything. A few youngsters are waking up, but not enough. Nothing is going to change in our lifetime.

[connda]

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

The Prayut must step up and at least give out free good quality masks,while he and his flunkeys wait for this to blow over....

The fun hasn't even started yet.  The rural burning has just started and will ramp up until the entire North, Northeast, and Central Thailand are as polluted as Bangkok, and BKK becomes even worse.  And that will last through April.  Welcome to Developing Country status where fouled air equates to higher GDP and industrial growth.  <headshake>

[Slip]

We have been getting much higher numbers than quoted here.  No schools closing though.

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Some Bangkok private schools close temporarily due to air pollution worries

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

AIR POLLUTION has forced the suspension of classes at private schools across Bangkok this week, though the Pollution Control Department (PCD) yesterday reported fewer areas with unsafe levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller.
 

Kindergarten to secondary students at Roong Aroon School in Bang Khun Thien are on unscheduled holiday through Friday after the PM2.5 level topped 90 micrograms per cubic metre of air in the district on Tuesday. The safety limit is 50.

 

Administrators at Lertlah School Petkasem in Nong Khaem district took the same measure and are reportedly considering postponing exams unless the situation improves.

 

In Thawi Watthana district, Plearnpattana School is keeping kindergarten pupils at home through Friday. Nearby Baanploypoom Kindergarten on Tuesday told parents to use their discretion about what their kids should do, especially if they have health issues. Families unable to arrange babysitting on short notice could send their kids to the school, but all outdoor activities are cancelled.

 

The Education Ministry has issued no directives about temporary school closures, leaving it to the discretion of administrators. 

 

On January 14 it instructed directors of schools in unsafe areas to bring their daily flag-raising ceremonies indoors and to make other adjustments with student safety in mind.

 

“If the PM2.5 amount is high in their areas, schools may suspend classes and activities,” Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said yesterday. 

 

Dr Piyasakol insisted, however, that his ministry had no plan to order blanket closures, temporary or otherwise. 

 

“The dust amount fluctuates all the time. Forecasts are not accurate either because wind is a factor,” he said. 

 

Health Department director-general Panpimol Wipulakorn said PM2.5 did not normally cause acute symptoms, so schools will have to make discretionary decisions in consultation with parents. “When the PM2.5 level tops 90 micrograms for consecutive days, schools can close. When the amount is not too high, they should consider limiting outdoor activities,” she suggested. 

 

The PCD yesterday reported the PM2.5 level at an unsafe 51-69 micrograms per cubic metre in 14 areas of Greater Bangkok, down from 40 areas on Tuesday, when nearly 10 districts were above 90 micrograms, earning “code-red” status. 

 

It said the situation improved yesterday in most of the code-red areas, including at the Tanon Tok intersection in Bang Kho Laem district, which hit 101 micrograms on Tuesday and was down to 69 yesterday. Phetkasem Road in Phasi Charoen district was at 100 micrograms on Tuesday and 50 yesterday. Rama 2 Road in Bang Khun Thien went from 96 to 56.

 

Citing a Meteorological Department weather forecast, the PCD said strong winds should dissipate much of the pollution on today. 

 

It reiterated that it was working with other agencies to get polluting vehicles off the road, clean the streets, spray water into the air in trouble spots, stop outdoor burning and create artificial rain.

 

Piyasakol explained that the Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Elementary School had closed temporarily not because of PM2.5 but an influenza outbreak. “We have closed temporarily mainly because the number of influenza-stricken students keeps rising,” said the school’s director, Thinakorn Bourpul. 

 

He said the dust particles were a factor in the contagion, since the pollution kept students in their air-conditioned classrooms all day, increasing the risk of the flu spreading.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362830

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-24

[Ulic]

It does not look like the masks the children are wearing in the picture are N95 rated. Maybe the schools could distribute N95 rated masks for the children to wear and install air filters in the schools. It doesn't look like the future is bright for air quality in Bangkok in the years to come. The new normal is here. It is time for the government to roll up their sleeves and do some heavy lifting. Starting with banning diesel engines over 10 years of age and discouraging diesel vehicles with high purchase tax and higher fuel taxes. Of course, enforcing agricultural burning laws is a given.