Bangkok schools maintain effort against air pollution

[rooster59]

Bangkok schools maintain effort against air pollution

Itiporn  Lakarnchua

 

 

BANGKOK, 8th February 2019 (NNT) – Residents of Bangkok and its neighboring provinces have been warned that particulate matter or PM 2.5 levels, may again rise as weather conditions moderate, but many public buildings have committed to combating the pollution by installing and operating water sprinklers.

 

To date a total of 432 schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have installed water sprinklers to combat PM 2.5 pollution, as have district offices including Bangkok Noi. Wat Ampawa School in Bangkok Noi district alone has installed 66 sprinklers, looking to protect its students from the air pollution. All Bangkok students have been encouraged to wear face masks at this time to further limit the effects of the recurring smog.

 

Addressing car exhaust pollution, the Department of Land Transport is working with Traffic Police to inspect and remove polluting vehicles. In the Ladkrabang area, the joint operation apprehended one private bus spewing polluting exhaust fumes, spraying it with a desist symbol and taking action that may lead to a 50,000 baht fine. Ten personal vehicles were also taken off the road for pollution and face fines up to 1,000 baht each. Since inspections began on January 27 this year, over 10,000 cars in Bangkok have been caught for emitting excessive amounts of PM 2.5.

 

On differing air quality readings at checkpoints, Head of Inspections for the Department of Land Transport Somchai Rak-kaeo explained that many factors influence readings while confirming that vehicle emissions must not exceed the 45 percent limit.

 

While latest reports from Air4Thai show that PM 2.5 levels in Bangkok have dropped to a safe 17-69 micrograms per cubic meter, the Pollution Control Department has warned that it is still likely that pollution will rise again over the next day or so.

 

-- nnt 2019-02-10

[mok199]

These buses and mini vans need to turn off engines when parked.

[quandow]

Wasn't it only a few years ago Thailand came up with a plan to "put one million new cars on the road?" I'm sure that has nothing to do with all this pollution.

[sensei]

This is plain idiotic.

 

Get to the source of all this pollution and put it under control.

 

Even schools are jumping into this spray the air with water bandwagon. Do they even realize that they have around 16-18 km of troposphere above them and that their spray cannot even reach a couple of meters?

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

All Bangkok students have been encouraged to wear face masks at this time to further limit the effects of the recurring smog.

I do hope they've also encouraged them to purchase the correct face masks which actually protect against PM10 & PM2.5

90% of face masks I've seen being worn or even handed out by ignorant officials trying to look as though they are doing something are in fact useless against this type of pollution.

In fact they are the cheapest option and do not even have to be tested or comply to any standard whatsoever because they do not offer protection!

 

[overherebc]

4 hours ago, sensei said:

This is plain idiotic.

 

Get to the source of all this pollution and put it under control.

 

Even schools are jumping into this spray the air with water bandwagon. Do they even realize that they have around 16-18 km of troposphere above them and that their spray cannot even reach a couple of meters?

True, but 6 to 10 kilometres only.

Edited February 10, 2019 by overherebc

[marc651]

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

many public buildings have committed to combating the pollution by installing and operating water sprinklers.

Window dressing. Proven useless.  But it looks like they are doing something.. towards the Thai public.  As said by many,  the cause is not addressed. 

 

The main cause are diesel and two stroke engines,  and agricultural + hobby burning (seems a favourite pass time of many Thai to put stuff on fire).  Eliminate the diesels and your problem is as good solved in Bangkok.  Needs courage and vision, so in Thailand we can forget about it ever happening. 

 

The schools better buy air purifiers to be used inside the buildings.  However, you need to change the filter after a while,  which would never happen, so it would just be effective for 3 months

[sensei]

On 2/10/2019 at 4:50 PM, overherebc said:

True, but 6 to 10 kilometres only.

Your information is wrong.

There is no definite boundary between the layers. One thing is for sure, the atmosphere is thinner near the poles and much thicker at the equatorial region. 

The thickness of the troposphere varies from about 7 to 8 km (5 mi) at the poles to about 16 to 18 km (10 to 11 mi) at the Equator. In addition, it varies in height according to season, being thinner in winter when the air is densest. This seasonal effect is strongest at the mid-latitudes, where it varies around 11 km (7 mi). Increasingly, it is understood that air movements in the upper troposphere greatly influence weather systems in the lower troposphere.

-https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/Troposphere.htm