Quarter-million in North seek help for smog conditions

[snoop1130]

Quarter-million in North seek help for smog conditions

By The Nation

 

 

Nearly a quarter-million people in the North sought medical treatment for four different kinds of ailments that flared up amid intense air pollution between February 17 and 23.

 

The Office of Disease Prevention and Control 1 in Chiang Mai on Monday put the figure at 248,618, including high numbers of respiratory complaints among children under four and cardiovascular concerns among adults over 60.

 

It said the prevalence rate for respiratory ailments was 315.8 per 100,000 population, cardiovascular complaints 250.6, inflamed skin conditions 25.9 and eye irritation cases 22.18. 

 

The situation was worst in Lampang, with 874.6 people per 100,000 population seeking treatment, followed by Phayao (818.4), Chiang Mai (549.3), Phrae (540.1), Chiang Rai (496.9), Lamphun (429.3), Mae Hong Son (380.8) and Nan (353.8).

 

Forest fires and fires deliberately set to clear cropland continue to be major contributors to the haze.

 

With 95 hotspots reported as of Sunday, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) on Monday morning put the 24-hour average of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – between 28 and 84 micrograms per cubic metre of air in nine provinces.

 

The tambon of Jong Kham in Muang Mae Hong Son was worst off at 84mcg, followed by Phra Baht in Muang Lampang at 67 and Wiang in Muang Phayao at 66. 

 

Chiang Mai’s four measuring stations recorded PM2.5 levels of 28, 29, 40 and 46mcg, all under the safe limit of 50mcg. 

 

Chiang Mai University’s Dust Boy device, however, showed real-time readings above the safe limit in several places in Muang district. 

 

At 10am on Monday, downtown Chiang Mai near Yupparat School had 108mcg of PM2.5 and an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 218.

 

Near Regional Health Promotion Centre 1 in Chang Klan, the levels were 101mcg and AQI 211. Near True’s regional office in Nong Pa Khrang, they were 108mcg and AQI 219.

 

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency’s fire-monitoring system, found online at fire.gistda.or.th, identified 280 hotspots on Sunday across Thailand, most on farmland.

 

There were 95 in the North, 73 in the Central region, 52 in the Northeast, 48 in the West, 10 in the East and two in the South. 

 

In Phayao’s Dok Kham Tai district, 100 volunteers were battling forest fires at Wiang Lor, Kiew Kaew, Huai Dok Khem and Mae Ing (Mon Than Tawan) for the second straight day on Monday. 

 

Area officials, vowing to strictly enforce a ban on entering forest reserves, warned people not to light campfires in woods because so many had already run out of control, destroying hundreds of rai of trees and killing wildlife.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365148

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-04

[from the home of CC]

pray for rain..

[SammyT]

Chiang Mai looks better today than it did almost all of February. I'm way too cynical to think that perhaps the fire ban has actually worked though...

[DNPBC0]

Please stop referring to a 'safe limit'  It is the Thai standard which happens to be twice as high as the WHO guideline. Guidelines and standards are not safety thresholds.

 

 

[webfact]

Smog in North takes big toll on public health

By The Nation

 

 

NEARLY A quarter of a million people in the North sought medical treatment for four different kinds of ailments that flared up amid the intense air pollution between February 17 and 23.

 

Locals in Chiang Mai lament that their hometown has again been besieged by smog in the past few days. The problem, they say, has plagued the province for a decade without any solution in sight. 

 

Exposure to unsafe levels of PM2.5 (the smallest and most hazardous dust particles) is associated with many health problems. In severe cases, prolonged exposure is linked to deaths. 

 

The Office of Disease Prevention and Control in Chiang Mai yesterday put the number of patients in the North during February 17 to 23 at 248,618, including a high number of respiratory complaints among children under four and cardiovascular concerns among adults over 60.

 

It said the prevalence of respiratory ailments was 315.8 per 100,000 people, cardiovascular complaints 250.6, skin conditions 25.9 and eye irritation 22.18. 

 

The situation was worst in Lampang province, with 874.6 people per 100,000 population seeking treatment, followed by Phayao (818.4), Chiang Mai (549.3), Phrae (540.1), Chiang Rai (496.9), Lamphun (429.3), Mae Hong Son (380) and Nan (353).

 

Chiang Mai University’s (CMU) Dust Boy monitors showed real-time readings above the safe limit in several places in Muang district. 

 

At 10am yesterday, downtown Chiang Mai near Yupparat School had 108 micrograms of PM2.5 and an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 218.

 

Near the Regional Health Promotion Centre 1 in Chang Klan, the levels were 101mcg with an AQI of 211. In Nong Pa Khrang, the readings were 108mcg and 219.

 

Fed up with the persistent air pollution, Mor Chor Forward – a group of students from CMU – is now pushing for three demands. 

 

The group has demanded that CMU suspend classes on days when PM2.5 levels are above the safe level of 50mcg per cubic metre of air. “Students |could upload class content on CMU |e-Learning instead,” it proposed.

 

The group also wants CMU to suspend construction activity when the amount of dust particles exceed the safe limit. The third demand is that CMU provide face masks to students. At least 200 CMU students have signed a petition supporting Mor Chor Forward’s demands. 

 

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency’s fire-monitoring system identified 280 hotspots on Sunday across Thailand, most on farmland. Forest fires and fires deliberately set to clear cropland continue to be major contributors to the haze.

 

According to the Pollution Control Department, Tambon Jong Kham in Mae Hong Son’s Muang district was the worst with PM2.5 at 84mcg, followed by Phra Baht in Lampang’s Muang district at 67 and Wiang in Phayao’s Muang district at 66. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365188

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-05

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, SammyT said:

Chiang Mai looks better today than it did almost all of February. I'm way too cynical to think that perhaps the fire ban has actually worked though...

Nah, everyone had time to burn what they wanted before the ban started !!!

Wait for next years repeat performance 

[happy chappie]

Meanwhile in the sleepy outskirts of udon thani ????????????????????????

[cmsally]

35 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

Meanwhile in the sleepy outskirts of udon thani ????????????????????????

They nuked everything !! Nothing left to burn now.

[Redline]

They don’t care about pollution here, in any form, and they promote spraying know harmful poisons on, and around food.  Now they unregulated smaller incinerators to produce energy, so expect it to get worse.  Air, land and water are continually worsening 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Redline

[Ulic]

Just wondering if its the same people who light the fires complaining about the smog. After all, my fire is ok it's everyone else's fire that is the problem. 

[sharktooth]

Been staying in recently. Went for a beer with my mate Thursday and in the evening my eyes were stinging and streaming. Didn’t think the pollution was that bad that day, but my my body told me different.