Health Advisory

[KhunDennis]

Yet another smokey day here in Lampang. Still seeing the nightly fires in the hills, and daily rubish fires.

I hope a serious issue like this, does not turn into a petty name calling bout whitch too often happens. It just puts people off, and they soon loose interest in the real problem at hand. Maybe if it is on this forum long enough, it might help in some way, who knows.

[KhunMarco]

It's really weird. This morning at 7 AM, I went for my daily jogging. There was a magnificent red-neon rising sun ( the darn camera is always in my app. when I need it ) and the visibility was like yesterday. Then in a couple of hours you can't really tell whether it's sunny or cloudy.

Can't be only pollution, maybe the wind changed... last 3 days was not that bad and that little breeze helped a lot.

If it wasn't for the decent internet i can get here, I surely would move to an island for 2-3 months. Aaah life is such a b....

[x-pat]

I wonder whether this level of pollution is "normal" for this season.

My family and I moved here 1.5 years ago and I haven't yet seen any air pollution as extreme as in the last week. It is a truly unpleasant experience. My wife complains about head aches; my eyes are burning and breathing is heavy; our two toddlers are coughing in their beds. The year before (2006) we have not experienced these extremes, but we don't have long-term experience in Chiang Mai. However, PM10 values of 150 and above are certainly worrying.

It is rather frustrating for me, because we moved away from Bangkok to escape the pollution and congestion. Now we find the same problems here in the north.

How long does it usually last? Are most years like this?

Cheers, X-Pat

[Robroy]

Can anyone bring some clarity to the question: what causes Chiang Mai’s bad air quality?

This study

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:CH-r4z...p;client=safari

hints that it is vehicle emissions.

However stories last week in the B Post and Nation suggest it is mainly rural burning.

(Tho Thai journalistic standards are low, and it was hard to tell exactly *what* these stories were saying.)

This study:

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:bJ_nDB...p;client=safari

finds that the air is so bad in CM Jan-Mar because

1 There is less wind

2 There is no rain to settle pollutants

3 There is a lot of burning from paddy fields and forest fires

Its conclusions are that CO and NOx come from traffic; PM10s (small particulate matter) comes from 'vegetation fires'; forest fires are a 'likely contributor' to PM10s too.

In other words the carbon monoxide that is poisoning us comes from vehicles, and the PM10s (particulate matter less than 10 microns) that is killing us is coming from rural burning.

I'd assume that the PM10s are the greater threat, both quantitively and qualitively.

Anyway, this comprehensive study of CM’s air in urban, industrial, residential and rural areas suggests that the PM10s don't come from buring after all…

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:aRkwMU...p;client=safari

It says “…TSP [total suspended particulate matter] sources were crustal matter from soil and road dust (Fe, Ca, Al and K) as well as vehicular and industrial emissions (Pb, Zn and Cr).”

However The Nation last week

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/02...al_30028253.php

says it’s mostly outdoor fires.

All of which means I’m confused.

So question 1 is, "Is it rural burning, or is it industrial/traffic emissions?"

Question 2 is: "Assuming that burning plays a role - where is the burning?"

I had assumed it was all round the north, but my flight yesterday from Luang Prabang gave me about 15-20 minutes’ aerial viewing of the Chiang Mai region – and I only saw one (not especially big) fire.

Maybe that’s because all the media exposure has caused the authorities to act?

Finally, this story

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0811-06.htm

speaks about the “Asian Brown Cloud”, which supports the idea that our air pollution is not local - implying that burning in northern Thailand won't much affect CM air quality - it's a whole-of-Asia-generated problem.

The 2 news story links immediately above are easy reading BTW – and summarise things prety well (and very alarmingly). The others being academic studies are more of a slog.

Today the ‘direct’ sunlight in CM is yellow-orange, it’s hard to see the mountains, my gf has been coughing for a week, and I have a sore throat which wasn't there yesterday in Laos.

So my three questions are:

1. Is CM's air pollution smoke from rural burning, or industrial/vehicle emissions?

2. If mainly the former, is that burning forest fires or crops?

3. And if the former, are those fires over the whole Asian region - or are they northern Thai ones?

BTW this problem probably won’t be fixed any time soon, and I’ve made plans to leave my beloved Chiang Mai. Heading to Krabi in June. Not as much fun, but I will live longer.

[chanchao]

It's not vehicle emissions. If it was, then it'd occur only/significantly more in the city, which is quite obviously not the case. Any 1-2-3 hour drive in any direction will confirm that.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Can anyone bring some clarity to the question: what causes Chiang Mai’s bad air quality?

This study

So my three questions are:

1. Is CM's air pollution smoke from rural burning, or industrial/vehicle emissions?

2. If mainly the former, is that burning forest fires or crops?

3. And if the former, are those fires over the whole Asian region - or are they northern Thai ones?

BTW this problem probably won’t be fixed any time soon, and I’ve made plans to leave my beloved Chiang Mai. Heading to Krabi in June. Not as much fun, but I will live longer.

I can't answer it either but thanks for the excellent post and references.

I too am going to leave in a few months. Even during the other seasons CM is pretty tough on the respiratory system and skin etc. The longterm exposure to these airborne pollutants will greatly build up the concentrations of heavy metals in the body which impair cell function and interrupt vital enzymatic processes in the body.

Fortunately there are some products you can use that will bind and remove these toxins.

Check out

www.detoxamin.com

www.kelatox.com

I have decided to try Costa Rica because it has good internet, lower humidity and temperature in the central valley and much better air if you are outside San Jose. Unfortunately Phuket area is just too unreliable and slow for my work needs....I will really miss Thailand but I don't know where to live healthy with decent internet here. Maybe in the future if they get their act together. Enjoy Krabi !!!!!

Edited March 10, 2007 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[chanchao]

It happens every season. I think this year is a bit worse than usual though, especially the highest values last week. What we have currently though seems pretty standard for the season. It sucks.

> Are most years like this?

I think it's a but worse this year than usual. Have been here 12 years.

> How long does it usually last?

It clears up overnight when the hot/dry season ends. Which is REALLY REALLY nice! It's like spring arriving after winter.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Larry]

Is the pollution the same all over Chiangmai, or are certain areas better (or worse) than others?

[silverhawk_usa]

Is the pollution the same all over Chiangmai, or are certain areas better (or worse) than others?

I just returned from a 4 day motorcycle trip. Chiang Mai - Chiang Khong - Nan- Phayao -Chiang Mai, and it is the same all over. Meaning the current situation from the burning, etc., not the traffic polution in Chiang Mai. If anything, it was even worse as I approached Chiang Rai.

I was surprised Nan was as bad as it was. One could not enjoy any scenery or mountain views at all due to the lack of visibility.

Stayed at a mountain resort at Bo Klua and ash was falling in our hair as we sat in the outdoor restaurant. Coming home we had a strong wind from the west and it cleared the air enough that we could at least see blue sky in places.

[chanchao]

BTW, Note that the PCD site has historical data, so you can actually check what the situation was last year, and the year before that,etc.

www.pcd.go.th

[sabaijai]

Is the pollution the same all over Chiangmai, or are certain areas better (or worse) than others?

I just returned from a 4 day motorcycle trip. Chiang Mai - Chiang Khong - Nan- Phayao -Chiang Mai, and it is the same all over. Meaning the current situation from the burning, etc., not the traffic polution in Chiang Mai. If anything, it was even worse as I approached Chiang Rai.

I was surprised Nan was as bad as it was. One could not enjoy any scenery or mountain views at all due to the lack of visibility.

Stayed at a mountain resort at Bo Klua and ash was falling in our hair as we sat in the outdoor restaurant. Coming home we had a strong wind from the west and it cleared the air enough that we could at least see blue sky in places.

The more rural farming areas are worse than Chiang Mai this time of year, obviously because there is more agricultural burning going on.

[Robroy]

Thanks CobraSnakeNecktie. And well I remember John Hammond's blistering version of the song in which that line occurs. A song which is called.......? Oh well, it has been nearly 40 years.

Thanks for the Costa Rica information. I shall check it out too, as I'm not wedded to Thailand - especially as the rule of law doesn't always seem to operate here for farang; and no-one's doing much about corruption; and TT&T are hopeless; and the beaches are full of garbage.

Internet is vital to me too, as I'm a share/futures trader.

Is there any good science on the detox agents you cite? (I'll check out the sites, ta..)

I've put together a precis of the articles I've quoted - see my next post.

PS: Got it: "Who do you love?"

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Thanks CobraSnakeNecktie. And well I remember John Hammond's blistering version of the song in which that line occurs. A song which is called.......? Oh well, it has been nearly 40 years.

Thanks for the Costa Rica information. I shall check it out too, as I'm not wedded to Thailand - especially as the rule of law doesn't always seem to operate here for farang; and no-one's doing much about corruption; and TT&T are hopeless; and the beaches are full of garbage.

Internet is vital to me too, as I'm a share/futures trader.

Is there any good science on the detox agents you cite? (I'll check out the sites, ta..)

I've put together a precis of the articles I've quoted - see my next post.

PS: Got it: "Who do you love?"

Hi Robroy

Looking forward to your next post. Having now learned the downside of air quality I am trying to using that info to best advantage in the future.

Costa Rica is interesting in a few ways. They have a similiar 90 day tourista visa which requires you to leave the country for 72 hours. Fortunately its no big deal to overstay and just pay a small fine. Many overstay for months and even years without problem.

On the health and environment front they are leaders in the region when it comes to national parks and protecting the environment. There is a growing organic produce industry mostly for export but locals can obtain the cleaner products also.

The downside is that CR is somewhat more expensive than Thailand. Just depends on your lifestyle and needs but very manageable.

Its still a developing country though and the capital city is stinky and crowded but improving. Fortunately the narrow peninsula geography means clean ocean air mitigates a lot of the concentrations depending on location and season.

Climate is great in the central valley. Dry and always between 75 and 85 for highs and about 65 at night...

There are additional hazards which are not present in Thailand such as active volcanoes, earthquakes, and tropical storms.

Crime and hostility issues are about par with Thailand.

The culture is not as fascinating or intricate but very friendly. The women I would have to rank behind Thai for beauty but not by very much... Its a good place to go as a single guy.

Changing subjects you asked about the science behind those detox products. Yes 40+ year history with the US FDA. For a long time EDTA chelation has been used for lead, nikel, mercury poisoning. Traditionally it has been used intervenously which is expensive, irritating and time consuming.

The new delivery method is not exactly cheap but easy to do and not patented because its been around for quite a while. I suspect the prices will go lower with competition.

Lots of info on their site and you can get it locally from the Doctor who overseas the Tao Garden resort on the way to Chiang Rai.

Hope that helps.

Good luck with your trading!!! I focus on currency markets myself.

[Robroy]

I thought I’d summarise the studies I cited in the previous post, as they contain some relevant information for anyone living in Chiang Mai:

• The northwestern Suthep Range essentially blocks the air movement from the Northwesterly and Southeasterly winds – winds which would otherwise wash out air pollution - during the cool and rainy seasons respectively.

• Of the 7 categories of air pollution measured in both cities, Chiang Mai had higher concentrations than Bangkok – in most cases far higher concentrations.

• Lung cancer in Chiang Mai is 139 cases per 100,000, almost 6 times the world average.

• The small (<10 and <2.5 micron) dust particles in Chiang Mai’s air – the ones which embed in lungs and alveoli respectively, and thus cause the most damage - are generally double the ‘ambient air quality standard’ between January-April. (Another study said they’re worst in November-March.)

• 40-80% of the small <PM10 particles come from ‘outdoor fires’, and the rest from diesel vehicles, cooking fires and other sources.

• These fine particles may also carry other toxins into the body which cause infections and respiratory diseases, and/or are carcinogenic or mutagenic.

• The <PM10 particles carry a potent carcinogen (polycydic aromatic hydrocarbons – from burning dried grass and leaves, and cooking fires) which also causes more severe attacks in asthmatics and heart disease patients.

• Whilst the <PM10s come mostly from vegetation burning, 90% of Chiang Mai’s carbon monoxide pollution comes from vehicle emissions during rush hours.

• The CO tends to concentrate in valleys.

• ‘Total suspended particles’ (TSP) varies from area to area – e.g. one busy commerical area had double the concentration of a residential area. In rural and residential areas they remain fairly constant through the day; in commercial and industrial areas they tend to peak in the morning rush hour, gradually decrease thereafter, then rise again toward evening.

• In 2003 there were 704,800 hospital cases of respiratory disease recorded – roughly double that of 10 years earlier.

• Respiratory disease rates have risen every year since then.

• A UN study has identified a two-mile-thick toxic cloud comprised of ash, acids, aerosols, etc covering southern Asia – the result of forest fires, the burning of agricultural wastes, industry, vehicle emissions, power stations, and inefficient cookers.

• The UN has dubbed the cloud, which is cutting solar radiation reaching the Earth by up to 15%, and is affecting rainfall patterns, the “Asian Brown Cloud”.

• One of the 200 scientists involved in the study noted that two million people die annually in India from atmospheric pollution.

• Chiang Mai’s average TSP (total suspended particulate) concentration in 2004 was 149 µg/m. Average TSP concentrations in Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Karachi were 153, 78, 127, 211, 74 and 668 µg/m, respectively.

Whilst the general drift is clear, there is a certain amount of vagueness or contradiction in the various studies and media reports, e.g. as to whether the TSPs come mainly from soil dust/road dust/industry/vehicles, or from vegetation burning; and whether levels in the peak seasons are ‘generally’ above safe levels or just ‘spike’ over them in (for example) morning rush hour; whether Chiang Mai city’s population is 250,000 or 400,000; and why in either case Chiang Mai city would have had 550,000 vehicles in 2000.

In addition to the above-cited articles, I found a few more:

The Nation today, Mar 10:

[http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30027187]

• “Chiang Mai Public Health Office is warning residents, especially the elderly and those with respiratory diseases, to avoid prolonged outdoor activities as the air pollution in the city is reaching critical levels.

“The Department of Pollution Control showed dust particles, smaller than 10 microns, are rising to a harmful level.

“Medics report that the number of people suffering from respiratory diseases in Chiang Mai is rising dramatically, with an increase of 20 per cent expected this year.”

From http://www.chiangmainews.com/indepth/details.php?id=625 :

• Chiang Mai has a higher number of lung cancer patients than Bangkok in absolute (not per capita) terms.

• Dr Duangchan Apawatcharut Jaroenmuang, head of the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Air Pollution Control Project, revealed that patients with general respiratory diseases in Chiang Mai also outnumber those in Bangkok.

• Dr Charoenmuang, who has spent a number of years studying air pollution in Chiang Mai, and who has discussed the problem with the Mayor among other civic leaders, believes the city authorities have no intention of doing anything about the problem.

• Chiang Mai City Clerk Ken Santitham, comments: “Our air problems are not that severe.”

[nikster]

It's not vehicle emissions. If it was, then it'd occur only/significantly more in the city, which is quite obviously not the case. Any 1-2-3 hour drive in any direction will confirm that.

Indeed. Yesterday, on the way to Pai, passing through scenic mountains... the air was nearly as bad as in CM. Pai valley is obscured by smoke. Ash lands on the balcony. It's crazy.

I would wager that almost all of this is from the controlled forest fires which happen all over northern Thailand and in Burma and Laos. Chances that this will improve any time soon: Zero. It would require a few things to happen that are extremely unlikely:

- Recognition of this as a problem - slowly happening, mention on TV news! By slowly I mean that it's never occurred to the villagers in Pai valley that all that smoke might just have a bad effect on health. They demonstrate this by burning garbage and / or setting controlled forest fires while their children can hardly breathe from all the smoke.

- Ability of government to change ways of life that have been like this for hundreds of years. Ahem.

- Coordination between Thailand, Laos and Burma.

So the last hope is climate change and more/earlier rain or strong winds. Humans will not solve this problem.

[MyPenRye]

Thank you for the post on medical insurance, but can you tell me more about this "instance" insurance. I am thinking of going to be operated on an operation that is not covered by insurance. So, not all hospital carry this insurance? Where do you find it? What is the exact name? Is it ok for farangs? Is it for any insurance? The hospital I am thinking off is Vanhee International in BKK. Thank you.

[chiang mai]

For those of you that haven't yet made the connection the cause of the extreme bad air this year, at least in part, seems to be as a result of a major forest fire along the Thai Lao border.

[jaideeguy]

Excelent post, with facts, figures and studies to back it up!! I've always had the hunch that the 'haze' is continental [Thai, Lao, Burma, & CHINA, all of asia] and we may never see the end of it as burning is the Asian way to deal with rubbish, weeds, clearing land, farming etc.

Which brings up a few questions in my mind........

1] do those particle masks help any?? the cloth or the 3m 8210?

2] does staying indoors minimise exposure?? on bad smog days in big cities health officials recomend staying indoors, but we still breath in the house. And, I don't want to turn the air-con on!!

3] have heard 'experts' refer to lung damage equaling smoking several packs of cigarettes a day....any truth to this or is it just a myth??

4] WHERE IN THAILAND CAN YOU FIND THE CLEANEST AIR [and faast internet]??

Would appreciate some answers [or speculation] to these questions.

Thanks in advance.....

[solent01]

Living up north of the city, and in farmer country, I haven’t noticed much burning as of late, however I can't speak for our neighbouring country, but we are under the presence of high air pressure, which keeps these pollutants low level.

[NaiGreg]

For those of you that haven't yet made the connection the cause of the extreme bad air this year, at least in part, seems to be as a result of a major forest fire along the Thai Lao border.

The Thai news is reporting massive buring in Burma as well.

Also reported [second hand news]:

(1) Enforcement of illegal burning violations will be a priority!

(2) The gov't is "seeding" the rain clouds to bring rain relief near Mae Hong Son, but they said the plan may not work.

On another note, yesterday my wife and some neighbors were discussing the severity of the pollution problem and just how it has deteriorated during their lifetimes. One of the neighbors is about 52. They are not happy about!

[Goshawk]

This is a recent satelite image of Thailand and surrounding countries

The grey is the smoke caused from thousands of burning fires, the red dots are the fires themselves

Lao and Myanmar seem to be the culprits

[Ta22]

Many years ago - The bush burning in Indonesia , can be felt badly in Singapore -

we call it Haze .

IS so bad that - when you drive out , you can only see like 10 meter beyond . so even in the days you got to switch on your head light .

everyone is coughing .

Ok ..

here some advice which i used in the pass . eyes drop , and cough candy . help .

chiangmai is the same . burning the farm is the best way and the cheapest way to enrich the top soil .. at leas tthat what the farmer think i guess .

On my way back on friday i drove from mae sai - at i can see alot of places burning . manmade i think ..

and the Haze is kinda bad as it reduce the night visual of the already dark path in the mountian .

alot of people were tailgating each other - due to the poor night sight .

-

pollution that you can see you can avoid . but the real pollution is those that you can't see.

Use less plastic it do help .

[Sojourner]

Try this URL to get an idea why we are so thick with smoke. http://maps.geog.umd.edu/activefire_html/c...nd_checkbox.htm

[chanchao]

This is a recent satelite image of Thailand and surrounding countries

The grey is the smoke caused from thousands of burning fires, the red dots are the fires themselves

Lao and Myanmar seem to be the culprits

Interesting!!! Where did you find that image? And is it updated regularly?

[Goshawk]

Interesting!!! Where did you find that image? And is it updated regularly?

emailed to me by a friend last week. Where he got it from i know not, but will find out..

[PeaceBlondie]

Robroy gets my praise for the first post I've ever seen to use the word "alveoli." I think the partial pressure of oxygen (normally, at sea level) in the alveoli is about 102 millibars. And that is from 40 years ago!

When you're talking about particles of 5 micron, that's five millionths of a meter, five thousands of a millimeter. That's how small things get in the alveoli.

[meadish_sweetball]

Excellent thread. Thanks a lot to all of you who have contributed - especially Robroy!

[Pink Mist]

Robroy gets my praise for the first post I've ever seen to use the word "alveoli." I think the partial pressure of oxygen (normally, at sea level) in the alveoli is about 102 millibars. And that is from 40 years ago!

When you're talking about particles of 5 micron, that's five millionths of a meter, five thousands of a millimeter. That's how small things get in the alveoli.

104 is about 14psi, thats right, 5 microns is right too, you could be an engineering educator blodie

[Tywais]

Some imagery information > http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/GFMCnew/20...0070307_sea.htm

http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Fires/Asia...asia065_MOL.jpg

http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Fires/Asia...Sasia065_MO.jpg (larger)

http://www.haze-online.or.id/news.php/ID=20070308165710

High resolution > http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery...63.0655.1km.jpg

This last one is pretty remarkable.

[PeaceBlondie]

Robroy gets my praise for the first post I've ever seen to use the word "alveoli." I think the partial pressure of oxygen (normally, at sea level) in the alveoli is about 102 millibars. And that is from 40 years ago!

When you're talking about particles of 5 micron, that's five millionths of a meter, five thousands of a millimeter. That's how small things get in the alveoli.

104 is about 14psi, thats right, 5 microns is right too, you could be an engineering educator blodie

Senior instructor, aviation physiological training, 45 years ago! Without enough oxygen in the body, you suffer from one or more forms of hypoxia: hypoxic hypoxia, anemic hypoxia, histotoxic hypoxia, and...and..I forget the other one. Death from carbon monoxide poisoning happens because the red corpuscles in the lungs are 100 times more likely to bond with CO than with pure oxygen. In fact, that makes me wonder how many gases in the Chiang Mai air inhibit our blood from absorbing enough oxygen. Or, how many poisons are absorbed to the cellular level, prohibiting our cells from using the oxygen delivered by the bloodstream.