Air Pollution - Eyes Stinging - Time For a Mask!

[thequietman]

Hi Guys,

 

Currently in the north of THailand - Uttaradit - and the AQI is 117.

 

I need to get some masks please. Recommendations where I can buy online please. Many thanks.

 

I want to work out, but am a little wary due to the reading - should I go ahead with a reading of 117???

 

Is air quality better in the morning? Maybe I could change my routine until then. Any and all advice is very much appreciated. ????

[CharlieH]

On my AQi it says you were 121 and the 7 day forcast doesnt drop below 101 with a recommendation of wearing a mask.

 

Suggest cruising Lazada for various options to be sent to your door.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pm-25-i102901345-s103237856.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.12.62b55366ruRojC&search=1

 

OR

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/10-pm-25-mask-anti-face-adult-pm-25-protection-activated-valve-carbon-i337472292-s653028945.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.18.62b55366ruRojC&search=1

[thequietman]

7 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

On my AQi it says you were 121 and the 7 day forcast doesnt drop below 101 with a recommendation of wearing a mask.

 

Suggest cruising Lazada for various options to be sent to your door.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pm-25-i102901345-s103237856.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.12.62b55366ruRojC&search=1

 

OR

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/10-pm-25-mask-anti-face-adult-pm-25-protection-activated-valve-carbon-i337472292-s653028945.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.18.62b55366ruRojC&search=1

Hi CharlieH, thanks for that. These seem a little cheap and nasty! Any experience with these regarding quality? Many thanks for your assistance.

[CharlieH]

I dont I am afraid, I can only go by the high number of reviews 500+ they seem to be rated correctly and there are more expensive option on the site up to 2000 baht etc. 

For the low cost I would be tempted to try them and not much lost if you feel they didnt assist. Just a suggestion.

 

This one is higher priced and is a "brand" 3M 

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/esogoal-3m-8210-mouth-face-mask-3d-anti-fog-anti-pm-25-respirator-anti-dust-haze-disposable-particulate-mask-respirator-ear-wearing-n95-level-for-men-women-i281937045-s458697843.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.46.48b8f35cldPCL5&search=1

[samsensam]

 

fairly obviously, and not seemingly understood by many, is that the mask must form an air tight seal with the face.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/10/pollutionwatch-how-effective-are-face-masks-beijing#maincontent

[CGW]

42 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Is air quality better in the morning?

From the readings at the house, the AQ levels are higher in the mornings as they burn during the night, probably better of waiting till later to exercise.

[Lacessit]

Apologies for veering off topic a bit. Where can I get the filter material ( I believe it is 3M ) to shroud a fan, so that it can be used as an air purifier, or wrapped around an aircon filter?

[Speedo1968]

Depends how necessary it is to work out.

I am in my 70's and usually walk 6-10km a day ( am + pm exercise ) plus in-house yoga floor exercise.
The air where I live 50km south of Khon Kaen is very polluted at the moment, especially since last Saturday, so I walk only the necessary distance to the market.   I have stopped my evening walking exercise but house yoga continues.
This is from a person who worked in farming and all it's protein dust issues since 1961.   

Don't forget that a mask should be airtight around the edges something you will be difficult to find.

[tweedledee2]

18 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Apologies for veering off topic a bit. Where can I get the filter material ( I believe it is 3M ) to shroud a fan, so that it can be used as an air purifier, or wrapped around an aircon filter?

   Macro's in Surin stocks them. I'd guess other stores locations would too.

[thequietman]

On 1/16/2020 at 9:17 AM, tweedledee2 said:

   Macro's in Surin stocks them. I'd guess other stores locations would too.

any recommendations for an air purifier in stores or on Lazada please.

There are many to choose from, but does anyone have any experience with one. Thanks.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 1/16/2020 at 9:17 AM, tweedledee2 said:

   Macro's in Surin stocks them. I'd guess other stores locations would too.

 

You're talking about the 3M Filtrete sheets that are sold here. Not HEPA filtration. But better than nothing. And need to be replaced every week or two in any kind of high pollution level environment such as is occurring here now.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 minutes ago, thequietman said:

any recommendations for an air purifier in stores or on Lazada please.

There are many to choose from, but does anyone have any experience with one. Thanks.

 

First, you need to identify the sq mt. area that you want to keep clean. And identify the size of the enclosed spaces you have... like a bedroom, or a living area. Then pick a HEPA purifier(s) that's sized to the sq mt area you want to clean. 

 

A lot of the lower priced consumer units sold here are sized for 20-30 sq mt spaces. If you have larger individual spaces than that, then you need either a single larger capacity purifier, or multiple of the smaller capacity ones.

 

Presumably you'd want a unit to keep your bedroom clean at night. Then, do you need a second unit for your living area during the day, or do you want to unplug and move the bedroom unit into your living area during the daytimes, etc etc.

 

Typical brands here in the air purifier world are Xiaomi, Sharp, Hatari, Phillips and various others. Last time I looked, if you go to the PowerBuy TH website, you can see all in one place a pretty good listing of all the different models, manufacturers, sizes, prices for such units.

 

Then once you find the right kind of unit(s) for what you need, you can begin to shop around for a good price from a reputable seller.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[tomazbodner]

11 minutes ago, thequietman said:

any recommendations for an air purifier in stores or on Lazada please.

There are many to choose from, but does anyone have any experience with one. Thanks.

You can take any HEPA filter that removes pm2.5. You should be careful about what size it is suitable for, and how easy (and affordable) it is to get replacement filters for it as most require filter replacement every 6 months to a year. Personally I use Xiaomi Air Purifier 2S and 3H (mainly because it costs ridiculously little, has display with air quality shown as well as connects to Wifi and can be controlled from phone), some of my friends are happy with other brands like BlueAir, Bionaire, Sharp. I'd stay away from ionisers (they charge the particles to stick to something rather than removing it), and since they trap bacteria, it would be good to get a filter that's antibacterial. Bionaire and Xiaomi have them, I'm sure many other brands do as well. If you pick Xiaomi - and plan to hook it up to your phone - make sure to get Global/EU/International version, not China version. If you only plan to turn it on and off on the box, you can get any. They start at 100$. Sharp small ones at about 200$. Bionaire for any decent size about 400$. Unless there's something really special in it, 2000$ up air cleaners are generally not worth it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 1/15/2020 at 7:10 PM, Speedo1968 said:

Depends how necessary it is to work out.

I am in my 70's and usually walk 6-10km a day ( am + pm exercise ) plus in-house yoga floor exercise.
The air where I live 50km south of Khon Kaen is very polluted at the moment, especially since last Saturday, so I walk only the necessary distance to the market.   I have stopped my evening walking exercise but house yoga continues.
This is from a person who worked in farming and all it's protein dust issues since 1961.   

Don't forget that a mask should be airtight around the edges something you will be difficult to find.

 

A person certainly would not want to exercise outside when the local AQI is 150 or above (unhealthy). When the AQI is 100-150, that means health impacts can occur in "sensitive" populations, which includes older folks.

 

I've been keeping my Thai wife from her outdoors exercise anytime our local AQI is 120 or above, but that's just my personal call for her...  If it were me, that cutoff number probably would be anything over 100 AQI.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, tomazbodner said:

Sharp small ones at about 200$.

 

Sharp's single room units for 20-30 sq meters can be bought regularly for $100+.

 

I paid just a bit over $100 U.S. for mine via a Lazada seller.

 

[thequietman]

4 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Personally I use Xiaomi Air Purifier 2S and 3H

Been looking at this one. 3500 baht seems reasonable with a 12 month warranty. ???? Do you know if the filters are readily available and at what price? many thanks for your help.

[tomazbodner]

Just now, thequietman said:

Been looking at this one. 3500 baht seems reasonable with a 12 month warranty. ???? Do you know if the filters are readily available and at what price? many thanks for your help.

About 800 baht up (but beware fakes on sites like Lazada or eBay). Xiaomi shops all over the country 899-1299, depending on promotion. I usually paid 800-900 baht for each (antibacterial edition) filter. Standard edition and strangely Anti formaldehyde edition are cheaper.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 1/14/2020 at 8:08 PM, thequietman said:

I need to get some masks please. Recommendations where I can buy online please.

 

Any 3M brand mask rated N95 is going to do the job. The problem with online sources like Lazada is knowing whether you're buying a legitimate one vs. one of the many Chinese counterfeits that seem to be being offered online in Thailand.

 

[tomazbodner]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Sharp's single room units for 20-30 sq meters can be bought regularly for $100+.

 

I paid just a bit over $100 U.S. for mine via a Lazada seller.

 

Prices dropped, that's great news. Sharp air cleaners are good. However I had the 25,000 baht one before that had tons of LEDs and displays at the top, which was REALLY distracting at night and couldn't turn the thing off. So I had a tape over it in the end. Not most beautiful solution but at least my bedroom wasn't illuminated like Times Square on New Year's eve...

[thequietman]

2 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

About 800 baht up (but beware fakes on sites like Lazada or eBay). Xiaomi shops all over the country 899-1299, depending on promotion. I usually paid 800-900 baht for each (antibacterial edition) filter. Standard edition and strangely Anti formaldehyde edition are cheaper.

this one ................... https://www.lazada.co.th/products/xiaomi-mi-air-purifier-2s-pm-25-1-i261612068-s835374145.html?spm=a2o4m.cart.0.0.5b716108AmeSL9

 

Is it overpriced???

[tomazbodner]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Any 3M brand mask rated N95 is going to do the job. The problem with online sources like Lazada is knowing whether you're buying a legitimate one vs. one of the many Chinese counterfeits that seem to be being offered online in Thailand.

 

Agree. Lots of fakes on Lazada. Yes, you can return if you find out it's fake and get your money back but then have to wait for next one, which is annoying. JD Central guarantees 100% genuine products but it's a little pricier. But if you do go for Shopee or Lazada, read the reviews. Else even 7 eleven, HomePro, etc. are selling masks now. Probably their No.2 most popular product. Just after the "no plastic" bags...

[tomazbodner]

2 minutes ago, thequietman said:

this one ................... https://www.lazada.co.th/products/xiaomi-mi-air-purifier-2s-pm-25-1-i261612068-s835374145.html?spm=a2o4m.cart.0.0.5b716108AmeSL9

 

Is it overpriced???

For Chinese version - it's about 750-1000 baht over. But it's middle of the peak shopping season, so prices are higher than usual. PowerBuy had sale for 4199 for 3H global version, which is about 50% more effective than 2S. So if price approaches 4000 baht I'd say 3H model is a better deal. They are sold out very quickly though, so on Lazada many offer Preorders, as they are all out of stock. Who would have thought a mobile phone maker from China would become Thailand's most popular air cleaner brand... And force other brands to drop prices.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Prices dropped, that's great news. Sharp air cleaners are good. However I had the 25,000 baht one before that had tons of LEDs and displays at the top, which was REALLY distracting at night and couldn't turn the thing off. So I had a tape over it in the end. Not most beautiful solution but at least my bedroom wasn't illuminated like Times Square on New Year's eve...

 

The one I posted an image of above has one mild power on light that faces upward, and then a very small light nearby for the fan setting. Neither are obtrusive or particularly visible when you're sleeping in a dark bedroom, because they're on the top of the unit facing upward... But the small light element is flush with the purifier frame/surface...not sticking up/out.

 

My Sndway SW-825 PM2.5 sensor throws off 100 times more light at night via its lit LCD display. No need to cover anything with the Sharp FP-F30TA units.

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[thequietman]

10 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Prices dropped, that's great news. Sharp air cleaners are good. However I had the 25,000 baht one before that had tons of LEDs and displays at the top, which was REALLY distracting at night and couldn't turn the thing off. So I had a tape over it in the end. Not most beautiful solution but at least my bedroom wasn't illuminated like Times Square on New Year's eve...

for that sharp model that you have - 3200 baht. OK or too expensive? sorry for all the questions. Says only need to change out filter once a year. Is that true?

Whats the price for new filter - 900 baht or so?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

For Chinese version - it's about 750-1000 baht over. But it's middle of the peak shopping season, so prices are higher than usual. PowerBuy had sale for 4199 for 3H global version, which is about 50% more effective than 2S. So if price approaches 4000 baht I'd say 3H model is a better deal. 

 

From everything I've read, I'd opt for a 3H global version over the prior 2H versions, in part because the 3H is supposed to come with a true HEPA filter (99.97% filtration down to 0.3 microns), whereas the prior 2 and 2H versions came with a "close to HEPA" filter.

 

[tomazbodner]

9 minutes ago, thequietman said:

this one ................... https://www.lazada.co.th/products/xiaomi-mi-air-purifier-2s-pm-25-1-i261612068-s835374145.html?spm=a2o4m.cart.0.0.5b716108AmeSL9

 

Is it overpriced???

https://shopee.co.th/-โค้ด-AP8888-ลดเหลือ-3-090-Xiaomi-Mi-Air-Purifier-2s-กรองฝุ่น-PM2.5-i.168853851.7900428325

https://shopee.co.th/Xiaomi-MIJIA-Air-Purifier-3H-รุ่นใหม่ล่าสุดglobal-version-กรองได้มากกว่าเดิม-i.75471361.3107649753

 

First one is China version 2S for 3290, second one is Global version 3H for 4290. That makes your Lazada link quite heavily overpriced.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, thequietman said:

for that sharp model that you have - 3200 baht. OK or too expensive? sorry for all the questions. Says only need to change out filter once a year. Is that true?

Whats the price for new filter - 900 baht or so?

 The Sharp model I posted above, and Sharp have several different very similar versions of it with slightly different model numbers, the normal price seems to be around 3,300 baht.

 

I just changed my original filter on the unit yesterday, and mine lasted more than 1-1/2 years...of every day use. But I also was using an extra pre-filter sheet of activated carbon over the HEPA filter to keep it from accumulating a lot of larger gunk that would make it thru the unit's own built-in pre-filter.  Without my own carbon prefilter, I'm sure my original HEPA filter would not have lasted as long. But any way you cut it, a full year of use is good for any HEPA filter.

 

[tomazbodner]

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The one I posted an image of above has one mild power on light that faces upward, and then a very small light nearby for the fan setting. Neither are obtrusive or particularly visible when you're sleeping in a dark bedroom, because they're on the top of the unit facing upward... But the small light element is flush with the purifier frame/surface...not sticking up/out.

 

My Sndway SW-825 PM2.5 sensor throws off 100 times more light at night via its lit LCD display. No need to cover anything with the Sharp FP-F30TA units.

 

 

 

Maybe someone tried to use the pricey one and couldn't sleep ???? Actually many of my older ones had problems with light pollution or were loud. From first air cleaner I've bought in 2003, this industry got a long way. Which is a reflection of sad reality that the air is ever more toxic and ever more people can't survive without air filter.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Maybe someone tried to use the pricey one and couldn't sleep ???? Actually many of my older ones had problems with light pollution or were loud. From first air cleaner I've bought in 2003, this industry got a long way. Which is a reflection of sad reality that the air is ever more toxic and ever more people can't survive without air filter.

 

Sharp makes a lot of different purifier units these days in a whole range of sizes and unit frame formats. So I can't speak to any of the others, other than the style that I posted a photo of above, and it not having an ambient light problem. That's my only direct experience with their units.

 

These two below tend to be their smaller capacity / lower price true HEPA units that are pretty much sized for individual rooms, and both ought to be fine in terms of ambient light.

 

 

https://www.th.sharp/en/products/air-purifier-0

 

I think these two units above actually both use the same size Sharp HEPA filter, along with a couple other Sharp units. The difference in capacity I believe is related to their fan power/air movement capabilities.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[tomazbodner]

Removed duplicate

Edited January 21, 2020 by tomazbodner
Duplicate