Exhaust and no wind blamed for Bangkok’s worsening air quality

 

 

Vehicular exhaust, accumulated since Friday evening when traffic was the worst of the week, compounded by a temperature inversion increased air pollution in and around Bangkok on Saturday, according to the Pollution Control Department.

 

It said, however, that the problem eased somewhat during the afternoon as airborne dust was dispersed by the onset of a south-easterly 10-20kph breeze.

 

Seven areas in Bangkok and six in surrounding areas were found to have excessive PM2.5 dust particles of up to 66 microns this morning, but pollution in some northern and north-eastern provinces today is worse than in Bangkok, mainly due to smoke from forest fires and the burning of farm waste.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/exhaust-and-no-wind-blamed-for-bangkoks-worsening-air-quality/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-01-19

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But why? The farm burning all around bkk has absolutely zero to do with this??. Its 198pm2.5 here in kanchanaburi. Smells the same here as bkk and polluted the whole way so why this constant ignorant lying? Why protect Farmers and firebugs of forest land?? I really cant figure this out.

Its all the hot air and endless talk from the myriad of committees headed by a general masquerading as a PM inability to order it gone????

11 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Why protect Farmers and firebugs of forest land?? I really cant figure this out

Not heard of the unofficial land burning head turning licence I presume

Bangkok was always a problem. But when I lived there for a while many years ago it did something very good for me. It helped me to quit smoking after many unsuccessful attempts. Cigarettes and the bad air together were too much for me. Now I live in Pattaya. It is early in the morning and I don't want to open a window. The outside air smells bad. This you will realize especially if you have the aircon running what somewhat cleans the air. When I clean the balcony everything has a thick layer of black dust and this after one day only. The bad thing is that there is no improvement. I have the feeling that it is getting worse every year.

been following this closely for the last week and here is what i have noticed. the gulf air pollution is coming from cambodia crop burning. have a look at the following image that shows a "smear" of red pollution being blown west on the prevailing wind directly from cambodia.

 

 

nasa fire satellite data backs this up, yesterday 150 fires in thailand, 900+ in cambodia

 

stop the fires stop the pollution

 

 

now all Prayut has to do is put out his own countries fires AND ask Hun Sen to stop their burning!
good luck with that 

 

Edited January 19, 20206 yr by GeorgeCross

This is no joke, I am wearing mask daily. The street vendors suffer the most , it is probably too hot for them to wear a mask all day long.

It's worth noting that staying indoors only reduces your air pollution by 50%. So indoors could still be 100 (I would guess a lot more because if the low quality aluminium doors and windows here allowing unrestricted air flow), which is still 4 times over what scientists say is an acceptable amount of 25 (magically the acceptable number for Thais is 50) 

 

I work outside and wear a mask all

day. It's horrible and now I seem to be getting a skin problem because of it. The N95 mask I wear is filthy after a couple of days. None of my colleagues wear them and I see street vendors, police, etc without protection. 

It seems that Thais aren't that bothered if there are no immediate effects, unfortunately they will suffer later in life (that could be tomorrow to 10 years down the track)  

The worst part for me is seeing children playing outside sucking in all that pollution ☹️

 

Why is the police not going to the farmers and order them to stop burning? 

11 minutes ago, Thian said:

Why is the police not going to the farmers and order them to stop burning? 

Where's the money to be made in that? The farmers are broke! ????

1 hour ago, Beggar said:

When I clean the balcony everything has a thick layer of black dust and this after one day only. The bad thing is that there is no improvement. I have the feeling that it is getting worse every year.

Getting worse or the public awareness has increased?

I lived in an apartment in Bangkok that had an attached large Patio area, it was very nice - it was unusable without washing it down everyday due to the filth and pollution that settled, that was in ~ 1990, Bangkok was even worse back then at times for pollution, they had a massive campaign and that was successful and cleaned the city air immensely, guess they have forgotten about that?

If the atmosphere is inverted and their is no wind, unless there are a lot of rice fields within the city, this episode of pollution isn't burning fields its predominately traffic and construction.

A post using a trolling meme has been removed. 

38 minutes ago, thequietman said:

50 minutes ago, Thian said:

Why is the police not going to the farmers and order them to stop burning? 

Where's the money to be made in that? The farmers are broke! ????

Well Prayuth can save a lot of money by not paying the police because they won't do their job.

8 minutes ago, Thian said:

Well Prayuth can save a lot of money by not paying the police because they won't do their job.

I think the police force here are self funding - hence the massive corruption.

13 minutes ago, thequietman said:

I think the police force here are self funding - hence the massive corruption.

When the police stopped me they ordered me to 'show me your money', i had to show them what's inside my wallet.......

 

So yes, i guess you're right.

Get used to it, it's not getting better. Though I do feel sorry for the uneducated, ignorant and poor who have destroyed their own environment and now have no choice but to breath the poison and filth and associated health ramifications. ????

1 hour ago, CGW said:

Getting worse or the public awareness has increased?

I lived in an apartment in Bangkok that had an attached large Patio area, it was very nice - it was unusable without washing it down everyday due to the filth and pollution that settled, that was in ~ 1990, Bangkok was even worse back then at times for pollution, they had a massive campaign and that was successful and cleaned the city air immensely, guess they have forgotten about that?

If the atmosphere is inverted and their is no wind, unless there are a lot of rice fields within the city, this episode of pollution isn't burning fields its predominately traffic and construction.

There is wind. But it's little and it's coming from where the burning fields are.

 

The thing with PM2.5 particles is that they are really small and will easily stay airborne for days.

 

All the scientific studies and analysis I've seen which publish their methodology and results agreed that the winter pollution peak is due to crop burning.

 

Have you remarked that none of these announcements by the government come with any actual proof or numbers?

 

Last year some NGO analyzed the particles in February and something like 70% was from burnt organic materials while the rest was a mix of dust and exhaust pollutants.

 

Just look at the maps of the fires, the location of the pollution and the wind patterns. It's absolutely obvious where the brunt of it is coming from.

 

Now I'm not sure why the government is blatantly ignoring all the evidence. Maybe they don't want to aggravate farmers who already have it tough with the strong baht. But it's clear that they've decided to pretend it's all just about the traffic.

Edited January 19, 20206 yr by jybkk

27 minutes ago, mickey rat said:

Get used to it, it's not getting better. Though I do feel sorry for the uneducated, ignorant and poor who have destroyed their own environment and now have no choice but to breath the poison and filth and associated health ramifications. ????

Agreed, they will never accept responsibility. Every day the thousands of stationary motorists pushing out fumes and heat sit in their polluting vehicles happy to push all the blame on the farmers

Edited January 19, 20206 yr by 473geo

An off topic post has been removed. 

Do the Pollution Control Department not realise that there is pollution all over the country? Is the high PM2.5 in the north also to do with exhaust fumes and little wind? 

11 minutes ago, jybkk said:

Now I'm not sure why the government is blatantly ignoring all the evidence.

Indeed, do nothing seems to be the order of the day!

Just now, BobbyL said:

Do the Pollution Control Department not realise that there is pollution all over the country? Is the high PM2.5 in the north also to do with exhaust fumes and little wind? 

True, but its a lot worse in the city centre, I live 12 miles outside the city of UT, our levels are usually half or less than what they are reporting in the city.

And, too much wind from all those who should be doing something.  

On 1/19/2020 at 8:46 AM, unamazedloso said:

But why? The farm burning all around bkk has absolutely zero to do with this??. Its 198pm2.5 here in kanchanaburi. Smells the same here as bkk and polluted the whole way so why this constant ignorant lying? Why protect Farmers and firebugs of forest land?? I really cant figure this out.

Because you're in Thailand... 

Edited January 20, 20206 yr by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

3 hours ago, Beggar said:

The outside air smells bad. This you will realize especially if you have the aircon running what somewhat cleans the air. When I clean the balcony everything has a thick layer of black dust and this after one day only. The bad thing is that there is no improvement. I have the feeling that it is getting worse every year.

Its been getting steadily worse for at least the last 5 years. I am on a high floor less than 1 mile from the ocean. Each year there are more and more days I cannot actually see the ocean. Just a murky colour that blends into the sky.

Is it possible, in Bangkok, only 66 microns?
Here with us for a long time now we are at levels above 160 microns!

Watch the photo of this morning at 7.00 am!

12 minutes ago, potless said:

Its been getting steadily worse for at least the last 5 years. I am on a high floor less than 1 mile from the ocean. Each year there are more and more days I cannot actually see the ocean. Just a murky colour that blends into the sky.

Today in Jomtien it's the worse I've ever seen like the darkening of the skies before dusk. From the 15th floor we can see the gloom and taste it. 

Nothing greatly will be done to solve the problem. Burning will continue, Thais love driving, old bikes & trucks etc. Remember the ridiculous humidifier that was put outside Central World. 

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

the burning of farm waste.

...and the garbage from all And the garbage burned by the "poor" who cannot afford to pay for the collector of!

Time for the temples to invent new amulets me thinks.