Bangkok air quality slips as temperature drops

By The Nation

 

 

Bangkok's air quality is seeing deterioration with the arrival of winter, making the health of sensitive groups vulnerable, the latest readings show.

 

The Air Visual application reported on Sunday that Bangkok’s air pollution level, according to the US Air Quality Index (AQI) standard, stood at 111, with the level of particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) at 39.5 per cubic metre (µg/m3). Bangkok ranks 31st on the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world.

 

AQI is a standard that indicates the quality of air and level of pollution. Level 0-50 is good air quality, 51-100 is moderate quality, 101-105 starts affecting sensitive groups, 151-200 is slightly harmful to health, 201-300 is highly harmful and 301-500 is extremely dangerous.

 

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department reported that the air quality in Bangkok and its perimeter is currently fluctuating between very good to moderate with PM2.5 at around 32-72µg/m3 detected by 69 air quality stations, increasing from last week by 10 units. Thailand's safety limit for PM2.5 is 50µg/m3, while the safety limit for AQI is 100.

 

As of Sunday, the five cities with the worst air quality were: 1. Delhi, India 396; 2. Lahore, Pakistan 330; 3. Shenyang, China 188; 4. Chengdu, China 176; 5. Wrocław, Poland 166.

 

The cities with the best air quality were: 1. Paris, France and Tashkent, Uzbekistan 1; 2.Melbourne, Australia 2; 3. Salt Lake City, US 3; 4. Skopje, North Macedonia 8; 5. Portland, United States 13.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30397980

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-16

 

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It's only the beginning of pollution season with at least another six months to go. ????Stay inside with windows closed and avoid outdoor activities. Things will start to improve late April or May. The worst is yet to come. 

They just need to change the limits of what constitutes acceptable air quality.....problem solved.

2 hours ago, Venom said:

Stay inside with windows closed and avoid outdoor activities

Bit like quarantine then?

There is a reporting station on soi 23 near that end of soi Cowboy (a source of a different kind of pollution), and one a ways toward the park on soi 8, neither of which I noticed before when I was living in Din Daeng. I figured there were none around the international Sukhumvit area because the government did not want tourists to know how bad it could be. These may be relatively new and there do seem to be more on the map now. I'd like to see a discussion on the efficacy of masks that we're all now used to, and a new discussion of which ones are best. I've just been going with a cheap comfortable type with the brand name Yamada on it. It's important because I walk outside for exercise.

Rest assured that I'll be doing my (small) bit from the beginning of December.

 

Once the last bit of the Green Line opens, rather than drive to MorChit I will leave my car in the Park and Ride at Khu Kot (13.931636, 100.645361) and ride the train in to town.

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with saving 230 Baht a day tolls vs 50 Baht a day for the parking (not confirmed yet, going by the rates at Keha)   

 

Train is free for now.