Health Warning For North Thailand

[george]

Health warning for North Thailand

The Public Health Ministry has issue a warning to people who live in the northern part of Thailand to beware of respiratory trouble from small dust particles, said the Department of Health's director-general Dr Narongsak Ungkhasuwapala.

Particles smaller than 10 micron (PM10) from burning dried leaves and grass could harm the respiratory system and lungs.

Children and the elderly are advised to wear masks to protect themselves from dust particles. Those who suffer from heart problems, respiratory trouble and asthma should not go outside without a mask.

Narongsak said the Health Ministry had not yet reported any cases of respiratory problems from small dust. However, the ministry has ordered healthcare units throughout the northern area to keep a close watch on any patients who suffer from respiratory problems, he said.

--The Nation 2008-01-22

[Ulysses G.]

Don't worry, it is against the law to burn anymore.

[mobile69]

Don't worry, it is against the law to burn anymore.

Yeah, "Job Done". The govt has banned the burning & warned the people. What more could they possibly be expected to do?

[Ajarn]

They are doing great from what I can see. Blue skies

[Priceless]

I guess somebody at the Ministry felt a need to prove that he/she is working. Actually, the North has very good air quality with low levels of particulate matter at the moment. This is particularly true in comparison with large portions of the rest of Thailand, see graph:

/ Priceless

[tijnebijn]

Hope it stays that way !

[george]

I guess somebody at the Ministry felt a need to prove that he/she is working. Actually, the North has very good air quality with low levels of particulate matter at the moment. This is particularly true in comparison with large portions of the rest of Thailand, see graph:

/ Priceless

Wonder why Saraburi has so high reading? Its proximity to Bangkok? Factories, industries in Saraburi?

[Priceless]

Wonder why Saraburi has so high reading? Its proximity to Bangkok? Factories, industries in Saraburi?

I don't know either but it is a regular occurrence, it seems Saraburi is always at the top (usually way above Bangkok).

/ Priceless

[lannarebirth]

I guess somebody at the Ministry felt a need to prove that he/she is working. Actually, the North has very good air quality with low levels of particulate matter at the moment. This is particularly true in comparison with large portions of the rest of Thailand, see graph:

/ Priceless

Wonder why Saraburi has so high reading? Its proximity to Bangkok? Factories, industries in Saraburi?

I drove through Ayuddya, Lopburi, Singburi, Saraburi a few weeks back. Almost every rice field was burning or had been burned. Couldn't see 100 meters, let alone breathe well.

[mobile69]

Maybe in Saraburi they actually measure the air quality outside, here in CM they don't leave their airconditioned office

It doesn't seem so bad at the moment, although as you drive around the countrside you see one big plume of smoke after another.

[lotus eater]

I guess somebody at the Ministry felt a need to prove that he/she is working. Actually, the North has very good air quality with low levels of particulate matter at the moment. This is particularly true in comparison with large portions of the rest of Thailand, see graph:

/ Priceless

I'd be interested to know the source/website for this graph/info - to keep up to date; to check on other cities' levels.

Wonder why Saraburi has so high reading? Its proximity to Bangkok? Factories, industries in Saraburi?

Isn't Saraburi a centre of a huge quarrying centre for an ingredient of cement - or something of the sort?

[lannarebirth]

Maybe in Saraburi they actually measure the air quality outside, here in CM they don't leave their airconditioned office

It doesn't seem so bad at the moment, although as you drive around the countrside you see one big plume of smoke after another.

Well, if you can see at all then it's much better than the Central rice growing region. You should get out more.

[Priceless]

The source of my graph is the Pollution Control Department website here:

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/G...?task=graphsite

Click on "Graph" and then you can select all sorts of goodies, though unfortunately not any long-term statistics (three weeks at the most). My apologies for not giving the source in my first post

/ Priceless

[lannarebirth]

I'd be interested to know the source/website for this graph/info - to keep up to date; to check on other cities' levels.

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/G...?task=graphsite

[Mapguy]

The burning has begun in Chiang Mai Province. It is quite smoky in some areas although not too bad yet in the city. It is obvious that enforcement of the governor's declaration is lacking. There was an amusing (?) post, as well, about police at one of the traffic control shacks burning the refuse around the shack.

[lannarebirth]

The burning has begun in Chiang Mai Province. It is quite smoky in some areas although not too bad yet in the city. It is obvious that enforcement of the governor's declaration is lacking. There was an amusing (?) post, as well, about police at one of the traffic control shacks burning the refuse around the shack.

Most of the burning I've seen so far gas been by the government. Mostly road shoulders. I've noticed a marked increase of people hiring tractors to clear the brush on their land this year, when in the past they'd have simply burned it off. Not sure why the change, but it's nice to see.

[infernalman7]

I guess somebody at the Ministry felt a need to prove that he/she is working. Actually, the North has very good air quality with low levels of particulate matter at the moment. This is particularly true in comparison with large portions of the rest of Thailand, see graph:

/ Priceless

Wonder why Saraburi has so high reading? Its proximity to Bangkok? Factories, industries in Saraburi?

It's because of the industrial city of Sara Buri.

Both chemical and biological. There's also a huge huge huge concrete factory there as well.

[infernalman7]

The burning has begun in Chiang Mai Province. It is quite smoky in some areas although not too bad yet in the city. It is obvious that enforcement of the governor's declaration is lacking. There was an amusing (?) post, as well, about police at one of the traffic control shacks burning the refuse around the shack.

Most of the burning I've seen so far gas been by the government. Mostly road shoulders. I've noticed a marked increase of people hiring tractors to clear the brush on their land this year, when in the past they'd have simply burned it off. Not sure why the change, but it's nice to see.

Including the Maharaj Hospital.

[higgy88]

The source of my graph is the Pollution Control Department website here:

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/G...?task=graphsite

Click on "Graph" and then you can select all sorts of goodies, though unfortunately not any long-term statistics (three weeks at the most). My apologies for not giving the source in my first post

/ Priceless

Priceless,

Go to the site you linked, click on ¨Query¨, then go to ¨Query by Particular Site¨, chose your site and click ¨Query¨ next to it. You will get all of the data for that site going back years, but it is table form, not a graph.

Higgy

[Donnyboy]

Today, out where I live, San Kamphaeng, the sky is hazy and dirty looking compared to yesterday. Theres no breeze to speak of and you can definately smell smoke although theres no one around in our moo baan or surrounding area burning as far as I can see.

[Priceless]

The source of my graph is the Pollution Control Department website here:

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/G...?task=graphsite

Click on "Graph" and then you can select all sorts of goodies, though unfortunately not any long-term statistics (three weeks at the most). My apologies for not giving the source in my first post

/ Priceless

Priceless,

Go to the site you linked, click on ¨Query¨, then go to ¨Query by Particular Site¨, chose your site and click ¨Query¨ next to it. You will get all of the data for that site going back years, but it is table form, not a graph.

Higgy

Thanks a million, I had completely missed that one. Actually I didn't want a graph, would have preferred Excel format but the table will do nicely. I am looking forward to doing some statistical analysis on the material since there are so many "urban legends" flying around...

/ Priceless

[lotus eater]

The source of my graph is the Pollution Control Department website here:

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/G...?task=graphsite

Click on "Graph" and then you can select all sorts of goodies, though unfortunately not any long-term statistics (three weeks at the most). My apologies for not giving the source in my first post

/ Priceless

Priceless,

Go to the site you linked, click on ¨Query¨, then go to ¨Query by Particular Site¨, chose your site and click ¨Query¨ next to it. You will get all of the data for that site going back years, but it is table form, not a graph.

Higgy

Thanks a million, I had completely missed that one. Actually I didn't want a graph, would have preferred Excel format but the table will do nicely. I am looking forward to doing some statistical analysis on the material since there are so many "urban legends" flying around...

/ Priceless

Perhaps in your research you will discover where are the spots in Chiang Mai where the readings are taken. Also I wonder if there is a measurable variation in the readings in the town and in the surrounding suburbs - towards Mae Rim, San Kamphaeng, Hang Dong etc

[Priceless]

Perhaps in your research you will discover where are the spots in Chiang Mai where the readings are taken. Also I wonder if there is a measurable variation in the readings in the town and in the surrounding suburbs - towards Mae Rim, San Kamphaeng, Hang Dong etc

Unfortunately I can't give you a straight answer. There are two measuring stations in Chiang Mai, one is at Uparaj College which I am sure some other poster can tell you where it is located. I have been using the other station, mostly because it usually gives higher values and I don't want to be accused of minimizing the figures Sad to say, I don't know where this station is located, but I would guess somewhere fairly central (due to the higher pollution values).

In total there are only 18 measuring stations outside Bangkok and Chiang Mai is the only province with two of them.

/ Priceless

PS There is a measuring station in Lampang, which fairly consistently shows considerably higher values than Chiang Mai.

[vagabond48]

This past Sunday (1/20), I went for a medium pace bicycle ride with a friend to Chiang Dao. That's about 150k and 6 hours of highway breathing. Normally I breath through my nose but don't remember if I did for most of the ride. When I woke up the following day, my throat sounding an octave lower and rather raspy. 4 days later, my throat is still not back to normal. I don't know if the general poor air quality, highway car polution or highway construction dust along the way was causing this.

Edited January 24, 2008 by vagabond48

[toybits]

Saraburi has a high count because of the Cement Factories near Muak Lek.

I guess somebody at the Ministry felt a need to prove that he/she is working. Actually, the North has very good air quality with low levels of particulate matter at the moment. This is particularly true in comparison with large portions of the rest of Thailand, see graph:

/ Priceless

Wonder why Saraburi has so high reading? Its proximity to Bangkok? Factories, industries in Saraburi?

[sceadugenga]

The air is definitely cleaner up this way so far this dry season.

I note a certain skepticism about the enforcement of the non burning laws but I grew up in rural Australia when similar laws were introduced thirty or forty years ago.

The farming community treated them with contempt, "controlled" burn offs were essential to their style of farming they said. Even in the cities every home had a backyard incinerator in those days where rubbish was burned and the local dump gleefully burnt everything inflammable at will.

Hefty fines and serious investigations into "accidental" fires has changed all that and I'm sure it will here.... eventually.

Edited January 24, 2008 by sceadugenga

[tigerbeer]

field burn debris all over my car this morning in san kampheng. my voice sounds horrible. don't know when it would get better. but chiang mai is definitely not all blue skies according to some people. i am not complaining. just stating whats happening and getting ready for the months of march-april with full nose/lung protection gears !

[slapout]

Noticed a field, about 5 to 6 rai near carrefour on Hang Dong road was tourched last night. Still smoldering this morning. Would not be hard to locate and fine owner if the Govt. was serious about burn ban. This was several piles of weeds, trees etc knocked down with tractor before hand and individually set on fire, so no claim for accidental burn. Govt. appears to be giving lip service to burn ban with no enforcement.

[Priceless]

Noticed a field, about 5 to 6 rai near carrefour on Hang Dong road was tourched last night. Still smoldering this morning. Would not be hard to locate and fine owner if the Govt. was serious about burn ban. This was several piles of weeds, trees etc knocked down with tractor before hand and individually set on fire, so no claim for accidental burn. Govt. appears to be giving lip service to burn ban with no enforcement.

Where's the Carrefour on Hang Dong road? I must have missed that one.

/ Priceless

[Mapguy]

They are doing great from what I can see. Blue skies

No blue sky, but red sun and red moon lately, in case you haven't been out. You could not see Doi Suthep today (Thursday AM) from Airport Plaza, and you could barely make out the outline of the mountain from Kad Suan Kaew.

The rice straw burning has been going on in earnest for several days now. The southeast part of CHiang Mai has been particularly bad. Now, the smoke is spreading further.

So, where's the governor? Where's the enforcement to stop burning?

Who's got the telephone number of the mayor? Who's got the telephone number of the governor?