Air-quality Limits In The North Are Too Low

[george]

Air-quality limits are too low: doctor

CHIANG MAI: -- Air quality limits in the North need to be reconsidered because the dangers to people's health are more serious than many realised, a health lecturer has warned.

Dr Pongthep, head of Chiang Mai University (CMU) Community Medicine Depart-ment, urged the Pollution Control Department to review air quality control limits in crowded areas.

He said air pollution in Chiang Mai and Lamphun could lead to problems for the respiratory system, heart, skin and eyes.

Tests are currently under way on the impact of air quality on people's health, with support from the Thailand Research Fund. Running from January 1 to April 3, the research involves Mae Rim, Saraphi, Chiang Mai Muang district and Lamphun Muang district.

Researchers are interviewing people and checking their respiratory system, heart, skin and eyes. Every day 100 people (25 per district) are checked. The information gathered will then be compared with air quality data recorded daily by the Meteorological Department.

At the end of January, researchers concluded that the effects of dust particles, less than 10 microns, were hazardous to respiratory systems. Moreover, many people were found to be suffering from neck pains, difficulty in breathing, red eyes, blurred eyesight, and other indications of poor air quality.

Higher levels of dust affect people who have breathed them in for up to four days later. Meanwhile, carbon monoxide from motor vehicles is one of the main threats to health in Chiang Mai and Mae Rim district.

"Although the research is still in its first month, we have found that the air quality in Chiang Mai has a very negative affect on people. We have to increase pollution controls more strictly," Dr Pongthep said.

Thailand has lax rules for pollution limits compared to other countries, he said. In Europe, dust particles less than 10 microns must not exceed 65 micrograms per square metre, but the limit in Thailand is 120.

Air control standards in Thailand are appropriate for people in a good health, but there are many who cannot tolerate the recent polluted conditions such as hospital patients, children and senior citizens, he said.

Jirat Prasertsup

-- The Nation / Citylife 2008-03-11

[p1p]

Nothing to worry about - Just ask UG, our rezzy-dent egg-spurt!

[Ulysses G.]

Priceless 2008-03-09 13:44:58 Post #451

When I mentioned rumour-mongering, I was of course not referring to you or anybody else feeling unwell. I have never disputed that a number of people feel that way and that some (e.g. asthmatics) really get ill. What peeves me is people who come up with presumably factual posts that state "Chiang Mai has the world record in air pollution" or words to that effect. This is seriously untrue and serves no other purpose than to scare people away from this lovely city. Chiang Mai would certainly do well with less polluted air, but is not by a long shot even the most polluted city in Thailand

/ Priceless

I completely support getting rid of as much air pollution as possible in Chiang Mai - and every other kind too.

I also realize that some people with lung diseases and breathing problems are quite uncomfortable at certain times of year. However, most people are bothered very little by the air here and I don't want Chiang Mai getting a reputation as somewhere to avoid in the short term when it in no way deserves it.

As Priceless has mentioned many times, some people are spreading bizarre rumors that don't reflect reality in any way. That doesn't help anyone!

[Bananaman]

some people with lung diseases and breathing problems

Hmm, and why exactly do they have lung diseases and breathing problems in the first place....erm because of the air maybe?!!

However, most people are bothered very little by the air here

Not sure your poll of a few thousand TV readers (with just 80 responses I should add) really qualifies you to say that most of the 700,000 people resident in the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area are bothered very little by the air.

[Ajarn]

The air doesn't bother me. Only the lack of seeing something beautiful bothers me...

Hmm, and why exactly do they have lung diseases and breathing problems in the first place....erm because of the air maybe?!!

Maybe not... Smokers don't do so well when they age...

Edited March 12, 2008 by Ajarn

[Ulysses G.]

some people with lung diseases and breathing problems

Hmm, and why exactly do they have lung diseases and breathing problems in the first place....erm because of the air maybe?!!

However, most people are bothered very little by the air here

Not sure your poll of a few thousand TV readers (with just 80 responses I should add) really qualifies you to say that most of the 700,000 people resident in the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area are bothered very little by the air.

The people that I am talking about - other residents - mostly all had lung diseases and breathing problems before they got here. These folks seem to be the most vocal with their complaints.

I wasn't using my poll as evidence that most people are not bothered by the air here. I talk to 100's of people every day and everyone complaims about traffic and bad driving, but air quality only comes up every once in a while and most people don't think that it is any worse than other big cities and so are not overly concerned.

[Priceless]

some people with lung diseases and breathing problems

Hmm, and why exactly do they have lung diseases and breathing problems in the first place....erm because of the air maybe?!!

However, most people are bothered very little by the air here

Not sure your poll of a few thousand TV readers (with just 80 responses I should add) really qualifies you to say that most of the 700,000 people resident in the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area are bothered very little by the air.

Here: http://wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/respira...toms/causes.htm you will find 1,384 causes of respiratory symptoms, ranging from Abdominal Cancer to Zinc Poisoning. I would venture to guess that smoking is one of the most frequently occurring of these.

Incidentally, the article in the Daily Xpress/The Nation is not really that impressive. E.g. the author probably means that the limits are to high rather than too low, air pollution is measured in microgrammes per cubic metre, not square metre, it might be worth mentioning that the max concentration of particulate matter allowed in the US is 150 microgrammes per cubic metre (vs 120 ug/m3 in Thailand) and so on.

I guess the reason that the researcher mentions Chiang Mai and Lamphun is that he is based at CMU, otherwise it would seem more natural to mention Lampang, which has much higher degrees of pollution (not to mention Samut Prakarn and Sara Buri).

/ Priceless

[Loom]

... it might be worth mentioning that the max concentration of particulate matter allowed in the US is 150 microgrammes per cubic metre (vs 120 ug/m3 in Thailand) and so on.

/ Priceless

The US standard is no more than 1 day per year at the 150 level for PM10. Otherwise there's an annual average figure of no more than 15 micrograms/cubic meter for pm 2.5. The PM10 standard in the US was revoked due to a lack of evidence showing health related risks to long-term exposure. Thailand apparently doesn't measure PM2.5.

[PhilHarries]

Whereas I wouldn't argue over specifics with UG as he's a Chiang Mai resident and I'm not (visited once back in '96) but poor air quality is something that affects people of varying health to varying degrees. Whilst those with respiratory system ailments might notice the effects of pollution quickly but those of good health may never realise the gradual reduction in air quality until maybe they go someplace where the air is clean. One of the guys on this project, central VN, wife comes from China, can't remember exactly where, and when she went home she couldn't believe how dirty the air was. She commented that what she missed most was the clean air of Quang Ngai yet when she was here she often derided press reports of pollution in China.

So just because locals and/or long term residents don't complain about poor air quality doesn't mean everything is okay. However I do agree with UG/Priceless point that stating rumours based on highly questionable "factoids" helps nobody. But that's the "beauty" of the internet, anybody can be whoever they choose and make whatever statement they like and some of the people will believe them all of the time.

[Priceless]

... it might be worth mentioning that the max concentration of particulate matter allowed in the US is 150 microgrammes per cubic metre (vs 120 ug/m3 in Thailand) and so on.

/ Priceless

The US standard is no more than 1 day per year at the 150 level for PM10. Otherwise there's an annual average figure of no more than 15 micrograms/cubic meter for pm 2.5. The PM10 standard in the US was revoked due to a lack of evidence showing health related risks to long-term exposure. Thailand apparently doesn't measure PM2.5.

This is quite correct. The European standard for PM10 is 50 ug/m3, which is not to be exceeded more than 35 times per year. However, there is no European "absolute" maximum for peak (24-hour average) levels, as opposed to the Thai 120ug/m3 level.

It is unfortunate that Thailand does not (yet) measure PM2.5, but I would imagine that this is because this has rather recently become a specific concern. However, I think that Thailand (the Pollution Control Department) should be commended for openly publishing the the pollution levels. This way, those of us who are interested in the facts can view, analyse and draw our own conclusions.

Overall, I think the problem lies more in enforcement rather than the different standard levels. Neither the US or Europe achieve their standards at all locations.

/ Priceless

[Cyberstar]

... Meanwhile, carbon monoxide from motor vehicles is one of the main threats to health in Chiang Mai and Mae Rim district ...

So - isn't that article basically stating that (although heftily measured and even more heftily discussed) the air in Chiang Mai and Mae Rim aren't any worse than in so many other motorized cities, where pollution law making/enforcement still isn't as good as e.g in my homecountry where the only smoke you'll ever see is white as snow and comes out of minimum 250 meter tall chimneys at garbage burning powerplants?

Does anyone believe the motor vehicles in Chiang Mai and Mae Rim are more dangerous to health than motor vehicles elsewhere en SE Asia or even parts of the so called developed countries? - (Not trying to argue that THEY shouldn't do their best to clean THEIR stinking exhaust fumes before they reach MY lungs, of course).

[Jefferson]

I wasn't using my poll as evidence that most people are not bothered by the air here. I talk to 100's of people every day and everyone complaims about traffic and bad driving, but air quality only comes up every once in a while and most people don't think that it is any worse than other big cities and so are not overly concerned.

Or maybe they just can't see PM-10 particles.

I bet nobody complains about pesticides in food either, another thing they can't see but will have negative health effects when exposed long enough.