Smog Blankets Northern Thailand

[webfact]

Smog blankets northern Thailand
By Digital Media



CHIANG MAI, March 14 - Health-threatening smog, rising levels of airborne dust particles, is now threatening the northern provinces of Thailand, which could affect the health of local residents.

Prayat Ananthapradit from the centre to prevent smog in the upper North reported today that yesterday the level of dust particles in the region was reported at a level which could impact residents' health.

Three provinces are at risk with dust particle levels measured higher than 120 micrograms per cubic metre which is the upper limit for Thailand’s acceptable level of dust particles.

In Lampang, the particulate matter was measured at 159mg per cubic metre at the provincial weather station and 142mg at the provincial natural resources and environment office in Mae Hong Son. The highest level was found at Phrae provincial weather service office at 205mg.

Mr Prayat said the centre has instructed all upper northern provinces to keeps monitoring the air quality as for other provinces. He said although the dust particle level remains below safety standard, it keeps increasing, such as 112 micrograms measured in Phayao, 99 micrograms in Nan and 82-99 micrograms in Chiang Mai provincial seat.

Meanwhile, in the northeastern province of Loei, forest fire occurred in Phu Sawan Forest Park in Phu Ruea district, covering a 5 kilometre radius.

Forest fire workers rushed to combat the fire and prevent it from expanding to other areas.

The initial damage assessment found that the fire quickly burned 500 rai of parkland mainly due to leaves, grasses and underbrush which are quite inflammable when dry. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-03-14

[DaamNaam]

It's a shocker today. Two days ago was clear as a bell after a bit of rain. Worst I have seen in years.

[rijb]

Smog hell! It's smoke in CR.

[zappalot]

actually these news get boring, since i was in thailand the first time every year the same story again...

Thailand=Fireland - we just fought a combat against the bored security of a neighbor hooded building who grabbed the plastic and other garbage from the bins around and started some fire then in the night. very nice smell then if the wind was in our direction.

it took a few complaints and finally a visit to the boss of the security to stop the ignorant thais.

[belg]

yearly news comming back, forest fire, black mushrooms, over and over again

health ? smog ? cancer ? death ?

[Katipo]

Keep lighting those fires to clear the grass and bush Thailand. It's much easier than having to lift your hand and actually chop the stuff down.

[craigt3365]

I just got back from a trip to Nakhon Phanom then down the Mekong for a few days and then back to Pattaya. The haze was terrible. A few times we could barely see Laos from right on the river. Fires were burning everywhere. And with the drought...there were lots of large fires.

[smileplur]

The initial damage assessment found that the fire quickly burned 500 rai

of parkland mainly due to leaves, grasses and underbrush which are

quite inflammable when dry.

Am I missing something here?

[MESmith]

The initial damage assessment found that the fire quickly burned 500 rai

of parkland mainly due to leaves, grasses and underbrush which are

quite inflammable when dry.

Am I missing something here?

English lessons?

[rozand]

laws need revision, especially against low temperature burning of plastics. see here:

What is the harm in burning waste?

Practically all uncontrolled burning of waste releases toxic pollutants directly into the air without treatment or filtering of any sort. This is now one of the major sources of some pollutants impacting on air quality in Ireland.

The main problem with any form of 'do it yourself' incineration or backyard burning is that it is rarely carried out at temperatures high enough to destroy toxic substances. They receive very little oxygen and produce a lot of smoke. Under these conditions a great many toxic substances are produced. Virtually all of the pollutants are released into the air close to ground level where they are easily inhaled. Under calm weather conditions toxins released from this type of burning can remain at dangerous levels near the ground for a long time, causing high amounts of contamination near the source.

Why is this different from burning waste in large scale licensed incinerators?

There is no comparison between uncontrolled, low temperature burning of waste and the controlled and regulated high temperature conditions under which licensed incinerators operate. The dioxins released from the uncontrolled burning of one tonne of household waste (the average level of annual waste per household in Ireland) are 55 times greater than the dioxins emitted if the same tonne of waste was treated in a modern municipal incinerator.

Uncontrolled low temperature burning of waste occurs at about 200 - 400oc, the temperature range that dioxins are formed! All pollutants are then released directly into the atmosphere with no treatment or filtering. 73% of dioxins released into the Irish atmosphere at present are as a result of uncontrolled low temperature burning, with a further 11% from accidental building fires. This makes backyard burning the single biggest source of dioxins (many of which cause cancer) released into the Irish environment.

There is no type of waste that is safe to burn at low temperatures, including paper, wood and garden waste. The real solution is to manage our waste by Reducing, Reusing and Recycling.

Some of the pollutants that can be generated by low temperature uncontrolled burning are:

Dioxins and Furans—Dioxins become a persistent pollutant in the environment for many years - they enter the environment or the body and persist because of their chemical stability and may accumulate in fat tissue in animals and humans. Some dioxins are known to cause cancer and a variety of illnesses including skin lesions and birth defects.

Carbon monoxide - small amounts may cause headaches and nausea

Styrene -The burning of polystyrene - such as foam cups, meat trays, egg containers, yogurt and deli containers - releases styrene. Styrene gas can readily be absorbed through the skin and lungs. At high levels styrene vapour can damage the eyes and mucous membranes. Long term exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression.

Microscopic particles that can get deep into the lungs leading to asthma, bronchitis and heart problems. These are particularly dangerous to people who already have respiratory or cardiac disease.

Ash from burning may contain mercury, lead, arsenic and other heavy metals, which are toxic to animals and humans, causing heart, kidney and brain damage. They may also accumulate in vegetables grown in soil where the ash has fallen and they can then be passed onto humans when eaten.

What are the special regulations for Farm Waste?

Under the new regulations farmers are required to follow a specified waste hierarchy only permitting the burning of uncontaminated wood, trees, tree trimmings, leaves, brush or other similar wastes generated by agricultural practices as a last resort.

The agricultural exemption applies until 1st January 2014. Farmers who feel that they have no alternative to burning waste must notify the local authority in advance of their intention to carry out the disposal & provide information under the regulations. (Forms are available from Wicklow County Council or from this website by clicking the link below.) After 2014 farmers will have to apply for a Certificate of Registration under the Facility Permit Regulations.

Schedule Application for Burning Agricultural Waste - 23kb

The following steps should first be taken to manage agricultural wastes:

• waste arisings should be reduced in accordance with best agricultural practice
• waste should be reused where possible
• waste should be recycled through shredding and used as compost or wood chippings
• wastes should be salvaged for use a fuel where practicable

The purpose of these new regulations is to abolish the practice of burning waste. It will be illegal to burn waste under the Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2008 and the Air Pollution Act 1987. An exemption has been made for farmers only as a last resort to burn wastes generated by agricultural practices. The Environmental Protection Agency has highlighted in recent years the necessity to combat this persistent and dangerous practice.

Manage your waste properly

Reduce: Avoid disposable items. Buy products in bulk or economy size instead of individually wrapped. Buy durable, repairable goods that can be recharged, reused or refilled.

Reuse: Donate unwanted clothing, furniture, toys to friends, relatives and charities. Mend or repair rather than throw away.

Recycle: Make sure you recycle and buy only containers you know are recyclable.

Compost: Contact Wicklow County Council about buying a home composter to recycle your garden waste as well as certain types of kitchen waste.

Wicklow County Council has five recycling centres. You can dramatically reduce the volume of your waste that needs disposal by using a facility like these. Contact us for a list of permitted collectors before you give anybody your residual waste for disposal.

[johnopolo]

Here are the fires over the past 24 hours. Not many in Chiang Rai province ....

Edited March 14, 2013 by johnopolo

[MESmith]

laws need revision, especially against low temperature burning of plastics. see here:

What is the harm in burning waste?

You can have all the laws you want & can think up, but if there's no law enforcement (read spineless invertebrates) you're wasting your time.

[lannacountryboy]

Make new laws for severe fine in thousands of baht for burning garbage and make sure laws are enforced by a team of "environmental police" or "tamrot sinwelong".

[chooka]

Make new laws for severe fine in thousands of baht for burning garbage and make sure laws are enforced by a team of "environmental police" or "tamrot sinwelong".

Haven't you heard they are having a crackdown this year on people burning off. They have promised to enforce the laws and get tough on people. It appears to be working.

[MESmith]

Make new laws for severe fine in thousands of baht for burning garbage and make sure laws are enforced by a team of "environmental police" or "tamrot sinwelong".

Haven't you heard they are having a crackdown this year on people burning off. They have promised to enforce the laws and get tough on people. It appears to be working.

It's impolite to tell folk not to do things.....

Actually, looking at the firemap data ,major fires in the CM valley are few & far between, same for CR province, so maybe something's working here. Elsewhere in Thailand is another story.

Edited March 14, 2013 by MESmith

[Thailand]

Make new laws for severe fine in thousands of baht for burning garbage and make sure laws are enforced by a team of "environmental police" or "tamrot sinwelong".

Played golf at Gold Canyon near Lamphun today,difficult to breath and the sun did not break through the smog until 10am.

Said it before and it has worked elsewhere.

Huge fines on the landowners where the fires are found then you would see a change. But I guess might as well p in to the wind,nothing will change. Certainly not in the lifetime of most of the members here.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Thailand

[craigt3365]

Here are the fires over the past 24 hours. Not many in Chiang Rai province ....

Fires 14 March 2013 (Medium).jpg

Many of the ones I saw would be too small to view on a map. But there were small burns everywhere. Literally every kilo or so...sometimes many per kilo. But very small.

[johnopolo]

Small fires = little smoke. Big fires = cough, cough, gasp ....... urgh.

Edited March 14, 2013 by johnopolo

[attento]

laws need revision, especially against low temperature burning of plastics. see here:

What is the harm in burning waste?

You can have all the laws you want & can think up, but if there's no law enforcement (read spineless invertebrates) you're wasting your time.

coupled with education

[SPIKECM]

Make new laws for severe fine in thousands of baht for burning garbage and make sure laws are enforced by a team of "environmental police" or "tamrot sinwelong".

Played golf at Gold Canyon near Lamphun today,difficult to breath and the sun did not break through the smog until 10am.

Said it before and it has worked elsewhere.

Huge fines on the landowners where the fires are found then you would see a change. But I guess might as well p in to the wind,nothing will change. Certainly not in the lifetime of most of the members here.

I couldn't agree more..... put up with it or leave Thailand. You'll just go blue in the face and the smog will still be there. I just stay inside now. Expose yourself outside and it is like smoking 60 cigarettes a day. You really shouldn't go walking or do anything outside. Just sit in and wait. I think it was three years ago that we had a really weird March in Chiang Mai. It was cold at night and no smog, obviously because of unseasonal rain most of the month.This smog today is strange as it is so sudden. Two days ago the sky was as fresh as could be. Must have been some hell of a burning going on the last two days.

[chiang mai]

Today, by comparison to other polluted days over the past ten years, is really quite good, I think.

[clockman]

Same evry year, and as long as Thailand is lawless. Nothing will change. A lot of talk! thats it Thailand!

[LALes]

And don't think its a picnic in Bangkok, either. All this crap air gets blown down to the sea during the winter months and

we have to breathe it, too. Air quality index is constantly in the "yellow" (unhealthful) every day in Angel City. Haven't seen a pure,

blue sky in months. Can't wait for the winds to turn around.

[Wiggy]

Flew from Phitsanulok to Bangkok a while back and didn't see the ground during the whole trip due to smoke. TIT.

[MESmith]

Today, by comparison to other polluted days over the past ten years, is really quite good, I think.

"Not as bad" sounds better than "really quite good" IMHO

Today was not "really quite good".

[chiang mai]

Same evry year, and as long as Thailand is lawless. Nothing will change. A lot of talk! thats it Thailand!

It's easy to say that but it's harder to actually think about solving the problem! Much of the airborne pollution in the north of Thailand at this time of year is home grown in the northern provinces but a lot of it comes from Myanmar and southern China, in nearly all cases it originates in remote(ish) areas that are sparsely populated. So tell me, how do the authorities in all the different countries involved here, go about changing the culture of remote rural farmers covering a significant area of SE Asia, a culture and tradition that has existed for hundreds of years?

[chiang mai]

Today, by comparison to other polluted days over the past ten years, is really quite good, I think.

"Not as bad" sounds better than "really quite good" IMHO

Today was not "really quite good".

My measure is whether I can see Doi Suthep or not based on past years as a guide, today I can see Suthep quite well hence it's really quite good. When it gets bad I'll let you all know.

[MESmith]

Same evry year, and as long as Thailand is lawless. Nothing will change. A lot of talk! thats it Thailand!

It's easy to say that but it's harder to actually think about solving the problem! Much of the airborne pollution in the north of Thailand at this time of year is home grown in the northern provinces but a lot of it comes from Myanmar and southern China, in nearly all cases it originates in remote(ish) areas that are sparsely populated. So tell me, how do the authorities in all the different countries involved here, go about changing the culture of remote rural farmers covering a significant area of SE Asia, a culture and tradition that has existed for hundreds of years?

Education, education & more education. Look at the fire maps for CM & CR. Next step the mountain / forest people. Other countries can only be pressured by Thailand to clean up their act, once Thailand has done the same.

[RogerL]

My eyes and nose began getting watery about two days ago. The satellite hot spot detection does not appear to indicate a lot of burning maybe because fires are too small. This website reports burning throughout Thailand and probably gives a better indication of what is going on. Sorry, it is in Thai.

http://www.thaiforestfire.com./

[stoli]

Lived in the wine country of Northern California, where the laws could not get any stricter. Areas filled with agricultre and vineyards. You bought your fire permit during the wet season, and needed to call each day to see if your area was a "burn day". This meant not everyone was burning that day, and winds were going towards the ocean. If not, you could not burn that day. Very easy to understand. As far as the cars every day in Bangkok, you are are on your own to figure that one out. Too many cars!

Edited March 14, 2013 by stoli