Smoke, Smog, Dust 2015 Chiang Mai

[evenstevens]

7.40 am smog report..beverly hills, maerim

visibilty down to less then 1 kilometer

the sun is a bright orange ball

worst early morning so far,

where are the myarmar esteemed experts,nice to have their up todate views

[T_Dog]

Definitely a bad day today. Went outside and immediately started coughing. Still no arrests for lighting fires so the same thing will happen for years to come.

Like evenstevens says, visibilities in Mae Rim are quite low and the worst so far this season. Going to need a good afternoon wind to clear up this crud.

Edited March 9, 2015 by T_Dog

[daoyai]

Talking to a condo staff lady yesterday, she blamed the Hmong in the hills for the fires.....

[Cheesekraft]

immediate burning sensation and taste when leaving the building today... guess I am going to be inside for the next month

[chiangmaiexpat]

We don't have enough good data and knowledge of particle behavior. We don't know how high, how far, and how long PM<10 and, especially PM<2.5 particles fly before settling out. We do know that lighter particles tend to stay aloft longer than heavier particles.

That does not matter to the average apologist of which we have at least one every year to make this discussion more interesting. The apologist has refined senses and can distinguish a Myanmar particle from a local particle by taste and smell.

Never mind that the inversion layer keeps particles locked in the Chiang Mai valley for days and weeks. The same laws don't apply to the Myanmar particle. It freely travels hundreds of kilometres over valleys and peaks only to accumulate in front of our noses.

It's as clear as day. The Burmese cunningly use the monsoon wind to transport their particles to us and make life hard for the fair locals who of course have nothing to do with it.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[SCARLETIBIS1]

Since the airplane that dropped what was it 4000 literes of water over Chiang Mai didn't do the job perhaps hiring all the unemployed ghosts to simply blow it away might be the answer.

Clearly, the smoke is coming from all the Chinese smokers here now.

Amazing Thailand!! You just can't dream this stuff up.

[Tywais]

Smoke at CMU. Only about 100 meters to the tree line in the background.

[kkuls]

Someone on TA just described it as "a bit hazy, that's all"!

[masuk]

Someone on TA just described it as "a bit hazy, that's all"!

a bit hazy like this?

[kkuls]

Second photo was taken from the same angle this morning at approx. 11:40.

[Awk]

I, mostly out of curiosity, check the pm2.5 reading of my DC1700 particle counter in the evening. Then I decide whether to switch on the air purifier or not, and at what level; medium or max level. Then, being curious, I check things again in the morning, after the air purifier has run all night. Been doing this since the middle of January.

For reference, the Dylos Corp. has this printed on the DC1700, referring to the number (not the mass) of pm2.5 particles reported.

3000 and above = Very Poor

1050-3000 = Poor

300-1050 = Fair

150-300 = Good

75-150 = Very Good

0-75 = Excellent

There is no good mapping to the standard, mass-based, pm2.5 metric as far as I know, but the above are Dylos Corp's guidelines (not sure what they are based on).

You can read more about Dylos corp's products here: http://www.dylosproducts.com/

Anyway, up until 3-4 weeks ago, the pm2.5 reading had been around 2,000-3,000 most of the time. Sometimes down to around 1,000 also. That's the level it is at much of the year I think, though I have not really attempted to verify that. So I have not bothered running the air purifiers at that time. Then the pm2.5 count started to raise, and most of this month I think it has been around 4-7,000 in the evening, before I switch on the air purifier.

So I've been running the air purifier at medium power most of the nights this month, increasing to the max when the reading was above 6-7,000. There's been some days where it has been close to 10,000. Medium power on my air purifier (Blueair 650E) brings the pm2.5 reading down from 6-7,000 to around 2-3,000. Not great, according to Dylos Corp's guidelines, but in honesty, I am not sure how applicable they are. If I remember, I will try to bring the DC1700 with me next time I leave for work, which it currently looks like will be to one of the supposedly cleanest countries (pollution-wise) in the world, to see what the DC1700 reports there. If the pm2.5 reading is much higher than 6-7,000 the evening before, I need to run the air purifier at max power to bring the pm2.5 reading in the room down to 2-3,000. If run at max power, most of the time, the pm2.5 reading will then be around 1,000 in the morning. But max power generates a lot of noise.

Last night I came home late (Friday night, you know). Mrs. Awk had switched on the air purifier at medium power, and I out of curiosity checked the pm2.5 reading before going to bed. I saw that it was around 6-7000, and since the air purifier was running at medium power, I switched it up to max power, waking up Mrs. Awk in the process.

When I woke up this morning, after running the purifier at max power all night I however saw that the pm2.5 reading was still around 5,000. I thought this was quite strange. I walked around checking if Mrs. Awk had for some reason opened a window or or two, but no. Then I thought maybe I had placed the air purifier at a somewhat stupid location, close to the wall (to reduce the chance of baby-Awk running into it). So I moved it to the middle of the room, and checked the pm2.5 reading again after an hour. Nope, still around 5,000. Then I took my dc1700 outside the room. Outside the room, the pm2.5 reading was almost 20,000, perhaps even above that for some periods.

Indeed, it does appear that it, whatever it is, it has arrived.

One hour ago: pm 2.5:30,000+ outside the bedroom, same as outside the house.

Inside bedroom, with air purifier at max, and ac running too: 3,000.

[beau thai]

But PM10 only 93 and 'Moderate' at City Hall this morning. That's ok then...... But I have never known humid mist smell so smokey 555

[Puwa]

But PM10 only 93 and 'Moderate' at City Hall this morning. That's ok then...... But I have never known humid mist smell so smokey 555

Really? Here are today's numbers from aqmthai.com

[MastaMak]

Between 350 and 400:

Almost can't see the other side of the ping river at lunch time:

[SundayAfternoon]

I think I've been using the same app as you beau thai... think it's broken, eh.

[2020]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

But PM10 only 93 and 'Moderate' at City Hall this morning. That's ok then...... But I have never known humid mist smell so smokey 555

I think I've been using the same app as you beau thai... think it's broken, eh.

Yep, same here. I think they must have a sprinkler in front of the equipment....

Edited March 9, 2015 by 2020

[T_Dog]

Ran Filtrete in the bedroom AC for six nights and this is what it looked like next to new stock yesterday when I decided to replace it. Wondering if my lungs look the same way. Today's visibility in Mae Rim was quite low and some cars even turned on their headlights. Hopefully we will only have a few more weeks of this unhealthy air.

[chiangmaiman99]

I'd like to say I'm shocked that a state of emergency hasn't been declared over the air quality but unfortunately I'm not in shock that nothing is being done to address this health and environmental disaster.

[Awk]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

But PM10 only 93 and 'Moderate' at City Hall this morning. That's ok then...... But I have never known humid mist smell so smokey 555

I think I've been using the same app as you beau thai... think it's broken, eh.

Yep, same here. I think they must have a sprinkler in front of the equipment....

Don't join that particular tin foil wearing hat brigade over this. The AQICN (Air Quality In ChiNa, is my guess) shows 114 you say.

Well, if you add this numbers, from the aqmthai site (which I guess is the official Thai site, and from where I suspect aqicn gets its data), you will also get 114:

79.42

61.46

53.69

67.13

94.78

102.57

136.36

152.08

147.75

147.86

156.07

170.51

181.75

165.29

187.38

187.83

186.59

234.65

282.83

342.90

331.47

302.74

336.38

252.44

The sum of that 24 hour period, starting March 14:00, is 4361. The average is 182. Input 182 into "http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=resources.conc_aqi_calc" and you will get an AQI of 114.

I thought I read somewhere that the AQI is supposed to use other factors than only the pm10 or pm2.5 also, but either I remember wrong, or neither the aqicn-site nor the airnow-calculator does bother itself with that. Perhaps the other factors are not so important.

This also means, unfortunately, that the aqicn-site is useless for any type of real-time behavioral adjustment. Better use the (official?) Thai site, aqmthai (Air Quality Muang Thai?), for that, which reports the average of every past hour I think.

[CNXBKKMAN]

RTAF BT67(DC3) dropping water over the old city this afternoon. Water was dropped north of Chedi Luang around the moat road area?

[masuk]

looks like I'll have to increase the fruit and vegies in my diet.

Fruits and Veggies Fight Air Pollution

February 2015 / Better Nutrition Editors / Trend Watch

Tiny particles in air pollution are bad for the heart, but eating lots of fruits and veggies has a therapeutic effect, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study. For 11 years, researchers tracked 573 elderly men and measured their heart rate variability, which is a predictor of heart attacks and death from heart malfunctions. Men who ate the most veggies and fruit had the least reaction to pollution.

[2020]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

But PM10 only 93 and 'Moderate' at City Hall this morning. That's ok then...... But I have never known humid mist smell so smokey 555

I think I've been using the same app as you beau thai... think it's broken, eh.

Yep, same here. I think they must have a sprinkler in front of the equipment....

Don't join that particular tin foil wearing hat brigade over this. The AQICN (Air Quality In ChiNa, is my guess) shows 114 you say.

Well, if you add this numbers, from the aqmthai site (which I guess is the official Thai site, and from where I suspect aqicn gets its data), you will also get 114:

79.42

61.46

53.69

67.13

94.78

102.57

136.36

152.08

147.75

147.86

156.07

170.51

181.75

165.29

187.38

187.83

186.59

234.65

282.83

342.90

331.47

302.74

336.38

252.44

The sum of that 24 hour period, starting March 14:00, is 4361. The average is 182. Input 182 into "http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=resources.conc_aqi_calc" and you will get an AQI of 114.

I thought I read somewhere that the AQI is supposed to use other factors than only the pm10 or pm2.5 also, but either I remember wrong, or neither the aqicn-site nor the airnow-calculator does bother itself with that. Perhaps the other factors are not so important.

This also means, unfortunately, that the aqicn-site is useless for any type of real-time behavioral adjustment. Better use the (official?) Thai site, aqmthai (Air Quality Muang Thai?), for that, which reports the average of every past hour I think.

Try as I might, I cannot add all those numbers and get an average. Heck, I can't even fathom anyone else can either! The way I see it, if someone went to all the trouble to make a website look good, them the information must be correct.

If I am wrong, then I guess my parents wasted that $8.50 on my education!

Now, back to CNN to check for more facts.....

[Cpkt8]

China barley boiled 45min with winter melon strips (sugar coated ones) drink is good especially during this period.

[OccamsRazor]

Try as I might, I cannot add all those numbers and get an average. Heck, I can't even fathom anyone else can either!

A few seconds in Excel, copy/paste done. But then I'm not sure if you are serious.

[puukao]

I have heard the words average, median, mode, central tendency, midrange...whatever....but with pollution??

I use different math: Out of 24 days, there are 7 days that can really make your life miserable, possibly cause health problems for the rest of your life. It's like 168 hours (well, maybe not) of breathing the death particles. Then the remaining 14 days has about 12 days that are likely much worse than your hometown...

so, why pay money to live in a place that can either kill you slowly, and certainly not good for your well-being 22 out of 24 days? yes, like standing in the middle of a volcano and lava spashing on you.....sure, eventually, the lava might harden and the air will be clean.....but will it be too late?

Edited March 9, 2015 by puukao

[jonwilly]

As someone who has gone to the seaside for 4 out of last 5 'Smog' seasons IMHO this year is not as bad as previous.

In a bad year I first develope a cough then I get the smarting eyes.

This year no cough and only slight smarting eyes when I ride my motorcycle.

I will also suggest that visibility has not dropped below 1.5 Kms on worse day and so many can testify to a couple of Hundred meters in the past.

Not a Bad Year but not as it should be.

john

[daoyai]

Today is worse than yesterday, not coughing probably means the particles are small enough to pass into the bloodstream.

[puukao]

no worries if deleted, but i think it is on-topic enough. no worries.

[vivid]

Realised that there is a bigger thread than the other one that I have been posting in. Will try to see how I can help the folks here.

Anyway, I can answer that question why aqicn (Thailand figures) and aqmthai.com PM10 ug/m3 concentration are as such. It is 24-hour rolling average figure. If you want to have a better representation of current ground conditions, you'd need a shorter period of say 3-hr rolling average, or even 1hr averaged figures, be it in raw data concentration or any index figure (which helps the average layman to understand better than raw data).

Anyway, have to get to work. Will browse through the thread soon.

[kkuls]

Have reached a new "HIGH"!! PM10 level at Yupparaj Wittayalai School is 378 as of 7:00am. USA EPA AQI 235 (VERY UNHEALTHY)! Well on the way to reaching HAZARDOUS!!