Help with breathing through the haze months

[Longtooth]

The BIG HEPA filter stand-alone-unit from Amway is very expensive, but it gets even the smoke. I love mine. Just leave it on at whatever speed you like, in a closed up apartment. At a minimum, to just sleep with it for 8 hours in a closed bedroom is quite helpful. It will also help with airborne cat dander, which is not so great for human lungs. Smell the inner filter cartridge (which is HUGE) after a day or two, and you will definitely smell the smoke that is trapped there. When you step outside from inside, the smell of smoke outside compared to the clean air inside will shock you!

[vivid]

ศาลากลางเชียงใหม่

โรงเรียนยุพราชวิทยาลัย เชียงใหม่

I can't read thai, just copy n paste from http://aqmthai.com/

231 and 237 ug/m3 PM10 (24-hr average) respectively.

231 ug/m2 = 139 AQI

237 ug/m3 = 142 AQI on aqicn.org. Exactly the as displayed on aqicn.org.

It will still slowly rise for a couple of hours due to the delayed nature of a 24-hr rolling average (goes up slowly and comes down just as slow). It does not indicate that the ground is getting worse if you reference ground conditions vs visibility.

Chiang Mai experienced the lowest visibility between 1PM to 3PM yesterday on 9th March. This probably indicates the worst conditions for this period. Visibility and smell are not excellent indicators of the amount of fine particulates in the air, but when you are outside and left with nothing, that'd still do nicely.

Pls use this site for historical and current conditions. You can search for other thai cities as well. www.wunderground.com

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/VTCC/2015/3/9/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Chiang%20Mai&req_state=&req_statename=Thailand&reqdb.zip=00000&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=48327

12:30 PM 32.0 °C - 11.0 °C 27% 1016 hPa 1.5 km ESE 5.6 km/h / 1.5 m/s - N/A Haze

[vivid]

The BIG HEPA filter stand-alone-unit from Amway is very expensive, but it gets even the smoke. I love mine. Just leave it on at whatever speed you like, in a closed up apartment. At a minimum, to just sleep with it for 8 hours in a closed bedroom is quite helpful. It will also help with airborne cat dander, which is not so great for human lungs. Smell the inner filter cartridge (which is HUGE) after a day or two, and you will definitely smell the smoke that is trapped there. When you step outside from inside, the smell of smoke outside compared to the clean air inside will shock you!

See it in action with fine smoke particles.

This youtube video has no advertisement references, so I think it's safe to post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPIVIvxgm5Q

[Lizard2010]

I bought a Carbon Filter

At the local Phanacy today

I only need it for a few day

Can anyone comment

I am not sure with the writing

Edited March 10, 2015 by Lizard2010

[vivid]

I bought a Carbon Filter

At the local Phanacy today

I only need it for a few day

Can anyone comment

I am not sure with the writing

Hi, seriously I can't read thai. And the filter doesn't look like it'd filter haze. The only masks that truly work in filtering haze particles (they get down to ~ 0.1 microns) are N95 masks in addition to some other anti-pollution masks.

But I guess since you have bought it, just use it if it makes you feel better psychologically. But please, do not have a false sense of security and send a kid with asthma or elderly with heart problems for hours out in thick haze in Chiang Mai wearing this.

[Lizard2010]

I bought a Carbon Filter

At the local Phanacy today

I only need it for a few day

Can anyone comment

I am not sure with the writing

Hi, seriously I can't read thai. And the filter doesn't look like it'd filter haze. The only masks that truly work in filtering haze particles (they get down to ~ 0.1 microns) are N95 masks in addition to some other anti-pollution masks.

But I guess since you have bought it, just use it if it makes you feel better psychologically. But please, do not have a false sense of security and send a kid with asthma or elderly with heart problems for hours out in thick haze in Chiang Mai wearing this.

Thanks for the input

No this just to get me through the next coiple of days till i go home

When i am here for next season i will get the proper N95 for shure

[featography]

The pharmacy and medical supply shop opposite Suan Dok hospital in Suthep road rents out O2 cylinders.

You need to buy your own mask and regulator.

In the order of

3kbht deposit and around 150bht/day rental, mask and regulator 2kbht.

Thank you so much for advice that I can use.

They also have a machine to suck the oxygen out of the air it comes with 50 feet of hose for moving around. Price start at 30,000 baht maybe more now. when you figure in the cost of your tanks and gauges plus the constant refilling of them and the transportation to do that the machine doesn't look to bad. I use mine all night when I sleep 7 liters a minute. I was told the large tanks would be good for about a night and a half.

I agree. I bought a machine a few months ago when I had bronchitis and Pneumonia. I.m using it this week for all the smoke in the air. Wife and I priced those rental tanks and the machine was the better deal, and best for convenience. Also to consider when out doors, wear a painters mask with filter. The thin paper masks are useless and so are the cloth ones used in hospitals.

[vivid]

Thanks for the input

No this just to get me through the next coiple of days till i go home

When i am here for next season i will get the proper N95 for shure

The current PM2.5 concentration (this morning) is still very very high. High enough to be in the Hazardous range. Please take good care. Everybody, including healthy persons, should limit exertion.

[arunsakda]

Why would you need oxygen? There is no problem with our O2 concentration, just the particulates one needs to avoid or filter. Of course whilst breathing medical oxygen from a normal mask you are also breathing in ambient air, unless you are wearing a fully sealed firefighters rig. The cost of this would obviously be impractical.

Seriously if you are asthmatic and suffering you may be better taking your leave of Chiang Mai. Just spent 2 nights in San Francisco, now in Narita. Plenty of fresh air and noticeably wonderful. I had a nagging slight sore throat and constant sniffling when I left CM and it cleared up in 24 hours.

Edited March 12, 2015 by arunsakda

[sfokevin]

I have opted for something a little less extreme than bottled oxygen...

I ordered this from Lazada on Monday and arrived this Friday afternoon... 3,500 baht - it has a HEPA filter and an Ion generator and on high kicks out a lot of air (but a bit noisy)... Medium speed should be fine for sleeping... And if your wife is on the fence about this it also come in dusky pink as an option!

http://www.lazada.co.th/sharp-<deleted>-a28ta-w-19-108326.html

They have many other brands and sizes too... Fast delivery with cash payment on arrival

Edited March 13, 2015 by sfokevin

[arunsakda]

I have opted for something a little less extreme than bottled oxygen...

I ordered this from Lazada on Monday and arrived this Friday afternoon... 3,500 baht - it has a HEPA filter and an Ion generator and on high kicks out a lot of air (but a bit noisy)... Medium speed should be fine for sleeping... And if your wife is on the fence about this it also come in dusky pink as an option!

http://www.lazada.co.th/sharp-<deleted>-a28ta-w-19-108326.html

They have many other brands and sizes too... Fast delivery with cash payment on arrival

Brilliant, I was to ask about the size (I want something that I can store in a cabinet when not needed), however I found the type specifications for the -A28TA-B online.

Recommended use area is 16-19 m.sq. depending on mode of operation. Could you please report back on the performance of this unit? Noise? My condo is one room 37m.sq. unit. I am concerned I might need a larger one than this model.

(Wow, the letters in the model number beginning the words "fruit" and "unicycle" were auto deleted.)

Edited March 13, 2015 by arunsakda

[vivid]

I have opted for something a little less extreme than bottled oxygen...

I ordered this from Lazada on Monday and arrived this Friday afternoon... 3,500 baht - it has a HEPA filter and an Ion generator and on high kicks out a lot of air (but a bit noisy)... Medium speed should be fine for sleeping... And if your wife is on the fence about this it also come in dusky pink as an option!

http://www.lazada.co.th/sharp-<deleted>-a28ta-w-19-108326.html

They have many other brands and sizes too... Fast delivery with cash payment on arrival

I have the same black one too. It has a H10 filter (85% efficiency) and is good enough for CM's haze (reduce it to below PM2.5 25 ug/m3) for a small room of below 20 sqm as long as you keep it running in high for the first 1 hour at least.

Keep it in at least Med at all times during hazy periods of above 35 ug/m3..

[vivid]

Brilliant, I was to ask about the size (I want something that I can store in a cabinet when not needed), however I found the type specifications for the -A28TA-B online.

Recommended use area is 16-19 m.sq. depending on mode of operation. Could you please report back on the performance of this unit? Noise? My condo is one room 37m.sq. unit. I am concerned I might need a larger one than this model.

(Wow, the letters in the model number beginning the words "fruit" and "unicycle" were auto deleted.)

It's sufficient for 37 sqm, just need to ensure that it stays in high fan speed for at least the first hour. Have another fan running so as to circulate the air in the room, so that the air purifier can filter those "bad" air as well more efficiently.

Noise in High is a little high, but bearable during the day. Med is good enough for most sleepers except light sleepers.

[sfokevin]

Yes the high setting is a bit noisy (but most models have the same issue)... I will run it on high for an hour before bed then switch to medium when I go to bed... As for size it is not large at all... Easily stored in away... H16" W14" D5"... I have also added a sheet of Filtrete right before the HEPA filter to get the big particles... I will change that every week along with the Filtrete on the AC units

And I would recommend Lazada... Simple ordering with no credit card... They emailed me in the morning that it was out for delivery... Then a half hour before arrival the lady in the delivery truck called to confirm I was home...

Edited March 13, 2015 by sfokevin