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Air Quality Bad In Many Areas, Pollution Chief Warns


Flashermac

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Air quality has dropped to a level where it could affect the health of people living in many parts of Thailand, including Bangkok.

 

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has advised people to stay indoors if smog is visible. Or if they really need to go out, they should wear face masks. :surprised:

 

PCD director general Wichien Jungrungruang revealed Monday that the amount of particulate matter of up to 10 micrometres in size (PM10) soared to 244 micrograms per cubic metre of air near highways in Samut Sakhon.

 

"It's way above safe levels," he said. The PM10 amount should be less than 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air. :help:

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Air-quality-bad-in-many-areas-Pollution-chief-warn-30223620.html

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PM or Particulate Matter of 120 Micrograms is still too high, in EU the daily allowable average is 50 Micrograms but with an annual average of 40 Micrograms / day.

 

Unbelievably the strictest standards are in China which is trying to apply a limit of 15 Micrograms / day and the most lax are USA where 150 Micrograms / Day is the general rule even thought certain States i.e. California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) are a lot more stringent.

 

PM10 is a measure of Industrial Pollutants I would like to see the data for PM2.5, that is up to 2.5 micrometers in size which is smog and vehicular emissions fit in, since the report is about "Near Highways" where as PM10 is Fly Ash (From Burning Coal) and Cement Dust.

 

I do have a life honestly, the reason I know this fact is because I have been working on EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) Report for this big coal burning power plant over here, required to secure financing from World Banks for the project.

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Flash,

 

As I mentioned, PM10 emissions come from Industrial sources where as it is PM2.5 which come from Vehicular sources, Now as much as I would like to concur with your taxi drivers observations the two sources are not mutually compatible.

 

I don't know of any PM10 sources close to Bangkok, 2,200 MW of Coal Powered Thermal Power out East in Chanchoengsao province, Mae Moh is up in Lampang and the only other one is in Krabi the only Coal Burners in Thailand, the rest is Hydro electric (no emissions) And Combined Cycle (Gas Turbines / Oil Fired Boilers, PM2.5 emissions)

 

The closest main source of PM10 would be Siam Cement up at Saraburi, and if 244 in BKK what the hell is the reading up there.

 

Now if the report was to say readings of PM2.5 were sky high I would find that more believable since from Vehicular emissions / Oil refinery output (Bangchak in Khlong Toey) but Threshold levels for PM2.5 are at the most only 50% of PM10 and 60 micrograms would be closer to the mark.

 

Something is not adding up here IMHO.

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The change to LPG is largely responsible for that. Remember the buses that used to race down the streets belching out clouds of black smoke? You almost never see that any more. Taxis are pretty much LPG now too, as are many private vehicles.

 

I used to ride the river taxis to and from work in 1998-2003. The air would be clean and pleasant out on the Chao Phaya River, but when I walked just one block inland to Samsen Road, the pollution was overpowering.

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I have severe chronic bronchial asthma.

 

I noticed a few years ago that I tend to do noticeably better in Bangkok than I do stateside (in Huntsville AL, which is known to the local allergists and pulmonary specialists as "Death Valley East") (and the old Indian name for the area translates as "Place With Bad Air"). We're still digging into the reasons, but it appears to have something to do with my diet. It is a LOT easier to eat healthy in BKK than in Huntspatch.

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Very strange today - this morning the haze/fog was the worst I have seen in 20 years. Driving the motorway towards Chonburi this haze was so thick it was dangerous - at points the visibility was less than 100 meters.

 

But scoot over to Bangna-Trad expressway - just 3 kms away - and nothing.

 

No idea what it was. Not really normal fog (which is just low clouds so very wet) - this was a dry haze with a burnt smell to it.

 

Temperature inversion or whatever - I drive this route daily and today was the first time I have seen it like this in all my time here.

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