Chiang Mai most air-polluted city in world

[reader]

From The Nation (23 Mar.)

Chiang Mai on Saturday remained the most air-polluted city in the world for the second consecutive day, according to the AirVisual.com website.

AirVisual reported at 9.13am that the air quality index (AQI) of Chiang Mai on Saturday stood at 385, much higher than the 100 AQI safety standard.

The northern capital has been covered with white smog for almost two weeks, prompting Chiang Mai residents to wear N95 air-filter marks outdoors.

The Chiang Mai University, the Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna and Chiang Mai provincial administration confirmed that the air quality in the city remained critical.

The three agencies had 86 stations to measure air quality of the northern capital and found that all stations recorded brown and purple zones, meaning the air quality remained hazardous to health.

They found the worst air quality was in Mae Taeng district with a PM2.5 level of 443 micrograms per cubic metre (mcg). PM2.5 means airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter.

Doi Saket district was found to have the least PM.5 level or 204mcg, which was still hazardous to health.

The website of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency reported Saturday that its VIIRS satellite spotted 586 hotspots from forest burning in the North.

It reported that 162 hotspots were detected in Mae Hong Son, 91 in Chiang Rai, 69 in Chiang Mai, 79 in Nan, 55 in Prae, 55 in Phayao, 52 in Lampang, 14 in Tak and 9 in Lamphun.

The high level of haze in Chiang Rai reportedly stemmed from the many forest fires, both in the province and from nearby areas.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30366358

[vinapu]

it's good to be best in something I guess

[ggobkk]

Number 1

[Travellerdave]

I’m now a lot more conscious about air pollution and think that it’s also bad in Pattaya particular during hot still days. The traffic seems to get worse each time I visit with the major roads being choked with stationary or slow moving mostly diesel vehicles pumping our fumes. There are far more large buses now catering for Chinese tour groups and the drivers seem to keep their engines running whilst parked waiting for passengers. I wonder what it is doing to the lungs of baht bus drivers.

i avoid sitting in bars or restaurants close to busy roads but think that the Jomtien Complex should be relatively ok also Dongtan Beach. However I go jogging on Jomtien Beach Road in the early morning and think that this is probably no longer a health plus activity in Pattaya. Maybe go on the gym treadmill instead.

[reader]

From The Nation (30 Mar.)

State of emergency urged as air pollution hits 'disastrous' levels in North

Citizen in the North are being advised to stay inside air conditioned buildings and avoid all outdoor activities, as some areas of Chiang Mai recorded PM2.5 levels reaching higher than 700 micrograms per cubic metre of air on Saturday morning.

Witsanu Attavanich, a lecturer at Kasetsart University, said that with such deadly levels of PM2.5 pollution in the air over 500 micrograms, it is far beyond the capacity of the local authorities to cope with the situation and the central government needs to step in now and declare a state of emergency.

“No need to consider the level of threat from such dangerously hazardous air pollution on our health, as breathing in only 100 micrograms of PM2.5 is considered to be very harmful to the health of healthy persons.”

The Chiang Mai Air Quality Health Index (CMAQHI) Center's website (cmaqhi.org) cited the hourly amount of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – in Chiang Mai at 5am reached more than 500 micrograms per cubic metre of air, while the AQI for the top seven areas flashed the "beyond AQI reading capacity" message.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30366833