Smog season kicks off with unsafe PM2.5 levels in Bangkok, Northeast
Air pollution will hit unsafe levels across large areas of Thailand for the next week from today, the Public Health Ministry warned on Monday.
Bangkok and the Northeast are forecast to experience poor air quality from November 12-18 due to stagnant air and crop burning by farmers, said ministry deputy permanent secretary Weerawut Imsamran.
Levels of PM2.5, the most dangerous form of air pollution, are expected to rise until at least January as Thailand enters its annual smog season.
Weerawut said pollution should be less severe than the previous two years due to an increase in rain and humidity from the La Nina phenomenon, adding that the ministry was monitoring the situation.
He said the ministry has implemented four measures to protect people from smog: boosting public awareness to combat pollution sources, mitigating impacts on health, providing medical and public health services, and improving management efficiency.
The ministry is also focusing on providing targeted online health guidance for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with heart or respiratory conditions, he said.
Nationwide Public Health Emergency Operations Centres under the ministry will also respond with measures to combat hazardous air pollution. If PM2.5 levels rise above 75.1 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3), centres will advise people to work from home while enforcing laws to control pollution sources, Weerawut said. If levels rise above 150 μg/m3 for five consecutive days, centres will direct people to avoid outdoor activities.
PM2.5, or particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, can travel deep into the lungs and cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as cancer.
The World Health Organisation recommends that the 24-hour average of PM2.5 pollution should not exceed 15 μg/m3. However, Thailand has set the safe threshold at 25 μg/m3.
