Air quality in Nong Khae

Is the air dirty and polluted in Nong Khae?

The air in Nong Khae is moderately polluted, coming in with US AQI reading up to 76 as of late February 2022. The concentration of PM2.5 in the air was found to be nearly 5 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO's) annual safe exposure guidelines. Whilst a 'moderate' air pollution rating is not distinctly dangerous, it does indicate that there are indeed fair amounts of particles and chemical compounds in the air, which can cause respiratory irritation amongst many of the inhabitants of Nong Khae, as well as causing other adverse health effects to flare up.

Why does Nong Khae have higher levels of air pollution?

Some of the main causes of air pollution that are prominent throughout Nong Khae include emissions from factories, power plants and other industrial sites, as was briefly mentioned above. Exhaust fumes from vehicles are also a constant issue, due to increasing vehicle ownership across the country, along with older and more defunct models of cars, motorbikes and trucks still being used, particularly in rural areas. These lower quality engines can spit out considerably more noxious oil vapors and particles such as black carbon due to the poor combustion process taking place within the engines. Other sources of note include dust and fumes from construction sites, along with poorly paved roads, road repairs and other similar sites adding to the PM10 and PM2.5 levels.

When is it most polluted in Nong Khae?

Although there are variations that occur throughout each year, the months that will tend to carry with them the highest levels of air pollution are those at the very beginning of the year, as well as those towards the end, with many cities and provinces throughout Thailand having their best air quality within the mid-months of the year. As mentioned, there are variations and exceptions, with some cities and towns seeing year-round ambient pollution levels that neither spike up too rapidly nor fall to significantly cleaner levels. Due to air pollution produced by slash and burn farming practices, vast clouds of smoke, haze and hazardous particulate matter can drift many miles and affect the air quality in other cities great distances away from the original burn sites. As such, following the trend that is often seen year in and year out, air pollution levels will typically start to rise around September to October, and stay elevated until March or April of the following year.

What health issues are caused by pollution exposure in Nong Khae?

Extended periods of exposure to high levels of air pollution in Nong Khae can cause many dangerous health conditions to occur, with this being particularly pertinent to individuals who fall into the sensitive group demographic, which will be covered in slightly more detail in the following question. Despite certain groups being more at risk, healthy adults without any pre-existing health conditions may also find themselves at risk to the negative side-effects of polluted air in Nong Khae, particularly if exposure takes place over a longer period. This is of more importance for those that find themselves living near much more highly polluted areas such as industrial districts or near busy roads, where the air quality is often of much poorer quality, with hazardous particles, smoke, smog and haze being far more prevalent in the atmosphere for much of the year. A larger number of ailments that may show themselves amongst the inhabitants, would be the shorter-term ones such as dry throat and coughs, as well as the accompanying chest pains and infections of the upper respiratory tract. These can usually typically resolve themselves in a relatively short amount of time when the exposure to air pollution is stopped or reduced. As such, they can be classified as more acute health issues amongst potential health problems present in Nong Khae. With non-stop air pollution exposure transpiring, respiratory issues may also grow into more long-term, chronic health problems. The constant chest infections sustained as well as the accompanying coughing can lead to the scarring of lung tissue, which can result in a significantly (and often permanent) decreased lung capacity. As well as this, the scarring or damage and inflammation to the tissue of the lungs can make one more vulnerable to a whole host of respiratory distress, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presenting itself. This is an umbrella term that refers to a multitude of different lung and respiratory tract conditions, typically resulting in shortness of breath as well as making an individual at greater risk of severe damage from pollution exposure. Some further conditions that fall under the COPD bracket are one such as pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema as well as asthma. Other forms of damage that can happen within the body include increased risk of cancer, heart attacks, strokes and arrhythmias, as well as ischemic heart disease and many other cardiac or pulmonary conditions that can bring about decreased quality of life as well as lower life expectancy in Nong Khae.

Who is affected the most by poor quality air in Nong Khae?

Inhabitants of Nong Khae who can be considered as more at risk of adverse health effects include groups such as younger children and babies, both of whom are highly vulnerable to the negative side effects of chemical and particle exposure. Alterations to the nervous system can take place, due to many chemical compounds having this property when they accumulate in large enough quantities within the human body. This can result in slowed growth, as well as developmental issues and impaired mental faculties, with children who suffer from excessive pollution exposure for many years sometimes having these ailments, as well as sustaining damage to their lungs and other organ systems. This can once again have a domino effect of stunting growth as well as leading to other lifelong health issues. Other groups that fall into the sensitive bracket are pregnant women, who much like the young children and baby’s demographic, can subject their unborn child to the negative side effects of pollution exposure due to certain hazardous chemicals being able to make their way to the child in the womb, causing instances of babies being born prematurely, with low birth weight, as well as increasing the rates of infant mortality. Elderly citizens in Nong Khae are also at risk, due to them being more prone to suffering from respiratory or cardiac ailments. Simple chest or upper respiratory tract infections may develop into more life-threatening or terminal conditions amongst the elderly, with other comorbidities such as sedentary lifestyle, pre-existing health conditions, obesity, or habits such as smoking lending themselves to making these illnesses considerably worse. Lastly, many people can exhibit a hypersensitive disposition towards certain ultrafine particles and other chemicals found in the pollution in Nong Khae. As such, all of these groups would do well to stay up to date on the pollution levels, both for the current day as well as the forecasts for the coming week. Preventative measures such as wearing fine particle filtering masks and avoiding outdoor activities can aid greatly in reducing more serious side effects.