Air quality in Bang Sue

Is there air pollution present in Bang Sue?

Bang Sue has presented with some very high readings of air pollution, with numbers coming in at dangerous levels towards the end of 2021. In the latter part of December 2021, US AQI readings of 154 were recorded, placing Bang Sue into the 'unhealthy' air quality rating bracket, color-coded as red and indicating a very poor level of air quality that can cause a large number of health effects amongst the inhabitants of Bang Sue, also indicating that the air in certain locations may be permeated with larger amounts of smoke, haze and fine particle pollutants. Outdoor activities should be avoided, if possible, as well as the wearing of fine particle filtering masks being of great aid in reducing possible health issues. Whilst these levels of air pollution are not maintained throughout the year, Bang Sue, along with many other cities and provinces throughout the country often experience larger spikes in pollution towards the end of the year, and as such the air can be considered as far more unclean and dangerous. Brief respites are also seen on certain days, with the US AQI readings dropping down to 'moderate' rankings, indicating that the air would be significantly (but not entirely) safer to breathe.

Is it dangerous to breathe polluted air in Bang Sue and what are some of the health issues that may arise?

Health problems and side effects that may occur when pollution exposure is high in Bang Sue include cases of irritation to the respiratory tract, as well as infections of the lungs and throat. Skin conditions can occur from smoke and haze exposure, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Further conditions include those that fall under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) bracket, which includes illnesses such as pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, as well as emphysema. Other more serious health issues include arrhythmias, as well as heightened rates of heart attacks, strokes and premature death, all of which can be directly linked to excess pollution exposure, with many studies highlighting this fact throughout recent history. This places a large amount of emphasis on the importance of keeping yourself and your family safe from pollution exposure throughout Bang Sue, particularly during the months that carry with them the highest readings of PM2.5 and US AQI.

Who is most at risk from breathing smoke and other pollutants in Bang Sue?

Groups that may be more at risk in suffering from negative effects from pollution exposure in Bang Sue are groups such as the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, or those with pre-existing health conditions. Other people that may need to take to stay clear from clouds of smoke, smog and haze include pregnant women, those with hypersensitivity towards chemical pollutants, as well as young children and babies.

What causes poor air quality conditions in Bang Sue?

Polluted air in Bang Sue can stem from many varied sources, similar to many of those that pollute other provinces and cities throughout Thailand as well as neighboring countries. Vehicle fumes are one of these factors that are of significant concern, especially for the surrounding cities and districts of Bangkok, due to the large number of people situated outside of the direct city center, a common phenomenon due to lower property expenses and better quality of life. However, it is inevitable for a large amount of the population in areas such as Bang Sue to usually work within the city center of Bangkok, thus causing significant amounts of daily commutes to be made, causing rush hour traffic to give off larger amounts of hazardous particles, clouds of smoke, haze and smog as these vehicles travel out of Bang Sue. Older and lower quality vehicles remain prevalent, even though there are many incentives in place to gradually phase them out altogether. This will aid significantly in reducing the pollution levels across major cities of Thailand but may prove much harder to enforce throughout many of the provincial areas, where badly aged motorbikes, cars and trucks are still used. These outdated and low-quality engines leak significantly more noxious oil vapors due to their poor combustion process taking place within the engine, as well as other factors such as use of lower-quality fuel. This causes their exhaust fumes to give out larger clouds of dark smoke, filled with black carbon. Furthermore, vehicles contribute to other forms of particle pollution, with the consistent wear and tear placed on tire treads giving rise to large amounts of microscopic rubber particles entering into the atmosphere. From here they can cause a large number of health issues when inhaled, triggering off pre-existing health conditions as well as potentially invading the bloodstream if their size is small enough, as well as gathering in the environment and damaging various ecosystems. Other causes of pollution present in Bang Sue include smoke and haze from industrial activity, as was mentioned, with various industrial sites, factories, power plants and even private businesses that rely on the combustion of fuels, or even fossil fuels such as diesel, natural gas and coal to provide their energy needs.

What are some of the main chemicals found within the air pollution in Bang Sue?

Examples of pollutants that are to be found in the atmosphere throughout Bang Sue include those that are involved in the calculation of air quality index, or US AQI (air quality index held to the standards of the United States, which is particularly stringent when it comes to air quality regulations), these being the most prevalent pollutants throughout Thailand as well as the rest of the world. Clouds of smoke, haze and other forms of gathered pollution most often contain varying concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone, or smog as it is more commonly referred to when it accumulates in large enough quantities on ground level. Whilst ozone is a vital component of the upper atmosphere, it can cause many ill health effects to occur to those who breathe it in. In larger cities such as Bangkok, these larger accumulations of smog may be visible in areas that see a high level of traffic, particularly when the sun’s rays are at their fiercest, along with other meteorological factors such as lack of wind or rain also contributing to this buildup. When exposed to solar radiation via the sun’s rays, the various oxides of nitrogen, gases and other chemical pollutants can undergo a reaction, becoming ozone. Due to these reasons, its buildup is often most noticeable in areas that have a heavier level of traffic, particularly near highways or motorways, or routes that have to contain rush hour traffic. Other pollutants that may be found in Bang Sue include carbon monoxide, along with the two main forms of particle pollution, PM10 and PM2.5. These are also included in the US AQI calculation, and it is important to note that PM2.5, or particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, is one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution that can be found in Bang Sue and throughout Thailand. Its incredibly small size allows it to bypass all of the bodies defense systems, lodging deep within the tissues of the lungs, either staying there and causing health issues such as coughing or infections, or migrating into the bloodstream (made possible by its minute size allowing it to pass through the blood barrier and make its way into the circulatory system, whereby it can end up in many other areas of the body, which as one can imagine carries with it a large number of health risks). Other pollutants of note include black carbon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are both formed from the incomplete combustion of organic matter, as well as from fossil fuels. Black carbon is a particularly dangerous form of PM2.5, having both adverse effects on human health as well as the environment, due to its ability to take in solar radiation and release it directly as heat into its surrounding. Some examples of VOCs (so named due to their nature of maintaining a gaseous state at lower temperatures, hence the volatile label) include chemical compounds such as xylene, methylene chloride, toluene, styrene, benzene (another highly carcinogenic pollutant along with black carbon) as well as formaldehyde. Besides being prevalent in areas that see combustion taking place, they are also common as household pollutants, being one of the main sources of indoor air pollution, emanating from a large variety of products such as paint, glue, varnishes (all of which can be smelt prominently when they have not yet dried properly), along with certain toiletry or personal products such as aerosol deodorants, scented candles and other similar items releasing VOCs. These are some examples of pollutants that may be found in the air throughout Bang Sue.