Air quality in Don Mueang

What is the air quality of Don Mueang?

Don Muang is subject to varying degrees of air cleanliness throughout the air. Due to it being part of the greater Bangkok region, or one of the fifty different districts of Bangkok. In mid-September of 2021, Don Mueang was seen with a US AQI reading of 61, placing it into the 'moderate' air pollution rating bracket. This is a reoccurring theme for Don Mueang, with many of its days towards the end of the year falling into the category. Other more respectable readings were also on record, with ones such as 34 and 29 also being shown, indicating that Don Mueang can have better levels of air quality. However, these can also rise rapidly, as is commonly seen in Bangkok and its extended regions. As such, air quality levels should be monitored to ascertain when the air pollution levels become more hazardous to one’s health, which can be followed via the maps and forecasts on this page, as well as on the AirVisual app.

What causes bouts of air pollution in Don Mueang?

Some of the main contributing elements to the air pollution level in Don Mueang would be ones such as the fumes of the various vehicles in use on the road, with cars, motorbikes, and even heavier freight vehicles such as lorries and trucks all adding to the pollutive issue. It is not uncommon for these vehicles to be badly aged, damaged, or well past their best years, which puts more strain on the environment due to the greater output of pollution coming from the poor combustion process taking place, with large amounts of oil vapors and pollutants emanating forth, ones that may now be seen in such high volumes from newer or cleaner models. There would also be heavy-duty vehicles to contributing to this, with trucks and lorries falling into this category. Many of these run on diesel fuel and can give off many tons of microscopic rubber particles from the gradual wear and tear of tire treads. This can cause particle pollution to go up significantly, along with impacting the soil and the various ecosystems around it. Other sources of air pollution include dust from construction sites, road repairs, and even demolition sites (all of which can be a major source of particulate matter, far more than many people are aware of), along with the burning of trash (a phenomenon that is rapidly declining within the Bangkok region but still takes place, particularly in more rural areas).

What health issues can occur from pollution exposure in Don Mueang?

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can bring about all manner of unwanted and dangerous conditions, particularly to certain individuals who fall into the sensitive group's bracket. However, even healthy adults can succumb to the ill effects of air pollution if exposure is excessive, or taken in over a long time (particularly for those who live near highly polluted areas such as industrial districts or near busy roads, whereby the air quality will be poor for a most of the year). Many conditions that may arise as a result would be the typical short-term ones such as dry throat and coughs, as well as chest pains and mild infections of the respiratory tract. These can resolve themselves quickly when exposure to air pollution is lessened or ceased altogether, and as such, they can be considered as more short-term or acute health issues. They may also develop into more long-term or chronic issues, with continuous chest infections and coughing leading to the scarring of lung tissue, which often results in permanently 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.

What are some of the main pollutants that can be found in the air in Don Mueang?

The main pollutants present in Don Mueang would be the chemical compounds that form the US AQI reading, which are found anywhere that sees any forms of industrial activity, or combustion sources taking place. They are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone, or smog as it is better known when it gathers in larger amounts. The various oxides of nitrogen (NOx) that are also released by cars and combustion sources can undergo a chemical reaction and form ozone under the right conditions (higher exposure to sunlight), along with other gases and chemical compounds also adding to the formation of ozone. Other pollutants include black carbon, which is the main component in soot, and a potent carcinogen when inhaled, making it a very dangerous form of PM2.5 that also has climate-changing properties. Along with black carbon, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also formed from the incomplete combustion of both fossil fuels and organic matter. Some examples of VOCs are chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, styrene and toluene, all of which are extremely harmful to one’s health.

What is PM2.5 and how does it impact people’s health in Don Mueang?

As touched on briefly, ultrafine particles can have a serious impact on the health of those who are exposed, particularly when exposure levels are severe or take place over long periods. PM2.5 can be made out of materials such as water and other liquid vapors, along with finely ground metals, nitrates and sulfates, mold spores and bacteria, dust and soot, as well as silica and gravel ground down to microscopic levels. These particles can cause damage to the lungs when breathed, and many of them have highly carcinogenic properties, which can cause the rates of lung cancer to rise significantly when exposure takes place.

What can Don Mueang do to improve its pollution levels?

As with many areas and provinces throughout Thailand, besides the complete cessation of slash and burn farming practices being the best measure of reducing the countries overall pollution levels (with the biggest spikes seen as a direct result of open burning sites), other incentives would be to the continued removal of ancient or poor condition vehicles from the road. These are still common in many areas throughout the country and due to their poor or inefficient combustion process, can leak far more noxious oil vapors, hazardous particles and other air contaminants than a cleaner alternative would. This would be one of the many ways that a densely populated area such as Don Muang could aid in reducing its pollution levels.