Air quality in Thon Buri

Is the air in Thon Buri very polluted?

As of mid-March in 2022, Thon Buri was presenting with 'moderate' levels of air pollution present, categorized by the US AQI readings, with a figure of 72 being recorded. Whilst this shows a mild improvement over the air pollution levels at the very beginning of the year (and thus likely to follow the same patterns each year, with certain months being far more polluted than others), there were readings present in January and February of 2022 that displayed how high pollution levels can get within Thon Buri. US AQI readings as high as 141 were recorded in early February and late January, putting Thon Buri into the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' category, which as the name indicates can cause many health issues amongst vulnerable individuals, or worsen pre-existing ones. As such, whilst there are definite periods in which the air quality can suddenly improve in Thon Buri (with readings as low as 35 coming in even within the more polluted earlier months of the year), it is likely that the air quality in Thon Buri will be less than perfect for the first three to four months of the year, as well as showing spikes in the air pollution levels towards the end of the year. Pollution levels can be monitored via the AirVisual app or using the air quality graphs and forecasts present on this page, to get a clearer picture of when pollution levels will be higher, and what actions can be undertaken in order to minimalize the damage sustained to one's health.

What is causing higher levels of air pollution in Thon Buri?

Higher levels of air pollution present in Thon Buri manifest in the same ways seen in many other cities and provinces throughout Thailand, and indeed neighboring countries, which all share similar issues. With rapid development occurring (with many parts of Thailand including Bangkok and its satellite cities already having undergone rapid development and urbanization) and an increase in population size as well as vehicle ownership is not only normal but expected to keep on increasing, Thon Buri sees pollution accumulating from several main sources. On a basic level, ambient or year-round levels of air pollution are caused by the mass movement and transit of large amounts of people, with commutes to and from work every day in vehicles leading to huge amounts of exhaust fumes being given off. This can be compounded by the issue of many older and poorer quality vehicles still inhabiting the roads of Thon Buri, more common in rural areas although they are still a fairly common sight within more heavily developed areas. Due to the combustion process taking place within the vehicles (with combustion itself being one of the largest contributors to air pollution as a whole, in the variety of its different forms whether in a forest fire, car engine or factory boiler), many tons of hazardous particles and chemical compounds are given out, accumulating within areas that see less wind, such as in between tall buildings, and as such these accumulations can rise to some significant levels, causing all manner of environmental and health issues to occur. Regarding vehicles, the many cars, motorbikes and other smaller personal motors in use on the roads all contribute to heightened pollution levels, particularly if fossil fuel such as diesel is still utilized.

This is a far more common occurrence in larger, industrial or heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, lorries and even buses, which predominantly run on diesel fuel despite efforts to curb this from happening (something that will take many years to fully implement). Furthermore, on the vehicle issue, many tons of microscopic rubber particles can enter the environment (the air, land and bodies of water, making it one of many serious environmental and health-related issues) via the continuous wear and tear of tire treads, with many tons of this material being given off over the years. If roads in certain areas (once again more prevalent in rural locations) are not properly maintained or repaired after damage is incurred from rain or age, considerable amounts of dust and other microscopic particles can be blown up into the air, adding even further to the PM2.5 and PM10 count within Thon Buri.

Does breathing polluted air in Thon Buri make you sick?

When air pollution levels rise to more dangerous heights (of note is that any level of air pollution present at all can cause illnesses to occur), many adverse symptoms and sicknesses may start to occur or become more apparent, particularly amongst some of the more vulnerable individuals. These vulnerable groups include the elderly, pregnant women (with possible damage being sustained to the unborn child due to pollutants making their way into the mother’s body where they can migrate to the child, causing low infant birth weight, premature birth, potential cognitive or physical defects in extreme cases, as well as raising the infant mortality rate). Others include young children and babies, as well as those that have pre-existing health conditions, compromised immune systems, as well as any people with a hypersensitive disposition towards the multitude of chemical compounds and ultrafine particles that can be found in more highly polluted areas throughout Thon Buri and neighboring provinces. Illnesses that occur are most likely to be of the pulmonary variety, affecting the lungs, respiratory tract as well as causing irritation to the mucous membranes such as the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Dry coughs can occur, along with infections of the respiratory tract which can easily worsen if pollution exposure is sustained over long periods.

When is Thon Buri most likely to have its highest levels of air pollution?

As touched on earlier, the air pollution levels will be at their highest (with potential differences to this always being possible due to other factors such as meteorological conditions as well as the occurrence of natural disasters such as widespread forest fires or industrial accidents) in the beginning of the year as well as at the end of the year, with the cleanest air quality typically being observed in the middle months of the year. This correlates closely with the burning season, whereby vast swathes of forest and farmland throughout Thailand (most prominent in the northern regions but not limited to there) are set ablaze. This typically starts around late August and September and can continue on through April of the next year. This is a decent guideline that can be observed each year across many cities and provinces in Thailand, but always subject to change, with pollution levels sometimes ceasing earlier, or going on for sustained periods.

What are some of the chemical pollutants found in the air in Thon Buri?

Some pollutants that may be found prominently in the air throughout Thon Buri include those that go into forming the US AQI figure, which are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and the two main forms of particle pollution, PM10 and PM2.5. The latter of these two is far more dangerous, with its minute size of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter giving it the ability to penetrate deep within the tissue of the lungs and even pass through the blood barrier and enter the circulatory system. Some materials that make up the PM2.5 and PM10 collective include dust, sand, finely ground silica particles, microplastics, liquid or oil vapors, along with mold, fungi and certain bacteria. These are some examples of pollutants that can be found in the atmosphere within Thon Buri, varying in their amounts depending on the location.