BANGKOK has been drowning in toxic air pollution for three days now with heavy concentration PM2.5 dust likely to continue until Feb. 9, TV Channel 7 said late this evening (Feb. 2).
At 10 p.m. today the PM2.5 reading for Bangkok at AQICN.org reached a concentration of 133 microgrammes per cubic metre.
The Meteorological Department said the current toxic dust pollution is due to poor ventilation as a result of inversion.
An inversion can prevent the rise and dispersal of pollutants from the lower layers of the atmosphere, because warm air above cooler air acts like a lid, preventing vertical mixing and trapping the pollution material e.g. at the breathing level, Finnish Meteorological Institute explained.
Academics at Kasetsart University said data on the large amount of crop residue burning within Asean in January shows that Cambodia topped the list with Thailand placing second.
The air pollution is rather severe in the Central Region because toxic dust blows in from all sides, including the west and the Gulf of Thailand while there is heavy agricultural residue burning within the region itself with toxic dust also coming in from neighbouring countries.
The Northeastern Region is affected from end to end with the same applying to the upper Southern Region even though it has fewer crop residue burning hotspots than other regions.
Those in the risk groups should avoid outdoor activities during this time.
Many agencies have mobilised to resolve this air pollution crisis with Water Resources Department being one of them.
This agency has a long-term plan to reduce dust and global warming by raising awareness to conserve and protect not destroy wetlands. These include both naturally occurring and man-made streams, swamps, canals and ponds surrounded by trees which trap dust and reduce PM2.5 pollution.
If there are enough wetlands in Thailand it would help alleviate global warming and purify the air.
CAPTIONS:
File photos of air pollution in Bangkok. Top image: NNT, Front Page image: Sanook.com
Insert: Smoke billows from a farm where crop residue is being burnt. Photo: Naewna
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