Air quality in Doi Saket

What are the air quality levels like in Doi Saket?

Doi Saket is subject to a wide variety of pollution levels throughout the year, going back and forth between excessively high levels of air pollution that can cause greater amounts of damage to its population and environment, contrasted by periods in which the air quality reaches much more respectable levels, with many months falling into the World Health Organization's (WHO's) target goal for the cleanest level of air quality at 10 μg/m³ or less. The cleanest and most polluted months will be discussed in further detail at the end of the article, based on readings taken from years past. Whilst these readings will vary from year to year, with factors such as meteorological conditions as well as natural or anthropological based disasters (forest fires, as well as the intentional setting alight of large areas of farm or forest land, a practice known in Thailand as slash and burn farming) causing discrepancies in the overall pollution levels. However, even with variations present, many cities and towns in Thailand tend to follow a distinct pattern of peaks and dips in pollution levels, except for a few that have raised ambient levels of pollution throughout the year, lacking the distinct spikes in pollution or periods of significantly cleaner air. Looking at the current air quality levels present in Doi Saket, in the earlier months of October 2021, US AQI readings of 37 were recorded, placing Doi Saket into the 'good' air quality rating bracket for that particular day and time in which it was taken. This is one of the most optimal air quality classifications (requiring a US AQI reading of 0 to 50), and is color-coded as green, with each higher level of pollution having its color-coded label, getting increasingly darker as the pollution levels rise, with red, purple and maroon indicating the most dangerous levels.

The US AQI number is aggregated from the various main pollutants found in the air, which will also be discussed in the following question in the article regarding what pollutants one can find in the air within Doi Saket (which also holds true for the rest of Thailand and indeed the world, due to the universality of these main pollutants and the prevalence of their release from the most common polluting sources). Other US AQI readings that were taken over the same time frame include figures of 39 and 45, both still within the 'good' bracket, and higher readings of 54, 57 and 83, placing Doi Saket into the 'moderate' air quality rating bracket, and the reading of 83 bringing it closer to the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' rating (101 to 150 required), whereby the level of pollution in the air can start to harm vulnerable individuals, as well as cause respiratory distress to people that have no pre-existing conditions or are otherwise in perfect health. In closing, Doi Saket has a wide variety of air pollution levels, and appropriate actions should be taken when the pollution readings start to spike significantly, with preventative measures such as avoiding outdoor activities (particularly strenuous ones such as exercising), staying indoors and sealing doors and windows to prevent household pollution levels from rising, as well as wearing particle filtering masks. Such readings can be followed either via the air quality maps and forecasts on this page, as well as on the AirVisual app for updates that are updated consistently.

What are the main sources of polluted air in Doi Saket?

Some of the more prominent sources of ambient air pollution in Doi Saket would be similar to many of those present throughout Thailand, with exhaust fumes from cars, motorbikes and a variety of other vehicles all contributing to the overall US AQI or PM2.5 readings. The worst offenders in these regards are vehicles that are particularly aged, or of poorer quality, and as such can leak larger amounts of noxious oil vapors, as well as giving out higher quantities of chemical compounds and particulate matter (both PM10 and the far smaller and more dangerous PM2.5). Besides the aforementioned slash and burn farming, or any open burn sites being one of the most prominent factors in the largest spikes of pollution seen on record, factories, industrial sites and power plants that utilize fossil fuels to obtain their energy can also give out large amounts of pollution as a result. Construction sites, road repairs and even poorly paved roads are also prominent causes of pollution, typically giving out far finer particle pollution than the general public is aware of. Poorly maintained construction sites can give off vast amounts of highly dangerous particles that have a whole host of dangerous health effects on the population, particularly for those that live in closer proximity to such sites.

What are the chemicals and pollutants found in the air in Doi Saket?

The pollutants that go into the US AQI aggregate are carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, as well as the two forms of particle pollution, PM10 and PM2.5. Other pollutants that may be found in the air, in varying degrees depending on the industrial activity taking place in proximity include black carbon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), both of which are released from the combustion of fossil fuels, as well as organic matter, and as such can be given off from both industrial sites as well as open burning of plant matter, as well as synthetic materials. Some examples of VOCs include benzene, toluene, xylene and methylene chloride.

When is the air at its most dangerous to breathe in Doi Saket?

based on the readings gathered from 2020, it can be seen that Doi Saket had its most polluted months in the earlier period of the year, mirroring the conditions that are present throughout much of Thailand, with the air pollution levels rising rapidly at the end of the year and continuing on into the earlier months of the following year. Whilst three months’ worth of data was missing from 2020, the most highly polluted month was still April, with a PM2.5 reading of 42.2 μg/m³, indicating a dangerous level of pollution present in the earlier months of the year.

When is the air safer to breathe and less polluted in Doi Saket?

Despite the mild elevations seen at the end of the year and the more extreme ones at the start of the year, Doi Saket had a period in which the air quality was far more respectable, with June through to October coming in with readings that indicate far less pollution permeating the atmosphere. Out of all of these months, June, July and August had the best readings, all within the WHO's target goal at 7.7 μg/m³, 8 μg/m³ and 8.7 μg/m³ respectably.