Air quality in Kalasin

Is the air in Kalasin badly polluted?

The air quality in Kalasin is subject to rapid changes, with large spikes having been on record towards the end of January 2022, as well as early February of the same year. Whilst these readings will tend to be the same each year, with fluctuations consistently occurring, Kalasin maintains a mostly decent level of air quality, with US AQI readings of 50 having been taken in mid-February of 2022, placing it just within the 'good' air quality rating bracket (with one more digit placing it into the 'moderate' air pollution bracket, which requires a US AQI reading of 51 and above). However, higher figures such as 154 and 159 were taken a few days before the above-mentioned readings, placing Kalasin into the 'unhealthy' air quality bracket. This can present a significant risk for many citizens, so whilst overall Kalasin is not overtly polluted, it can certainly be subject to sudden clouds of smoke, haze and dangerous particulate appearing within the city. During such times, caution should be exercised and air quality forecasts should be followed.

Why are air pollution levels higher in Kalasin?

Due to its upper northeastern position in Thailand, in the Isan region, Kalasin is also be affected by the slash and burn farming issues that take place throughout the country, with the more significant burning practices taking place in the northern regions, with cities such as Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai being affected by considerable amounts of smoke and haze as a result. Due to this, pollution levels will tend to be higher in Kalasin during the months that, year in and year out, always show elevated levels of air pollution which are related to the open burning of organic material found in forestland and crop fields. Besides the burning of these organic materials (which has been deemed highly illegal but continues to take place due to many reasons), several anthropogenic and industrial-related causes contribute to air pollution spikes in Kalasin, along with natural or man-made disasters potentially contributing.

Vehicles, as with many cities throughout Thailand and Asia, can contribute significantly to the air pollution levels, leaving accumulations of smog, haze, smoke and damaging particulate matter in the air close to ground level, making it easy to breathe and thus presenting many health risks to the citizens of Kalasin (with some of these adverse health effects being discussed in further detail in the following question). With increasing vehicle ownership, there comes further pollution from said vehicles, due to the combustion process in the engines giving out high quantities of fumes that contain all manner of chemical compounds. Furthermore, with many aged or poor quality vehicles still in use (which are far more prevalent in rural areas, despite efforts to remove them from the roads), pollution levels can rise further from their use, as the poor combustion process taking place within the engine, along with cheaper or lower quality fuels often used, can lead to noxious oil vapors leaking from the engines, along with a much higher output of dangerous particles. Heavier freight vehicles, vital to the transportation of both people (buses) as well as industrial materials or other produce (trucks and lorries) can also give out a large amount of pollution, often running on diesel fuel which can give out many of its unique pollutants when combusted. With all vehicles, there is also the issue of residual wear and tear occurring on the tire treads, which can lead to many tons of microscopic rubber particles being deposited into the air. Rush hour traffic in certain areas may also lead to the buildup of soot, or black carbon around roadside areas, which can have highly damaging effects on both the environment, as well as human health when inhaled. Other prominent or noteworthy causes of air pollution include emissions from factories and power plants, along with other similar industrial areas. Poorly paved roads can give off large amounts of dust and fine particles, along with construction sites (and even demolition sites) all contributing to elevated levels of air pollution in Kalasin.

What health issues can occur from breathing pollution in Kalasin?

Health issues and illnesses that can occur when air pollution rise to dangerous levels (and even lower levels of air pollution being able to cause dangerous and adverse health effects) in Kalasin include coughs, chest pain and resulting infections, which can turn into more serious health issues if they are left unchecked, resulting in damage and scarring to the lung tissue itself, which can also lead to further respiratory issues, reduced lung capacity as well as a decrease in quality of life, and life expectancy. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may also present itself, with bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and emphysema being the main illnesses.

Skin problems may also occur for inhabitants of Kalasin, along with increased early death rates that can in many cases be directly linked to air pollution exposure. Due to the extremely small size of PM2.5 and the myriad of extremely dangerous materials, it is comprised of, its ability to make its way past the blood barrier in the lungs and into the circulatory system means that it can affect many different parts of the body, causing cancer rates to rise significantly, primarily affecting the lungs but also many other organ systems, as well as causing adverse effects to the nervous system, particularly amongst younger inhabitants in Kalasin.

What time of the year will Kalasin have the poorest air quality?

The air quality in Kalasin will most likely to have their highest readings appear towards the end of the year. Furthermore, the early months of the following year also usually show significantly higher readings of air pollution in the form of the aforementioned US AQI and PM2.5 concentrations. This is based on readings taken from cities all over Thailand, a larger amount of them seeing consistent patterns each year. Although there are a few exceptions (with some cities seeing ambient levels of relatively high air pollution throughout the year, but lacking the dangerous spikes that are seen in the aforementioned times of the year), Kalasin is most likely to see the higher air pollution levels at these times (the last few months of the year, typically starting around September, but potentially earlier, all the way through to the end of the year. Furthermore, the early months of the following year continue to see heightened pollution readings, with some of the highest figures of US AQI and PM2.5 cropping up from through to March or even April. As was mentioned, changes can always occur and air quality readings should be kept up to date, with these being available both on this page as well as the AirVisual app.

Which people are most vulnerable to air pollution exposure in Kalasin?

People that are affected the most by air pollution exposure in Kalasin include the elderly, along with young children, pregnant mothers, as well as those that have pre-existing health conditions or compromised immune systems. Extra care should be taken by these groups to ensure that more chronic or acute conditions are avoided, often as a direct result of breathing excessive amounts of pollution, with numerous studies over the years having shown many links between the two.