Air quality in Ongkharak

Is the air very polluted in Ongkharak?

The air in Ongkharak, as of early February 2022, shows 'moderate' air pollution levels, with US AQI readings of 80 being detected. Along with this, the PM2.5 levels (ultrafine particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter) were found to be 5.2 times over the safe annual exposure guidelines as set out by the World Health Organization's (WHO's) standards. Whilst these levels of air pollution are to be expected at this time of year (with more information on this being available in the following questions), the air in Ongkharak is not as dangerously polluted as some other cities in Thailand, although it is still far from perfect, and preventative measures such as wearing particle filtering masks or avoiding outdoor activities during bouts of high pollution can aid greatly in reducing the negative effects of air pollution exposure.

Is it unhealthy to breathe the air in Ongkharak?

Whilst it is not overtly dangerous to breathe the air in Ongkharak for many days of the year, it is good to be aware that during periods of higher pollution levels, it can very quickly go from normal levels to the air being quite detrimental to one’s health. As such, when pollution levels spike upwards in Ongkharak (with some high readings having been recorded in mid-January of 2022), the air can indeed become very unhealthy, particularly for more vulnerable groups within the population.

When is it most likely to be more polluted in Ongkharak?

It is most likely to be polluted towards the end of the year in Ongkharak, as well as the early months of the following year also showing signs of higher levels of air pollution. This is based on patterns taken from cities all over Thailand, and although there are a few exceptions (with some cities seeing consistent levels of relatively high air pollution throughout the year, but lacking the dangerous spikes that are seen in the aforementioned times of the year), Ongkharak will likely have higher air pollution levels at these times (September through to December, as well as January through to March or April). As mentioned, changes can always occur and air quality readings should be kept up to date on, with these being available both on this page as well as the AirVisual app.

What are some examples of the different types of air pollution present in Ongkharak?

Some examples of the air pollutants that can be found in the air throughout Ongkharak would be the main ones that are used in calculating the US AQI figure, which can be found in varying degrees depending on the area, and as an example, pollutants released heavily from car engines are, as one would expect, found considerably more concentrated in areas that see a higher level of traffic, particularly if they sit in between buildings or other areas that do not allow prevailing winds to break through and clear such pollution accumulations away, leading to dangerous buildups, a phenomenon frequently seen in Bangkok and many of its surrounding, highly developed cities.

These main pollutants are ones such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide (both of the last two also being released heavily from vehicles, as well as from other combustion sources), ozone, or smog as it is better known as which can accumulate over many roads and is visible to the naked eye. PM10 and PM2.5 are also used in the US AQI aggregate, and these themselves contain many sub-branches of pollution (covering materials such as microplastics, oil and other liquid vapors, certain bacteria or molds, nitrates and sulfates, metal particles and many others, all having varying degrees of dangerous effects upon one’s health). Sulfur dioxide is also figured into the US AQI figure, and some other examples of air pollutants that can be found in the air include black carbon, and a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with the last two being released from the incomplete combustion of both organic matter and fossil fuels, and as such will be highly prevalent in the air in any areas that have any forms of combustion taking place. Examples of VOCs include chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride and formaldehyde, and on a final note, VOCs are the number one cause of indoor pollution due to their release from many household items such as glue, paint, varnish as well as deodorants, scented candles and many other personal toiletry products.

What is causing heightened pollution levels in Ongkharak?

As with many cities and provinces throughout Thailand, Ongkharak can be subject to higher levels of air pollution caused by smoke from the slash and burn farming practices, although these are far more likely to affect cities and towns in the northern region due to heavier burning taking place there, as well as smoke from neighboring countries such as Myanmar (caused by the same burning of forest and farmland) drifting over and settling over various areas, causing the large spikes in US AQI and PM2.5 readings that have been continuously seen over the last few years. Further international attention as well as continued crackdowns have dented the pollution caused by these combustion episodes, although they remain prevalent due to the overall difficulty in enforcing the law (particularly in rural areas). Besides the burning of organic materials, there are also many other human-based (anthropogenic) and industrial-related causes that contribute to air pollution spikes in Ongkharak, 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 Ongkharak (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 Ongkharak.