Air quality in Phichit

Is there air pollution present in Phichit?

Midway through December of 2021, air pollution readings in Phichit were seen to be at heightened levels, with US AQI figures of 105 being recorded. This placed Phichit into the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' bracket for the day and time in which the reading was taken, with a PM2.5 concentration of 37 μg/m³ also being present at the same time, a reading that is some 7.4 times over the World Health Organization's (WHO's) yearly safe exposure guideline. As such, Phichit is experiencing some heightened levels of air pollution towards the end of the year, and will likely continue to do so into the earlier months of the following year, before improvements are typically seen around April and beyond. Whilst there are always inconsistencies in air pollution levels due to unforeseen circumstances such as poor weather conditions and natural disasters such as fires all lending themselves to rising and falling pollution levels, it is safer to say that air quality in Phichit could present some risk to many members of the population, and preventative measures such as wearing fine particle filtering masks and avoiding outdoor activity on more polluted days may aid greatly in reducing the negative side effects that come with heightened or prolonged pollution exposure in Phichit.

Why is the air quality poor in Phichit?

Much of the pollution in Phichit, particularly towards the end of the year, stems from the issue of open burn fires, as well as slash and burn farming practices affecting many areas around Phichit as well as the rest of Thailand, with the northern regions being hit a lot harder. These regions can also suffer as well from smoke drifting over the border from neighboring countries. However, there are also many other causes of air pollution present, and whilst smoke emanating from fires may make its way over to Phichit (with the smoke from these fires being able to travel great distances and pollute areas many miles away), it remains that there are many other sources of air pollution present. These include ones such as fumes from vehicles, as well as other emissions from factories, power plants and any other industrial sites that utilize fossil fuels to obtain their power. Poorly paved or badly maintained roads can lead to dust and fine particle buildup, along with construction sites (as well as demolition sites) also contributing to increased amounts of smoke, smog and pollution in the air in Phichit.

Is it unhealthy to breathe polluted air in Phichit and what are some side effects?

Health problems and side effects that may occur when pollution exposure is high in Phichit include cases of irritation to the respiratory tract, as well as infections of the lungs and throat. Skin conditions can occur from smoke and haze exposure, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Further conditions include those that fall under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) grouping, with some examples including pneumonia, bronchitis, aggravated forms of asthma as well as emphysema. More grave health consequences can include arrhythmias, as well as increased rates of heart attacks, strokes and even premature death, all of which have be directly linked to excess pollution exposure, with many studies highlighting this fact throughout recent history. This places a large amount of emphasis on the importance of keeping yourself and your family safe from pollution exposure throughout Phichit, particularly during the months that carry with them the highest readings of PM2.5 and US AQI.

What types of chemicals and particles can be found in the smoke and haze in Phichit?

Some examples of pollutants that may be found in the atmosphere throughout Phichit are used to calculate the US AQI aggregate, these being the most prevalent pollutants throughout Thailand as well as the rest of the world. Clouds of smoke, haze and other forms of gathered pollution most often contain varying concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone, or smog as it is more commonly referred to when it accumulates in large enough quantities on ground level. Whilst ozone is a vital component of the upper atmosphere, it can cause many ill health effects to occur to those who breathe it in. In larger cities such as Bangkok, these larger accumulations of smog may be visible in areas that see a high level of traffic, particularly when the sun’s rays are at their fiercest, along with other meteorological factors such as lack of wind or rain also contributing to this buildup. When exposed to solar radiation via the sun’s rays, the various oxides of nitrogen, gases and other chemical pollutants can undergo a reaction, becoming ozone. Due to these reasons, its buildup is often most noticeable in areas that have a heavier level of traffic, particularly near highways or motorways, or routes that have to contain rush hour traffic. Other pollutants that may be found in Phichit include carbon monoxide, along with the two main forms of particle pollution, PM10 and PM2.5. These are also included in the US AQI calculation, and it is important to note that PM2.5, or particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, is one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution that can be found in Phichit and throughout Thailand. Its incredibly small size allows it to bypass all of the bodies defense systems, lodging deep within the tissues of the lungs, either staying there and causing health issues such as coughing or infections, or migrating into the bloodstream (made possible by its minute size allowing it to pass through the blood barrier and make its way into the circulatory system, whereby it can end up in many other areas of the body, which as one can imagine carries with it a large number of health risks). Other pollutants of note include black carbon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are both formed from the incomplete combustion of organic matter, as well as from fossil fuels. Black carbon is a particularly dangerous form of PM2.5, having both adverse effects on human health as well as the environment, due to its ability to take in solar radiation and release it directly as heat into its surrounding. Some examples of VOCs (so named due to their nature of maintaining a gaseous state at lower temperatures, hence the volatile label) include chemical compounds such as xylene, methylene chloride, toluene, styrene, benzene (another highly carcinogenic pollutant along with black carbon) as well as formaldehyde. Besides being prevalent in areas that see combustion taking place, they are also common as household pollutants, being one of the main sources of indoor air pollution, emanating from a large variety of products such as paint, glue, varnishes (all of which can be smelt prominently when they have not yet dried properly), along with certain toiletry or personal products such as aerosol deodorants, scented candles and other similar items releasing VOCs. These are some examples of pollutants that may be found in the air throughout Phichit.

Are certain groups of people more vulnerable to air pollution exposure in Phichit?

People that may be more at risk to the adverse effects of excessive exposure to smoke, haze and smog in Phichit are groups such as the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, or those with pre-existing health conditions. Other people that may need to take extra care include pregnant women, those with hypersensitivity towards chemical pollutants, as well as young children and babies.