Air quality in Si Maha Phot

What are the pollution levels in Si Maha Phot?

Si Maha Phot is located in the eastern region of Thailand, within Prachinburi Province. It has a history of having some poor levels of air quality, coming in over 2018 as having the eighth-worst air quality on record throughout the country.

In more recent years, Si Maha Phot continues to have poor levels of air quality present, although there are times when the pollution readings can drop, making it a necessity to follow air quality forecasts throughout the year to gauge as to whether the air is safe to breathe. With this knowledge in mind, one can take certain preventative measures when pollution levels are indeed higher. These include actions such as the wearing of fine particle filtering masks, as well as avoiding outdoor activity if possible. The sealing of doors and windows can also aid greatly in the prevention of indoor air pollution levels from rising excessively, along with running indoor air purifiers if they are available.

Such pollution level readings and forecasts can be followed via this page, as well as on the AirVisual app. Pollution readings from years past can be monitored as well, which may give a clearer picture regarding when the highest levels of pollution will be present. This may vary from year to year, as is common in cities throughout the world due to many extenuating factors and other circumstances. However, patterns can emerge year after year, and as such past readings (in particular ones from 2020, which will be discussed later in the article) can aid greatly in predicting when the air quality will be at its most detrimental, particularly for those who belong to vulnerable groups amongst the population.

Such vulnerable groups would be those like young children and babies, as well as the elderly. Young children can suffer from damage to their lungs and respiratory tract, which during their vital formative years can lead to stunted growth, impaired cognitive development and damage to other faculties, both physical and mental. The elderly are always particularly susceptible to respiratory damage, with minor conditions sometimes worsening into terminal illnesses, depending on the individual's health, disposition towards certain chemical compounds and pollutants, along with pre-existing conditions. Others include pregnant mothers, who may experience cases of miscarriage, along with babies being born prematurely or with a low birth weight if their exposure is high whilst carrying their child. Lastly, those with poor health and sedentary lifestyles (along with certain habits such as smoking) are also more at risk. Those with hypersensitivity towards chemicals and fine particles can also take extra care to keep exposure to a minimum.

US AQI readings taken in late August and early September of 2021 were readings such as 61, which placed Si Maha Phot into the 'moderate' air pollution rating bracket. This is color-coded as yellow and requires a US AQI reading of 51 to 100 to be classified as such. Other air quality readings around this time also fell mainly within the 'moderate' and also 'good' air quality bracket, with the latter requiring a reading of 0 to 50 for classification, making it one of the more optimal ratings that can be acquired. This, however, may be short-lived as the year progresses, with pollution levels usually reaching a higher figure towards the end of the year, before peaking in the early months of the following year. This can be due largely to the burning season which takes place from September and October onwards, causing the pollution levels to spike dramatically. Whilst this is most prominent in northern cities and provinces, it can also affect many other areas throughout Thailand, due to its prevalence as well as the difficultly in halting such practices.

What is causing higher levels of air pollution in Si Maha Phot?

Besides the aforementioned instances of slash and burn farming, there would also be many other factors contributing to heightened air pollution levels in Si Maha Phot. These would include fumes and emissions given out by vehicle exhaust, which can contain many different hazardous chemicals and ultrafine pollutants (both PM10 and its smaller counterpart, PM2.5, which happens to be the most dangerous pollutant that can be found in the atmosphere worldwide).

PM2.5 poses such a risk to human health due to its size of 2.5 micrometers or less, giving it the ability to bypass the bodies natural defense systems and lodge deep within the lungs, causing damage and scarring, as well as passing over into the bloodstream and causing many more health issues.

Sources of pollution such as this also includes emissions from factories, power plants and industrial sites. Freight vehicles that transport goods and industrial items back and forth across the country can also contribute to heightened pollution levels, along with the residual wear and tear of tire treads from all vehicles contributing to particle pollution. As it stands, pollution from open burn sites remains one of the more prominent sources of air pollution in Si Maha Phot, although industrial and anthropogenic activity also contributes a significant amount to the year-round ambient pollution readings.

When does the air get more polluted in Si Maha Phot?

Observing the PM2.5 levels that were recorded throughout 2020, it can be seen that Si Maha Phot had its highest levels of air pollution in both January and February, as well as November and December, a common trait amongst many Thai cities, with the first and last two months of the year being the most unclean in regards to air quality.

Their readings were 47.1 μg/m³ and 56.7 μg/m³, and 22.4 μg/m³ and 25.9 μg/m³. This placed January and February into the most polluted spots of the year, with February's reading of 56.7 μg/m³ placing it into the 'unhealthy' air quality bracket, indicating dangerous levels of pollution present.

When is the air least polluted in Si Maha Phot?

Whilst Si Maha Phot did see reductions in its pollution levels, unfortunately, there was not a single month in 2020 that fell within the World Health Organization's (WHO's) target goal for the best level of air quality at 10 μg/m³ or less, although there was one month that came close.

The months of June through to October had the more optimal (albeit still mildly polluted) readings of the year. Their figures were 12 μg/m³, 13.2 μg/m³, 14.3 μg/m³, 13.7 μg/m³ and 15.4 μg/m³, placing June into the top spot of the year and the only month to achieve a 'good' air quality reading, which requires a fine margin of entry at 10 to 12 μg/m³, just eking it in. These months all had air quality levels that were significantly freer from clouds of smoke, haze and particulate matter, although far more improvements could still be made.

What are the main pollutants found throughout Si Maha Phot?

Some pollutants that may be found in Si Maha Phot would be ones such as ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). All of these go into making up the US AQI reading, which is a figure based on the calculation of these main pollutants found in the air.

Others include black soot (black carbon) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), along with silica dust and other ultrafine particles released from combustion sites as well as construction or demolition areas. Poorly paved roads, or indeed even road repairs also contribute heavily to hazardous particles being released into the air, particularly when they are improperly maintained.