Udon Thani Air Pollution

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tyznd
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Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by tyznd » June 17, 2017, 10:25 pm

I ran into a Thai friend I hadn't seen for a while today in Chiang Mai and told him I was going to move to Udon Thani because I wanted to get away from the ongoing air pollution there is in Chiang Mai.

He told me the air pollution in Udon Thani was nearly the same as Chiang Mai and I know compared to Chiang Mai it is as bad or even worse in Khon Khaen. My Thai friend has proven to be very credible so this is now making me wonder if Udon Thani would be a smart move or not.

I can't find any PM 2.5 readings for Udon Thani and that is what my main concern is. Does anyone know what the PM 2.5 reading are for the area during the year as I don't want to go from the frying pot into the fire. Thanks



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BobHelm
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by BobHelm » June 19, 2017, 8:29 am

This is probably a useful read for you - although certainly NOT an answer, sorry..

air-quality-index-program-t43173.html

From my own observations I would be very surprised if Udon did not record better air quality than Chang Mai over a yearly measure. After all, Chang Mai is in a 'bowl' & in the hot season the pollution that gathers can't escape.
That being said, the red clay that most of Udon Province consists of does settle on everything during the dry season also..
However, I have never seen local Government warnings about the dire quality of the air in Udon, as seem to appear every year about Chang Mai. It could be that it is just not measured, but I would think that even if it wasn't, that reports of respiratory issues would become known by the local population via the hospitals & clinics..

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kopkei
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by kopkei » June 19, 2017, 9:27 am


tyznd
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by tyznd » June 19, 2017, 11:25 am

I contacted the person that posted back in December last year about the possibility some individuals may do PM 2.5 testing but he said he has no further information on it.

As far as the numbeo website I can't find where they are getting their getting their pollution index numbers but more importantly there are no figures for PM 2.5 levels.

Greenpeace did a study on PM 2.5 levels in Thailand and while Chiang Mai had the highest levels on their list, Khon Kaen was second. Udon Thani is not that far from Khon Kaen so I don't know what the reasons would be for it not to also have high levels of PM 2.5. I am surprised that there are no testing stations in Udon Thani so there is no way to tell what the actual numbers are but if they are anywhere near those of Khon Kaen it is not good.

There are inexpensive small PM 2.5 detection devices available so I wonder if anyone in Udon has one and has done some testing. Other than that, it is just a guessing game and not a game worth playing when it's your health at stake. One out of eight people die worldwide from air pollution so it is something to really take seriously.

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wazza
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by wazza » June 19, 2017, 1:11 pm

Agricultural burnings, Corn is an issue in CM , from what i read a while ago, burning the husks.

Seasonal issues with Rice husks also ??

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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by the-monk » June 19, 2017, 1:27 pm

Few research studies have shown that the air pollution ( PM10 and PM 2.5 levels ) heavily depends on your living environment. In cities indoor and outdoor pollution levels rise and fall according to the type and degree of automobile, truck traffic you are exposed to. People living near the ring road suffer the most from the black smoke belching from cars, trucks, buses.
Maybe we should all move to the countryside and live under the stars sharing the place with the frogs.

Enclosed environments represent a death trap by concentrating the airborne particulates and preventing proper ventilation from dissipating them.

A recent newspaper article ( Bangkok Post or The Nation) illustrated the above by a test conducted on the Bkk Airport Link and concluding that the air pollution inside the train was worst than the outdoor pollution. Once i asked a Thai friend why there were no data about the PM 2.5 particulates, ( the most damaging ones ) and i was told << why test and possibly create a malaise in the population >>.

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seagulls
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by seagulls » June 19, 2017, 2:15 pm

I moved back to Udonthani from Chiang Mai six years ago .primarily because of the Dreadful pollution
during the "Burning Season" FEB-APRIL . You know it,s bad when the Planes from Bangkok are turned back
as they are unable to land at CM because of the lack of visibility !! .As one poster has already pointed out
Chiang Mai is a Basin inside a Mountain range where the pollution becomes trapped .I lived in Los Angeles
for 35 years where the same scenario exists . Los Angeles has implemented very stringent law enforcement
to combat smog control but according to friends nothing has been done in CM since I left .and the Burning goes
on as usual . I only spent two years there and I loved the Golf Courses ect ect but the 3 months of Burning
was enough for us to get out of there .

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parrot
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by parrot » June 19, 2017, 3:00 pm

I'd reckon it all depends on where you live in Udon. If in the city, you're subject to typical vehicle pollution, although I don't think it's bad.
If you live in the countryside, you're at risk (as you are anywhere in Thailand) from a granny who likes to burn the day's garbage as part of her morning exercise routine, to the once-per-year sugar cane field burning.....if you live close to sugar cane fields. If you live close to the rubber factory (near Nonghan) you're subject to horrible smells. But overall, Udon doesn't share the topography that makes Chiangmai (and Denver, Colorado) subject to pollution problems. Although it's dusty in town and in some villages, overall I'd say Udon has very clean air.

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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by the-monk » June 19, 2017, 3:35 pm

This site gives you quasi real time pollution readings, however Udon is not included. This afternoon June 19th 2017 Loei nearly topping the most polluted cities list, Bkk very polluted, Chiang Mai having a breath of fresh air.

http://aqmthai.com/aqi.php?lang=en
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POL-CHIANG.png

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Barney
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by Barney » June 19, 2017, 5:24 pm

I think you guys are worrying about some thing that may not be there as a large concern.
Yes there is seasonal pollution form burning crops, vehicles etc
IMO pollution is very low in NE Thailands.
Lived in Singapore for 2 years and when the Indo's rape and pillage the forests and burn it all its dreadful air quality.

Wear a mask like the locals if your concerned, it ain't gonna change anytime soon.
In fact if you smoke your doing far more damage to yourself then perceived UT pollution.

You haven't experienced extreme pollution until you have lived where I lived in China.
Tianjin China,, 300 km east of Beijing, very often often above the top mark of 500 AQI> And regularly above 250.
You could actually taste it. Life expectancy is low if you live your whole life there.
We were set up with charcoal filtered air purifiers in our site office and 2 in the townhouse.
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tyznd
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by tyznd » June 19, 2017, 6:27 pm

All good posts and my guess is Udon Thani is not going to have the same high levels of PM 2.5 as Chiang Mai.

The only thing that I would still be interested in knowing is why does Khon Kaen have such high levels of PM 2.5? Is there some kind of industry going on there that Udon Thani doesn't have because Khon Kaen is not in any basin and the annual mean average for PM 2.5 is right around that of Chiang Mai.

My American neighbors told me yesterday they have recently been travelling to Udon Thani and Nong Kai during the burning season this year and also thought the air pollution was quite bad in those area. Without an actual PM 2.5 reading there really is no way to know how bad or not so bad it is. I know it's got me thinking what I should do but I know I'm not going through another season of this in Chiang Mai.

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parrot
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by parrot » March 17, 2021, 8:21 pm


fdimike
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by fdimike » March 17, 2021, 9:13 pm

According to the IQ Air monitoring station atop the Sansiri - The Base height Condo here in Udon our air is very unhealthy. They're rating Udon 161 which is unhealthy. PM2.5 is measuring at 75. Totally understandable in my book as our local less than enlightened farmers here in LOS and the surrounding countries are continuing to burn their fields. Our entire province is rated at 169 with PM2.5 at 90.5. A friend and I saw numerous fires burning in the fields during our bicycle ride back from Kut Chop today.
An ex-pat in the Land of Smile

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Khun Paul
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by Khun Paul » March 18, 2021, 6:54 am

I have been inform ed tat the problem in Udon is the same scenario as Chiang Mai, both are in dip shown in the topography and UNLESS there is wind the pollution settles . Now living where I do atop a slight incline on the Sakon Nahkon Road, pollution is nowhere as high as other places around Udon . Maybe that is because most days and evening I experience a slight breeze .

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FrazeeDK
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by FrazeeDK » March 18, 2021, 8:39 am

I can't see that any remedial measures supposedly taken are having any effect whatsoever. Here's March 18th AQI's at 0836 in the morning.. Absolutely terrible! Let's hope the predicted rains over the next couple of days happen. [url]https://aqicn.org/map/udon-thani/[url]
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FrazeeDK
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by FrazeeDK » March 27, 2021, 3:38 pm

40C in the shade on my front porch at 3:34PM.. AQI From the Ban Nong Sai and Ban Na Kham health clinics show 166 and 168 respectively. They both were showing over 200 this morning..https://aqicn.org/map/udon-thani/
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by ezrider » March 29, 2021, 9:24 am

AQI 118@ TheBase this morning. Thailand: condition orange

118 in western world: condition red. different standards

https://www.iqair.com/th-en/thailand/ch ... udon-thani

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mak
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by mak » April 16, 2022, 8:05 am

Meanwhile, on the other side, Myanmar is doing their share.
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Khun Paul
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by Khun Paul » April 16, 2022, 10:53 am

There is cure to the bad AQI readings for everyone....stop Breathing, it will no longer affect you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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stattointhailand
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Re: Udon Thani Air Pollution

Post by stattointhailand » April 16, 2022, 11:44 am

Scientists over the years have always tried it themselves first ......... If it works on you KP we will believe you :lol:

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