Air quality in Krathum Baen

How polluted is the air in Krathum Baen?

Krathum Baen is located in the central region of Thailand, and is subject to some varying levels of air quality. Looking at its pollution readings taken over the course of 2020, one can see that it maintained a fairly raised level of air pollution throughout the year, with no month falling below the 'moderate' ratings bracket, which requires a PM2.5 reading of anywhere between 12.1 to 35.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such.

This is color coded as yellow, and moderate readings of air pollution generally do not present any large risks to the general public. However, more at-risk individuals may start to show signs or symptoms of aggravation from particles and chemical compounds in the air.

In June of 2021, Krathum Baen came in with a US AQI reading of 51, placing it once again into the 'moderate' rating of air pollution, which when taken on the US AQI bracket requires a reading of anywhere between 51 to 100 to be classified as such. Readings of up to 64 were also taken on the same day, with US AQI readings going as low as 25, representing a ‘good’ level of air quality, color coded as green and requiring a reading of 0 to 50.

When is air pollution at its highest in Krathum Baen?

Krathum Baen experiences its highest levels of air pollution during certain months of the year, going off the data recorded over the course of 2020. Although the covid-19 outbreak brought many polluting issues to a halt (such as tourism, which in turn requires large amounts of transportation and the subsequent pollution output that comes with that), many cities in central, and in particular northern Thailand still experienced high readings of PM2.5.

Observing the levels on record, it can be seen that the months of January and February, as well as December, all came in with the highest readings of PM2.5, being the only months of the year that came in with 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' ratings, which as per the PM2.5 bracket requires a reading of anywhere between 35.5 to 55.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such.

This indicates that these months may present instances of respiratory irritation amongst the general public, and with vulnerable individuals being at risk for more prominent respiratory or cardiac distress, particularly for those who have pre-existing health conditions.

The above mentioned months came in with PM2.5 readings of 49.3 μg/m³, 49 μg/m³ and 42.4 μg/m³ respectively, making January the most polluted month of the year by a significant amount, nearly five times that of the world health organization's (WHO's) target goal of 10 μg/m³, for the best level of air quality. It is at times such as this that certain individuals should take preventative measures by avoiding outdoor activity, sealing doors and windows and running air purifiers if possible. Hourly updates can be followed via the AirVisual app, as well as on the air quality map available on this page.

What causes polluted air in Krathum Baen?

Air pollution sources in Krathum Baen are similar to that of many cities, regions and provinces in the central area of Thailand. Whilst it is not subject to the same spikes in air pollution that its northern counterparts do, due to that large prevalence of slash and burn farming (whereby farmers set fire to vast swathes of forest areas and crop fields, causing plumes of smoke and hazardous particulate matter to enter into the air, with elevated readings of PM2.5 and other pollutants following in suit), it still sees some form of open burning, with garbage, refuse and other organic waste being set fire to. As mentioned, whilst it is not on as large a scale as the northern cities such as Chiang Mai, it can still add to the overall pollution reading.

Other significant sources of air pollution include the fumes and exhaust emitted from the many vehicles in use, with cars, motorbikes and heavier freight vehicles adding to this source. Growing vehicle ownership is a worldwide occurrence, and no different in Krathum Baen or much of the central region of Thailand.

To compound the situation further, many of these vehicles would be of the aged variety, well past their best years and utilizing poor quality motors and engines. This can lead to higher volumes of oil vapor leakage, as well as higher amounts of chemical pollutants and fine particles being released into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the continual wear and tear of tire treads can lead to many tons of microscopic rubber particles being deposited into the air, as well as the water and soil, causing widespread damage to ecosystems and the environment.

Emissions from power plants are also another big contributor, with many industrial areas and factories all utilizing fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and diesel in their boilers and combustion units. This leads to further ambient raises in both the US AQI level and the PM2.5 count, and with lack of stringent regulations across certain areas leading to individual industrial areas putting out more pollution than what is considered safe, the pollution levels can rise even further as a result.

Who is most at risk to air pollution in Krathum Baen?

People who fall into the most vulnerable or at risk bracket would be those such as young children, babies, as well as the elderly. Pregnant mothers would also be very much at risk due to the highly negative effects that can occur to an unborn child when the mother is exposed to certain pollutants, with instances of miscarriage, low birth weight or premature birth all being possible.

When does the air quality improve in Krathum Baen?

Once again observing the PM2.5 levels recorded over 2020, it can be seen that after the higher pollution spells of the late and early year were over, the middle months of the year in Krathum Baen had the most appreciable levels of air quality. May through to October was the time in which Krathum Baen had the least amount of pollution present in its air, with the month of September having the cleanest reading of 14.9 μg/m³, only a few units away from moving down into the ‘good’ air quality ratings bracket.