Air quality in Kathu

Is the air in Kathu polluted, and what causes these pollution bouts?

Many of the main contributing factors in rising levels of air pollution in Kathu are ones such as the exhaust fumes released from the vehicles in use on the road. With cars, motorbikes and heavier freight vehicles such as lorries and trucks in use on the road, they all contribute to the pollution situation and add to the overall PM2.5 and US AQI levels. It is not a rare sight for many of these vehicles to be quite aged, damaged, or in a generally poorer condition due to years of usage. This puts a greater strain on the environment due to the higher output of pollution given out, due to the poor combustion process that takes place within bad quality engines. Large amounts of oil vapors, hazardous particles and chemical compounds are released from these more aged vehicles, far more than what be seen emanating from newer or more environmentally-friendly models. Referring back to the heavier freight vehicles contributing to motor-based pollution, many of these larger vehicles use diesel as their main fuel source, which as a result can give out many tons of chemical compounds and fine particles that come from the combustion of fossil fuels. Furthermore, microscopic rubber particles from the residual wear and tear of the tire treads are also thrown into the atmosphere, leading to large buildups in various ecosystems over time. This causes particle pollution to go up by a considerable amount, impacting the topsoil as well as the various ecosystems and around it. Other sources of air pollution in Kathu include dust from construction sites, road repairs, and even demolition sites (all of which can be a major source of particulate matter, far more than many people are aware of), along with the burning of trash, although this continues to be on the decline in more developed areas and mostly a continuing issue within certain provinces or far away from any major cities.

What are some air pollutants that can be found in the air in Kathu?

Some of the main pollutants that one would find in the air in Kathu would be those that fall into the US AQI aggregate bracket, with these main pollutants being calculated on their volume present in the air to attain the overall US AQI number. These are ones such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone, along with the two forms of fine particles, PM10 and PM2.5. Of note is that PM2.5 presents far more danger to the health of those who are exposed to it, with its extremely small size of 2.5 microns or less allowing it to penetrate deep into the tissue of the lungs, and from there enter into the bloodstream. Black carbon, the main component in soot, is one such harmful particle that can fall under the PM2.5 collective. It has both carcinogenic and climate-changing properties and is often caused as a byproduct of the combustion of both fossil fuels, as well as organic material. Naturally, the burning of vast swathes of forested areas or farmland can cause huge amounts to enter into the atmosphere, causing a whole host of both health hazards and environmental issues. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also produced by these processes, with chemicals such as benzene, tetrachloroethylene, styrene and formaldehyde being part of the VOC collective.

Is breathing polluted air in Kathu unhealthy or dangerous?

Many health risks can present themselves amongst all members of the population, with the aforementioned at-risk groups being even more vulnerable for a variety of reasons. People who fall under this category are ones such as the elderly and infirm, who are highly susceptible to the damaging effects of respiratory or cardiac conditions, with simple or superficial illnesses sometimes having more grave or terminal consequences, particularly if they lead a sedentary lifestyle or have other habits such as smoking. Others include young children and babies, along with pregnant mothers, and those with compromised immune systems due to pre-existing health conditions, with the two often compounding each other. These groups may want to take extra care during spells of high pollution, resorting to preventative measures such as avoiding outdoor exercise and activity, along with wearing fine particle filtering masks when needed. Regarding the main causes of air pollution in Kathu that may call for these situations, they are predominantly ones such as vehicle fumes and emissions (with some cars and motorbikes being of particularly poor or aged quality, thus leaking far more noxious gases and oil vapors), along with emissions from factories and power plants contributing to the release of many fine particles and chemical pollutants. The most prevalent cause of air pollution, as touched on briefly before, is from fires started in rural areas and forest land often used to clear said forested areas as well as on farms to return nutrients to the soil as well as clearing leftover crop stubble from previous harvests. This can cause severe elevations in the pollution levels, and due to the difficulty even in more modern times of cracking down on the practice, it continues to go on unabated, despite being classed as highly illegal. This is the main cause that is responsible for severe hikes in PM2.5 levels in the early months of the year.

When is Kathu at its most heavily polluted?

Observing the air quality data collected throughout 2020, it can be seen that Kathu had its highest level of air pollution in January through to April (a common sight in cities across Thailand), as well as November and December also showing elevations in their PM2.5 numbers. All of these months fell into the 'moderate' pollution rating bracket, requiring 12.1 to 35.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such. Out of all of these months, and once again like many cities in the country, January was the most highly polluted with a PM2.5 figure of 20.2 μg/m³.

When is Kathu least polluted?

Despite having some fairly elevated pollution levels for half of the year, the months of May through to October managed to fall within the World Health Organization's (WHO's) target goal of 10 μg/m³ or less, indicating the most respectable level of air quality, with the closest to 0 being all the better and indicating an absence of smoke, chemical pollutants and hazardous particles in the air. Out of all of these above-mentioned months, September and October had the best air quality level with PM2.5 figures of 5.6 μg/m³ and 5 μg/m³, both of which are quite respectable readings.