Air quality in Si Samrong

What is the air quality like in Si Samrong?

Si Samrong has presented with some varying levels of air quality in times both past and present, and a majority of the months that are on record show some degree of poorer air quality. This is due to a multitude of reasons, with contributing factors such as vehicle usage, power plant and factory emissions along with the burning of organic material pushing the air pollution levels up.

In late May of 2021, Si Samrong presented with a US AQI reading of 63, placing it in the ‘moderate’ air pollution bracket rating. Whilst the air quality in times prior to this have shown massive spikes in US AQI due to some of the aforementioned reasons (as well as other factors such as meteorological conditions playing a large part, such as a lack of prevailing wind or rain to rid the air of pollutants), this moderate reading shows the Si Samrong is subject to a wide range of pollution levels, ranging from very clean all the way to extremely polluted.

Having a moderate rating of air pollution indicates that there would still be an amount of smoke, haze and particulate matter in the air, which may cause harm to people who have a sensitive disposition towards chemicals, with this factor rising along with the level of air pollution present. US AQI is a composite reading based off of a number of main pollutants typically found in the air in all cities over the globe, regardless of location. The pollutants that go into making up the US AQI reading will be discussed at the end of the article, along with some other types of pollution that can be also be found.

Other readings of US AQI on record over the months of April and May of 2021 include lows of 28, 39 and 50, all of which would fall into the ‘good’ ratings bracket, indicating a much better quality of air for those particular days. Highs of 116, 124 and 146 were recorded in late April, all of which fell into the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ ratings bracket, which as the name suggests would be particularly harmful for these at-risk groups.

They include people such as young children and the newly born, both of whom can suffer from grave consequences when excessive pollution exposure occurs, with ailments such as skin rashes, asthma, alteration to the nervous system as well as stunting of both physical and mental growth occuring. Other groups include the elderly, pregnant women, those with poor health or immune systems, along with pre-existing health conditions that may make them more susceptible to harm (particularly when these conditions are of the cardiac or pulmonary variety).

Using another unit of measurement, PM2.5 (which also goes into the calculation of the overall level of US AQI), one can see that Si Samrong came in with a yearly PM2.5 reading of 35.1 μg/m³. This reading placed it by a fine measure into the ‘moderate’ ratings bracket, which requires a reading of anywhere between 12.1 to 35.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such, making it only 0.4 units away from moving up to the next pollution ratings bracket.

What are some health issues related to poor air quality in Si Samrong?

Some health issues that may arise as a result of excessive exposure to pollution in Si Samrong are, aside from the several ailments mentioned in the previous question, others that typically fall under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) bracket, an umbrella term that encompasses a number of illnesses such as pneumonia, bronchitis and emphysema.

Other conditions would be ones such as irritation to the skin, as well as exposed mucous membranes such as the eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Rates of skin cancer can also go up, along with lung cancer, due to the carcinogenic nature of many fine particles and chemical compounds. Other serious and terminal conditions that may arise during periods of heightened pollution (particularly amongst the aforementioned vulnerable groups) would be increased rates of heart attacks and arrythmias, ischemic heart disease, strokes, as well as damage to the hepatic and renal systems (liver and kidneys), due to the ability of ultrafine particles to enter the bloodstream via the small air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) and wreak havoc in the furthest reaches of the body.

When are pollution levels high in Si Samrong?

Observing the air quality data collected over the course of 2020 as a reference point, it can be seen that Si Samrong had some prominent months of the year that stood out due to their extremely high PM2.5 levels. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, often going down to sizes much smaller, with danger to health often going up as a result (also due to the large variety of harmful materials they can be comprised of).

January through to April had the highest readings of pollution on record, coming in at 84.3 μg/m³, 69.5 μg/m³, 71.8 μg/m³ and 53.8 μg/m³ respectively. This made January the most highly polluted month of the year, sitting in the ‘unhealthy’ air quality ratings bracket (55.5 to 150.4 μg/m³ required).

When is the air at its cleanest in Si Samrong?

After the elevations in pollution during the early months of the year start to subside, Si Samrong entered into a period of time in which the PM2.5 count dropped significantly, with one month even entering the world health organization's (WHO's) target goal for the best quality of air at 10 μg/m³ or less.

June through to October had the cleanest readings, coming in at 7.4 μg/m³, 14.5 μg/m³, 12.8 μg/m³, 12.4 μg/m³ and 13.6 μg/m³ respectively, making June the cleanest month of the year and the only months to fall within the WHO's target goal.

What types of pollution are found in the air in Si Samrong?

Some of the main pollutants in the air would be ones such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) as well as sulfur dioxide (SO₂), both of which find a large amount of release from vehicles, as well as many other combustion sources. Ozone (O₃) is also prevalent, particularly during the sunnier months due to its formation being caused by various gases, chemical pollutants and nitrogen oxide (NOx) being exposed to solar radiation, thus transforming into ozone, or smog as it is better known when it gathers in large amounts on ground level. Along with the two main forms of particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM10, these are the main pollutants that go into the calculation of the US AQI reading.

Other pollutants of note include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and black carbon, both of which are formed as a result of fossil fuels and organic material being burnt (or undergoing incomplete or poor combustion). Some examples of VOCs are chemicals such as benzene, styrene and toluene.