Chiang Mai has the world’s worst air quality for second straight day

Virus or no, you may want to wear a mask if you’re in Chiang Mai today; as of 1:36pm, Airvisual.com has rated air quality there the worst in the world for a second day. Yangon, Kathmandu and Mumbai were close behind.

The website showed Chiang Mai’s average pollution at 181, (down from 193 yesterday) meaning particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) was at 181 micrograms per cubic metre. Some locations north of the city have readings up to 230.

Light easterly winds are blowing forest and plantation fires, almost all deliberately lit, into main residential areas across the north of Thialand. There is also a concentration of fires in parts of northern Myanmar and Cambodia contributing to the poor air quality.

According to the Thailand’s Air Quality Index, air quality between 0 to 50 is healthy, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301 to 500 is dangerous. The World Health Organisation sets the maximum safe level at 25.

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) said via its website that the air quality (as of 7am) in Bangkok and nearby provinces was at healthy levels, and would continue to improve.

SOURCE: The Nation