Bangkok and surrounding provinces warned to prepare for dust pollution

Now’s a good time to shore up your collection of PM2.5 masks and make sure your air purifier is running smoothly, with dust pollution forecast to hit Bangkok and its surrounding provinces from the end of October. According to a Thai PBS World report, weather conditions – namely the arrival of high atmospheric pressure – will be ripe for the onset of the PM2.5 dust pollution, running through to February.

The Meteorological Department has forecast that a weak-to-moderate cold front, pushing down from China, will likely cover Thailand’s northern and north-eastern regions up to December. It will intensify periodically throughout January and February, at which point the high atmospheric pressure is expected to weaken.

Director-General of the Pollution Control Department Atthaphol Charoenchansa pointed to the high potential for the quantity of dust in the atmosphere to exceed safe levels when the front is weakening, in particular in January and February. However, Charoenchansa also stressed that a number of initiatives are being undertaken by the department in seeking to mitigate the pollution’s impact.

Thai PBS World reports that the department has worked in conjunction with the automobile industry in carrying out checks and maintenance on vehicles over seven years old, undertaken at discount prices. In addition to this, cooperation has been sought from two diesel producers to supply low sulphur content diesel. The diesel is set to be available at Bangchak petrol stations in Bangkok, running December through February.

Charoenchansa highlighted the potential for the Euro 5-grade diesel to reduce PM2.5 dust associated with vehicle emissions by around 24% compared with Euro 4-grade diesel, while stating that it will not cause engine damage.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World