Thailand: Bangkok air pollution at dangerous levels

In Thailand, residents in Bangkok,one of the world’s top tourist destinations, were warned on Thursday the city’s air quality had hit dangerous levels just days after the country’s pollution control agency appealed to residents to wear face masks. Air pollution in the Thai capital has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks with residents complaining of smog and respiratory problems. Some schools were closed on Thursday or kept children indoors.Air Quality Index (AQI) formulas usually include up to six main pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone.

Bangkok's air quality is currently the sixth-worst in the world, according to Swiss air quality tracking platform IQAir. Thailand's pollution control department said "stagnant weather conditions" and vehicle emissions together with seasonal fires on agricultural lands were exacerbating the air quality. The World health body recommends average annual readings of PM2.5 to not be more than 5 micrograms per cubic metre but the level in Bangkok and the surrounding areas is currently 70.5 micrograms per cubic metre, the report said. “We’ve warned at-risk groups including sick people … the elderly and children. We’ve warned that they must not conduct activities outdoors,” Suwanna Tiansuwan, deputy director general of the Pollution Control Department, said.