Earth Science News
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Every breath a struggle, as air pollution harms health in Thailand
Every breath a struggle, as air pollution harms health in Thailand
By Montira Rungjirajittranon and Lisa Martin
Bangkok, Thailand (AFP) April 21, 2023

An elderly patient hooked up to a tangle of tubes lies struggling for breath in a Bangkok hospital as Thailand battles a "drastic increase" in respiratory problems caused by a spike in air pollution.

His wife holds his hand and strokes his face, with a nurse in blue scrubs listening to his chest through a stethoscope.

Every single breath is an exertion.

About 2.4 million people in Thailand have needed treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, including nearly 200,000 this week alone, according to health officials.

Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world on Friday, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir.

Piamlarp Sangsayunh, a respiratory disease specialist at the Central Chest Institute of Thailand in Nonthaburi, says she has seen a "drastic increase in patients since February".

"The patients usually have respiratory problems like coughing and sore throats," she told AFP on Friday, adding that eye irritation is also common.

Elderly people are among the most vulnerable to air pollution, which can exacerbate existing conditions, sometimes requiring them to be put on oxygen machines, she said.

But she said those working outdoors -- such as Bangkok's vast army of street vendors and motorbike taxi drivers -- were the ones "on the front line" of the crisis.

- Toxic air -

Uraiwan Chantana, who sells fish balls on the street in Bangkok's central shopping district, said breathing in toxic air every day made her exhausted, but she could not shut her stall because she had no other way to earn money.

"I feel a burning pain inside my nose and I regularly cough," she told AFP.

"I feel out of breath when I climb stairs when I normally didn't."

World Health Organisation representative to Thailand Jos Vandelaer said air pollution was not solely a health issue but also dented economic productivity.

"If people are sick they can't go to work, there will be a reduction in economic activity," he told AFP.

The economic cost of air pollution in Thailand in 2019 was equal to $63.1 billion or 11 percent of gross domestic product, according to Kasetsart University environmental economist Witsanu Attavanich.

One of the biggest concerns are tiny particles known as PM2.5, smaller than the diameter of a hair, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and even reach the bloodstream.

According to IQAir, in 2022 the average PM2.5 concentration in Thailand was 3.6 times the WHO's annual air quality guideline limits.

"In the long term, there are more risks for respiratory infections... If people have asthma that can get worse, people can develop chronic lung diseases, even lung cancer," Vandelaer said.

"What is less well known is that this PM2.5 can cause cardiovascular diseases... increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack."

Air pollution was a factor in about 31,000 deaths in 2019 in Thailand according to WHO data.

Smoke from forest fires, farmers burning crop stubble, as well as vehicle emissions and heavy industry-generated fumes, are among the main causes of toxic smog in the kingdom.

The El Nino weather pattern is also exacerbating the haze problem in Southeast Asia, experts say.

Thailand is home to more than 70 million people and its poor air quality is a growing issue ahead of the country's May 14 election, with the incumbent government accused of not doing enough.

"We need to fix the problem at the roots, as a doctor I'm just on the receiving end dealing with the consequences," Piamlarp said.

Vandelaer said more regulation was needed to address fires and polluters, adding that individuals should also think about how their transportation and lifestyle choices affected air quality.

Bangkok motorcycle taxi driver Tip Panyangam, 59, said he often felt unwell from the smog despite wearing a double mask.

"I want the people in power to reduce it because I am worried about my health," he told AFP.

Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Thailand air pollution leads millions to seek medical help
Bangkok (AFP) April 20, 2023
About 2.4 million people in Thailand have sought hospital treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, health officials said, as toxic smog chokes parts of the country. Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the most polluted cities in the world on Thursday morning, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir. The poor air quality has seen 2.4 million people seek medical treatment since the start of the year, with 184,465 hospital admissi ... read more

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Peru declares state of emergency to block undocumented migrants

Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing landslide toll rises to eight

Damascus slams EU sanctions as 'threat' to quake-hit Syrians

Top Mexican court limits army's public security role

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Paving the way for truly intelligent materials

Researchers 3D print a miniature vacuum pump

Researchers capture first atomic-scale images depicting early stages of particle accelerator film formation

Outstanding performance of organic solar cell using tin oxide

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Deadly invader devastating Venezuelan coral reefs

Climate change, farmers draining ancient Balkan lake

Long distance voyaging among the Pacific Islands

Even as temperatures rise, this hydrogel material keeps absorbing moisture

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Arctic sea ice loss and fierce storms leave Kivalina fighting to protect island from climate disasters

Ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica hits new record

Accelerating pace of ice sheet melt a significant contributor to sea level rise

Revealing invisible Himalaya glacier loss

FROTH AND BUBBLE
EU agency calls for reduction in pesticide use

EU agency calls for reduction in pesticide use

China's space achievements transforming agriculture

France frog fair faces criticism

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Powerful Indonesia quake sends islanders fleeing

Creating a tsunami early warning system using artificial intelligence

Nearly 1 in 4 South Sudanese affected by recurring floods: report

Tongan volcanic explosion in 2022 was largest natural explosion in a century

FROTH AND BUBBLE
France lets aged African army veterans finally 'go home'

UK pulls diplomats and families out of Sudan

'Difficult days': Evacuees recount risky escape from Sudan

Morocco king appoints new second-in-command

FROTH AND BUBBLE
India to pass China this week as world's most populous nation: UN

Focus on reproductive rights rather than population numbers, UN urges

A new peptide may hold potential as an Alzheimer's treatment

New evidence pushes open habitats in Africa back by 10 million years

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.