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Published on February 16, 2008

"We have a road map in place. The goal is to make Chiang Mai smog-free," assistant Chiang Mai governor Chumporn Saengmanee said yesterday at a press conference to launch a project to provide more information about air pollution and management in Chiang Mai.

More than 100 people attended.

Between February and April last year, smog covered huge areas of Chiang Mai, posing serious health risks for local residents.

Dr Pongthep Wiwattanadej, deputy dean of Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Medicine, said his team was conducting a study on how best to develop air-quality monitoring systems in the Chiang Mai and Lamphun area.

Funded by the Thailand Research Fund, the study will collect health information from 100 people each day from January 1 to April 30. The information will only focus on air-pollution-related symptoms.

"Current findings clearly show that air pollution has hurt people's health," Pongthep said, adding that air pollution in Chiang Mai came mainly from vehicle engines and burning in forest areas. The more units of particles of 10 microns diameter (PM 10) in the air, the faster a human heart beats.

"Air pollution also affects the eyes and respiratory system," Pongthep said.

He said Thailand should review its acceptable amount of PM10 dust particles, which was now set at 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

"European countries have put the PM10 dust particles limit at 65 micrograms per cubic metre," he added.

The Nation

CHIANG MAI