Association between ambient air particulate matter and human health impacts in northern Thailand
Air pollution in Thailand is regarded as a serious health threat, especially in the northern region. High levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are strongly linked to severe health consequences and mortality. This study analyzed the relationship between exposure to ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 by using data from the Pollution Control Department of Thailand and the burden of disease due to an increase in the ambient particulate matter concentrations in northern Thailand. This study was conducted using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology considering the human health damage impact category in the ReCiPe 2016 method. The results revealed that the annual average years of life lived with disability from ambient PM2.5 in northern Thailand is about 41,372 years, while from PM10 it is about 59,064 years per 100,000 population. The number of deaths from lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases caused by PM2.5 were approximately 0.04% and 0.06% of the population of northern Thailand, respectively. Deaths due to lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases caused by PM10, on the other hand, were approximately 0.06% and 0.08%, respectively. The findings expressed the actual severity of the impact of air pollution on human health. It can provide valuable insights for organizations in setting strategies to address air pollution. Organizations can build well-informed strategies and turn them into legal plans by exploiting the study’s findings. This ensures that their efforts to tackle air pollution are successful, in accordance with regulations, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future guidelines on appropriate practices of air pollution act/policy linkage with climate change mitigation...
...Based on our research results, which indicate a link between air pollution and its impact on air quality, it is critical to adopt new rules and strategies to reduce air pollution. These regulations and policies can play a significant role in improving air quality and mitigating the harmful effects of pollution on human health and the environment. By considering emerging regulations and policies, we can ensure that our efforts to reduce air pollution align with the evolving landscape of environmental policies and contribute to long-term improvements in air quality. As we have known, currently air pollution decreases the average Thai resident’s life expectancy by 1.8 years compared to what would be possible if the WHO guideline was met permanently. However, air pollution levels in the Northern region are 18 to 52 percent higher than the national average mentioned by Thailand Clean Air Network. This could lead to more issues on the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) which is a pollution index that measures the impact of particulate air pollution on life expectancy developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. The index also illustrates how air pollution policies can increase life expectancy when they meet the World Health Organization’s guideline for what is considered safe. Following this idea, recently the PCD’s proposed plan to enforce the air quality safety level by lowering the acceptable standard of PM2.5 in the atmosphere from an average of 50 μg/m3 per 24 h to 37.5 μg/m3 per 24 h was approved by the National Environmental Board (The new regulation will take effect on June 1, 2023).