Bangkok air quality

[corkscrew]

At the intersection of Rama IV and Sathorn Road...on the southwest corner of Lumpini Park...the people who monitor our air have erected a machine that not only measures what we are breathing but 'broadcasts' the results as well.

It measures:

1) Particulates
2) Carbon monoxide
3) Ozone
4) Sulphur dioxide
5) Nitrogen dioxide

In the five minutes that we sat at the red traffic light the ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide lights showed 'dashes' (---): meaning either that their sniffers weren't working or that they were telling us that we could inhale their clients to our lungs delight. However, the particulate testing nostril went from --- to 99 to 124 in that same period. Lockstep, time wise, the carbon monoxide readings jumped from 19 to 43 to 86.

To the right of each of these...(to the layman, meaningless)...numbers were rows of lamps. Presumably the one closest to the number indicator was the one our bodies would be happiest with when lit; the one on the far right probably being something akin to America's "Bright-Red, Ultra-Elevated, Got-To-Worry-For-Sure" Homeland Security alert. The particulates fret lamp reached an alarming 75% while we waited for the green light. The others said "Not to worry."

[dirtydog]

I used to get headaches when I went to bkk, but now I am used to the pollution..

[OzMan_Bkk]

I am in Bangna and most days, when you look towards the centre of Bangkok you just see a brown snudge hanging there. Thank heavens I work where I live and only rarely venture into the haze. Unfortunately I have a feeling that someone in Samrong probably can see that brown murk hanging over Bangna but I feel better if I don't think about it.

[Marmite the Dog]

Funny that. I live in the centre and when I look eastwards to Bang Na all I can see is a brown haze covering the area....