The National Environmental Board has approved the Pollution Control Department’s proposal to tighten the air quality safety standard by reducing the acceptable level of PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere from an average of 50 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m3) per 24 hours to 37.5 g/m3 per 24 hours.
The new requirement will go into effect on June 1, 2023.
According to Attapol Charoenchansa, the general director of the Department of Pollution Control, the 50g/m3 safety standard has been in effect for more than ten years, however stricter emission controls are urgently needed to improve Thailand’s air quality and environment for public health.
With the announcement published on the Royal Gazette website, Attapol stated that Thailand will also work to reduce the safe annual average concentration of PM2.5 in the atmosphere from 25g/m3 to 15g/m3. The new standard will align with those of the United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established guidelines on outdoor (ambient) air pollution levels, which are widely used by policymakers worldwide to establish standards and objectives for air quality management. The revised guidelines stipulate that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 g/m3 and that 24-hour average exposures should not exceed 15 g/m3 for more than three to four days per year. (NNT)
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