Thirty-five of the 77 provinces were shrouded in hazardous levels of ultra-fine dust on Sunday morning, most of them in the Central Plains.
According to Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency’s report on the air pollution situation at 8am, nine provinces faced red (seriously harmful) levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and less in diameter (PM2.5).
The worst level was 108.6 microgrammes of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air over the past 24 hours in Samut Songkhram province.
Eight other provinces with red-coded PM2.5 levels were Samut Sakhon (104.4µg/m³), Ratchaburi (89.8), Petchaburi (87.9), Samut Prakan (85.3), Rayong (82.3), Chai Nat (79.0), Chon Buri (78.4) and Nakhon Pathom (75.5). The safe threshold is at 37.5µg/m³.
Twenty-six provinces were shrouded with orange (initially unsafe) levels of PM2.5 ranging from 39.7 to 73.9µg/m³.
On a descending order of the levels, they were Kanchanaburi, Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Suphan Buri, Pathum Thani, Uthai Thani, Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Nakhon Sawan, Trat, Prachin Buri, Sing Buri, Chanthaburi, Lop Buri, Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Nayok, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Saraburi, Phetchabun, Phichit, Nakhon Ratchasima, Lamphun and Sukhothai.
