Projection of the Near-Future PM2.5 in Northern Peninsular Southeast Asia under RCP8.5

Abstract

Throughout the year, particularly during the dry season, the northern peninsula of Southeast Asia struggles with air pollution from PM2.5. In this study, we used the Nested Regional Climate and Chemistry Model (NRCM-Chem) to predict the PM2.5 concentrations over Southeast Asia’s northern peninsula during the years 2020–2029 under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)8.5. In general, the model reasonably shows a good result, including temperature, precipitation, and PM2.5 concentration, compared to the observation with an Index of Agreement (IOA) in the range of 0.63 to 0.80. However, there were some underestimations for modeled precipitation and temperature and an overestimation for modeled PM2.5 concentration. As a response to changes in climatic parameters and the emission of PM2.5’s precursors, PM2.5 concentrations tend to increase across the region in the range of (+1) to (+35) µg/m3 during the dry season (November to April) and decline in the range of (−3) to (−30) µg/m3 during the wet season (May to October). The maximum increase in PM2.5 concentrations were found in March by >40 µg/m3.

Spatial–temporal variability and health impact of particulate matter during a 2019–2020 biomass burning event in Southeast Asia

“…Some areas in Southeast Asian countries, especially in Sumatra, Kalimantan and northern Thailand, have been cleared for large scale commercial agriculture and medium to small scale farming. Large amounts of residue from agricultural-based economic activities, such as rice straw, maize, sugarcane, and other crops are burned in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries 1 producing high levels of air pollutants in the form of aerosols and particulate matter (PM) 2 , 3 . Specifically, both agricultural waste burning and uncontrolled biomass burning with the additional factor of atmospheric inversion in the mountainous areas of northern Thailand are the main causes of severe air pollution in this location 4 , 5 .…”

“…Southeast Asian countries face severe air pollution events and haze episodes during the dry season, making it critical to understand the characteristics of PM, particularly that associated with biomass burning emissions 2 . An investigation of PM levels in northern Thailand and Malaysia during the entire season and monsoon could provide valuable insight into how both areas have been exposed to different types of biomass burning sources.…”

Future Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to PM2.5 in Different Age Groups of Children in Northern Thailand

“…To study the health risks of PM 2.5 exposure in different age groups of children in northern Thailand during 2020–2029, we calculated the HQ value using the PM 2.5 input data from the previous simulation [ 22 ] by the NRCM-Model to quantify the risks resulting from PM 2.5 exposure in northern Thailand.…”

“…To successfully protect and promote better health in children, risk assessments of air contaminants in specific age groups of children should be considered when planning and improving air quality policies. The exposure of pollutants to human can occur through different pathways, which include ingestion, dermal, and inhalation [ 22 ]. The exposure of particulate matter (PM) has been recognized as a well-known human health risk factor [ 22 ].…”

“…The exposure of pollutants to human can occur through different pathways, which include ingestion, dermal, and inhalation [ 22 ]. The exposure of particulate matter (PM) has been recognized as a well-known human health risk factor [ 22 ]. In this study, we addressed the non-carcinogenic risk factors of future PM 2.5 via the inhalation exposure of different age groups in children evaluated in northern Thailand between 2020 and 2029.…”