BMA deploys teams of ‘dust detectives’ to inspect causes of PM2.5 dust in capital

BMA spokesman Ekwaranyu Amrapan said the deployment of dust inspectors was among measures the city administration had considered during a recent meeting of the committee in charge of prevention and tackling PM2.5 — dust less than 2.5 microns in diameter — pollution.

The spokesman said the city administration anticipated that the air quality in Bangkok would worsen during the winter season when the air pressure was high, so it convened a meeting of the committee, which has representatives from agencies outside the BMA.

The teams of inspectors would study the causes of PM2.5 and would seek help from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to try and improve the air quality as soon as possible, Ekwaranyu added.

The spokesman said the BMA would integrate its operations with the ministry to try to increase green areas in the capital to absorb dust and carbon emissions.

The BMA also has increased its capability to detect and predict air quality three days in advance. The air quality forecast will be displayed via BMA Traffic app and on road signs of the BMA’s Traffic and Transport Department, the spokesman added.

The city administration will also expand its air quality measuring devices to 1,000 spots around the capital from the current 557 spots, Ekwaranyu said.

The spokesman said the city administration would seek help from traffic police and the Pollution Control Department to step up measuring black fumes from vehicles to try to minimise PM2.5 pollution during the winter.

The checks will especially focus on large trucks and trucks of construction materials used by large construction sites, the spokesman added.

Moreover, the BMA would check all concrete batching plants in Bangkok at least once a month to ensure that they do not violate the limit in creating dust.

As a long-term plan, the spokesman said the BMA and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation would provide a special class in school to instil right behaviour among students so that they would not grow up causing pollution.

The project would be kicked off at City Hall on October 28, the spokesman said.

The BMA will also cooperate with the National Research Council of Thailand to hold a seminar on November 4 titled, “To cope with PM2.5 with research and innovations”.

The seminar is aimed at hearing academic opinions on how to prevent and solve the issue of PM2.5 pollution in the capital, the spokesman said.