Chapter 3
The Characteristics and the Cytotoxic Effects of Particulate Matter in the Ambient Air of the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Basin in Northern Thailand 1
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Narongpan Chunram , Usanaee Vinitketkumnuen , Richard L. Deming , and Richard M. Kamens 3
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1Departmentof Applied Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand 3Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, C A 92834 4Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
There are growing concerns about the deteriorating air quality in the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Basin in Northern Thailand resulting from accelerating development and construction, increasing industrial emissions, expanding transportation, extensive open burning and the continuing drought. Recent studies of the levels of fine particulate matter (PM and PM ) in the Basin have highlighted their seasonal variations, correlations with other pollutants, and toxicological properties. These are reviewed and implications for future research are summarized. 2.5
© 2009 American Chemical Society
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Introduction The effects of airborne pollutants on human health have been widely recognized and extensively examined. Results of numerous studies around the world have documented the increases in respiratory distress, pulmonary disease and cancer, leading to increased hospital admissions and higher mortality associated with a variety of pollutants (1-10). O f special concern is particulate matter (PM) of less than 10 microns ( P M ) , and, especially, of the fine particles of less than 2.5 microns (PM s) (//). Air pollution problems in urban areas are especially significant because of the large numbers of people that can be affected by the numerous and varied sources of pollutants in these densely settled areas. In addition, rural areas surrounding cities often have significant impact on urban centers because of the transport of materials under varying climatological, atmospheric and geophysical conditions. This review highlights some of the important data and conclusions of recent investigations (12-15) that focus on the rapidly growing Chiang Mai-Lamphun basin in Northern Thailand (Figure 1). The work reviews the data on the levels and distribution of
