PUBLISHED: 7 Apr 2024 at 06: 31
Lee MAI: People in northern Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai and Lampang, experience high mortality rates due to lung cancers. One of the main factors is the presence of increased levels of PM2.5 particles in the air, according to the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Medicine.
According to Assoc Prof. Chalerm Liewsisakul of the Chiang Mai University’s ( CMU) Faculty of Medicine, PM2.5 pollution in the northern region has increased over the past ten years, increasing the number of people with lung diseases.
One study shows the ratio of people who died of lung cancers per 100, 000 people in the North increased from 20.3 in 2010 to 30.7 in 2019. That compares with images for Bangkok of 14.9 in 2010 to 22.6 in 2019, the Northeast, 10.2 in 2010 to 17 in 2019, and the South, 9.5 in 2010 to 16.8 in 2019.
Quantitative statistics from 2010 to 2021 indicates the northern counties, especially Chiang Mai and Lampang, have the highest suicide rates from lung cancer. He said that this underscores the immediate need for qualified initiatives to tackle air pollution and its health effects in these locations.
” In contrast, the northeastern region has a higher rate of lung cancer among young people than other regions. This relationship is good attributed to PM2.5 waste, a website supported by international studies indicating the heightened tumor risk, especially lung cancer, associated with continuous exposure to PM2.5 particles”, he said.
He made reference to a study conducted by the Faculty of Medicine that examined lung people in Chiang Dao, a region known for having elevated PM2.5 amounts. The study found that cellular changes were significantly different during great PM2.5 and low PM2.5 times when using cheek scrapings from emphysema patients. These modifications point to hereditary problems that may eventually cause tumor cells, he said.
Also, a surge in respiratory illnesses, ranging from lightheadedness to frequent coughs, has been observed during times of heightened PM2.5 rates, especially in March. During these waste peaks, serious illnesses like emphysema exacerbations, coronary heart disease, and strokes are somewhat common, highlighting the serious health risks that are linked to raised PM2.5.
According to research by CMU’s Faculty of Medicine, analysing deaths in Chiang Mai in relation to PM2.5 levels revealed a concerning correlation: for every 10 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³ ) increase in daily average PM2.5 concentration, there is a corresponding 1.6 % rise in Chiang Mai’s mortality rate over the subsequent six days.
The school’s test likewise found the cause of the death of Prof Rawiwan Olarnratmanee, a former professor of Chiang Mai University’s University of Architecture. According to testing outcomes, the cancer cells discovered in her lungs had mutations linked to PM2.5 coverage. Her father, Jittrakorn Olarnratmanee, said she had been diagnosed with later- level lung cancers in February, succumbing to the disease on April 3. She was one of four college educators who had died from heart cancers since 2022.
From January 1 through March 15, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital reported that 30, 339 people had visited the hospital for treatment of pollution-related illnesses, twice the figure from the previous month.
The province’s Air Quality Index ( AQI ) hit 237 at 8.52am, according to IQAir.com, making it back to its top spot among the cities in the world with the worst air quality.