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. 2023 Mar 5;9(3):e14261.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14261. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Airborne particulate matter from biomass burning in Thailand: Recent issues, challenges, and options

Phuchiwan Suriyawong  1 , Santi Chuetor  2 , Hisam Samae  1 , Suthida Piriyakarnsakul  3 , Muhammad Amin  4   5 , Masami Furuuchi  4   6 , Mitsuhiko Hata  4 , Muanfun Inerb  6 , Worradorn Phairuang  4   7
Affiliations

Airborne particulate matter from biomass burning in Thailand: Recent issues, challenges, and options

Phuchiwan Suriyawong et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Many of the current atmospheric environmental problems facing Thailand are linked to air pollution that is largely derived from biomass burning. Different parts of Thailand have distinctive sources of biomass emissions that affect air quality. The main contributors to atmospheric particulate matter (PM), especially the PM2.5 fraction in Thailand, were highlighted in a recent study of PM derived from biomass burning. This review is divided into six sections. Section one is an introduction to biomass burning in Thailand. Section two covers issues related to biomass burning for each of the four main regions in Thailand, including Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern Thailand. In northern Thailand, forest fires and the burning of crop residues have contributed to air quality in the past decade. The northeast region is mainly affected by the burning of agricultural residues. However, the main contributor to PM in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region is motor vehicles and crop burning. In Southern Thailand, the impact of agoindustries, biomass combustion, and possible agricultural residue burning are the primary sources, and cross-border pollution is also important. The third section concerns the effect of biomass burning on human health. Finally, perspectives, new challenges, and policy recommendations are made concerning improving air quality in Thailand, e.g., forest fuel management and biomass utilization. The overall conclusions point to issues that will have a long-term impact on achieving a blue sky over Thailand through the development of coherent policies and the management of air pollution and sharing this knowledge with a broader audience.

Keywords: Air quality; Biomass combustion; Emission source; Human health; PM2.5.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overall air pollution in Thailand.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The monthly average PM2.5 concentrations in the northern province of Thailand.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
PM2.5 from Biomass burning in Thailand adapted from [12].
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Para-rubber fuelwood used in agro-industries in southern Thailand.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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