International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 10, Issue 10 (October 2023), Pages: 55-61

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 Original Research Paper

A study on PM2.5 concentration in Bangkok, Thailand: A case study of Bang Na Station

 Author(s): 

 Angkhana Ketjalan 1, *, Usa Humphries 2, Warawut Suadee 3

 Affiliation(s):

 1Department of Environmental Technology, School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
 2Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
 3Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand

  Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0688-309X

 Digital Object Identifier: 

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2023.10.006

 Abstract:

In contemporary times, air pollution has emerged as a pressing concern in major metropolises worldwide. Particulate matter, particularly PM2.5, has been identified as a key contributor to elevated pollution levels. While previous studies in Thailand have primarily focused on PM2.5 in agricultural, forestry, and industrial regions, they often examine its relationship with precursor gases (e.g., SO2, NOx, VOCs, and NH3) and hotspots. However, research pertaining to the capital city, Bangkok, remains limited due to its complex source composition and unnatural urban structure, leading to unique airborne conditions. This study seeks to explore the interplay between PM2.5, precursor gases, and meteorological factors in Bangkok. To assess the influence of precursor gases and meteorological variables on PM2.5 concentrations, correlation analysis and regression techniques were applied to monitoring data obtained from relevant government agencies. Notably, PM2.5 exhibited strong correlations with precursor gases, especially NO2 (correlation coefficient, R, ranging from 0.11 to 0.87), while SO2 showed more variable correlations (R ranging from -0.45 to 0.85). Furthermore, meteorological factors exhibited significant but slightly weaker correlations with PM2.5 compared to SO2 and NO2. This suggests that NO2 plays a dominant role in driving the secondary formation of PM2.5 in the Bang Na area. Regression analysis confirmed the strong association of NO2, SO2, and relative humidity with PM2.5, while other meteorological parameters displayed less significance, even the planetary boundary layer. Contrary to previous studies that primarily rely on real-time monitoring for short durations and emphasize potential pollution sources, our research underscores the pivotal role of precursor gases, particularly under high relative humidity conditions. To elucidate the secondary formation of PM2.5 from precursor gases within urban settings, future studies should encompass longer-term real-time monitoring of both precursor gases and meteorological variables, especially in urban areas.

 © 2023 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords: Air pollution, PM2.5, Precursor gases, Meteorological factors, Bangkok

 Article History: Received 25 June 2020, Received in revised form 31 August 2023, Accepted 14 September 2023

 Acknowledgment 

This study was a success because of the encouragement and scholarship from the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), monitoring data of air pollutants from the Pollution Control Department, WRF-Chem Model from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), Meteorological dataset from National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). I also acknowledge Associate Professor Dr Usa Humphries, my advisor, for advising and providing educational resources and support.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Ketjalan A, Humphries U, and Suadee W (2023). A study on PM2.5 concentration in Bangkok, Thailand: A case study of Bang Na Station. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 10(10): 55-61

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 Figures

 Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 

 Tables

 Table 1 

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