The Elemental Characteristics and Human Health Risk of PM2.5 during Haze Episode and Non-Haze Episode in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

Fine particle matter (PM2.5) was directly related to seasonal weather, and has become the influencing factor of air quality that is harmful for human health in Chiang Rai province. The aims were determining the elemental composition in PM2.5 and human health risk in haze (March 2021) and non-haze episodes (July-August 2021). Nine elements in PM2.5 were measured by using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, and an enrichment factor was used to identify the emission source. The results showed that the average concentration of PM2.5 was 63.07 µg/m3 in haze episodes, and 25.00 µg/m3 in a non-haze episode. The maximum concentration was 116.7 µg/m3 in March. The majority of elements originated from anthropogenic sources. In haze episodes, PM2.5 mean concentration was approximately 4.2 times that of the WHO guidelines (15 µg/m3 24 h), and 1.3 times that of the Thai Ambient Air Quality Standard (50 µg/m3). The analysis of backward air mass trajectory showed that transboundary and local sources significantly influenced PM2.5 at the monitoring site in the sampling period. In the health risk assessment, the non-carcinogenic risk of Cd was the highest, with a Hazard Quotient (HQ) of 0.048, and the cancer risk of Cr was classified as the highest cancer risk, with the values of 1.29 × 10-5, higher than the minimum acceptable level.

Characteristics of Gases Emitted from Chicken Manure Wastewater and Potential Effects on Human Health.

Hazardous and odorous gas emissions from chicken manure wastewater are a public preoccupation. Odor composition measurements are crucial steps to provide appropriate air pollution control measures and design strategies to minimize the human health impact. In this study, chicken manure wastewater samples were extensively analyzed in a closed system by a portable handheld gas detector to characterize the odor and chemical compositions. A portable detector was calibrated prior to sampling. The total number of 153 chemical compounds found in the chicken manure wastewater samples had various olfactory characteristics, including strong, pleasant, and odorless smells. Depending on the route of exposure, most of these chemical compounds could cause human health effects, such as irritation, burns, and severe symptoms including carcinogenic.

Quality of sources of drinking water and health among the hill tribe people of northern Thailand.

Poor-quality drinking water can cause numerous health problems, particularly for people who are living with poor economic conditions, have a low educational status and have limited access to safe drinking water, such as the hill tribe people in Thailand. This study aimed to assess the quality of different sources of natural drinking water from the hill tribe villages in northern Thailand. Seventy-two drinking water samples from the hill tribe villages were collected and tested for biological, chemical and physical qualities, which were compared with the standard parameter values for safe drinking water according to the World Health Organization. Total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform bacteria, which represented the biological parameters, were detected in all samples. The physical parameters, which consisted of turbidity (36.1%), iron content (5.5%), color (2.7%) and pH (2.7%), exceeded the standard indications. However, the hazard quotient and hazard index values were less than 1. The hill tribe people are facing the problem of poor-quality drinking water, particularly in terms of biological and physical parameters that exceed the standard values. An effective program for improving access to safe water for the hill tribe people should be developed and implemented immediately.

Association of environmental factors and high HFMD occurrence in northern Thailand.

BACKGROUND: The major population vulnerable to hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is children aged less than 5 years, particularly those who are cared for at day care centers (DCCs). This study aimed to assess the associations of environmental and sanitation factors with high HFMD occurrence rates in DCCs of northern Thailand. METHODS: A case-control study was used to gather information from caregivers and local government administrative officers. DCCs in areas with high and low HFMD occurrence rates were the settings for this study. A validated questionnaire was used to collect environmental and sanitation information from the DCCs. In-depth interviews were used to collect information from selected participants who were working at DCCs and from local government administrative officers on the HFMD capacity and prevention and control strategies in DCCs. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associations between many environmental factors and HFMD at the α = 0.05 significance level while the content analysis was used to extract information from the interviews. RESULTS: Two variables were found to be associated with a high rate of HFMD occurrence: the number of sinks available in restrooms and the DCC size. Children attending DCCs that did not meet the standard in terms of the number of sinks in restrooms had a greater chance of contracting HFMD than children who were attending DCCs that met the standard (AOR = 4.21; 95% CI = 1.13-15.04). Children who were attending a large-sized DCC had a greater chance of contracting HFMD than those attending a small-sized DCC (AOR = 3.28; 95% CI = 1.21-5.18). The yearly budget allocation and the strategies for HFMD control and prevention, including collaborations among stakeholders for HFMD control and prevention in DCCs, were associated with the effectiveness of HFMD control and prevention. CONCLUSIONS: The number of sinks in restrooms and DCC size are major concerns for HFMD outbreaks. Sufficient budget allocation and good collaboration contribute to effective strategies for preventing and controlling HFMD in DCCs.

Drinking Water Investigation of Hill Tribes: A Case Study in Northern Thailand.

Hill tribes are a group of people who live in remote areas in northern Thailand. They typically use untreated water for drinking, that can lead several health problems. The six main hill tribes-Akha, Hmong, Karen, Lahu, Lisu, and Yao-were selected for the study. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Water samples were collected from the selected villages and tested for the quality at Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand. Results: the major sources of drinking water were mountain water supplies (74.3%), and commercial bottled water (21.4%). Easy access, sufficiency for the whole year, and food-drug administration sign labeled were the criteria used for selecting sources of drinking water. Colorless and safety were also used as a selection criteria for their drinking water in some tribes. Lisu, Karen, and Hmong treated their drinking water by boiling, while Akha and Lahu stored the water in certain containers to allow particle settling before drinking water without treatment. 42.0% of the water samples had a turbidity values <5 NTU, and total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in 100.0% of the samples. To prevent water-borne diseases among the hill tribe people, appropriate water treatments such as boiling, filtration, and disinfection are recommended.

Evaluating health risks posed by heavy metals to humans consuming blood cockles (Anadara granosa) from the Upper Gulf of Thailand.

There is global concern about heavy metal contamination in the environment. Adverse health effects can be caused by heavy metals in contaminated food and water. Therefore, environmental monitoring studies and risk assessments should be conducted periodically. In this study, we measured levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in blood cockles (Anadara granosa) collected from three locations in the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Hazard quotients and hazard indices were calculated to evaluate the health risks posed by heavy metals in consumed blood cockles. Heavy metal concentrations in all of the blood cockle samples were lower than the relevant food standards. The hazard quotients and hazard indices were <1 in all three sampling areas, indicating that adverse health effects were not likely to be caused by exposure to heavy metals in blood cockles over a human lifetime.