The National Environmental Board has approved the Pollution Control Department’s proposal to tighten the air quality safety standard by reducing the safe amount of PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere from an average 50 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) to 37.5 μg/m³ in any 24 hour period. The new standard will become effective on June 1^st next year.

Pollution Control Department Director-General Attapol Charoenchansa said today (Tuesday) that the 50μg/m³ safety standard has been in use for more than ten years and it is about time to tighten standard, by being more stringent with emission controls, to improve the air quality and environment in Thailand for the sake public health.

The safe average amount of PM2.5 in the atmosphere over a period of one year will be reduced from 25μg/m³ to 15μg/m³, expected to become effective in the next 2-3 months when the change is published in the Royal Gazette.

Attapol said that the new standard will be on par with standards used in the United States, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.

He insisted that the new standard was not set by the department alone, but with approval from all sectors of society via public hearings.

In order to reach the target within 12 months, he said that all relevant agencies must start working now to reduce emissions.

Emissions from vehicles, factories, the burning of farm waste in the open and forest fires during the dry season have contributed to the release of PM2.5 and PM10 dust into the atmosphere.