Health Impact Assessment of Short-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter (PM) in Northern Thailand.

In northern Thailand, in recent decades, particulate pollution from the burning of biomass has become a serious issue with toxicological implications for human health, especially during the winter months of January to April. The purpose of this study was to explore short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) in northern Thailand. The high PM concentration in 2012 was used as a case study. We used the EPA's Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program-Community Edition (BenMAP-CE) for the health impact assessment, along with ground-based measurement data. The annual average observed PM concentration was in the range of 43-61 g/m, with a maximum observed PM concentration of 300 g/m in March. We then assessed the impacts of PM exposure in northern Thailand. When the PM concentration was reduced to 120 g/m, the undesirable effects on respiratory mortality decreased by 5%-11%. When the concentration of PM was reduced to 45 g/m, the deleterious effects on respiratory mortality decreased by 11-30%. In conclusion, adherence to the WHO-AQG, particularly for PM (45 g/m), tends to result in considerable reductions in respiratory disease mortality in northern Thailand.