Moreover, since Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, it s the center of civilization as well as economic growth. Therefore, the number of industries and factories are also growing. Motor vehicles and industries have contributed to the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere, causing air pollution which is perhaps one Of the most serious environmental issues in Bangkok. So what does air pollution mean? Air pollution is the stage in which the air contains gases, dust, fumes or odor in harmful amounts and could affect humans’, animals’, and plants’ health negatively.
Mobile source is one of the major sources of pollutants in Bangkok. The number of vehicles has been increasing dramatically over the past few years. It is also said that the automobile pollution is increasing together with an increase in the number of vehicles on the road in Bangkok. The Strategy and Evaluation Development has presented the latest information that in the year 2008, 26,417,353 vehicles were registered in Thailand. In Bangkok alone, 5,911 ,696 vehicles were registered.
This factor, along with the lack of efficient ass transit system, has led to the city’s traffic problem. The average speed of traffic in the inner zone of Bangkok is as slow as 8-5 km per hour. Researches have shown that vehicles accounted for approximately of Knox emissions, 54% of PM* (particulate matter) emissions and about 100% of hydrocarbon emissions. According to a research paper on Fighting Urban Air Pollution: From Plan to Action, in the year 1999, nearly 4 million cars were registered in Bangkok, in addition to 1. 5 million motorcycles.
Concentration amount of particulate of sees than 10 micron (IMO) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere have been found to exceed the acceptable standard, while the level of hydrocarbon (HCI), Knox, and ozone have been increasing. Besides, it has also been found that more than 1 million Bangkok residents have been suffered from air pollution related illness. Based on the information obtained from a thesis on Air Pollution and Lung Cancer by a doctor degree at MUSIC, apart from mobile sources, factories are the major contributor of pollution.