New operational discipline needed to meet regulations in South East Asia

As Thailand significantly tightens its rules on air quality, including mandatory monitoring of factory emissions, the need for upgrades and investment in new treatment equipment is inevitable, according to ERG Air Pollution Control.

With the Thai government now addressing the country’s long-standing and increasingly worsening air quality issue of PM2.5 pollution, ERG has welcomed the move to continuous and enforceable monitoring, compared to mere periodic inspections.

ERG’s Senior Site Manager, Brian Metcalf, said: “In cities such as Bangkok, the air quality challenge is very apparent. New regulations in Thailand, which could prompt other countries in the region to follow suit, means tougher than ever measures for factories, including demanding new limits on chimney emissions.

“This will inevitably see the need not just for more and better monitoring systems, but in many cases, upgrades of existing equipment to bring them into line, as well as investment in brand new air pollution control systems.”

Brian Metcalf pointed to recent key amendments in Malaysia’s Environmental Quality Act as evidence that Thailand is not alone in trying to tackle the effects of urban PM2.5 exposure, industrial growth, and rising public concern and pressure about environmental transparency.

Also, he cites Singapore’s Pollutants Standards Index (a 24-hour rolling average of six key pollutants). The index ranges from 0 to 500. It falls into unhealthy range when exceeding 101, while a reading above 200 denotes very unhealthy. At the beginning of October, it hit a high of 170 in the central region.

“For many factory owners and managers,” added Brian Metcalf, “a whole new operational discipline is needed, so that with help, a better understanding can be gained about how to best handle air pollution systems during variable loads, start-up, shutdown, and when things aren’t working as they should.”