Abstract
Natural rubber is a main commodity of Thailand, half of which is formed into ribbed smoked sheets (RSS). Fuel wood is burned during RSS production to heat and dry the rubber sheets. Smoke from the burning wood contains chemical species in particles and gases, notably polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, the influence of smoke from fuel-wood burning by rubbersmoking cooperatives on atmospheric air in the neighboring town of Hat Yai, Songkhla Province in southern Thailand, was evaluated for the year 2005. The particle size distributions of ambient air in downtown Hat Yai and Prince of Songkla University (PSU) clearly showed bi-modal behavior, indicating multiple sources of particles. TSP was generally low, averaging 45.6 and 46.2 μg/m 3 for downtown Hat Yai and PSU, respectively. The TSP depended on precipitation, particularly when precipitation was high. The correlation between TSP and rubber sheet production from all rubber cooperatives in Songkhla Province is clear. PAH size distributions of ambient air particles clearly showed single-modal behavior, suggesting that most of the PAHs are associated with small particles. The relationship between wood burning and PAHs in ambient air in Hat Yai and PSU is also clear. Low PAH concentrations during the dry season could result partly from wind direction (E to NE), which blows inland from the Gulf of Thailand. During the rainy season, PAH concentration at both locations was low; however, it was inversely proportional to the precipitation. Hence, rubber sheet production, wind direction and precipitation are important determinants of PAH concentration in Hat Yai area.
Highlights
Thailand is the world leader in natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) production
The total suspended particulates (TSP) of air sampled from downtown Hat Yai and Prince of Songkla University (PSU) by high-volume sampler are shown in Fig. 5 along with average precipitation in Songkhla Province
It can be concluded that most of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are associated with small particles
Summary
Thailand is the world leader in natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) production. Total rubber production in 2004 for Thailand was 2.9 million metric tons (Thailand Rubber Research Institute, 2005). Two main problems arise from the PAHs generated from the wood burning; workplace pollution affected by the leakage of smoke particles into the working area, and atmospheric pollution to nearby surroundings. Furuuchi et al (2006) studied the characteristics of smoke particles from rubber-wood combustion and evaluated the influences on workplace environments and the surrounding atmosphere. This work is aimed at the characterization of the PAHs in the particulate phase in the atmospheric air in the city of Hat Yai, Songkhla Province in southern Thailand (Fig. 1) and how they are related to rubber-wood burning in RSS production. The wood used for combustion is usually in fresh condition It is often wet from precipitation, Fig. 2. Precipitation, rubber sheet productivity, and wind direction in Songkhla province. The wind pattern affects the transport of aerosol particle in atmospheric air
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