Smoke from trash burning in a village outside the Lao Unesco heritage site of Luang Prabang, Laos joins the heavy haze over much of inland Southeast Asia due to crop and waste burning. - AP
VIENTIANE: Air pollution has become a growing concern in Laos after the concentration of PM 2.5 reached harmful levels, as smoke from seasonal agricultural burning filled the skies.
The concentration of fine dust, known as PM 2.5, which is particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, surpasses the safety level, according to a report from the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday (April 30).
Data registered on Tuesday morning showed that the air quality index in the provinces of Xayaboury, Oudomxay, Xieng Khuang and Champasak had reached a very unhealthy level, with the PM 2.5 concentration exceeding 203 micrograms per cubic meter.
The PM 2.5 concentration in Phongsaly province, some 750 km north of Lao capital Vientiane, hit 271 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the report.
"As we all know, air pollution is a health hazard for all citizens and it could lead to long-term health problems. We must remain vigilant and join hands in reducing air pollution in homes and communities," a 27-year-old student in Lao capital Vientiane told Xinhua on Tuesday.
"A simple thing we can do to improve air quality is to stop burning garbage," she added.
Sinxay, a 29-year-old man living in Vientiane province, said he always wears a face mask when going out, especially the N95 type, to protect against the inhalation of microscopic particles.
"I think everyone should take air pollution more seriously. We should stop burning garbage and dry leaves. We must be aware that PM 2.5 can have a harmful effect on the lungs, and it can cause eye, nose and throat irritation."
"I believe most Lao people want to protect the environment and would do what they could if they knew what to do," Khammone, a 23-year-old woman living in Vangvieng, a tourism town in Vientiane province, told Xinhua.
"I would like the government to provide more information about air pollution, including the causes and effects, to encourage people to understand the harmful effects of everyday activities such as burning garbage."
With air pollution rising to alarming levels in some parts of the country, the Lao government has instructed authorities in charge to take action against slash-and-burn cultivation, which causes current smoky skies.
During the government's monthly meeting for April, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone instructed relevant sectors to step up to prevent the health threat to the public caused by PM 2.5, which approached an unhealthy level. - Xinhua
