Climate Threat Air Pollution

Severe air pollution in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Heavy air pollution is plaguing the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand. Measurements from Tuesday showed that the city then had the highest levels of harmful particles in the world, according to the Bangkok Post.

Families in the city are worried, writes the BBC. Tirayut Wongsantisuk lives with his wife and two daughters in Chiang Mai. He says that both children have suffered from nosebleeds and that the eldest daughter, who is six years old, has also developed a rash and swollen eyes.

– I have thought that we may need to move, I would never come over if something bad happens to the children, says the father.

The dense smog is caused, among other things, by forest fires and seasonal burning of agricultural land.

700,000 Breathe the World's Worst Air in Indian Loni

On the northeastern outskirts of New Delhi lies the rapidly growing industrial city of Loni with 700,000 inhabitants. Last year, they breathed the world's most polluted air, according to measurements by the Swiss company IQ Air. This is reported by CNN.

IQ Air measures the level of PM2.5 in the air – particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can penetrate deep into the lung tissue. They increase the risk of asthma, heart and lung disease and cancer.

Last year, the level of PM2.5 in Loni was on average 22 times higher than the World Health Organization's limit value.

Three of the world's five most polluted cities were in India last year. New Delhi was once again the world's most polluted capital.

Residents: It's Hard to Breathe - It's Never Going Away

Residents of Loni, India, are suffering from the world's highest levels of air pollution, writes CNN.

- Coughing is one thing, just breathing is difficult, says 45-year-old rickshaw driver Manoj Kumar, who has lived in Loni all his life.

Mohammed Mohmin Khan wears a face mask whenever he steps out onto the city's poorly paved streets.

- It's like this 24/7, no matter where you go.

Doctor Anil Singh says that the number of patients with respiratory problems has increased in the past five years - especially very young children with early symptoms of asthma.

Khushi Forze, a mother of a toddler, whose three-year-old has allergy and health problems due to the pollution, is forced to dust her home two to three times a day.

- We feel so much better when we leave here. There is such a freshness wherever you go. We don't feel good here.

The World's Ten Most Polluted Cities 2025

1. Loni, Indien
2. Hotan, Kina
3. Byrnihat, Indien
4. Delhi, Indien
5. Faisalabad, Pakistan
6. Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan
7. Ghaziabad, Indien
8. Lahore, Pakistan
9. Sukkur, Pakistan
10. Ula, Indien