Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a complex group of chemicals that pose a direct risk to human health. They also lead to the formation of other air pollution constituents, including fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ground level ozone (O₃). The ambient air concentrations of 19 VOCs were measured using multi-day 24 h sampling at two urban sites and two rural sites in the area of Khon Kaen, Thailand. Results showed that most VOCs were at concentrations considered acceptable according to the 24 h average standards established by the Thai Pollution Control Department. The VOC acrolein, however, was detected at concentrations (0.69–1.15 μg/m³) in excess of the 24 h average standard (0.55 μg/m³). Two other VOCs, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, were also detected at elevated levels (1.73–2.75 and 0.18–0.40 μg/m³, respectively) that indicated the potential to exceed the 1-year average standard. VOC concentrations were highest in the urban market monitoring site, suggesting that vehicle exhaust and food preparation using cooking oil at high temperatures may have been potential sources of the elevated VOCs.

Indoor air quality is an important aspect of buildings, including libraries where various activities take place. This study aimed to investigate indoor air quality in different microenvironments in a library in Thailand. The indoor air monitoring was conducted in a library for 4 microenvironments: reading, librarian, cafe shop, and photocopy shop zone. Respiratory dust and bioaerosols were analyzed using NIOSH methods 0600, and 0800, respectively. Air movements were determined using an anemometer. Particulate matters (PM) were measured using DustTrak; carbon dioxide and comfort parameters were measured using Q-TRAK with 30-minute average for 8 hours. The results showed that the means of respiratory dust, PM10, PM4, PM2.5 in all zones met the standard, however, temporary variation revealed that PM4 and PM2.5 exceeded the standard in the afternoon. Fungal concentration was above 500 cfu/m3 in the photocopy shop zone where the highest %RH and the lowest air movement were found. Carbon dioxide concentrations in the cafe shop zone exceeded 1,000 ppm. The real-time measurements showed significant strong correlations between the different PM sizes, moderate correlations between %RH and temperature, and CO2 and PM10. The findings suggest that preventive and corrective measures should be implemented to improve indoor air quality in the library.

Air pollution and health effects in communities near industrial areas are matters of concern in Thailand. Elevated air pollution concentrations are associated with morbidity and mortality arising from lower respiratory tract illness. In this study, we aimed to assess whether living in a community near a new industrial estate in Central Thailand was associated with an elevated incidence of lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) among the elderly. We used data on hospital admissions from a primary hospital and sub-district-level health-promoting hospitals in six sub-districts located within a radius of 5 km from the industrial estate, between 1 November 2023 and 31 March 2024, using a cross-sectional study design. There were 1311 elderly individuals living within a radius of 3 km and 1488 between 3 and 5 km. We found a statistically significant increased risk of hospitalization for LRTI in the elderly living within a radius of less than 3 km (odds ratio: 3.43 [95% CI: 1.61–7.36] compared to those living in a radius between 3 and 5 km. Our results provide strong support for an association between hospitalization for LRTI and living distance from a new industrial estate.

Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern, accounting for 5.1% of the global disease burden. Regular drinking, especially in large quantities can elevate the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD), resulting in negative social, occupational or health outcomes. Cultural norms surrounding masculinity, common in many countries, often shape drinking behaviours among men. Despite various alcohol control measures, factors such as enforcement and digital technology can inadvertently increase consumption. This study aimed to examine the associations between alcohol control measures, enforcement practices, digital technology use and regular alcohol consumption among Thai men. This cross-sectional study analysed data from the 2021 National Statistical Office Survey, examining Thai men aged 15 years and older across all 77 provinces. The study included 102,886 participants selected through stratified random sampling to ensure representativeness. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) were employed to assess the association between alcohol control measures, enforcement, digital technology factors and regular alcohol consumption while controlling covariate socioeconomic factors and clustering effects across provinces. p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Among 102,886 Thai men with a mean age of 40.45 years, approximately half (49.56%) regularly consumed alcohol. Significant associated factors included: age ≤ 18 years (AOR: 11.58, 95% CI: 10.49–12.78), single marital status (AOR: 4.95, 95% CI: 4.70–5.21), monthly income ≥ 15,000 baht (AOR: 7.48, 95% CI: 7.14–7.83), regular tobacco use (AOR: 3.02, 95% CI: 2.88–3.16), illicit alcohol consumption (AOR: 7.89, 95% CI: 6.99–8.92), smuggled liquor use (AOR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.40–1.96), presence of alcohol-related health problems (AOR: 3.16, 95% CI: 3.01–3.33), exposure to alcohol advertising/festivals (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.26–1.51), social media exposure (AOR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.15–1.37), online alcohol purchases (AOR: 4.03, 95% CI: 3.86–4.21), and elevated BMI (> 25 kg/m²) (AOR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.76–1.96). This study identified the important roles of alcohol control law enforcement and on-line alcohol access on regular alcohol consumption among Thai men with multiple significant socioeconomic factors. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions focused on law enforcement, and digital health literacy especially among vulnerable populations, to reduce alcohol consumption.

Low‐cost PM_2.5 sensors are the key to creating high‐resolution monitoring networks for localized reporting and increased public awareness. A low‐cost PM_2.5 sensor using light‐scattering technology Public Health Particulate Matter (PHPM) was developed and validated against measurements from a commercial device that reports real‐time aerosol concentration and also collects gravimetric samples (DustTrak DRX Aerosol Monitor 8533). Linear regression of measurements from a controlled indoor site and three ambient air sites found that the novel PM_2.5 sensor correlated well with the measured PM_2.5 concentrations (r ≥ 0.90) at the three ambient air locations with PM_2.5 concentrations ranging from 48 to 602 μg/m³ measured at 30‐minute intervals. The correlation was lower (r = 0.71) at the chamber, which used incense as a particulate matter source. The PHPM data of PM_2.5 concentrations was using multiply with 2.33. The hope is that the PHPM device can provide an additional tool for participatory in community and increased public awareness about PM_2.5 in Thailand. This PHPM device is more suitable for ambient air than the chamber. The PHPM device is inexpensive, portable, and can be charged with a power bank.

Air pollution and health effects in communities near industrial areas are a matter of con-cern in Thailand. Elevated air pollution concentrations are associated with morbidity and mortality arising from the lower respiratory tract. In this study, we aimed to assess if liv-ing in a community near a new industrial estate in central Thailand was associated with an elevated incidence of lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) among the elderly. We used data on hospital admissions from a primary hospital and sub-district health promoting hospitals in six sub-districts located within a radius of 5 kilometers from the industrial estate between 1st November 2023 and 31st March 2024, using a cross-sectional study de-sign. There were 1,311 elderly are living within a radius of 3 kilometers and 1,488 between 3 and 5 kilometers. We found a statistically significant increased risk of hospitalization for LRTI in the elderly living within a radius of less than 3 kilometers (odds ratio 3.43 [95%CI: 1.61- 7.36]), compared to those living in a radius between 3 and 5 kilometers. Our results provide strong support for the associations between hospitalization for LRTI and living distance from the new industrial estate.