The Concentration of Fine Particulate Matter from Antique Handmade Brick Kilns in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Air quality assessment in particulate matter with a size of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) is essential because it affects urban residential health. Hence, this research studied the analysis of PM2.5 value from antique Mon handmade stove house usage in Chiang Mai, using the AERMOD air quality dispersion model. The data for the modeling was collected from a survey regarding the amounts of production and fuel, and the location of the brick kilns used to calculate the amount of air pollution emissions. The summarized values were the emission factor, the climate data as the surface meteorological data, the upper-air meteorological data obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and national geographic data. The Albedo and Bowen ratios and the surface roughness values were identified using satellite data and then presented in a map of the dust intensity distribution. The results found that the highest value of PM2.5 concentration at the smoke point was 209.19 μg/m3, while the average values were 48.21 μg/m3. The PM2.5 concentration at the stack pointer was higher than the standard scores of Thai and World Health Organization (WHO) general atmospheric air quality standards. However emissions varied, and average PM2.5 concentrations exceeded WHO standards and, in the case of full operation, exceeded Thai standards, posing health risks.