Bangkok | A “clean air” room tested in public schools

(Bangkok) In the center of Bangkok, a classroom designed to combat air pollution offers refuge to children in the public system, left behind by the high level of fine particles which threatens their health.

“It makes a huge difference,” assures AFP Jiraporn Sukpraserd, who teaches children mostly under the age of four, in a room equipped with air conditioners with purifying filters.

But when it is necessary to ventilate the room, “the pollution comes back inside,” concedes the 51-year-old professor.

At Suan Lumphini primary school, a flag in the courtyard provides information on the air quality each day. “Last week, it was red and orange,” the two worst categories, she whispers.

During the first months of the year, Bangkok experiences severe episodes of air pollution, often mixed with stifling temperatures.

At the peak of the crises, the megalopolis of 12 million inhabitants is among the most polluted cities on the planet, displaying a level of fine PM2.5 particles well above the thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization.

Four schools

Between January and February 2024, some 910,000 people required medical treatment due to foul air, according to official statistics. The figures do not distinguish the impact on children, who are particularly vulnerable.

Stubble burning, atmospheric emissions from industries and vehicle emissions are considered the main causes of the toxic cloud, which extends beyond the limits of the capital.

Urged to act quickly, the government has promised legislation to improve air quality.

In the meantime, the Suan Lumphini school, located between a park and a road, has benefited since last November from a “clean room” equipped with air conditioners with purifying filter, as part of a study carried out by Chulalongkorn University of Bangkok.

The program, which concerns around 50 children spread across four schools, allows teachers and students to know their level of exposure to pollution in real time, via sensors.

“Pollution weakens students,” explains Suan Lumphini School principal Suphatpong Anuchitsopapan.

“If children have good health during their studies, then they will be able to give back to society in the future,” he continues.

While schoolchildren in Bangkok’s posh private schools benefit from air purifiers and air conditioning, many children in the public system have to do without.

“Preliminary solution”

“Children are more affected by air pollution than adults,” says Teerachai Amnuaylojaroen, an associate professor at Phayao University who studies issues related to air pollution.

They breathe faster than adults, and thus inhale more pollutants, which can damage their development, he explains.

Clean rooms in schools could be an effective way to provide “a safe space for children,” he believes.

But “this is only a preliminary solution to the problem,” adds Mr. Amnuaylojaroen.

In Suan Lumphini, not all children benefit from a classroom that protects against air pollution. The rooms, open to the outside, are simply equipped with a fan.

“Some mornings, when I wake up, I notice right away that it’s not a normal fog,” explains entrepreneur Bounleua ​​Boriharn, as he goes to pick up his eight-year-old daughter, who is studying in a normal room.

“I always try to get him to wear a mask,” he explains. “It’s the only thing I can do. »