Research finds Suvarnabhumi Airport high on smoke

BANGKOK, 8 May 2013 (NNT) – According to a research conducted by Mahidol University, smoke-developed index (SDI) from cigarette in Thailand’s airports is 4 times higher than in the United States, suggesting that if no measures are taken, people with heart disease or asthma could experience heart failure.

The research was conducted in 4 main airports, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, and Chiang Mai Airports. It shows that passengers are being exposed to a high intensity of cigarette smoke, 773 micrograms per cubic meter, which is much higher than the limit Thailand has defined at 50 micrograms per 1 cubic meter. The World Health Organization (WHO) also limits the SDI at only 25 micrograms a cubic meter. The survey also suggests that 58 percent of the smokers at these airports are foreigners.

Mahidol University also revealed that non-smokers with heart disease and asthma who breathe in secondhand smoke could easily experience an immediate heart attack, and in a long run, the secondhand smoke will affect other passengers, causing respiratory diseases like emphysema or lung cancer. As a result, this research will be presented to the Public Health Ministry, so that measures can be taken to reduce the impact of cigarette smoke.

Research finds Suvarnabhumi Airport high on smoke