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Bangkok Fights Air Pollution With Water-Spraying Drones (qz.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the mist-opportunity dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Quartz: Earlier in the week, levels of PM2.5 -- tiny particles 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller that can penetrate deep into the lungs -- reached 185 micrograms per cubic meter. Anything above 150 is deemed hazardous for all individuals (50 or below is considered good). The government has responded by unleashing a small fleet of drones that can spray water into the air and eliminate some of the pollution. Photos from a test on Tuesday (Jan. 22) show the yellow aircraft dispensing water and a "non-hazardous chemical spray," reported the Bangkok Post. An official from the Defense Technology Institute, a government agency, said the test, in which drones sprayed for less than an hour, reduced the concentration of PM2.5 by 10 micrograms per cubic meter on average.

59 comments

  1. Chemtrails by 110010001000 · · Score: 2, Funny

    And people said I was nuts when I talk about chemtrails. Turns out it is true!!!

    1. Re: Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      God you're an idiot. Chemtrails. Not contrails. Above you was making a pun about conspiracy nutters and chemtrails and not believing they're just condensation from jets we call contrails.

    2. Re:Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The joke went over your head like the drones didn't it ?

    3. Re:Chemtrails by magarity · · Score: 1

      There's a "chemtrail" tin foil hat type in my neighborhood; first thing I thought of when I saw this article was how bad would he flip out if there really was a flying thing spraying an unknown chemical.

    4. Re:Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Ya, pretty funny how that changed from 'water' to 'a non hazardous chemical spray' in a few sentences.

      Can only hope possibly a surfactant to make the water more effective? ..oh and a little happy time / mind control mix, too!

    5. Re: Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Chemtrails! LOL! I remember those. But since, we have managed to make them invisible.

      A little more on topic, The Santa County has managed to cut down by 50% that type of air pollution by installing an air filtering system on a single and only bus.

      They just have to make sure that that bus picks up a renowned vlogger both ways when that IT clerk goes to work in Palo Alto and they modified their schedule in order to accomplish just that. He lives on Fruitdale in San Jose.

    6. Re:Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good on BKK for being honest rather than trying to hide raw numbers like say China
      However water and surficants are heavy and wont scale. More impressed if they can track down the source.

    7. Re: Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey Chris, buddy! How are you?

      Are you still fascinated by legal age marriage laws across the States?

    8. Re: Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like dihydrogen monoxide?

    9. Re:Chemtrails by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      No worries, it is just a vaccine ...

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    10. Re: Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cdreimer left /. after 20 years and posted 100+ videos in 2018. His trolls are still butthurt that he left them alone with APK.

      The thing to do for him: post more videos :)

    11. Re: Chemtrails by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Even worse, it could be spraying hydroxyl acid!

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    12. Re:Chemtrails by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      I want to know why the chemtrails don't affect the politicians and government officials who are spraying them.

      --
      No sig today...
    13. Re:Chemtrails by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      I want to know why the chemtrails don't affect the politicians and government officials who are spraying them.

      Government officials aren't spraying the chemtrails, they're loaded onto commercial planes. But they give inoculations to politicians and the people read into the program like the pilots and the people who load the chemicals onto the plane to keep them safe. As bad as they are dispersed, those chemicals can be really dangerous when they are concentrated. I should know, I used to work on the ramp of a major airport and-hold on, there are some guys in dark suits at my door......

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    14. Re: Chemtrails by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your comments about chemtrails are not why we think you are an idiot. We hope you practice auto asphyxiation.

    15. Re:Chemtrails by magarity · · Score: 1

      But they give inoculations to politicians and the people read into the program like the pilots

      This is too funny! Inoculate the people who are going +500mph directly away from where the stuff is supposedly spraying out.

  2. Bangkok Finds Excuse To Play With Drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Not buying the flimsy nerd cover story.

  3. Re:Bang cock lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    small things, amuse small minds.

  4. Re: Bang cock lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your small dilz amuses everyone though lmao

  5. OBLIGATORY Murray Head by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One Night in Bangkok

    1. Re:OBLIGATORY Murray Head by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um. Was that really obligatory? Yeah, there's a song about chess and prostitution in Bangkok. And I guess a lot of people know it. So now, if there's a story about something happening in Bangkok, someone's required to remind everybody about that? (Don't a lot of people know it already?) When something happens in California, are we required to reference Californication? Or California Love or California Dreaming or something? FFS, god help us if something happens in Kansas because those guys have a lot of songs.

      Have you confused "humorous" with "referential"? (Yes. You have.)

    2. Re:OBLIGATORY Murray Head by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it's really "smart" to fly and mist the tiny-partiCUL-counting stations.
      now way that's screwing with the objective measurements. ^_^

  6. Re: Bang cock lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    then how about I put it in your butt?

  7. Re: Bang cock lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The city is named BANG COCK not BANG BUTT, you silly gay man

  8. Fly waste energy by flying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why don't they attach the water sprayers on buildings? It seems like it can only be more expensive and less fuel efficient to actually get the water airborne before spraying it into the air. A water hose on a building can also operate continuously without needing to refuel either water or battery.

    Apart from that the idea is actually good. Air pollutants have a tendency to stick to rain drops and fall down to the ground with the rain. In this case it's artificial rain. The question is where the water comes from, like is it sea water, in which case salt will get on to the ground and cause issues. Is it drinking water?

    I was in an office some years ago and they were forced to have some piece of art (tax money has to go somewhere) and at first the workers were like "why would we want that thing?". However it was an artificial waterfall, meaning it cycles water through it at all time. Eventually they were actually really happy about it because the constantly falling water caught all sorts of dust particles and similar from the air, meaning the air in the office ended up being much better. They still didn't look at it though.

    1. Re:Fly waste energy by flying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Why don't they attach the water sprayers on buildings?

      Perhaps it isn't high enough up to catch the particles except on the really tall buildings? And it also might rise the dampness too much where the sprayers are located?

    2. Re:Fly waste energy by flying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't they attach the water sprayers on buildings? It seems like it can only be more expensive and less fuel efficient to actually get the water airborne before spraying it into the air.

      They've also got trucks which drive around spraying water. Presumably at this stage having mobile units which can move around the city to temporary hotspots is more cost-effective, but yeah, if it became a long-term thing then it would probably be cheaper to install permanent units at sites with chronic problems.

    3. Re: Fly waste energy by flying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      No. Itâ(TM)s because theyâ(TM)re THAI. Nobody gives a fuck. Mai pen rai. This is because someoneâ(TM)s brother has a drone business.

      Busses choke the streets with black smoke. Motorbikes and cars have zero emissions controls. Crops and garbage are openly burnt. Construction carries on 24/7.

      The thais are a deeply self interested people. If it doesnâ(TM)t get YOU rich, it wonâ(TM)t happen.

    4. Re:Fly waste energy by flying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, sure, the water droplets will take the particulates to the ground. But unless they are actually being changed in a chemical reaction with water they will simply return to the air after the water evaporates and they catch a touch of wind. So I wonder about the word "eliminate". It sounds like they just temporarily push them to the ground.

    5. Re:Fly waste energy by flying? by LifesABeach · · Score: 1

      This might be a valid case for using Fuel Cells for Public Transportation. It would also erode the bottom of any Inversion Layers.

  9. You are right. I'll prove it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The trail you see coming out of jets, that is water vapor. Water is a chemical. So yes, that is a chem trail, of water vapor.

    1. Re:You are right. I'll prove it. by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Pedant: Words have meanings and "chemical trail" != "chemtrail"

      --
      No sig today...
    2. Re:You are right. I'll prove it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Super-pedant: Chemtrail is portmanteau of chemical and trail. It literally means a chemical trail.

      Words do have meanings and sometimes those meanings are painfully obvious.

    3. Re: You are right. I'll prove it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Irregardless op is an idiot

    4. Re:You are right. I'll prove it. by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Super-pedant: Chemtrail is portmanteau of chemical and trail. It literally means a chemical trail.

      Words do have meanings and sometimes those meanings are painfully obvious.

      So strawberrys are berries made of straw?

      Uhuh.

      --
      No sig today...
    5. Re: You are right. I'll prove it. by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Show me a usage of "chemtrail" which isn't the spraying of the populace with mind-control drugs and I'll accept that.

      --
      No sig today...
  10. Diesel powered drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Diesel powered drones would be sure to lower air pollution

  11. Wow! by timeOday · · Score: 2

    Occasionally the future is just as bad as all the dystopian sci-fi guessed it might be.

    1. Re:Wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Occasionally the future is just as bad as all the dystopian sci-fi guessed it might be.

      It'll soon feel like many scenes from BladeRunner; raining will be needed often to cleanse our atmosphere, but I think we're a bit away from cloud seeding, at the moment.

  12. Make it rain by jfdavis668 · · Score: 2

    Gives a new meaning to "make it rain"

  13. why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why bother when you have a billion lungs to filter out that shit

    1. Re:why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because they are really inefficient. We struggle with winter inversions trapping pollution every year and even as the populations of organic filters (lungs) increases every year they don't seem to make any improvement in the pollution levels.

  14. Don't bother by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    In Germany, over a hundred lung-specialist doctors wrote a letter that it doesn't matter.
    After all they get millions from it and it pays for their Porsche and their holiday mansions.

  15. I like Bangkok by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

    It's not my favorite city in Asia but it's far from my least favorite.
    The pollution never seemed that bad to me compared to other SEA cities.
    The creepiest thing about Thailand is that talking anything resembling smack about the king can land you in jail.

  16. So in otherwords, a waste of time and money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    10mg is nothing. Why did they bother?

    PR.

  17. Be GLAD I'm here: Why? apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hosts efficacy recently vs. threats (FAR from a COMPLETE list mind you) https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... https://yro.slashdot.org/comme... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://linux.slashdot.org/com... https://news.slashdot.org/comm... https://apple.slashdot.org/com... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://search.slashdot.org/co... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... https://apple.slashdot.org/com... https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

    * That's only recently while I've been on Linux (July 2018) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof). ... & that's ONLY what /. reported on (there are FAR more)

    APK

    P.S.=> "It's working: Neville... it's working!" - "I AM LEGEND"... apk

  18. Now in Bankok we eat it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what happens in Bankok stays Bankok as they now let it fall on the earth which in turn goes back into you

  19. Water pollution by kugeln · · Score: 1

    Because turning it into water pollution is better?

    1. Re:Water pollution by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Yep, this is what I came here for. Water vapor is a GHG. They're increasing global warming to fight their local pollution problem. One city does this, who cares? Every dirty city does this, you'll notice. Also, this will just wash more of the pollution directly into wherever their storm drains go, instead of letting it collect elsewhere in the environment.

      A better solution would be to cover buildings in plants. It has other benefits besides pollution reduction. They also add water vapor to the air, but not as much as simply spraying it there.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Water pollution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We better ban humidifiers!!! Pumping all that GHG into the air!

  20. What a perfect and permanent solution! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See eco-nazis, everythings fine now.

  21. Source by geekymachoman · · Score: 1

    Treat it at a source, instead of trying to contain the symptoms.

    https://earthobservatory.nasa....

    Put some political pressure on Cambodia, as well as at its own citizens and other nations around, to stop fucking doing this every year, instead of trying to simulate rainy season.. to appear as they are actually doing something.

    At the time of writing this, the pm2.5 particles are at 180 Link .. so obviously this little PR stunt ain't cutting it.