Future Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to PM(2.5) in Different Age Groups of Children in Northern Thailand

Particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 (PM(2.5)) is one of the major threats posed by air pollution to human health. It penetrates the respiratory system, particularly the lungs. In northern Thailand, the PM(2.5) concentrations have significantly increased in the past decade, becoming a major concern for the health of children. This study aimed to assess the health risk of PM(2.5) in different age groups of children in northern Thailand between 2020 and 2029. Based on the PM(2.5) data from the simulation of the Nested Regional Climate Model with Chemistry (NRCM-Chem), the hazard quotient (HQ) was used to estimate the possible risk from PM(2.5) exposure in children. In general, all age groups of children in northern Thailand will tend to experience the threat of PM(2.5) in the future. In the context of age-related development periods, infants are at a higher risk than other groups (toddlers, young children, school age and adolescents), but adolescents also have a lower risk of exposure to PM(2.5), albeit maintaining a high HQ value (>1). Moreover, the analysis of risk assessment in different age groups of children revealed that PM(2.5) exposure might indeed affect adolescent risk differently depending on gender, with males generally at a heightened risk than females in adolescence.