Soaring PM2.5 in Laos levels pose health risks for many people

Air pollution in parts of Vientiane has reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups. - Image from Laotian Times

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): Several areas across Laos recorded PM2.5 concentrations exceeding safety limits, posing health risks to sensitive groups, according to a report issued by the Natural Resource and Environment Research Institute.

The highest PM2.5 level was measured at 81.9 micrograms per cubic metre in Bountay district, Phongsaly province with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 140, classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups.