RESUMEN
By using the Rotorod sampler, airborne pollen was surveyed at 8 different stations in Bangkok Metropolis. At each station the glass rod was exposed thrice a week throughout the year. Pollen grains were found in every exposed rod and altogether 16 different kinds of pollen were identified. The common pollen found, listed in decreasing order, were Cyperaceae 23.34%, wild grasses 19.56%, cultivated grasses 11.08% and Amaranthaceae 8.08%. Unidentified pollen was also encountered for 10.04%. These pollen were present in the Bangkok atmosphere all year round but their peak was during October to February and again in June. Both types and amount of pollen found at each station studied did not show much difference.
RESUMEN
Castor bean is one of the agricultural cash crops of economic importance, the health hazards of castor bean dust that recently made headlines in the mass media alerted many governmental agencies concerned to take action. The castor oil mill started operation in 1979, at Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prokan 50 km east of Bangkok. A few months after the operation, people who lived within 2 kilometres of the mill began to develop respiratory ailments: cough, sneezing, headache, nasal blockage, wheezing, violent attacks of asthma. An epidemiological survey carried out showed that castor bean dust was the major health hazards in the villages within 2 kilometres of the castor oil mill in Phra Pradaeng. The patients suffering from asthma due to castor bean had no further attacks after closure of the factory. The study indicated that to minimize the health hazard problem, the castor bean oil mill should improve its method of collecting the castor bean pomace.