Professor Dr. Siwat Pongpiachan was honored by the Parliamentary Committee on the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters and Public Hazard Impacts of the House of Representatives to present research findings and case studies on water pollution monitoring using geo-informatics and satellite technology to the Subcommittee on Transboundary Water Pollution Studies at the Parliament on September 26, 2025.
PMU-B also participated in discussions with the Subcommittee to address transboundary water pollution issues through geo-informatics and satellite-based monitoring technologies. During the meeting, Professor Dr. Siwat Pongpiachan and his research team presented findings on heavy metal contamination in the Kok River Basin using advanced analytical techniques, including Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), as well as geo-informatics and satellite imagery to study the distribution and concentration of heavy metals in water and sediment, and to assess the severity of environmental impacts.
Preliminary results indicated that the Kok River Basin is contaminated with multiple heavy metals, including chromium, arsenic, lead, and nickel, some of which exceed Thai regulatory standards. However, chemical speciation and oxidation state analysis using synchrotron radiation techniques revealed that more than 80% of arsenic present in the water exists in chemically stable and low-toxicity forms, suggesting that water treatment prior to consumption may be feasible.
In addition, PMU-B and the research team provided further academic insights and exchanged views with the Subcommittee on effective approaches for resolving and restoring water resources in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces in a sustainable manner.
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