Jakarta’s Worst Air Quality in the World, Pollution Expert ITB: The Effects of El Nino Emissions and Effects

TIME.CO, Bandung – Bandung Institute of Technology air pollution expert Puji Lestari said the level air pollution in Jakarta recently it is quite high. According to him, there are several contributing factors, as well as natural conditions emission o exhaust gases from the transport and industrial sectors.

“Because it has recently increased, there are other factors causing it besides the source of the pollutant,” Puji said on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.

Natural conditions, according to Puji, have a great influence. In the rainy season, pollutants can be dissolved so that the air becomes clean. But on the contrary, more appeared The boy which can make droughts drier and longer.

This situation causes pollutants to accumulate in space. Stable atmospheric conditions and low wind speeds also prevent the spread of pollutants. L

“Besides natural conditions, we also need to know exactly where the main source of air pollution is in Jakarta,” said Puji.

Puji and his team conducted the latest research on the emission and distribution of air pollution in Jakarta in 2019, the results of which were to be published in 2022. They calculated the pollution level at three points, namely in West Jakarta , South Jakarta and Central Jakarta. According to Puji, particulate or fine dust pollution, called PM2.5, comes mainly from transportation and industry.

“From transportation it may be 46 percent, from industry 43 percent,” said the environmental engineering professor at the ITB.

Diesel-powered diesel-powered vehicles are classified as having a lot of air pollution. Biodiesel fuel of 30 percent, he admitted, could reduce pollution.

“But that’s only 30 percent, it can’t be reduced completely,” said Puji.

Other modes of transportation highlighted are heavy duty vehicles and traffic conditions in Jakarta with high levels of congestion.

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Meanwhile, by the type of pollutant, its source can be identified. CO gas or carbon monoxide is more than just transport. While NOx or nitrogen oxides come from power plants. While SO2 aka sulfur dioxide is usually a lot from industry.

“These are the major sources of pollution in Jakarta,” Puji said.

On August 8-9, 2023, for example, the air quality in Jakarta is ranked as the worst in the world. According to the website of IQAir, a Swiss technology company that focuses on measuring air quality, Jakarta’s air quality index for the two days was between 160 and 164. One of the major concentrations of pollutants, i.e. PM2.5, was 72 micrograms per cubic metre.

According to Puji, the level of pollution in Jakarta fluctuates every day. From the measurement results it can sometimes be lower than the quality standard or vice versa.

“But if we look at it on a yearly basis, we’ll see that the average yearly data is the most dangerous,” Puji said.

The World Health Organization or WHO sets an annual average quality standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has set a quality standard of 55 micrograms per cubic meter since 2021.

“If it’s tighter, it’s actually better, but there will be a lot of consequences,” Puji said.

The consequences include the implementation of pollution controls, the enforcement of laws and the tightening of industrial and vehicle emissions standards.

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