Categorized In Unhealthy Category, Jakarta's Air Quality Index Reaches 193

Illustration/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Air quality data agency IQ Air ranked Jakarta as the most polluted city in Indonesia with an air quality index of 193 on Monday morning, June 20.

Launching from the official website of IQ Air in Jakarta, the air quality of the capital city is categorized as unhealthy because the concentration of PM2.5 is currently 27.4 times the annual air quality guideline value of the World Health Organization (WHO). The concentration of PM2.5 in Jakarta is at 136.9 grams per cubic meter.

PM2.5 refers to certain microscopic materials with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, with various detrimental effects on human health and the environment, and therefore is one of the main pollutants used in calculating the air quality of a city or country as a whole.

Based on the BMKG analysis, the high PM2.5 concentration in Jakarta is influenced by various emission sources, both from local sources, such as transportation and residential areas, as well as from regional sources from industrial areas close to Jakarta.

In addition, the movement of air pollutants such as PM2.5 is influenced by wind patterns that move from one location to another. Winds carrying PM2.5 from emission sources can move to other locations, causing a potential increase in PM2.5 concentrations.

Another factor that affects the increase in PM2.5 comes from the high humidity of the air which causes an increase in the adsorption process or changes in state from gas to particles. This process causes an increase in the concentration of PM2.5 which is facilitated by the water content in the air.

IQ Air advises people to wear masks when outdoors, close windows to prevent dirty outside air from entering their homes, use air purifiers and avoid outdoor sports.

Globally, the air quality in Jakarta this morning was ranked the worst above Santiago in Chile with an index of 175 and Johannesburg in South Africa with an index of 158.

In addition, IQ Air also places Sedingin Village in Riau as the area with the cleanest air quality in Indonesia because it only has an index of eight.