Air quality in Port Klang has dipped into ‘unhealthy’ levels today, recording an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 108.
According to the API, a reading of 0-50 denotes good air quality; 51-100 (moderate); 101-200 (unhealthy); 201-300 (very unhealthy); above 301 (hazardous to human health).
Despite a state of emergency over forest fires in Riau, Indonesia, the unhealthy air quality in Port Klang is however attributed to domestic sources.
According to maps posted on Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre’s (ASMC) website, southwesterly winds are carrying the Riau haze away from Malaysia towards the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, satellite imagery taken today shows that there are 58 hotspots throughout Peninsula Malaysia, including some near the Klang Valley.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Che Gayah Ismail had earlier said that current haze originated from Malaysia.
“This time, the haze is caused by domestic sources and the lack of rainfall has caused such things as gas, dust, ash and particles to float in the atmosphere and not fall down to the earth,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
However, things could change as the Asean region is entering the intermonsoon period, and the southwesterly winds slowly give way to northeasterly ones over the next two months.
Ozone pollution
Meanwhile, air pollution levels in Putrajaya and Ipoh briefly recorded ‘unhealthy’ levels too due to ground-level ozone pollution.
These quickly returned to ‘moderate’ levels within hours.
“Late afternoon or early evening, ozone concentration is normally high and dominates the API readings in some areas,” the Department on Environment’s website said in explaining its API readings.
“Under the sun’s influence, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from motor vehicle and industrial exhausts react to form ground-level ozone.”
According to the API, a reading of 0-50 denotes good air quality; 51-100 (moderate); 101-200 (unhealthy); 201-300 (very unhealthy); above 301 (hazardous to human health).
Despite a state of emergency over forest fires in Riau, Indonesia, the unhealthy air quality in Port Klang is however attributed to domestic sources.
According to maps posted on Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre’s (ASMC) website, southwesterly winds are carrying the Riau haze away from Malaysia towards the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, satellite imagery taken today shows that there are 58 hotspots throughout Peninsula Malaysia, including some near the Klang Valley.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Che Gayah Ismail had earlier said that current haze originated from Malaysia.
“This time, the haze is caused by domestic sources and the lack of rainfall has caused such things as gas, dust, ash and particles to float in the atmosphere and not fall down to the earth,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
However, things could change as the Asean region is entering the intermonsoon period, and the southwesterly winds slowly give way to northeasterly ones over the next two months.
Ozone pollution
Meanwhile, air pollution levels in Putrajaya and Ipoh briefly recorded ‘unhealthy’ levels too due to ground-level ozone pollution.
These quickly returned to ‘moderate’ levels within hours.
“Late afternoon or early evening, ozone concentration is normally high and dominates the API readings in some areas,” the Department on Environment’s website said in explaining its API readings.
“Under the sun’s influence, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from motor vehicle and industrial exhausts react to form ground-level ozone.”
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