Jakarta's Air Quality This Morning Is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups; Pollutant Levels Exceed WHO Safe Limits by 2.1 Times

Jakarta's air quality on Sunday (November 5th, 2023) at 9:00 AM WIB was monitored as unhealthy, with PM2.5 concentration 2.1 times the WHO's safe standard limit. This concentration is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK)'s Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) page, Jakarta's average air quality index was 70, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 31.7 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter) at 9:00 AM WIB.

According to WHO standards, good air quality has an average 24-hour PM2.5 concentration range of 0 to 15 µg/m³.

Meanwhile, the development of Jakarta's air quality over the past 8 hours shows that the air was generally unhealthy for sensitive groups from 1:00 AM to 9:00 AM WIB.

The lowest PM2.5 concentration in Jakarta's air was 31.5 µg/m³ at 2:00 AM WIB, while the highest PM2.5 concentration was at 3:00 AM WIB with a value of 43.4 µg/m³.

Quoting the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) website, PM2.5 are small airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns, or about 3% of the diameter of a human hair.

Sources of PM2.5 include emissions from the burning of gasoline, oil, wood, and other fuels. Long-term effects of PM2.5 exposure on the human body include premature death, chronic heart and lung disease, and reduced lung function in children.

For information, BMKG divides PM2.5 air pollution levels into several categories:

* Good: 0 - 15.5 µg/m³
* Moderate: 15.6 - 55.4 µg/m³
* Unhealthy: 55.5 - 150.4 µg/m³
* Very Unhealthy: 150.5 - 250.4 µg/m³
* Hazardous: >250.5 µg/m³