Jakarta's Air Quality Tonight Is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups; Pollutant Levels Exceed WHO Safe Limits by 3.5 Times

Jakarta's air quality on Monday, October 23, 2023, at 7:00 PM WIB was recorded as unhealthy, with PM2.5 concentrations 3.5 times the WHO's safe standard. This concentration is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) page, Jakarta's average air quality index was 95, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 53.0 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter) at 7:00 PM 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 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM WIB.

The lowest PM2.5 concentration in Jakarta's air was 53.0 µg/m³ at 7:00 PM WIB, while the highest PM2.5 concentration was 54.3 µg/m³ at 11:00 AM WIB.

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

Sources of PM2.5 include emissions from the combustion 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 categorizes PM2.5 air pollution levels as follows:

* 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