Air quality in Tampin

What is the air quality index of Tampin?

Tampin is a town in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however, part of the town crosses over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border. In 2010 it had an estimated population of 57,506.

At the beginning of 2021, Tampin was experiencing a period of air quality classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 122. This classification is in line with the suggested figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The recorded concentration of PM2.5 was 44.2 µg/m³. With levels as high as these, it is recommended to close doors and windows to prevent the ingress of dirty air into the rooms. Those of a sensitive disposition should avoid venturing outside until the quality of air has improved. Everybody should avoid outdoor activities for the same reason. It would be beneficial to operate an air purifier if one is available.

Is Tampin very polluted?

The Air Pollution Index (IPU) in Negeri Sembilan has shown high readings since last year but is still under control. According to sources, the main factor for high API readings in this state is due to forest fires that occur in Sumatra, Indonesia apart from open burning activities carried out by irresponsible parties in the state. This year, there were two recurring cases and the perpetrators have been fined RM 2,000 for conducting open burning.

Unfortunately, air pollution has become an ongoing problem in most countries including Malaysia. In Malaysia, the annual average of PM2.5 is around 15 µg/m³ which is 50 per cent higher than the safe level set by the WHO.

More worryingly, the worse annual reading value is recorded in big cities like Petaling Jaya with a reading of 25 µg/m³. In 1997, a state of emergency was declared in Kuching, Sarawak when the Air Pollution Index (IPU) reading due to haze struck above the level of 650, the highest dangerous level in history.

What are the main sources of air pollution in Tampin?

The Department of Environment (DOE) issued a statement about the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia causing haze to drift across the border and how it is affecting the increased API readings in all areas along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and western Sarawak. Currently, this is the number one source of air pollution in Tampin. Such a situation can be almost impossible to control because most of the haze is created in neighbouring Indonesia. However, the Indonesian government had named four palm oil companies with Malaysian links as the culprits behind several forest fires in the country.

The Negeri Sembilan Department of Environment (DOE) has identified 32 plastic waste recycling factories in the state and five of them are operating illegally. For plastic recycling process applications, the premises must be located in an industrial area, and be compatible with existing facilities. They must have a good air pollution control system and have an effluent processing system to clean the by-products before disposal.

Can the quality of Tampin’s air be improved?

In order for this to happen, the problematic forest fires must be tackled.

Indonesia should take action against the perpetrators of the forest fires, regardless of who they are and without fear or favour, according to the law of the land. Most importantly, forest fires must be extinguished as soon as possible. Analysis of satellite data by the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) found that there are at least twice as many hotspots in the Indonesian territories of Sumatra and Kalimantan compared to the entire Malaysia.

It was suggested that it is time to form a joint investigation unit by Indonesia and Malaysia along with Singapore and other countries that are affected by the “annual haze celebration”, to jointly find the source and ultimately take the necessary action to control the situation. Malaysia perhaps could emulate Singapore’s move to pass the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 which allows regulators to prosecute companies and individuals that cause severe air pollution in Singapore by burning forests and peatlands in neighbouring countries.

It is time for the Malaysian community to adopt an "environmentally friendly" lifestyle widely in their daily lives as well as be actively involved in efforts to preserve and conserve the national and global environment.

Every member of society needs to realise that conservation efforts should be the core of each other because the awareness in each individual is very important.

What are the health implications of Tampin’s polluted air?

In 2012, air pollution was the cause of death of more than 6.5 million people, which is equivalent to 11.6 per cent of total deaths worldwide.

Haze is a phenomenon caused by the existence of many small particles that are invisible to the naked eye and float in the air. These particles may originate naturally or as a side effect of human activity. When these particles exist in large quantities and in clusters they can block the sun's rays to the earth and cause poor visibility.

The main causes of haze are the consequences of open burning, emissions from factories and exhaust fumes from vehicles.

The Air Pollution Index (API) is obtained from the measurement of fine dust (10 microns and below) and several types of gases that can affect health, namely carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃₎.

A continuous haze has a detrimental effect on everybody, but there are some groups of people who are classed as being High Risk. These are children under the age of 14, senior citizens, people with asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular problems and smokers. Those who work in an outdoor environment will be greatly affected because of the amount of time spent in such polluted air.

The effects that may be experienced after continuous exposure to haze include: itching in the throat and coughing, feeling difficult to breathe or shortness of breath, eyes feel sore and watery runny nose and frequent sneezing and the skin feels itchy.

Air pollutants such as ozone, metals and free radicals are known to damage lung tissue cells. Therefore, according to most researchers, the particles in the air decrease life expectancy because pollutants such as ozone affect a person's breathing, triggers asthma symptoms and causes lung and heart disease in addition to causing infertility.