Industrial Zones in the City: What is the Air Pollution Level in Tangerang?
Hi, Tangerang citizens! 👋
Have you checked the air quality in the neighborhood where you live? What color does it show, is it green, yellow, or even red? In this article, we will reveal the air quality in Tangerang City.
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Taking about 1 hour and 3 minutes to travel from Jakarta, Tangerang is one of the many industrial cities in West Java Province. Tangerang City is also a city with around 2.2 million citizens. The large amount of industrial areas scattered in Tangerang City has become one of the main issues that affect air quality in Tangerang City and endanger the health of its residents.
How awful is the air in Tangerang City?
First, let's recall PM2.5, one of the problems we have to deal with. PM2.5 is particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (very tiny and cannot be seen directly) that poses a health risk when inhaled. According to WHO, exposure to PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3 to avoid health risks.
Now, let's look at the data on air quality in Tangerang City!
We can see that the blue line is Tangerang and the black line is Jakarta. Since the start of 2023, PM2.5 levels in Tangerang have been increasing significantly every day. We can also see that sometimes air pollution exceeds the average PM2.5 in Jakarta. This increase is even more drastic from May to June.
From the graph above, it can be seen that Tangerang City during 2023 has a PM2.5 level that surpasses DKI Jakarta, with a level of 35 µg/m3. Although the gap is only 3 µg/m3, the air quality in Tangerang is already considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Now, let's take a closer look at the air pollution data measured at each sensor!
In June, the average air quality across all locations in Tangerang was unhealthy. PM2.5 pollution levels ranged from 39 to 62 µg/m3, or 12x above the WHO annual exposure limit (5 µg/m3)! Panunggangan Utara is the location with the lowest air quality in Tangerang, at 62 µg/m3.
Let's take a more in-depth view of the air quality in each location!
Panunggangan Utara
The poor air quality in North Panunggangan apparently did not occur throughout the month. The air quality in Panunggangan Utara was also moderate in January, February, and April, while unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups occurred in March. During May, there was a drastic increase in PM2.5 in Panunggangan Air. From May to July, it appears that the air quality in North Panunggangan was rated unhealthy for both general and sensitive groups.
Cipadu
Not only in North Panunggangan, the air in Cipadu is also ranked as the second most polluted area in Tangerang. The presence of Cipadu Market makes this area known as a fabric and textile center. This makes Cipadu a busy area with high-traffic mobility. Let's check the air quality in Cipadu together!
From the data presented above, the monthly PM2.5 average is quite dominated by air with unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, which occurs in March, May, June, and July.
Sampora
The Nafas sensor located in Sampora shows that the air in that location is 6th out of 11 with unhealthy quality for sensitive groups. Let's take a look at the average PM2.5 data in Sampora every month!
From the Sampora air quality data above, we can see that in the first 4 months, the air quality in Sampora was quite good. However, just like in the previous locations, the air quality deteriorated when entering May, and remained unhealthy for sensitive groups until July.
Tangerang air quality is not healthy on most days
Let's take a look at Tangerang's air quality during June 2023!
For most of the day, Tangerang's air quality is unhealthy. Even if it improved, this condition only occurred between 14.00 and 19.00. This means that during June, the morning air is not healthy for exercising or sunbathing babies, except on June 28 to 30, 2023. These high pollution levels can easily trigger various respiratory diseases, especially in sensitive groups such as asthmatics, children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
We recommend that Tangerang citizens who routinely do outdoor activities every day should take preventive actions because the risk of exposure to air pollution is very high. The results of collaborative research between breath and local telemedicine companies in Jabodetabek from June to August 2022 stated that the number of consultations related to asthma attacks doubled in 10 to 17 hours when PM2.5 was in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category, which can be seen as an orange point 😷
So, how can we avoid exposure to air pollution?
For some people, the impacts of air pollution can be felt immediately and cause damage to their health. Although you may not feel it directly, do not underestimate exposure to air pollution because these particulates can accumulate in the body and cause disease in the future.
✅ For this reason, Nafas has some tips to protect yourself and your family from exposure to air pollution:
- Download the Nafas app and check the air quality regularly
- Choose important locations as favorites to make checking easier
- Wear a mask when leaving the house (recommended type of respirator, such as N95 for example)
- When pollution is high, follow the recommendations in the Nafas app, for example, turning on the air purifier in the house
