Sunday 17 June 2012

API readings drop in S'gor, KL due to rain

Posted on 17 June 2012 - 07:28pm

Last updated on 17 June 2012 - 07:33pm

KUALA LUMPUR (June 17, 2012): Heavy rainfall in most parts of the Klang Valley this morning has lowered Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at four locations in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

An API reading of 127 was recorded in Port Klang at 11am today, compared with 142 at the same time yesterday while lower readings were also recorded in Shah Alam (116), Kuala Selangor (110) and Petaling Jaya (102).

API readings at 11am yesterday in Shah Alam was 130, Kuala Selangor (101) and Petaling Jaya (131). According to a statement from the Department of Environment (DOE) today, 24-hour surveillance on 10 areas showed good API levels, 37 areas with moderate readings while no areas were deemed unhealthy.

Poor levels of air quality was reportedly caused by cross-border haze being blown in from Sumatra, Indonesia, it added.

A satellite image issued by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) showed 80 hotspots located in Sumatra compared with nine on Friday.

The satellite image also showed that movement of haze carried by southwesterly winds at hotspots in Riau, central Sumatra will move to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia covering the Klang Valley.

The department stated they have mobilised the National Haze Action Plan and activated the Open Burning Prevention Action Plan in all states to monitor air quality nationwide.

The public have also been reminded that prohibition of open burning in Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya is still enforced. – Bernama

Source : http://www.thesundaily.my/news/409783

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The emissions from ships engaged in international trade in the seas surrounding Europe - the Baltic, the North Sea, the north-eastern part of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea - were estimated to have been 2.3 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 3.3 million tonnes of nitrogen oxides a year in 2000.

In contrast to the progress in reducing emissions from land-based sources, shipping emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides are expected to continue increasing by as much as 40 per cent by 2020. As a result, by 2020 the emissions from international shipping around Europe is expected to equal or even surpass the total from all land-based sources in the 27 EU member states combined.

Source: http://www.airclim.org/policy/sub6_2.php

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Engine related air pollution: Vehicles which burn fossil fuels just aren't 100% efficient at that task. Of the fuel that goes into the engine a portion of it comes out unburned. Another part of it is heated by the conditions in the engine and its component molecules are cracked and reformed and a portion of these emerge in the exhaust. There are also other fuel componenets (additive packages, sulfur, detergents) that are either not burnable or only partially consumed and discharges. Finally there is the air that is consumed in the engine. The oxygen is largely combined with carbon to produce carbon dioxide, th nitrogen is combined with oxygen under the engines high heat and pressure to form various nitrogen oxides (lumped together as NOx) Fuel and fuelling related pollution: During fuellig and as the vehicle stands part of the fuel evaporates and is emitted to the ir. This emission contains voltile organic compounds ranging from methane and butane to cyclic compounds like benzene and othe aromatics Other air pollution As a vehicle travels it stirs p road dust which is a particulate air pllutant. In addition the tyres are slowly wearing away shedding latex and artificial rubber as particulate. This is a potential allergen. Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_vehicles_cause_air_pollution#ixzz1d1eHXMcn Source: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_vehicles_cause_air_pollution