Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
Nearby mountains and penetrating forests do not guarantee a city's air quality, at least if West Java's capital, Bandung, which sits 750 meters above sea level, is anything to go by.
Bandung's air pollutants are trapped by a combination of surrounding mountains and the city's concave, bowl-like footprint, preventing their release into the upper atmosphere.
Research conducted by experts at the Bandung Institute of Technology, using a series of air quality index boards, has shown city residents only enjoy about 55 days of clean air per year.
The boards were installed in 2000 at Taman Tegallega, south of the city, Bundaran Cibiru, to the east, Dago, to the north, Setiabudi, in the west and Alun-alun, which is in the center.
Head of the pollution control division at the Bandung office of the Regional Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) Ayu Sukenjah said the dispersion of air pollutants was hindered by the city's geography.
"Air pollutants are trapped and hover over the city, unlike in Jakarta, where pollutants are high but can be easily pushed to the sea by the wind," Ayu told The Jakarta Post in Bandung.
According to an analysis conducted by the Bandung office of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN), the main contributors to air pollution in the city are toxic gases, including carbon monoxide (48,110 tons emitted annually), nitrogen oxide (2,707 tons), sulfur oxide (2,356 tons) and lead (35 tons per year).
Measurements taken in 16 locations by the BPLHD in 2006 showed most parts of the city were heavily polluted, including the Ledeng and Leuwipanjang bus terminals and Alun-alun Square, where lead contents were found to be between 2 and 2.29 micrograms per cubic meter, exceeding the tolerable limit of 2 micrograms per cubi meter.
Hydrocarbon contents in the three areas ranged between 1.55 and 3.82 parts per million (ppm), far surpassing the standard level of only 0.24 ppm, while dust contents, or suspended particulate matter, ranged between 152 and 163 micrograms per cubic meter. compared to the standard 150 micrograms per cubic meter.
The harmful effects of air pollution, especially dust and lead, have been detected in traffic congested areas in Buah Batu, Balaikota, Wastukancana and the hilly area of Punclut, west of Bukit Dago, where air quality has been annually measured since 2006.
A number of environmental experts have raised concern over the risks the air pollution "trap" could pose to residents. Puji Lestari, air pollution expert at the Bandung Institute of Technology, conducted a study in 2004 on lead content in blood samples of elementary school pupils, finding astonishing results.
Blood samples taken from 400 students contained between 2.5 and 60 mg per deciliter of lead, far exceeding the tolerable level of 10 mg per deciliter of blood.
A comparison study conducted by the BPLHD to measure lead content in 30 high school students' hair was more startling.
"We found the hair samples to contain high levels of lead, some reaching 60 ppm, far exceeding the standard of 1.5 ppm, despite the students frequently washing their hair," said Ayu.
Air pollution in Bandung has produced acid rain since 1998, of average acidity level 5.6 pH. Rain acidity is measured by analyzing rainfall samples taken from LAPAN facilities on Jl. Djundjunan and Jl. Pasteur.
However, most Bandung residents remain unaware of their decreasing air quality because few read about it in the newspapers, while three of the five monitors installed around the city to show information on air quality are out of order.
Ayu said the screens' data could help advise people, especially those most susceptible to air pollution, including elderly people and children, when to carry out their outdoor activities.
"If the index exceeds the standards, then you shouldn't engage in outdoor activities," said Ayu.
She said results of the analysis would also act as a reminder to the government to take necessary measures in minimizing pollution in the city.
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