Air Pollution and Haze
Disaster
Air Pollution
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Definition:
• Air pollution is the introduction of particulates, biological
molecules, or other harmful gases into the atmosphere,
causing diseases, death to humans, damage to other living
organisms such as animals and food crops, or the natural or
built environment
Outdoor Air Pollution Sources
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Indoor Air Pollution Sources
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Major Pollutants
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Category
Agriculture or Haze
Mining and quarrying
Industries
Source
Open burning
Coal mining
Food, beverages and tobacco
Emitted pollutants
SPM, CO, VOC
SPM, SO2, NOx, VOC
SPM, CO, VOC, H2S
Textiles and leather industries
SPM, VOC
Wood products
Paper products, printing
SPM, VOC
SPM, SO2, CO, VOC, H2S, R-SH
Petroleum refineries
Chemicals
Miscellaneous products of
petroleum and coal
SPM, SO2, CO, VOC
SPM, SO2, NOx, CO, VOC
Transport
Automobile vehicle exhaust
NOx, CO, CO2 , PM, Hydrocarbons
Power generation
Electricity, gas and steam
SPM, SO2, NOx, CO, VOC, SO3, Pb
Indoor
Printing machines, Building
Materials
VOC, HCHO, O3, biological contaminants,
CO, CO2
Deaths due to Pollution
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What is HAZE ?
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HAZE : HAZE is caused by particulate matter from many sources including
smoke, road dust, and other particles emitted directly into the
atmosphere, as well as particulate matter formed when gaseous pollutants
react in the atmosphere. These particles often grow in size as humidity
increases, further impairing VISIBILITY.
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HAZE pollution can be “transboundary” if its density and extent is so great
at source that it remains at measurable levels after crossing into another
country’s air space.
Causes- 1. Forest Fire
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Causes- 2. Agricultural Waste Burning
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Causes- 3. Land-clearing fires
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Causes- 4. Disposal of wood waste
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Palm oil company builds windrows but
continues to use or allow fire to burn slash
before planting palm oil.
Causes- 5. Solid Waste Burning
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Why Does Haze Happen in Indonesia?
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Cannot afford mechanical land-clearing-Fire is traditional tool
No other means to dispose of wood
No fear of prosecution
Ineffective Fire Detection Systems
Ineffective Response Systems
Normal Dry Season (1 – 2 times a year) and/or Severe Extended Dry
Season Increased – Prone for Forest and Land Fires
Three Types of Haze
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Under stagnant air mass conditions,
aerosols can be "trapped"
Visibility Impairment: generally associated with
discoloration, haziness, and loss of color and detail.
Plume: Pollutants are constrained in a tight
elevated layer that can often be traced to a
nearby source.
Uniform Haze: Pollutants are uniformly distributed
Layered Haze: Pollutants are often trapped near
from the ground to a height well above the highest
terrain feature.
the ground beneath a temperature inversion. The
top edge of the pollutant layer is visible.
Haze & Visibility
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Particles and gases in the
atmosphere can scatter
or redirect imageforming light as it travels
to the eye.
Through scattering,
some image-forming
light is removed from
the view path.
In addition, extra light,
sunlight, and light
reflected from the clouds
and ground are added to
the sight path, which
interferes with the
ability to view the scene.
Scattering
Another cause of
visibility impairment is
absorption.
Particles and gases in the
atmosphere absorb or
remove image-forming
light before it ever
reaches the viewer’s eye.
Although significant,
absorption usually is less
important than
scattering processes
when we talk about
visibility impairment.
Absorption
How Pollutants Cause Haze
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Extinction is a
visibility metric used
to describe the
combined effect of
scattering and
absorption. It is
proportional to the
total amount of light
removed as light
passes through the
atmosphere and is
related to the
concentration of
pollutants.
Parameters Describing Visual Air Quality
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. It is directly related
to perceived changes
in visibility. As
haziness increases, so
does the deciview
value.
A one deciview
change represents a
10 percent change in
extinction. Most
people can perceive a
one deciview change.
Deciview is an index of haziness that expresses changes in
scene quality
1. Visual Range
2. Extinction
3. Deciview
Five Types of particles that Reduce Visibility
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Although particulate matter is made up of
many chemical species, there are five key
contributors to visibility impairment.
Primary Pollutants are emitted directly
into the atmosphere, and include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sulfur Dioxide
Nitrogen Oxides
Elemental Carbon
Organic Compounds
Soil or Dust
Secondary Pollutants form
chemical reactions involving primary
gas emissions (precursors), and include:
1. Ammonium Sulfate
2. Ammonium Nitrate
3. Organic compounds
Sources of particles that Reduce Visibility
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Carbon Element
Nitrates
Sulfates
Organics
Soils
Short Term Solution to address Haze at Origin
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Fire Management (Origin)
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Sent emergency response team for fire management and rescue the victims
Provide Utilities to Victims
Use forecasting technology and advise Forest Department -to create buffer zones at affected area
to reduce the spread, to alert publics
Voluntary services from USM -healthcare center team to treat victims
Use advanced technology devices (UAV) to monitor the spread and also provide healthcare
utilities at rural area
Damage Assessment (Economy, Health & Ecology)
Short Term Solution to address Haze at Receptor
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• Activation of Communication Network- Apps Technology (Warning,
Information, Instruction) for public
• Voluntary services at healthcare center to get utilities and treatment
• Implementing Control Strategies (No outdoor activities, Health practices
Technology Adoption Indoor)
• Damage Assessment (Economy &Health)
Long Term Solution –(Origin/ Receptor) Engineering,
Education, Enforcement
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Multi-stakeholder involvement - concerted, committed
action
Government
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Consistent enforcement of existing laws
Develop alternative land preparation methods (no
fire)
Legislation & market opportunity to utilize waste
wood
Investment in effective fire response systems
Investment in R&D for Air Pollution related
technology
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Long Term Solution –(Origin/ Receptor) Engineering,
Education, Enforcement
Businesses
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Sustainable management of forest resources
NGOs, Media, Communities
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Grassroots education, training & awareness to
promote environmental awareness among
all sections of the society
Zero burning concept
Promoting the use of clean alternative and renewable energy.
Transportation- reduce Sulphur content to 500 to 50ppm &
Traffic Planning-Promote Public transportation
Reduce Emission from Industrial Sector-adoption of
new technology
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Create economically viable options for the use of wood from legal land-clearing
 Develop new market opportunities for use of wood that is otherwise burned
Collaborators & Policy Makers
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National:
• NIOSH
• Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE)
• Other Institute in Malaysia-UKM Institute of Climate Change
• Weather Department
• Majlis Keselamatan Negara
Regional:
• ASEAN co-operation on environment
International:
• World Health Organization
• International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection
Associations
Air Pollution Group Research Proposal
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Forecasting
Technology
&
Assessment
Health
Assessment
Integrated
Technology to
implement indoor
control strategy
Forecasting Technology & Assessment
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Early warning system
• Collecting API data (5 -10 years) from the nearest Asian countries from the
meteorology station and DOE to simulate the impact level (Aerospace EngDr Parvathy Rajendran & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Zulkifli Bin Abdullah) .
• Increase the Regional data collection, do trend analysis and air quality
modeling (Prof Noor Azam & Prof Rahmat Awang)
• advanced technologies in remote sensing, digital mapping, and
instantaneous communications to predict, detect, and respond to potential
crises-enforcement of Law
Integrated Technology for Indoor
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Implement of Indoor Control Strategy (5 teams are identified-Materials,
Chemical and Electrical Eng)
• Electrostatic Technology- Prof Zainal
• Photocatalyst- Prof Srimala & Dr Vignesh
• Super hydrophobic Filter- Dr Leo
• Adsorption using activated Carbon- Prof Rahman
• Green Plant –Dr. Irvan
Health Assessment
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Monitoring and Health Assessment (School of Medical
Sciences-Dr. Ahmad Filza & Team)
• Hazard identification
• Exposure assessment
• Dose response assessment
• Risk characterization
Gaps in Analysis
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Strength:
• Proven technologies at chemical and materials engineering that could be integrated to address
indoor air pollution
• Apps technology from computer science for reporting and sharing information
• Have a team from the school of medical sciences to do health assessment
• Have a team from civil and aerospace engineering for environmental data monitoring and
imaging
Weakness:
• No early warning system
• No comprehensive data sharing from the monitoring station closest to disaster location
• No team members from economics for cost benefit analysis
• No sustainable outdoor technology
• Don’t have collaboration with policy makers
Acknowledgement
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All the team members
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Prof. Dr. Rahman
Prof. Dr. Zainal Arifin Ahamad
Prof. Dr. Nor Azam
Prof. Dr. Rahmat Awang
Prof. Dr. Mohd Zulkifli
Dr. Parvathy Rajendran
Dr. Noor Faizah
Dr. Ahmad Filza
Dr. Leo Choe Peng
Dr. Irvan Dahlan
Dr. Vignesh
Ms. Norhusia Mohamed
Ms. Sahareen Binti
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THANK YOU