Haze continued to affect several parts of the country today, with 35 monitoring stations recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 5pm.
According to the Department of Environment’s (DoE) Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), 21 stations recorded moderate air quality while nine reported good readings. No stations recorded very unhealthy or hazardous levels.
Johan Setia in Selangor recorded the highest API reading at 181, followed by Cheras in Kuala Lumpur at 172 and Batu Muda, also in Kuala Lumpur, at 169.
Other areas in the unhealthy category included Nilai, Negri Sembilan (169), Putrajaya (168), Shah Alam, Selangor (168) and Seri Manjung, Perak (166).
Balik Pulau in Penang recorded an API reading of 165, while Tasek Ipoh in Perak and Seremban in Negri Sembilan each recorded 164.
Other stations recording unhealthy readings were Petaling Jaya, Selangor (162), Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu (161) and Tanjung Malim, Perak (160).
Under the API classification, readings from 0 to 50 indicate good air quality, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and readings above 300 hazardous.
The DoE monitors ambient air quality through its APIMS network, with API readings calculated using the 24-hour running average of the dominant pollutant.
The public can check the latest API readings through the DoE’s APIMS portal and are advised to take appropriate precautions when air quality deteriorates, particularly those in sensitive groups.
