Particulate air pollution in Indonesia: quality index, characteristic, and source identification

Abstract

The growth of urbanization, industrialization, and economic development in many areas in Indonesia contributes to the rise of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere. PM is strongly correlated with the severe air pollution that can lead to several health problems and early mortality. Other than continuous concentration monitoring, a good understanding of chemical characteristics and sources of PM is important for effective management and mitigation of air pollution. The aim of this study was to summarize the spatial distribution of the PM (PM2.5 and PM10) concentration level, chemical characteristics, and sources apportionment in several cities in Indonesia based on systematic Scopus and Google searches for the period of publication year between 2008 to 2019. The studies of 10 cities showed most of the cities’ PM2.5 and PM10 average concentration have exceeded the annual average standard of both Indonesian regulation and WHO standards. Generally, traffic emissions were the majority sources, followed by biomass burning and dust emission. Forest and peat fires did contribute to high biomass burning emission in the downwind cities. The findings help to give the image of the status and the nature of particulate air pollution problems in Indonesia. Current issues and future research needs were also discussed.