PETALING JAYA: Malaysians living across the country likely noticed a dip in air quality in the past few days, following reports of trans-boundary haze affecting the nation.
Initial reports yesterday (July 20) noted unhealthy readings on the Air Pollutant Index (API) recorded by the Department of Environment (DOE) at five locations, including Nilai, Negri Sembilan; Alor Gajah, Melaka; Putrajaya; along with Banting and Johan Setia in Selangor.
Those looking to keep an eye on the API can use the Department of Environment’s (DOE) official mobile app, MyJAS EQMS, which provides access to the API Management System as well as river and marine water quality indexes.
The app provides hourly updates on air quality measured at various monitoring stations set up across the country. It also displays a record of the hourly API readings from the last 24 hours.
To check the air quality in their area, users can simply tap on the “APIMS” button after launching the app, which will then open a dashboard showing the most recent readings, the nearest monitoring station, and the dominant type of air pollutant contributing to the reading.
For instance, at the time of publication, the Petaling Jaya monitoring station recorded a moderate API reading of 78, with “PM2.5” identified as the dominant pollutant.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter, which is small enough to be easily inhaled into the lungs.
The DOE categorises API readings of 101 and above as unhealthy, while readings over 200 are considered very unhealthy. A colour-coded legend explaining the API categories and values is also available in the app.
MyJAS EQMS further includes a map showing the most recent API readings from DOE monitoring stations nationwide, along with the option to check air quality in other regions across the country.
The app is available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The APIMS dashboard is also available on the DOE website.
