Depok air quality map

What information can be seen on the air quality map for Depok?

When the air quality map for Depok is first opened, the user will see one coloured disc towards the centre of the screen. Currently, this shows a number 102 which is the US AQI reading which gives an indication as to the quality of the air. The higher the number, the worse the air quality. It is also coloured (in this case, orange) ranging from pale green for good quality air through yellow, orange and red to purple and maroon which indicates hazardous quality. The overall background colour of the map reflects the overall air quality. The map for Depok has a brown hue to it which indicated the air quality is “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”.

The US AQI number is encouraged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used when comparing one city with another. It is calculated by measuring six of the most prolific pollutants and then calculating this figure. If not all six are available, the figure can still be calculated by using what figures are available.

On the left-hand side of the screen is a legend which lists the available points of interest on the map. It tells where the air monitors are located. It shows the location of any wildfires that are burning in the vicinity. It also gives the air quality and shows the wind direction. This is very useful if there are any fires nearby as it will act as a warning as to where the smoke might drift to.

On the right-hand side, a drop-down box appears showing the humidity, wind speed, air pressure and shows the history from the previous few hours and a very brief weather forecast, but this can be expanded to give a more comprehensive conjecture.

Scrolling down below the map, the user will see the number of stations which are providing the data and who owns or controls them.

Is any other information available on the air pollution map for Depok?

When the air quality map for Depok is read in conjunction with the main city page, the user will find a wealth of information between both pages. The main page gives a general state of the air quality, which during the second quarter of 2022 was classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups with a US AQI reading of 103. The main pollutants were PM2.5 - 36.2µg/m³, PM10 - 39.5µg/m³ and ozone (O₃) - 37.8µg/m³. At this level of PM2.5, it is almost seven times the target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

There is also a forecast which predicts the air quality for the next few days. This can be very useful when planning ahead. You will also see a table showing the ranking of other Indonesian cities so a comparison can easily be made between one city and another. The ranking is based on the US AQI reading which can be seen at the left-hand side of the screen.

Does the air pollution map for Depok show where the most pollution is found?

It shows the various discs with their differing numbers which, as we know, indicates poor air quality for higher numbers. Local people might recognise certain areas to be the industrial zones and therefore the cause of more air pollution with their emissions. The city centre can often be more polluted due to the large amount of traffic using the road network at certain times of the day. This is where mobile monitoring stations are valuable as they can be moved from place to place as necessary to measure the levels of air pollution.

The Depok City Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) said that the level of pollution on a number of protocol roads, provincial roads and city roads in the Depok City area was already above 50 per cent and the highest in Indonesia. The high air pollution is due to the large number of vehicles and the lack of green open space.

Every day hundreds of thousands of private cars and public transport pass on protocol roads, provincial roads and city roads with many producing high jet-black exhaust gases. It has been suggested that the city needs more greenery to help reduce the effects of all the traffic. Land had already been purchased but its use remains unclear. Some believe it is to be used for public facilities, but no mention of tree planting. Testing older vehicles should be introduced in order to eliminate the worst polluters. Many of these vehicles are older than 15 years and therefore lack the modern technology which modern vehicles use to minimise emissions.

Many say that Depok has the highest level of air pollution of all the Indonesian cities, including the capital, Jakarta. But local authorities are actively working on a solution to improve the air quality in Depok.

We see constant references to PM2.5 on the air pollution map for Depok, but what is it and how does it affect humans?

This invisible particle is named by health experts as PM2.5, based on its size which only reaches 2.5 micrometres. Its very small size can be likened to only 3 per cent of the diameter of a human hair. PM2.5 is easily found in many places. It also easily enters the human respiratory system. That's why PM2.5 becomes the most lethal airborne particle to humans slowly without the victim knowing it. PM2.5 that accumulates in the lungs and other organs can cause respiratory diseases, asthma, to heart disease. PM2.5 is also effective in making these diseases worse and can lead to premature death.

The origin of PM2.5 can be divided into outdoor and indoor. In the outdoor category, PM2.5 is in the smoke pollution of cars, trucks, buses, and other motor vehicles, including products from burning wood, oil, coal, or from forest and grassland fires. Not to forget PM2.5 is also extensively produced by factory chimneys. Meanwhile, from indoors, PM2.5 is contained in cigarette smoke, cooking smoke, burning candles or lamp oil, or from fireplace smoke. It is especially bad when dried animal dung is used as a fuel.