Air quality in Medan

What is the current level of air pollution in Medan?

Medan is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra. It is one of the four main central cities of Indonesia, alongside Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar. According to a census conducted last year, Medan had an estimated population of approximately 2.5 million people within its city limits. This figure rises to over 3.4 million when the built-up urban area is also included. This ranks it as the fourth largest urban area in all of Indonesia.

During the last couple of months of 2021, Medan was going through a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 51. This reading is often used as a reference point when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. Data is collected with regards to the six most prolific air pollutants commonly found and this figure is calculated from there. If information is not available for all six, then a figure can be deduced using the information that is available. For Medan, only the two sizes of the PM pollutant were measured which were; PM2.5 - 12 µg/m³ and PM10 - 56 µg/m³. The level of PM2.5 is just in excess of the level of 10 µg/m³ which is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level.

When the air quality is classified as being “Moderate” the given advice is to remain indoors as much as possible and close all doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. Those who are more sensitive to poor air quality should try to avoid going outside until the air quality improves. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality mask should be worn at all times. All groups are dissuaded from partaking in vigorous outdoor exercise.

There is a mobile app available from AirVisual.com for most mobile devices which gives information regarding air quality in real-time. This information will assist in your decision as to whether or not to go outside.

Does air quality vary much throughout the year in Medan?

Air quality is very volatile and can be affected by many things. However, looking back at the published figures for 2020, it can be seen that for the entire year, Medan experienced “Moderate” air quality with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. It did vary from month to month with the cleanest air being had in April when a figure of 18.1 µg/m³ was recorded. The worst month for air quality was December with a figure of 35 µg/m³. Half a point short of being put into the next category of being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”.

There were no records kept before 2020 when the figure then was recorded as being 23.4 µg/m³. This figure may not be a true reflection of reality because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many motorists were no longer required to commute to their offices each day in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. There were also some factories and smaller production units which were required to close on a temporary basis. Many cities throughout the world noted how much cleaner their city air was because of these measures.

Where does air pollution come from in Medan?

Recent studies have found that due to the smog, the air conditions in Deli Serdang Regency and Medan City, North Sumatra were unhealthy. Based on a circular that stated that the unhealthy condition was based on the Daily Particulate Matter (PM10) Monitoring.

The causes of high levels of air pollution are varied. Industrialization and the use of low-quality fuel for transportation and power generation are the most dangerous sources of pollutants.

It can be concluded that in general the concentration of particulate PM10 in the Medan City area in an unhealthy condition ranges from 153.1-163 µg/m³. How long this status will last depends on the sensitivity of the smoke haze originating from forest and land fires. Burning coal and wood also contributes to polluting the air. The burning fumes combine with vehicle emissions to create a blanket of smog that covers some of the world's cities.

Human activities directly or indirectly or as a result of natural processes cause air quality to drop to a certain level, causing the environment to become less or unable to function according to its designation. The increasing growth of a city together with the increase in human activities and the increasing number of vehicles in urban areas causes the composition of the ambient air to experience changes in quality. The decrease in air quality is caused by motorized vehicles on congested roads. As a result of the decrease in quality, it can disturb and endanger the surrounding environment, especially humans, animals and plants.

How can air quality be improved in Medan?

Medan must take an active role in handling the problem of managing used batteries and industrial areas that have polluted the environment and surrounding communities, as well as mapping the sources of lead metal contaminants.

People living in high-density cities suffer from exposure to poor air quality and impacts on short and long-term human health continues to be a major concern.

Medan faces two main air pollution issues. The first is local street level pollution and the second is regional smog. Commercial vehicles are the main source of street level pollution while smog is caused by a combination of pollutants from motor vehicles, marine vessels, industry and power plants.

What are the effects of air pollution on health?

Air pollution that occurs is triggered by certain forms of gas, liquid, and solid that are carried in the air. Particles come from aerosols, dust, factory fumes, forest fires, motor vehicle fumes and cigarette smoke. The impact of air pollution from these sources can trigger respiratory problems, such as asthma, ARI, and lung cancer. In addition, air pollution can also end in reduced oxygen levels in the human body.

Not only the respiratory tract but the circulatory system can also be disrupted due to the impact of air pollution. This is caused by the large amount of carbon monoxide, which makes the levels of inflammatory proteins and the amount of blood viscosity increase. That's what triggers inflammation of the blood vessels that can lead to cardiovascular disease.