Spatiotemporal Variations of Particulate Matter and their Association with Criteria Pollutants and Meteorology in Malaysia

Abstract

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses a higher risk to human health than coarse particulate matter (PM10). This study aims to determine the spatiotemporal variations of PM2.5 and PM10 in Malaysia and their association with other criteria pollutants and meteorological factors. Hourly data from air quality monitoring stations for the year 2018 were retrieved from the Malaysian Department of Environment and analysed for temporal and spatial scales according to different regions in Malaysia. Further statistical analyses, such as Spearman's Rank Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), were conducted to study the associations between PM2.5 and PM10 with other main criteria air pollutants, as well as meteorological parameters. Higher mean concentrations of PM2.5 (23 ± 8 µg/m 3 , range = 4.6 -158 µg/m 3 ) and PM10 (32 ± 10 µg/m 3 , range = 6.0 -181µg/m 3 ) were observed in the central region of the Malaysian Peninsula. The diurnal patterns of PM2.5 and PM10 were in a bimodal pattern and influenced by traffic emissions. The highest mean PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were recorded during the southwest monsoon season, notably in the central region. The Spearman's Rank Correlation shows that NO2 and CO have a moderately positive correlation (p < 0.01) with PM2.5 (r = 0.47) and PM10 (r = 0.48) in the central regions while all meteorological parameters show significantly weak to very weak correlations with PM. The PCA analysis indicates that the major sources leading to the formation of particulate matter are from the contribution of secondary aerosols and combustion-related sources. The ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 ranged between 0.51 and 0.76 nationwide with the highest mean recorded in the central region (0.72). This study indicates that there is a higher abundance of fine particulate in the

Uncertainties from biomass burning aerosols in air quality models obscure public health impacts in Southeast Asia

“…More recently, the BAM instruments have been replaced with Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalances (TEOM) (1405-DF FDMS; ThermoFisher Scientific Inc., USA) that measure and report on both PM size ranges (Ab. Rahman et al, 2022;Ahmad Mohtar et al, 2022). For hourly data, the BAM instruments have an accuracy of within ±10%, precision within ± 5 µg m −3 , and a lower detection limit of 4.8 µg m −3 .…”

“…In recent years, however, Malaysia in particular has made considerable progress in expanding its network to include more measurements of PM 2.5 (Ab. Rahman et al, 2022;Ahmad Mohtar et al, 2022), and its central location spanning both mainland and maritime Southeast Asia is favorable for observing air quality during both burning seasons. In situ measurements can provide further information about the emissions and composition of PM 2.5 , but previous fire-focused field experiments in Southeast Asia have been limited to certain ground sites, marine campaigns, and extreme events (Lin et al, 2013;Wooster et al, 2018).…”

Uncertainties from biomass burning aerosols in air quality models obscure public health impacts in Southeast Asia

“…More recently, the BAM instruments have been replaced with tapered-element oscillating microbalances (TEOMs) (1405-DF FDMS; ThermoFisher Scientific Inc., USA) that measure and report on both PM size ranges (Ab. Rahman et al, 2022;Ahmad Mohtar et al, 2022). For hourly data, the BAM instruments have an accuracy of within ±10 %, precision within ±5 µg m −3 , and a lower detection limit of 4.8 µg m −3 .…”

“…In recent years, however, Malaysia in particular has made considerable progress in expanding its network to include more measurements of PM 2.5 (Ab. Rahman et al, 2022;Ahmad Mohtar et al, 2022), and its central location spanning both mainland and maritime Southeast Asia is favorable for observing air quality during both burning seasons. In situ measurements can provide further information about the emissions and composition of PM 2.5 , but previous firefocused field experiments in Southeast Asia have been limited to certain ground sites, marine campaigns, and extreme events (Lin et al, 2013;Wooster et al, 2018).…”

Ground-Level Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentration Mapping in the Central and South Zones of Peninsular Malaysia Using a Geostatistical Approach

“…A Thermo Scientific tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) 1405-DF (USA) was used to determine PM 2.5 concentrations. All calibration procedures and quality control/quality assurance (QA/QC) of the data were conducted via Pakar Scieno TW Sdn Bhd (Shah Alam, Malaysia) before the data were submitted to the Malaysian Department of Environment [27,28]. In this study, data analysis has been conducted using the library "geoR" and the "gstat" package in R version 4.1.2, SAGA GIS 7.8.2, and QGIS version 3.26.2 software produced the raster image and mapping of the study area.…”