Air quality across Malaysia drops further

The Star 26 Jul 09;

KUALA LUMPUR: The air quality in Malaysia largely deteriorated over the course of yesterday.

As of 5pm, only 19 locations in the country registered good air quality while 30 registered moderate air quality, according to the Department of Environment.

The air quality in Tanjung Malim was declared unhealthy, recording an Air Pollution Index (API) reading of 113.

Fifty-two hotspots were detected in Sumatra while Borneo and peninsular Malaysia recorded 91 and two hotspots respectively.

Among the locations which registered moderate air quality were Batu Muda (75), Cheras (70), Putrajaya (67), Kuala Selangor (78), Port Klang (73), Kemaman (70), Jalan Tasek, Ipoh (78), Balok Baru, Kuantan (71) and Pasir Gudang (72).

Air quality is considered good if the API reading is between zero and 50. Moderate air quality will have an API of between 51 and 100 while a reading between 101 and 200 indicates unhealthy air quality.