Malaysia, Johor: 'Authorities must determine safe range in Pasir Gudang'

New Straits Times 29 Jun 19;

PASIR GUDANG: Medical experts have urged the authorities to ascertain the concentration level of the ‘anomalous’ gases foundin Pasir Gudang atmosphere.

This ratio, they believe, is the key towards determining the “safe range”, or whether residents have to exercise additional precautionary measures.

Dr Ravindran R. Naidu, who is former president of the Malaysian Medical Association, said the three gases detected in named by the authorities as being present in the Pasir Gudang air should not be treated lightly.

He said the gases, if found in large quantities, could pose not just immediate problems, but also severe respiratory issues.

‘Pollution is everywhere, but we are mainly concerned about the level of its concentration and how much it is mixed in the air.

‘That is why it’s important to know the ratio of the toxicity in Pasir Gudang air.’

Dr Ravindran said if the air pollution index exceeded the safe range, the situation could be unsafe for children with and respiratory problems.

He said it might trigger asthma or lung diseases.

He said prolonged exposure to such gases could leave long-lasting effects.

General practitioner Dr K. Jegathisan said in more extreme cases, children exposed to harmful gases could suffer pneumonitis, chronic asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

‘The residents should evacuate the site and wait for the air to be to declared toxic-free by the relevant agencies before returning to their homes.

‘Pollution involving dangerous toxic fumes, such acrylonitrile, methanethiol and acrolein, must be monitored hourly to see whether it is improving or otherwise.’

Children with respiratory problems, he said, should avoid polluted air because it would lead to more severe health conditions.

‘If not treated early, the prolonged condition can even lead to pneumonia and subsequently death. The residents should vacate the area until the situation has fully recovered," he said.

More than 748 cases of people displaying symptoms of respiratory problems have been recorded in Pasir Gudang since June 20.

Pasir Gudang, located about 30 minutes from Johor Baru, has 40,000 residents and 2,005 licensed factories, of which 250 are chemical-based.

Three factories were issued stop-work orders in relation to the recent incident.

The Department of Environment had obtained samples for testing toxic pollution and hazardous fumes, but has yet to reveal the concentration of chemical substances in the atmosphere.

'Unusual gas detected, but cause of Pasir Gudang pollution unknown'
Arfa Yunus New Straits Times 28 Jun 19;

PUTRAJAYA: More than a week and 748 cases later, the authorities are still baffled over the cause of the chemical pollution in Pasir Gudang.

The air quality readings in the area were found to contain high amounts of an “unusual gas” — methyl mercaptan, and acrylonitrile and acrolein.

Methyl mercaptan, is a colourless, flammable gas with a distinctive rotten egg or cabbage smell.

It occurs naturally in some foods (e.g. onions, radishes, asparagus, and some nuts and cheeses).

Acrylonitrile is a colourless, volatile liquid with a pungent, onion-like odour.

It is widely used in industry to produce rubber, resins, plastics, elastomers and synthetic fibres.

Acrolein is a colourless liquid with a piercing, acrid smell of burnt fat.

Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (Mestecc) Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the presence of the gas was an anomaly, but the authorities could not establish the exact cause of the incident.

The Bakri member of parliament said this was because the 10 students who had suffered breathing difficulties had come from eight schools.

“On top of that, the presence of these gases was not detected in the patients’ blood and urine samples.

“Therefore, we can’t make a 100 per cent confirmation that there is a cause and effect link between the Pasir Gudang pollution and the earlier pollution of Sungai Kim Kim,” she told a press conference at the Health Ministry here today.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said, up to yesterday, a total of 748 cases of breathing difficulties were reported in Pasir Gudang, with 709 treated as outpatients while 39 required hospitalisation.

The Sungai Kim Kim incident which occurred in March has affected more than 6,000 residents. The fumes were later identified as being caused by the illegal dumping of chemicals into the river.

Two company directors, including a Singaporean, and a lorry driver from a used tyre processing factory were charged at the Johor Baru Court the same month with 15 offences under two environmental regulations.

Yeo said unsustainable development had affected the air, soil and river in Pasir Gudang.

She said Pasir Gudang had 2,005 licensed factories, of which 250 were chemical-based factories.

“Some high-risk factories have no physical buffer zone from residential areas and schools.

“Some schools are only 300m away from the high-risk industries,” she said, adding that the state government was laying plans for buffer zones.

“Buffers will be put in place as soon as possible for schools in high-risk areas.

“This is a wake-up call for us, the government, to start looking at these industrial areas, not just in Pasir Gudang but the entire country.”

Yeo said Mestecc would take other steps to address the issue, including building an automatic gas observation station so that chemical disaster cases could be detected immediately.

“Mestecc believes it will be able to follow through all of the plans before the end of the year.

“Mestecc will also hold a town hall session with all chemical industry players in Pasir Gudang on Monday, July 1,” she added.


Better pollution monitoring system needed to prevent future disasters
Arfa Yunus New Straits Times 29 Jun 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The current system to monitor pollution, especially concerning chemical-based factories, needs to be improved so that future disasters can be avoided.

Experts believe that apart from having a working system in place, the authorities must ensure that each component within the system is followed through.

Malaysian Nature Society president Professor Dr Ahmad Ismail said a comprehensive monitoring system should include mobile laboratories, more experts in the chemical industry, better enforcement,as well as constant monitoring of the air pollution index and the type of chemicals used in each factory.

He stressed on the importance of having a proper air quality monitoring system in place.

“Constant monitoring of the air pollution index will enable us to identify the components of the toxic matter in the air.so that we know when it’s harmful or otherwise.

“We must know what goes in and out of each factory. What chemicals are they using in their products? What chemicals are they using when dumping the waste?

“Do we have the data on all these? We need better accredited laboratories, maybe even mobile laboratories and not be dependent on the Chemistry Department alone,” he told the New Straits Times.

Randolph Jeremiah, who is Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia vice-president, echoed a similar view, saying better monitoring would make industry players more responsible in handling daily activities at the factories.

He said a solid and functioning system would reflect Malaysia’s progress and maturity as a nation.

“We must pay attention to this. It’s happening again less than three months after the Sungai Kim Kim incident. Many Malaysians are affected and there is a concern that it could cross the border to Singapore.

“Our neighbour would not be happy if this happened, so better regulation and monitoring on what goes in and out of the factories are important.”

Nearly 4,000 people were hospitalised in March following the chemical dumping incident in Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang, which resulted in toxic gas spreading through the air.

On June 20, barely three months later a number of educational institutions in Pasir Gudang were forced to close for three days after scores of schoolchildren experienced dizziness, nausea and vomiting, believed to be from exposure to pollution.

More than 100 pupils from over 30 schools have been affected.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior lecturer in chemistry Dr Darfizzi Derawi said while business opportunities with such industries should be welcomed to boost the economy, clear rules and regulations must be imposed.

“Employees need to be educated. We must provide clear rules and education for everyone involved, not just factory owners.

“We may have overlooked the rules and the planning when we were eager in welcoming industry players into our country, but no more.”

Out of 2,005 licensed factories in Pasir Gudang, 250 are chemical-based factories, with all located in the same area.

Darfizzi said there were two options to resolve the problem.

“Either relocate the factories or the people have to be moved somewhere else. Of course it’s not easy. The families there have bought their houses and to relocate even one factory is a problem due to all the contracts signed before.

“But at the end of the day, we know that the people and the factories must be isolated from one another or the long-term effects could be devastating.”