Jakarta, IO – Air pollution in Jakarta is the worst in Southeast Asia, revealed Berkeley Earth. Breathing Jakarta’s air is the equivent of smoking 2.2 cigarettes per day, reported Katadata, Monday (17/4).
Berkeley Earth is an independent, not-for-profit organization based in the US that focuses on environmental data and analysis. The organization assesses that, although both air pollution and smoking are detrimental to health, the public is not familiar with the adverse effects of air pollution. Thus, Richard A. Muller and Elizabeth A. Muller from Berkeley Earth came up with the smoking analogy to give a better perspective.
According to IQAir’s World Air Quality Report in early April, South Tangerang is the city with the worst air quality in Indonesia in 2022. Pollutant in this city has reached the “unhealthy” category, at 26.2 times higher than the WHO air quality guidelines.
Berkeley Earth stated that the average person in South Tangerang inhales air pollution equivalent to smoking 5.9 cigarettes. On the top 5 positions, Jakarta is the third most polluted city.
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Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said air pollution is one of the causes of lung disease. Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of respiratory disease by 15 to 20 percent.
Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) even revealed that 4 out of 10 diseases in Indonesia are linked to respiratory system. Air pollution increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by 36.6 percent, pneumonia by 32 percent, asthma by 27.95 percent, lung cancer by 12.5 percent and tuberculosis by 12.2 percent. (un)