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To evaluate carbonaceous components in the ambient air in the eastern region of Indonesia, 35 Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSP) samples were collected on four characteristic roadsides on Sultan Alauddin Street, in Makassar City, using a high-volume air sampler. The average TSP concentration was 279.7 μg/m3, which exceeded both the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of Indonesia and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The highest concentration reached 838.6 μg/m3 in the GR (gravel) site, which had the highest number of vehicles and was near a U-turn. TSP concentration was higher during peak hours (morning and late afternoon) than off-peak hours (noon). The main component of the total carbon (TC) fraction was organic carbon (OC), which showed a strong correlation with elemental carbon (EC) (r values for the morning, noon, and late afternoon were 0.89, 0.87, and 0.97, respectively), indicating that the carbon components were derived from common sources. TSP had a strong correlation with carbon components, except for char-EC. OC vs. soot-EC and EC vs. soot-EC also correlated well, suggesting the dominant influence of vehicle exhaust emissions. Non-exhaust emissions had a slight influence during peak hours, particularly at the GR site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air sampling for 12 h diurnal and nocturnal periods was conducted at two monitoring sites with different characteristics in Jambi City, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The sampling was done at a roadside site and a riverside site from 2–9 August, and from 7–13 August in 2019, respectively. A cascade air sampler was used to obtain information on the status, characteristics and behavior of airborne particles with a particular focus on the ultrafine fraction (PM0.1). The number of light vehicles was best correlated with most PM size categories, while those of heavy vehicles and motorcycles with the 0.5–1 μm and with >10 μm for the nocturnal period, respectively. These findings suggest that there is a positive influence of traffic amount on the PM concentration. Using carbonaceous parameters related to heavy-vehicle emissions such as EC and soot-EC, HV emission was confirmed to account for the PM0.1 fraction more clearly in the roadside environment. The correlation between OC/EC and EC for 0.5–1 μm particles indicated that biomass burning has an influence on both in the diurnal period. A possible transboundary influence was shown as a shift in the PM0.1 fraction characteristic from "urban" to "biomass burning". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal Used Lead-Acid Battery (ULAB) activities impact air pollution from smoke, dust, and waste containing lead. This study aims to determine the effect of air lead concentration on Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) in children aged 7-13 years in the informally ULAB area in the city of Depok. This study uses secondary data from the 2014 Special Research on Environmental Pollution for Traditional Battery Processing conducted by the National Institute of Research and Development. Cross-sectional study design, the study population was children aged 7-13 years in selected ULAB areas, with a total sample of 94 people. Each respondent took a venous blood sample and measured it with a portable blood lead gauge. The concentration of lead in the air was measured using a High Volume Air Sampler and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. Normality test on BLLs and lead variables in the air. Linear regression test to determine the relationship between lead variables in the air and BLLs. The respondents' average BLLs were 8.58 µg/dL, with intervals of 3.8 - 14.6 µg/dL. There was a strong relationship (r = 0.777) and statistically significant (p = 0.000) between air lead levels and BLLs. It has a lively pattern equation, meaning that if the lead level in the air increases, the BLLs will increase. Although BLL in children is still below World Health Organization (WHO) recommended, there needs to be measured to prevent children from being exposed to lead, because low BLLs for long periods can endanger children's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the relationship between the concentration of airborne lead exposure to anemia in children aged 7 to 13 living near the informal used lead-acid battery recycling area in Jabodetabek. A crosssectional study was conducted at four locations in Jabodetabek (Tangerang, Bogor, Bekasi and Depok), in which there were informal battery recycling. The study population was children aged 7 to 13 living in the area of informal used lead-acid battery recycling units. The number of children who were willing to participate was 418 children. The respondents were interviewed by using structured questionnaires. Environmental samples measured the airborne lead concentration using High Volume Air Sampler (HVAS) and analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). To identify anemia, blood Hb measurements were taken using HemoCue® Hb 201+ System. The Logistic Regression risk factor model was used to determine the correlation of airborne lead with anemia in children. The results showed an average concentration of airborne lead (n = 52) was 2.96 μg/m3. The average blood Hb level of children (n = 418) was 11.89 g/ dL, with prevalence of anemia of 51.2%. High airborne lead concentration is strongly associated with an increased anemia incidence in children (OR: 3.96; 95% CI: 1.83-8.56) after behavioral factors of calcium intake was controlled (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.46-1.01). This study reveals the correlation between airborne lead exposures and anemia as well as underlines the needs to strengthen the policies, supervision, and development of strategies to reduce airborne lead exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size-segregated particulate matter (PM) including the PM0.1 fraction, particles ≤0.1 µm, was monitored during the rainy and dry seasons at three different cities in Sumatra island, Indonesia in 2018. In order to identify possible emission sources, carbonaceous components in the particles collected by a cascade air sampler that is capable of collecting PM0.1 particles were analyzed by applying a thermal/optical reflectance (IMPROVE-TOR) protocol. The PM0.1 levels in the Jambi and Pekanbaru areas were similar to those in large cities in East Asia, such as Bangkok and Hanoi. During the rainy season, local emissions in the form of vehicle combustion were the main sources of PM. The influence of peatland fires in the dry season was more significant in cities that are located on the east coast of Sumatra island because of the larger number of hotspots and air mass trajectories along the coast. A clear increase in the carbonaceous profiles as OC, TC, and OC/EC ratios in the dry season from the rainy season was observed, particularly in fine fractions such as PM0.5–1. In both seasons, EC vs. OC/EC correlations and soot-EC/TC ratios showed that the PM0.1 fraction in Sumatra island was heavily influenced by vehicle emissions, while the effect of biomass burning was more sensitive with respect to the PM0.5–1 fraction, particularly in Jambi and Pekanbaru sites during the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, size-fractionated particulate matters (PM) down to ultrafine (PM 0.1) particles were collected using a cascade air sampler with a PM 0.1 stage, in Hat Yai city, Songkhla province, southern Thailand during the year 2018. The particle-bound carbonaceous aerosols (CA) as elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were quantified with the thermal/optical reflectance method following the IMPROVE_TOR protocol. The concentrations of different temperature carbon fractions (OC1-OC4, EC1-EC3 and PyO) in the size-fractionated PM were evaluated to discern OC and EC correlations as well as those between char-EC and soot-EC. The results showed that biomass burning, motor vehicle, and secondary organic aerosols (SOC) all contributed to the size-fractionated PM. The OC/EC ratios ranged from 2.90 to 4.30 over the year, with the ratios of PM 2.5-10 being the highest, except during the open biomass burning period. The concentration of CA was found to increase during the pre-monsoon season and had its peak value in the PM 0.5-1.0 fraction. The long-range transport of PMs from Indonesia, southwest of Thailand toward southern Thailand became more obvious during the pre-monsoon season. Transported plumes from biomass burning in Indonesia may increase the concentration of OC and EC both in the fine (PM 0.5-1.0 and PM 1.0-2.5) and coarse (PM 2.5-10 and PM >10) fractions. The OC fraction in PM 0.1 was also shown to be significantly affected by the transported plumes during the pre-monsoon season. Good OC and EC correlations (R2 = 0.824–0.915) in the fine particle fractions indicated that they had common sources such as fossil fuel combustion. However, the lower and moderate correlations (R2 = 0.093–0.678) among the coarser particles suggesting that they have a more complex pattern of emission sources during the dry and monsoon seasons. This indicates the importance of focusing emission control strategies on different PM particle sizes in southern Thailand. Image 1 • To study size - fractionated ambient particles down to PM 0.1 in southern Thailand. • The carbon material is highest concentration in finer particles (PM 0.5-1.0). • Combustion of biomass is the major source of OC in particles down to PM 0.1 • Long-range transport of particles into southern Thailand was from the southwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]