BUKIT MERTAJAM – Air quality remained at an unhealthy level in Seberang Jaya here and at moderate levels in three other locations today.
The Environment Department website said Seberang Jaya had an air pollutant index reading of 151 as at 10am.
The API reading was at the moderate level in Minden (95), Seberang Perai (91), and Balik Pulau (82).
An API reading of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 300 and above, hazardous.
Meanwhile, people in Kota Baru have started wearing face masks following the reduction in air quality due to the haze.
A teacher, Rosmalaili Abdul Rahman, 43, said the API reading was at an unhealthy level in the area yesterday.
“I have also asked my four children aged between 8 and 17 to wear face masks to school. Apart from taking precautions for themselves and their families, the public also needs to play a role in preventing this phenomenon from getting worse, including not burning openly and so on,” she told Bernama here.
Yesterday, Kota Baru and Tanah Merah recorded API levels of 107 and 104 respectively.
A stringer, Hazira Ahmad Zaidi, 34, said face masks could help limit your exposure to small particles that cause haze.
“Recently, I’ve been prone to sore throats and coughing, possibly due to the dry and hazy weather, but after wearing a face mask, the symptoms have been reduced,” she said.
Medikel Pharmacy operations manager Faiz Syahiran Mohamad said the sale of face masks at the pharmacy had been increasing over the past few days. – Bernama, April 17, 2023
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