ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

(AIR POLLUTION)

REPORT ON PASIR GUDANG, JOHOR

10th June 2019

INTRODUCTION

Air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations
both outside and indoors. Its effects can range from higher disease risks to rising
temperatures. Soot, smoke, mold, pollen, methane, and carbon dioxide are a just few
examples of common pollutants. The air pollution usually happen due to human
action, such as open burning, incomplete combustion of vehicle, industrial waste and
many more. The pollution that happened at Pasir Gudang, Johor are caused by an
illegal dumping of chemical waste. The issue was highlighted on march 7 when it first
strike affected total of 30 people which was admitted to a hospital then continue
affecting people nearby which caused a total of 5,848 casualties. In addition to that,
about 111 schools were ordered to closed during this crisis.

OBJECTIVE

1. To determine the cause of the Air pollution

2. To discuss the effect of Air pollution
3. To provide a suitable way to prevent the Air pollution

STUDY AREA

Pasir Gudang is an industrial town located in Mukim Plentong, Johor Bahru

District, Johor, Malaysia. The main industries are transportation and logistics,
shipbuilding, petrochemicals and other heavy industries, and oil palm storage and
distribution, which is located in Johor Port and Tanjung Langsat.

While Sungai Kim Kim (Figure 2) the site where illegal dumping of chemical
happen, is a river located in Pasir Gudang , Johor , Malaysia . The river connects
between Pasir Gudang and Masai.
Figure 1: Map of Pasir Gudang, Johor
Figure 2 : Map of Sungai Kim Kim (site where the illegal dumping of chemical
happen)

THEORY (CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVENT)

March 7:
A few 2.43 tonnes of chemical waste turned into dumped into the Sungai Kim Kim
river below a bridge in Kota Masai, the star reported. The chemical substances, which
had been used to dissolve metallic, are believed to include lines of heavy metals. The
chemical substances washed downstream and polluted the air with poisonous fuel.
Residents and college students in two colleges positioned in the Paris Gudang place
started out vomiting and fainting after inhaled the robust scent from the river, the star
times stated. A total of 30 people have been admitted to hospital, bernama suggested.
the colleges, located a few 500 metres from the dumping website, were ordered to
shut.

March 8:
The quantity of sufferers hospitalized over the poisonous fumes rose to seventy nine,
the star stated.

March 9:
Five police reports were lodged at the chemical dumping, and police began
investigating the case, Bernama said. Authorities stated the chemical easy up would
begin on mar 11 and would remaining five days.

March 11:
Three men have been arrested on the subject of the chemical dumping, consisting of
the owner of an illegal tyre recycling factory in Kulai and the proprietor of a waste
processing manufacturing facility in Pasir Putih, Bernama pronounced.

March 12:
A total of 306 victims have been admitted to hospitals or sent to health clinics after
being laid low with the poisonous fumes, Bernama stated. According to Bernama, the
two schools that had been first affected had to begin with reopened, however have
been speedy closed another time. After college students in two greater faculties
suffered health troubles from inhaling the gasoline, a total of 13 colleges were
informed to close. A resident of Kampung Bukit Pulai stated to the authorities that the
river had became black, with dead fish and reveal lizards floating inside the sludge.

March 13:
The wide variety of sufferers rose to 506, Bernama said and the variety of schools
ordered to close rose to 34, the authorities pronounced. But, Johor menteri besar
Datuk Osman Sapian said the authorities could no longer claim a state of emergency
for the place, adding that the situation become “contained and beneath manage”,
bernama said.

March 14:
The range of victims nearly doubled to almost 1,000 consisting of 30 college students
from a faculty placed 6 kilometers from the dumping website, the authorities said.
Despite Osman’s feedback, the federal authorities passed an emergency movement
and declared a nation of emergency over the state of affairs, the star stated. the
training ministry also ordered all 111 schools in and around Pasir Gudang to close
indefinitely, citing the vital state of affairs. In a separate record by means of Bernama,
the Johor sultan pledged a donation of RM1 million (USD 244,530) to assist with the
cleanup, which Johor officials said could be used to buy equipment for rescue groups.
One of the arrested suspects, the proprietor of the manufacturing facility in
kulai, became to start with predicted to be charged, however the prosecution had
postponed the case to accumulate “extra records”, Bernama said. The suspect faces a
most prison time period of five years and a RM 500,000 fine for breaching section
34b of the environmental control act 1974.

SAMPLING

There are 15 chemicals identified from the air sample taken at Pasir Gudang, Johor as
stated by fire and rescue department. According to Johor department director, Yahya
Madis most of the chemical are harmless however some chemical such as hydrogen
cyanide may be harmful if found in high concentration. From what they had found the
highest concentration of hydrogen cyanide are 4.5ppm only and after two hours the
reading on concentration of hydrogen cyanide return to normal (below 3ppm) and
does not spread further.

However on March 13th Malaysia's Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said that a
number of chemicals have been ascertained from the samples taken. They includes
benzene, acrolein, acrylonitrile, hydrogen chloride, methane, toluene, xylene,
ethylbenzene and d-limonene.

IMPACT OF THE CHEMICALS

Benzene

Impact: The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified benzene as
carcinogenic to humans. Human exposure to benzene has been associated with a
range of acute and long-term adverse health effects and diseases, including narcosis -
in which a person blacks out - and aplastic anaemia - which results in a drop in blood
cell count - according to the World Health Organization.

Some symptoms of prolonged benzene exposure include headaches, dizziness,

drowsiness, confusion, tremors and loss of consciousness.

Acrolein

Impact: Inhaled acrolein is highly toxic and is irritating to the upper respiratory tract
even at low concentrations, according to the US Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR). Acrolein is severely irritating to the skin and eyes.

Acrylonitrile

Impact: Exposure to large amounts of the chemical affects mainly the nervous
system. Symptoms can include headaches and nausea, while exposure to higher
concentrations may temporarily damage red blood cells and the liver.
Long-term exposure to acrylonitrile may increase the chances of getting cancer,
according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Hydrogen Chloride

Impact: Hydrogen chloride gas is intensely irritating to the mucous membranes of the
nose, throat, and respiratory tract. Exposure to high concentrations can rapidly lead to
swelling and spasm of the throat and suffocation, according to the ATSDR.

Methane

Impact: There are no serious health effects from long-term exposure to methane. It is
only harmful if the concentration is so high that it displaces oxygen in the air, which
could lead to symptoms such as rapid breathing and a rapid heart rate.

Toluene

Impact: Symptoms of repeated exposure include headaches, sleepiness, and an

impairment in ability to think clearly.

Low to moderate, day-after-day exposure to toluene can cause tiredness, confusion,

weakness, drunken-type actions, memory loss, nausea, and loss of appetite, according
to the ATSDR.

Xylene

Impact: Xylene irritates the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Acute exposure to its
vapour may irritate the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

Symptoms of xylene poisoning include central nervous system effects like headaches,
dizziness, and drowsiness.

Ethylbenzene

Impact: Exposure to high levels of ethylbenzene in the air for short periods can cause
eye and throat irritation. Exposure to higher levels can result in vertigo and dizziness.
D-Limonene

Impact: D-limonene is considered to have fairly low toxicity. Studies involving

humans demonstrated low toxicity of d-limonene after single and repeated doses for
up to a year.

IMAGE ON THE EFFECT OF AIR POLLUTION AT PASIR GUDANG

Figure 3

Figure 4
 Figure 5
ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

Police has arrested nine suspect ever since the incident happen.

According to Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, the Deputy of Energy, Science,

Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister, the measure were also in the
pipeline to significantly reduce the air pollution at Pasir Gudang, as she told the
Dewan Rakyat. She also added that, they are proposing to change the Act, and will
continuously strengthen overall enforcement to ensure the air pollution can be
reduced effectively.

As Isnaraissah was replying to a question from Larry S'ng (Julau-PH) on what is the
government's plans to beef up existing laws to combat pollution, she said that by
strengthening punishment under Section 34(b) of the act, which carries maximum
RM500,000 fine and a jail up to five years.

In addition to that, the minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and

Climate Change, Yeo Bee Yin had said that her ministry had been in communication
with the Attorney-General over efforts to increase punishment under the Act.

The government also takes action in clearing the 1.5 km stretch of Kim Kim River.
An as stated, the government was announcing that Pasir Gudang is now free from
pollution starting from 17 March 2019.
Figure 6: Emergency personnel wearing PPE during clean up of sungai kim kim on
14th March.

AIR QUALITY INDEX

CONCLUSION

The pollution happened in Pasir Gudang were seriously regrettable. If this incident
happen again in the future, would it only end without death like this time or will it
cause another huge commotion were many people were admitted and many school
were closed. However, in spite of that we can prevent this same incident from
happening again by reporting any sight of illegal dumping from industries to the
authorities. In conclusion, throughout this report, the objectives were achieved since
we know what cause the air pollution, the effect of air pollution at Pasir Gudang and
the action taken by the Government to prevent the air pollution from spreading as well
as how to prevent it from happening again in the future.

REFERENCES

Sungai Kim Kim. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2019, from

http://www.getamap.net/maps/malaysia/johor/_kimkim_sungai/

Essick, P. (2019, February 25). Air Pollution Causes, Effects, and Solutions. Retrieved
May 24, 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-
warming/pollution/

(n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2019, from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pasir

Gudang, Johor/@1.4870202,103.8750754,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!
1s0x31da1575c2edfa2f:0xa289f2a46f406770!8m2!3d1.470288!4d103.9029689

Hermesauto. (2019, March 17). 15 types of chemicals found in air samples from areas
near Johor's polluted Sungai Kim Kim. Retrieved May 24, 2019, from
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/15-types-of-chemicals-found-in-air-
samples-from-areas-near-polluted-sungai-kim-kim-in

Han, G. Y. (2019, March 18). Pasir Gudang chemical spill: Facts about the 9
chemicals found and their health impact. Retrieved May 24, 2019, from
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/pasir-gudang-chemical-spill-facts-about-
the-9-chemicals-found-and-their-health-impact

Department of Environment. Retrieved May 24, 2019, from

https://www.doe.gov.my/portalv1/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Kenyataan-Akhbar-
Laporan-Kualiti-Udara-di-Pasir-Gudang-19-Mac-2019-11am.pdf