The concentration of BTEX in selected urban areas of Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) are air pollutants that harm human health. This study aims to identify BTEX concentrations before the lockdown known as the Movement Control Order was imposed (BMCO), during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), and then during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). These orders were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The study utilised data measured by the continuous monitoring of BTEX using online gas chromatography instruments located at three urban area stations. The results showed that the BTEX concentrations reduced by between -38% and -46% during the MCO compared to the BMCO period. The reduction of human mobility during the MCO and CMCO influenced the lower BTEX concentrations recorded at a station within the Kuala Lumpur area. The results of the BTEX diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis showed that the major source of BTEX, especially during the BMCO and CMCO periods, was motor vehicle emissions. Further investigation, using correlation analysis and polar plots, showed that the BTEX concentrations were also influenced by meteorological variables such as wind speed, air temperature and relative humidity.

A floating chamber system for VOC sea-to-air flux measurement near the sea surface.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) form ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) in the atmosphere under favourable conditions. Biogenic VOC levels in the marine atmosphere are significantly lower compared with levels in the atmosphere above terrestrial ecosystems. However, much less is known about the marine biogenic VOC sea-to-air flux, specifically at the sea surface level. Therefore, here we describe a newly developed and cost-effective floating chamber system that has the capacity to measure the VOC sea-to-air flux near the sea surface (< 1 m). The floating chamber is coupled with adsorbent cartridges, and samples were analysed in the laboratory using commercial thermal desorption and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). The structural performance of the floating flux chamber was evaluated, and it was shown to have the capacity to stay continuously afloat for up to 72 h in various conditions (e.g., rainy, windy) and with wave heights up to approximately 1 m in coastal waters. Preliminary measurements of isoprene (3-Methyl-1,2-butadiene) (C5H8) sea-to-air flux using the floating flux chamber in the coastal waters off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia found values in the region of 107 molecules/cm2/s, comparable with most published values based on various flux measurement techniques. We suggest the proposed floating chamber system could serve as a cost-effective VOC flux technique that allows measurements near the sea surface.

Spatial-temporal variability and heath impact of particulate matter during a 2019-2020 biomass burning event in Southeast Asia.

To understand the characteristics of particulate matter (PM) in the Southeast Asia region, the spatial-temporal concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 in Malaysia (Putrajaya, Bukit Fraser and Kota Samarahan) and Thailand (Chiang Mai) were determined using the AS-LUNG V.2 Outdoor sensor. The period of measurement was over a year from 2019 to 2020. The highest concentrations of all sizes of PM in Putrajaya, Bukit Fraser and Kota Samarahan were observed in September 2019 while the highest PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 concentrations in Chiang Mai were observed between March and early April 2020 with 24 h average concentrations during haze days in ranges 83.7-216 µg m-3, 78.3-209 µg m-3 and 57.2-140 µg m-3, respectively. The average PM2.5/PM10 ratio during haze days was 0.93 ± 0.05, which was higher than the average for normal days (0.89 ± 0.13) for all sites, indicating higher PM2.5 concentrations during haze days compared to normal days. An analysis of particle deposition in the human respiratory tract showed a higher total deposition fraction value during haze days than on non-haze days. The result from this study indicated that Malaysia and Thailand are highly affected by biomass burning activity during the dry seasons and the Southwest monsoon.

Volatile organic compounds and their contribution to ground-level ozone formation in a tropical urban environment.

This study aims to determine the trends of volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations and their potential contribution to O3 formation. The hourly data (August 2017 to July 2018) for 29 VOCs were obtained from three Malaysian Department of Environment continuous air quality monitoring stations with different urban backgrounds (Shah Alam, Cheras, Seremban). The Ozone Formation Potential (OFP) was calculated based on the individual Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR) and VOC concentrations. The results showed that the highest mean total VOC concentrations were recorded at Cheras (148 ± 123 µg m-3), within the Kuala Lumpur urban environment, followed by Shah Alam (124 ± 116 µg m-3) and Seremban (86.4 ± 89.2 µg m-3). VOCs such as n-butane, ethene, ethane and toluene were reported to be the most abundant species at all the selected stations, with overall mean concentrations of 16.6 ± 11.9 µg m-3, 12.1 ± 13.3 µg m-3, 10.8 ± 11.9 µg m-3 and 9.67 ± 9.00 µg m-3, respectively. Alkenes (51.3-59.1%) and aromatic hydrocarbons (26.4-33.5%) have been identified as the major contributors to O3 formation in the study areas based on the overall VOC measurements. Relative humidity was found to influence the concentrations of VOCs more than other meteorological parameters. Overall, this study will contribute to further understanding of the distribution of VOCs and their contribution to O3 formation, particularly in the tropical urban environment.

Modeling aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human-exhaled particles in a hospital ward.

The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the world into uncharted territory, leaving people feeling helpless in the face of an invisible threat of unknown duration that could adversely impact the national economic growths. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the SARS-CoV-2 spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the mouth or nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. However, the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 through aerosols remains unclear. In this study, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) is used to complement the investigation of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission through aerosol. The Lagrangian particle tracking method was used to analyze the dispersion of the exhaled particles from a SARS-CoV-2-positive patient under different exhale activities and different flow rates of chilled (cooling) air supply. Air sampling of the SARS-CoV-2 patient ward was conducted for 48-h measurement intervals to collect the indoor air sample for particulate with diameter less than 2.5 µm. Then, the reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to analyze the collected air sample. The simulation demonstrated that the aerosol transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an enclosed room (such as a hospital ward) is highly possible.

Particulate matter (PM2.5) as a potential SARS-CoV-2 carrier.

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic had raised questions on the route of transmission of this disease. Initial understanding was that transmission originated from respiratory droplets from an infected host to a susceptible host. However, indirect contact transmission of viable virus by fomites and through aerosols has also been suggested. Herein, we report the involvement of fine indoor air particulates with a diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) as the virus's transport agent. PM2.5 was collected over four weeks during 48-h measurement intervals in four separate hospital wards containing different infected clusters in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our results indicated the highest SARS-CoV-2 RNA on PM2.5 in the ward with number of occupants. We suggest a link between the virus-laden PM2.5 and the ward's design. Patients' symptoms and numbers influence the number of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA with PM2.5 in an enclosed environment.

Observations of BTEX in the ambient air of Kuala Lumpur by passive sampling.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) are well known hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to their human health risks and photochemical effects. The main objective of this study was to estimate BTEX levels and evaluate interspecies ratios and ozone formation potentials (OFP) in the ambient air of urban Kuala Lumpur (KL) based on a passive sampling method with a Tenax® GR adsorbent tube. Analysis of BTEX was performed using a thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS). OFP was calculated based on the Maximum Incremental Reactivity (MIR). Results from this study showed that the average total BTEX during the sampling period was 66.06 ± 2.39 µg/m3. Toluene (27.70 ± 0.97 µg/m3) was the highest, followed by m,p-xylene (13.87 ± 0.36 µg/m3), o-xylene (11.49 ± 0.39 µg/m3), ethylbenzene (8.46 ± 0.34 µg/m3) and benzene (3.86 ± 0.31 µg/m3). The ratio of toluene to benzene (T:B) is > 7, suggesting that VOCs in the Kuala Lumpur urban environment are influenced by vehicle emissions and other anthropogenic sources. The average of ozone formation potential (OFP) value from BTEX was 278.42 ± 74.64 µg/m3 with toluene and xylenes being the major contributors to OFP. This study also indicated that the average of benzene concentration in KL was slightly lower than the European Union (EU)-recommended health limit value for benzene of 5 µg/m3 annual exposure.

Indoor generated PM2.5 compositions and volatile organic compounds: Potential sources and health risk implications.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential sources of heavy metals in fine air particles (PM2.5) and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomeric xylenes (BTEX) in gas phase indoor air. PM2.5 samples were collected using a low volume sampler. BTEX samples were collected using passive sampling onto sorbent tubes and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the lower and upper floors of the evaluated building, the concentrations of PM2.5 were 96.4 ± 2.70 µg/m3 and 80.2 ± 3.11 µg/m3, respectively. The compositions of heavy metals in PM2.5 were predominated by iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and aluminum (Al) with concentration of 500 ± 50.07 ng/m3, 466 ± 77.38 ng/m3, and 422 ± 147.38 ng/m3. A principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the main sources of BTEX were originated from vehicle emissions and exacerbate because of temperature variations. Hazard quotient results for BTEX showed that the compounds were below acceptable limits and thus did not possess potential carcinogenic risks. However, a measured output of lifetime cancer probability revealed that benzene and ethylbenzene posed definite carcinogenic risks. Pollutants that originated from heavy traffic next to the sampling site contributed to the indoor pollution.

PM2.5 and ozone in office environments and their potential impact on human health.

It is important to have good indoor air quality, especially in indoor office environments, in order to enhance productivity and maintain good work performance. This study investigated the effects of indoor office activities on particulate matter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) concentrations, assessing their potential impact on human health. Measurements of indoor PM2.5 and O3 concentrations were taken every 24 h during the working days in five office environments located in a semi-urban area. As a comparison, the outdoor concentrations were derived from the nearest Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Station. The results showed that the average 24 h of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were 3.24 ± 0.82 µg m-3 and 17.4 ± 3.58 µg m-3 respectively, while for O3 they were 4.75 ± 4.52 ppb and 21.5 ± 5.22 ppb respectively. During working hours, the range of PM2.5 concentrations were 1.00 µg m-3 to 6.10 µg m-3 while for O3 they were 0.10 ppb to 38.0 ppb. The indoor to outdoor ratio (I/O) for PM2.5 and O3 was <1, thus indicating a low infiltration of outdoor sources. The value of the hazard quotient (HQ) for all sampling buildings was <1 for both chronic and acute exposures, indicating that the non-carcinogenic risks are negligible. Higher total cancer risk (CR) value for outdoors (2.67E-03) was observed compared to indoors (4.95E-04) under chronic exposure while the CR value for acute exposure exceeded 1.0E-04, thus suggesting a carcinogenic PM2.5 risk for both the indoor and outdoor environments. The results of this study suggest that office activities, such as printing and photocopying, affect indoor O3 concentrations while PM2.5 concentrations are impacted by indoor-related contributions.