Jakarta. The air quality in Jakarta fell into the "unhealthy" category on Friday. The IQAir website ranked Jakarta as the second most polluted city in the world at around 5:42 a.m.

Jakarta's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 164, while the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was measured at 74.3 micrograms per cubic meter.

Topping the list was Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with an AQI of 194. Lahore, Pakistan, followed in third place at 159, Baghdad, Iraq in fourth at 155, and Delhi, India, also at 155 in fifth place.

These numbers indicate an air quality level that is unhealthy for sensitive groups, as it may be harmful to humans or sensitive animals, or potentially cause damage to plants or reduce aesthetic value.

By comparison, the "moderate" category -- defined as not affecting human or animal health but impacting sensitive plants and aesthetics -- falls within a PM2.5 range of 51-100.

The “good” category refers to air quality that does not affect human or animal health and has no impact on plants, buildings, or aesthetic value, with a PM2.5 range of 0-50.

Next is the “very unhealthy” category, with a PM2.5 range of 200-299, where air quality poses a health risk to several segments of the exposed population.

Finally, the “hazardous” category ranges from 300-500, which generally poses serious health risks to the entire population.

Jakarta’s Environmental Agency currently operates 31 air quality monitoring stations spread across various administrative regions.

The data collected from these air monitoring stations is displayed through an updated air quality monitoring platform, which improves upon previous systems and complies with national standards.

This air monitoring data is also integrated with information from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, the World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia, and Vital Strategies.

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