Air pollution is worsening not only in Jakarta itself but also in the capital’s satellite cities.

Data recorded by air quality monitor AirVisual on Tuesday show that South Tangerang and Bekasi had worse concentrations of pollutants than Jakarta, even as the capital topped the list of cities with the worst pollution in the world for the umpteenth time.

Jakarta’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 160, with a fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration of 73.9 micrograms per cubic meter, which is categorized as “unhealthy”.

However, the AQI reading for South Tangerang was 213 with a PM2.5 concentration of 162.9 micrograms per cubic meter, almost twice that of Jakarta.

The previous day, AirVisual showed that air pollution in Bekasi, West Java, was worse than in Jakarta. At 8:30 a.m., Bekasi’s air pollution level was at 182 with a PM2.5 concentration of 115 micrograms per cubic meter.

Those figures signify air pollution at a multiple of the World Health Organization’s standard of a PM2.5 concentration of 25 micrograms per cubic meter.

Constant exposure to PM2.5, alongside other pollutants like PM10, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, can lead to various respiratory problems. Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) says air pollution can reduce a person’s life expectancy by 2.3 years.

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