Effect of meteorological parameter to variability of Particulate Matter (PM) concentration in urban Jakarta city, Indonesia

Abstract Air quality degradation has been reported in Jakarta during 2019. Air pollution in the urban area is attributed to anthropogenic activities and influenced by meteorological parameters. This study attempted to investigate the effect of a meteorological parameter such as Mixing Level Height (MLH) to PM concentration and its seasonal variation in Jakarta during 2019. PM concentrations are obtained from BMKG and United States Embassy; meteorological parameters, as well as radiosonde observation, are derived from Soekarno Hatta Meteorological Office. Seasonal and diurnal variation of PM concentration and its relationship with MLH have been assessed. The study found that PM increased during the dry season (DS) and decreased in the rainy season (RS). During DS, frequency of occurrence of PM10 (PM2.5) concentration that exceeded the national and WHO standard were 2.2% (6.5%) and 96.1% (65%) respectively. Daily variation of PM2.5 mass ranged from 0.05 to 11.72 times of the PM10 and increased during RS. The MLH is negatively correlated with PM concentration. PM monthly concentration is always higher in the morning with the lowest MLH, particularly in DS. Radiation inversion type is the most common with height is quite low at 115.30 m causing high PM concentration of 59.17 µg/m3 (PM2.5) and 122.67 µg/m3 (PM10).