DETERMINATION OF BTEX CONCENTRATION USING PASSIVE SAMPLERS IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC AREA OF JAKARTA, INDONESIA

Abstract

Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX) are hazardous air pollutants mostly emitted from transportation activity. Seeing the high motorized vehicle population and fuel specification, BTEX pollution potentially occurs in Indonesian urban areas. However, there is very limited study on atmospheric BTEX. This paper is a preliminary investigation of urban ambient BTEX in Jakarta, Indonesia, aimed to report the application of passive measurement method and initial analysis of ambient BTEX concentration in a busy-traffic area. Passive method is chosen as it is practical and suitable for measuring average ambient BTEX concentration in longer duration. The passive method utilizes activated charcoal as the adsorbent. Passive samplers of 1-week sampling duration were used to collect ambient VOC samples. Ten sets of sample were collected during July 2018 to February 2019. The 95% CI weekly average concentrations found for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene were 21.9 (+/- 4.550); 73.4 (+/- 25.419); 23.9 (+/- 9.888); and 17.1 (+/- 6.510) mu g/m(3), respectively. BTEX are not listed yet in NAAQS. The values reported here were to explore the potential of estimate provision to be used in a further study on long-term effect assessment. Hence, the results are not to be compared with the standard value. Nevertheless, these findings highlight the importance of HC monitoring in urban area of Indonesia, which can be used as input for setting the future ambient air quality standard and further studies to investigate how BTEX are emitted and estimated as well as to determine their control strategy in air quality management.