SYNOPSIS

Since mid 70’s, Pasir Gudang has been rapidly developing as an industrial estate. It is one of the oldest heavy industrial estate in Malaysia housing various type of industries e.g. recycling, petrochemical, steel mill, refinery, chemicals, electronics and others. The active industrial activities in the area may pose a potential risk of serious air pollution to the people residing in Pasir Gudang and it can be devastating.

On 7th March 2019, an unprecedented air pollution incident struck Pasir Gudang. Several students from two schools in Pasir Gudang were hospitalized due to breathing difficulties and other serious health problems such as vomiting, nausea and even fainted. Victims testify that they were suddenly ill due to inhalation of unpleasant smell around the school compound. A second wave hits the same area on the 11th March 2019 and again students were mainly affected and sent to the hospital for further treatment. Foul and unpleasant odour were identified as the main cause of the health degradation among the victims. In both cases, Health Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Police Force and Department of Environment were a few agencies responded to the emergency.

From the first incident, Health Department identified four main substances that may induce the health impact to the victims. These substances were acrolein, acrylonitrile, benzene and methyl mercaptan in the ambient air. However, the cause of second incident was still under investigation and until today, authorities are still unable to identify the substance that may cause the problem. Following these two incidences, Government of Malaysia has installed and operated a comprehensive monitoring network of total volatile organic compound (TVOC) around the Pasir Gudang. The network was further complimented with one mobile GCMS laboratory and a mobile GCFID monitoring station. It is the hope of the authority that the network will serve as an early warning system to the public in Pasir Gudang and at the same time provide crucial information to authorities in identifying air pollutant substances that trigger the air pollution incidents.


SPEAKER'S DETAILS

DR. MOHD FAMEY BIN YUSOFF
Director
Department of Environment, Johor
Ministry of Environment and Water, Malaysia

Dr. Mohd Famey bin Yusoff is currently a Director, Department of Environment Johor, Ministry of Environment and Water, Malaysia. He worked
at Ministry more than 20 years. Dr. Mohd Famey started his career in 1996 as an officer of Land and Mining Unit, EIA Division, Department of
Environmental Malaysia (DOE) and have served in the Air and Enforcement Division as well as the Johor State DOE.

He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering from Mc Master University, Ontario, Canada in 1996 and M. Sc. in Environmental Engineering
from Universität Stuttgart, Baden- Württemberg. Germany in 2011. He then pursue his Ph. D (Environmental Science) from Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia in 2020.

Dr. Mohd Famey also serves as Companion Member, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia and Graduate Member, Board of Engineer Malaysia.


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