The increasing amount of motor vehicles that emit pollutants are contributing significantly to urban air pollution, be it in industrial or developing countries. This study investigates the emission of particulate matter (PM10) from exhaust and non-exhaust sources and gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) from several different classes of motor vehicles in the tropical city of Kuala Lumpur. Air pollutants from fuel consumption were obtained from emission factors, while non-exhaust particulate matter was estimated the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Compilation of Air Pollutant Emissions Factors (AP-42). The total PM10 emissions from all classes of motor vehicles estimated from the tail-pipe exhaust was 1,029,883 kg, while non-exhaust sources were 1,573,539 kg. Emissions of PM10 from newly registered private cars was the most dominant at 214,427 kg, followed by emissions from motorcycles at 118,582 kg in 2014.

Background Urban air pollution resulting from economic growth as well as urbanization impacts the health of inhabitants. This study aims to examine the spatial distribution of particulate matter (PM10) and the risk of exposure for the population in the Klang Valley, an urban conglomeration centred in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods The inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation technique in the ArcGIS platform was used to map the air quality from five air monitoring stations. Spatial statistics of the Global Moran’s I Spatial Autocorrelation and Optimized Hot Spot Analysis were used to estimate the spatial clustering of PM10. The population-weighted exposure level (PWEL) technique was used to calculate the population density susceptible to PM10 and the AirQ+ model was applied to estimate the proportion of the adult population at risk of chronic bronchitis due to long-term exposure to PM10 concentrations in the Klang Valley. Results The highest annual mean PM10 concentrations at the Klang station ranged between 80 and 100 μg/m3 from 2000 to 2009 and exceeded the New Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Standard (NMAAQS) and the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines (WHOAQG) levels of 40 and 20 μg/m3, respectively. The Moran's I results indicated that the statistically significant clusters of high PM10 in Klang present a health risk to the local community. The PWEL results showed that levels of PM10 in Petaling Jaya exceeded the WHOAQG limits, potentially posing a health risk to the high-density population. The AirQ+ model found Klang to be a significantly high-risk area for chronic bronchitis among the adult population with 804,240 people (with a relative risk of 1.85) in 2009. Conclusion These high-risk values are due to rapid urbanization and high motor vehicle usage in the Klang Valley and therefore the impact of PM10 on the population needs to be reduced. This situation should be taken seriously by the Department of Environment and Kuala Lumpur City Hall in addressing air pollution issues through stricter rules on emissions and implementing low-carbon policies to improve the well-being of residents.

Increasing pollutant emission from vehicles and traffic jams is a serious environmental problem in major cities. This study is focused on the level of public perception and awareness on traffic pollution in the capital city of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Analytical tools such as descriptive analysis were applied to investigate the percentage of public perception and awareness towards traffic pollution and identify factors that influence this problem. Results showed that almost all respondents (99%) were very sensitive and were aware on traffic pollution regarding the physical, nonphysical factors and the health effect. Most respondents indicated that emissions from exhaust after switching on was the major contributor of air pollution. In terms of health, respondents perceived that traffic pollution impacted health and a cause of illness. Most respondents agreed with initiatives that provide incentives for public transport usage so that emission from vehicles can be reduced significantly.

According to a report by the Department of Environment, motor vehicles are the leading cause of high pollutants in Kuala Lumpur. The seriousness of the traffic pollution problem in Kuala Lumpur is also influenced by the level of knowledge, attitude and awareness of the people regarding the process and impact of the traffic pollution. The level of knowledge and awareness of Kuala Lumpur residents on traffic pollution was assessed using descriptive statistical analysis involving 200 residents through simple random sampling in six strategic zones of Kuala Lumpur namely City Centre, Wangsa Maju-Maluri, Sentul-Menjalara, Damansara-Penchala, Bukit Jalil-Seputeh dan Bandar Tun Razak-Sungai Besi. The results show that the level of knowledge and awareness of the population is modest, that is, more than 50 percent of the population shows positive perception in two aspects, namely basic knowledge of traffic pollution (above 55 percent of respondent) and negative impact of air pollution on human health (more than 70 percent of respondent). However, other aspects such as the process of the existence of traffic pollution and the quality of gasoline fuel such as RON show that only 58 percent of population in Kuala Lumpur known about the RON and 42 percent of population does not understand in detail through some given incorrect and inaccurate answers. As a result, population understanding and awareness of traffic air pollution problem is very important to control and reduce the negative on health and quality of population life. Cooperation between the authorities and policy makers is necessary in the implementation of the strategy and introduction of various incentives to the population aimed at controlling and reducing the negative impact of traffic pollution and at the same time offering environmental protection and making environmental health policy more targeted and effective in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Air pollution in Malaysia is largely attributed to motor vehicles and land transportation, industrial activities and open burning. It has a hazardous effect on the public’s health and the environment. This study focuses on the spatial analysis of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) concentrations trend in Klang Valley stations, specifically in Klang, Petaling Jaya, Kajang, Shah Alam and Cheras from 2000 to 2009. The study used the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation technique under the Geographic Information System (GIS). This study found that the distribution pattern of CO spatial concentrations in the Klang Valley is the highest concentration and reached 2.5 ppm, especially in Klang and Petaling Jaya stations in 2002 and 2003. However, the annual concentration of O3 recorded in Klang, Petaling Jaya, Kajang, Shah Alam, and Cheras stations from 2004 to 2009 is between 0.01 to 0.025 ppm. While air quality legislations have been introduced in Malaysia, policies and regulations being established by the government, their enforcement is still weak. Subsequently, air pollution is still a significant issue in Malaysia. Strong cooperation between the government, stakeholders and the local community is important to promote environmental sustainability and improve the community’s well-being. Keywords: Air pollution; Geographic Information System (GIS); Air Quality Policy; Malaysia