RISK OF AIR POLLUTION FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION TOWARDS HEALTH: A COMPARATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT

Palm oil mills generate large quantities of waste and by-products which consequently cause air pollution. Previous studies had investigated about the exposures of different types of air pollution toward certain age groups such as children, as well as targeting specific diseases. In this article, the assessment on the posed risk of air pollution in Sepang, Malaysia palm oil mills toward health are being investigated. In particular, we study the particulate matter of PM2.5 and PM10, in which exposures toward these fine particles may cause toxic effects in blood and other illnesses such as cancer that may lead to mortality. Our aim is to estimate the number of premature deaths in Malaysia due to all causes of ambient air pollutants and avoidable mortality rate using the comparative risk assessment framework. We also quantified the relative risk and attributable fraction by adopting the framework of air pollution health-risk assessment. Our findings estimated that there would be around 5692 for PM10 and 9287 for PM2.5 premature deaths in Malaysia due to all causes of ambient air pollutants. However, with the decrease in 20% of the pollutant’s concentration, there would be an avoidable mortality of 18.75% or 1067 and 17.98% or 1670 due to PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. This model can be extended into more detail assessment of each contributing particles for air pollution, as well as to water pollution.