Catastrophic impact of extreme 2019 Indonesian peatland fires on urban air quality and health

Mark Grosvenor; Vissia Ardiyani; Martin Wooster; Stefan Gillott; David Green; Puji Lestari; Wiranda I. Suri

doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01813-w

Catastrophic impact of extreme 2019 Indonesian peatland fires on urban air quality and health

Mark Grosvenor^*, Vissia Ardiyani, Martin Wooster, Stefan Gillott, David Green, Puji Lestari, Wiranda I. Suri

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Tropical peatland fires generate substantial quantities of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and in Indonesia are intensified during El Niño-related drought leading to severe air quality impacts affecting local and distant populations. Limited in-situ data often necessitates reliance on air quality models, like that of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, whose accuracy in extreme conditions is not fully understood. Here we demonstrate how a network of low-cost sensors around Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan during the 2019 fire season, quantified extreme air quality and city-scale variability. The data indicates relatively strong model performance. Health impacts are substantial with estimates of over 1200 excess deaths in the Palangka Raya region, over 3200 across Central Kalimantan, and more than 87,000 nationwide in 2019 due to fire-induced PM2.5 exposure. These findings highlight the need for urgent action to mitigate extreme fire events, including reducing fire use and landscape remediation to prevent peat fire ignition.

Original language	English
Article number	649
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	5
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01813-w
Publication status	Published - 2 Nov 2024

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Grosvenor_Air quality and health impacts of biomass burning in Indonesia_acceptedAccepted author manuscript, 1.78 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Catastrophic impact of extreme 2019 Indonesian peatland fires on urban air quality and health",

abstract = "Tropical peatland fires generate substantial quantities of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and in Indonesia are intensified during El Ni{\~n}o-related drought leading to severe air quality impacts affecting local and distant populations. Limited in-situ data often necessitates reliance on air quality models, like that of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, whose accuracy in extreme conditions is not fully understood. Here we demonstrate how a network of low-cost sensors around Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan during the 2019 fire season, quantified extreme air quality and city-scale variability. The data indicates relatively strong model performance. Health impacts are substantial with estimates of over 1200 excess deaths in the Palangka Raya region, over 3200 across Central Kalimantan, and more than 87,000 nationwide in 2019 due to fire-induced PM2.5 exposure. These findings highlight the need for urgent action to mitigate extreme fire events, including reducing fire use and landscape remediation to prevent peat fire ignition.",

author = "Mark Grosvenor and Vissia Ardiyani and Martin Wooster and Stefan Gillott and David Green and Puji Lestari and Suri, {Wiranda I.}",

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AU - Grosvenor, Mark

AU - Ardiyani, Vissia

AU - Wooster, Martin

AU - Gillott, Stefan

AU - Green, David

AU - Lestari, Puji

AU - Suri, Wiranda I.

PY - 2024/11/2

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N2 - Tropical peatland fires generate substantial quantities of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and in Indonesia are intensified during El Niño-related drought leading to severe air quality impacts affecting local and distant populations. Limited in-situ data often necessitates reliance on air quality models, like that of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, whose accuracy in extreme conditions is not fully understood. Here we demonstrate how a network of low-cost sensors around Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan during the 2019 fire season, quantified extreme air quality and city-scale variability. The data indicates relatively strong model performance. Health impacts are substantial with estimates of over 1200 excess deaths in the Palangka Raya region, over 3200 across Central Kalimantan, and more than 87,000 nationwide in 2019 due to fire-induced PM2.5 exposure. These findings highlight the need for urgent action to mitigate extreme fire events, including reducing fire use and landscape remediation to prevent peat fire ignition.

AB - Tropical peatland fires generate substantial quantities of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and in Indonesia are intensified during El Niño-related drought leading to severe air quality impacts affecting local and distant populations. Limited in-situ data often necessitates reliance on air quality models, like that of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, whose accuracy in extreme conditions is not fully understood. Here we demonstrate how a network of low-cost sensors around Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan during the 2019 fire season, quantified extreme air quality and city-scale variability. The data indicates relatively strong model performance. Health impacts are substantial with estimates of over 1200 excess deaths in the Palangka Raya region, over 3200 across Central Kalimantan, and more than 87,000 nationwide in 2019 due to fire-induced PM2.5 exposure. These findings highlight the need for urgent action to mitigate extreme fire events, including reducing fire use and landscape remediation to prevent peat fire ignition.

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JO - Communications Earth and Environment

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Catastrophic impact of extreme 2019 Indonesian peatland fires on urban air quality and health

Abstract

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