Economic losses due to health hazards caused by haze event in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Abstract

This study assessed the health risk analysis of haze pollution in Pasir Gudang and Larkin. The relationship between health risk and economic effect due to air pollution exposure in Johor is still poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between air pollution and health. Then, the economic impact due to smoke haze on associated outpatients was calculated. Daily morbidity data from 2014 to 2016 for three haze-related illnesses were collected from two health clinics. Data on air quality were obtained at two Continuous Air Quality Monitoring (CAQM) stations in Johor. Health risks for all age categories in the haze periods were higher than those in non-haze periods. The outpatient morbidity cases in health clinics increased with the rising occurrence of smoke haze in Johor Bahru. The average annual economic losses due to the outpatient health impact of haze were valued at RM83,233 and RM107,486 for Pasir Gudang and Larkin, respectively.