Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 19 No 6 (2015): 1415 - 1430

 

 

 

SPATIAL AIR QUALITY MODELLING USING CHEMOMETRICS TECHNIQUES: A CASE STUDY IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

 

(Pemodelan Ruang Kualiti Udara Menggunakan Teknik-Teknik Kemometrik: Satu Kajian Kes di Semenanjung Malaysia)

 

Azman Azid¹*, Hafizan Juahir¹, Mohammad Azizi Amran¹, Zarizal Suhaili², Mohamad Romizan Osman³,

 Asyaari Muhamad^1,4, Ismail Zainal Abidin¹, Nur Hishaam Sulaiman¹, Ahmad Shakir Mohd Saudi¹

 

¹East Coast Environmental Research Institute,

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

²Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry,

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Tembila Campus, 22200 Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia

³Kulliyyah of Science,

International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

⁴Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA),

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: azmanazid@unisza.edu.my

 

 

Received: 14 April 2015; Accepted: 9 July 2015

 

 

Abstract

This study shows the effectiveness of hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA), discriminant analysis (DA), principal component analysis (PCA), and multiple linear regressions (MLR) for assessment of air quality data and recognition of air pollution sources. 12 months data (January-December 2007) consisting of 14 stations in Peninsular Malaysia with 14 parameters were applied. Three significant clusters - low pollution source (LPS), moderate pollution source (MPS), and slightly high pollution source (SHPS) were generated via HACA. Forward stepwise of DA managed to discriminate eight variables, whereas backward stepwise of DA managed to discriminate nine variables out of fourteen variables. The PCA and FA results show the main contributor of air pollution in Peninsular Malaysia is the combustion of fossil fuel from industrial activities, transportation and agriculture systems. Four MLR models show that PM₁₀ account as the most and the highest pollution contributor to Malaysian air quality. From the study, it can be stipulated that the application of chemometrics techniques can disclose meaningful information on the spatial variability of a large and complex air quality data. A clearer review about the air quality and a novelty design of air quality monitoring network for better management of air pollution can be achieved via these methods.

Keywords:  air quality, chemometrics, pattern recognition, Peninsular Malaysia

 

Abstrak

Kajian ini menunjukkan keberkesanan kaedah hirarki algorithma analisa kelompok (HAAK), analisis pembezalayan (AP), analisis komponen utama (AKU), dan kepelbagaian regresi linear (KRL) untuk penilaian data kualiti udara dan pengenalpastian punca pencemaran udara. Data 12 bulan (Januari-Disember 2007) terdiri daripada 14 stesen di Semenanjung Malaysia dengan 14 parameter telah digunakan. Tiga kelompok besar - sumber pencemaran rendah (SPR), sumber pencemaran sederhana (SPS), dan sumber pencemaran sedikit tinggi (SPST) diwujudkan melalui HAAK. Melalui AP, kaedah langkah demi langkah ke hadapan berjaya membezalayan lapan pembolehubah, manakala kaedah langkah demi langkah kebelakang berjaya membezalayan sembilan pembolehubah daripada 14 belas pembolehubah. Keputusan AKU menunjukkan bahawa penyumbang utama pencemaran udara di Semenanjung Malaysia adalah disebabkan oleh pembakaran bahan api fosil melalui aktiviti perindustrian, pengangkutan dan sistem pertanian. Empat model KRL menunjukkan bahawa PM₁₀ bertindak sebagai penyumbang utama kepada pencemaran udara Malaysia. Dari kajian ini, ia dapat membuktikan bahawa penggunaan teknik kemometrik boleh memberikan maklumat yang bermakna terhadap kebolehubahan ruang bagi data yang besar dan kompleks. Kajian yang lebih jelas mengenai kualiti udara dan rangkaian pemantauan reka bentuk kualiti udara yang baru dalam pengurusan pencemaran udara yang lebih baik dapat dicapai melalui kaedah-kaedah tersebut.

 

Kata Kunci:  kualiti udara, kemometrik, pengenalan corak, Semenanjung Malaysia

 

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