NUR NAJWA BINTI MOHD SHUKRI UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA TERENGGANU
Air pollution has become a main environmental issue in Malaysia. This pollution refers to the presence of current urbanization processes and increased industrial activities, particularly in the maritime sector. The main source of air pollution in the maritime industry is gas emissions from vehicles such as trucks and vessels. Vessels are the most significant source of air pollution because of the use of fossil fuels by vessels. Nitrogen dioxide, NO2, is the most common gas released in the port area. These gases are emitted into the atmosphere by coal and oil products fired in vessels, such as fuel oil, natural gas, and gasoline. The objective of this study is to analyze the rate of NO2 gas pollution in the port area of Malaysia as well as the Malaysian exclusive economic zone before and during the Covid-19 outbreak. NO2 data were collected by using the most modern techniques of analysis which is by satellite images from the Sentinel-5P satellite in the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). The finding showed that NO2 rates prior to the Covid-19 outbreak were generally higher due to uncontrolled gas emissions. During the pandemic, NO2 gas pollution data has been reduced in that area because of some factors, such as the maritime industry's temporary suspension of operations in order to control the symptoms of Covid-19. In addition, vessels had to stop sailing due to the possibility of Covid-19 transmission. Therefore, ongoing research is required to make better actions to minimize air pollution in Malaysian port areas.