PASIR GUDANG, March 18 — A total of 30 teams, under the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry, will be mobilised to monitor air quality at schools within a radius of five to nine kilometers from the affected stretch of Sungai Kim Kim here today.

Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the teams, comprising of Department of Environment (DOE) and Chemistry Department personnel, will employ the use of gas detectors to detect and monitor the air quality in 42 schools within the stipulated radius.

He said five gas parametres that will be checked are oxygen, carbon monoxide, Low Exposure Limit (LEL) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S).

“The teams will monitor these parametres thoroughly and the results will be shared later today,” said Dr Sahruddin in the morning update of the Pasir Gudang toxic fume progress today.

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He added that the Johor Veterinary Department had also conducted pollution studies on livestock near Sungai Kim Kim yesterday and none are affected by toxic fumes.

On the latest figures of victims affected, Dr Sahruddin said there was an improvement with only 29 patients being warded in both the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) and the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) as of 12am today.

Dr Sahruddin, who is also the Bukit Kepong assemblyman, said this was a positive development compared with the 120 patients that were reported to be warded yesterday.

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“In addition to that, only four patients, compared to seven previously, remain in the intensive care unit (ICU) and are reported to be in stable condition,” he said, adding that both HSA and HSI had treated and discharged a total of 119 patients yesterday.