Face masks a common sight in Jakarta as pollution takes its toll

Jakarta

THE young woman sat on a bench at a bus terminal here one recent morning, listening to her iPod beneath a bright blue sky. But despite the sunshine and a light breeze, the woman, Fety Dwiyanti, wore a face mask. She did not have the flu or a cold, though, she was just worried about what was getting into her lungs.

"It's because of the air pollution and dust," she said. "Every time I go outside, I put it on."

Jakarta, a sprawling city of 10 million, has long had a problem with air pollution. To addr…