What is PM2.5?
PM is an abbreviation of Particulate Matter, whose main components are small particles of “sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water” (World Health Organization, 2016, para. 6). Additionally, a mixture of both organic and inorganic substances, whether liquid or solid, forms fine suspensions in the air to create PM. The value 2.5, which is appended as a subscript to the abbreviation PM, is the diameter (expressed in microns) of the particles suspended in the air. Therefore, PM2.5 is an expression of the particulate matter, suspended in the air, with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less expressed in micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3).
How UAE’s value for PM2.5 (World Bank report 2015) compare to the UAE and the WHO standards for air quality?
According to the World Bank’s 2015 report on air pollution, the UAE was the most polluted region around the globe with a PM2.5 value of 80 (Al Wasmi, 2015). This figure is eight times the WHO standards for air quality, which stand at 10μg/m3. The UAE does not have any established federal limits for PM2.5.
My opinion on the UAE’s disagreement
After the World Bank released the 2015 air pollution report, which implied that the UAE had the dirtiest air around the globe, the Ministry of Environment and Water dismissed the figures as inaccurate. I think the ministry was justified in its dismissal of the data given the several grey areas in the report. First, the data used was old as it was collected between 1990 and 2005, and thus it could not be relied on given that the UAE has undertaken several air pollution measures to comply with the WHO’s standards. Moreover, satellite observations used to collect data are insufficient without proper ground-level monitors to collate the information.
Lastly, the UAE’s desert environment is a predisposition to dust storms, which litter the air with windblown dust in most cases. Therefore, the naturally occurring dust will inflate the figures on air pollution. I agree with the UAE that naturally occurring dust and carbon-based particles should be classified differently. Nevertheless, particulate matter suspended in the air is still harmful regardless of the source. Therefore, in as much as the UAE disagreed with the report, policymakers should come up with ways of addressing the problem. The claim that the majority of particulate matter in the UAE’s atmosphere is natural does not hold in the face of the harmful nature of such materials.
Measures by the UAE to improve air quality
The UAE announced the construction of eleven (11) more air quality monitoring stations on top of the existing 46 such stations. The new stations will increase the effectiveness of monitoring air pollution within the region by standardizing the practice across the seven (7) emirates. Additionally, the unified air monitoring system forms an air-quality network, which relays real-time information as opposed to the quarterly reports that the country would receive before. Timely reports will improve the speed with which policymakers implement new measures to deal with air pollution in the region.
The government also announced the deregulation of petrol by increasing the prices. This measure is effective as it would discourage people from using personal cars, which contribute significantly to air pollution in the region. According to the World Health Organization (2016), minimizing the usage of petrol-based vehicles and adopting low emission fuels would reduce air pollution significantly.
References
Al Wasmi, N. (2015). Measures to improve UAE air quality enacted. The National. Web.
World Health Organization. (2016). Fact sheet: Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. Web.