Page 2 - Sustainablility in the UAE_Neat

Air Pollutants

Dubai’s economic growth has been exponential in the past few years. Which naturally

means higher production demands ergo more factories. Ultimately resulting in
tremendous increase in the production of air pollutants such as O 3(ground-layer ozone),
NO2 (Nitrogen dioxide), and SO 2 (Sulfur dioxide).(Jassmi 1) A comparison of three
studies,one conducted in 2012 by Ahmed al Jassmi, one conducted in early-2015 by
Caroline Haddad, and one conducted in late-2015 by the UAE Ministry of Environment and
Water show that the concentration of these air pollutants has increased throughout the
years. However, the growth is seen to have significantly slowed down which can be
credited to the prioritization of sustainable development in the subsequent to the

projects initiated by the United Nations to aim for a more sustainable global
infrastructure. (Sustainable Development UN 2) Impact of air pollutants on Health and the
Environment. The three aforementioned air pollutants are detrimental to human health as
well as the environment. Ground-level ozone (O3 ) is created by the oxidation of nitrogen
(NOx ) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Industrial

factories and electrical facilities’ emissions are one of the most prominent sources of NOx
and VOC. O 3 can cause a wide range of health problems when inhaled. These include but
are not limited to irritation to the throat, chest and lungs, coughing, the scarring of lung-
tissue, and the worsening of bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. O3 has also been shown
to damage vegetation and crops- A study in the US showed linked O3 to 500 million USD
in lost crops. (MNN 1) NO2 and SO2 both cause similar problems, all related to respiration
in humans and damage in crops. Factories, vehicles,and facilities are the primary sources

of these three pollutants and the movement of UAE to a more sustainable infrastructure
means less of these sources, which in turn results in a decreased amount of these three
pollutants which ultimately means better air quality.