Air pollution in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman): causes, effects, and aerosol categorization

CATEGORY: AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman): causes, effects, and aerosol categorization

Type	Journal Article
Author	Ashraf Farahat
Author	King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia
Author	Alexandria University, Egypt
URL	http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12517-015-2203-y
Volume	9
Issue	3
Pages	1-17
Publication	Arabian Journal of Geosciences
Date	2016/03/10
Abstract	Air pollution over six countries in the Arabian Peninsula (AP), including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, includes particulates, greenhouse gases, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Dispersion of the pollutants is strongly affected by major sandstorms that frequent the AP. Researchers analyzed concentration of these pollutants. They found infrastructure activities, overuse of governmental subsidized energy, water desalination, heavy traffic in large cities, and cement plants to be the primary reasons for the pollutants. Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) data retrieval over three sites in the AP depicted significant anthropogenic particles mixed with the desert dust over the AP.