Bahrain Needs to Rein In Aerosol Pollution

The tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the air are called Aerosols. They can be naturally occurring in the form of simple dust or man made like those generated by vehicles and thermal power plants burning fossil fuels. Aerosol pollution is a real time challenge for Bahrain as this type of pollution can negatively impact both human health and the environment. Given the surrounding desert environment, Bahrain is continuously subjected to natural aerosol pollution in the form of mineral dust riding on northwesterly winds. Known as Shamal, these winds can bring airborne particles from as far of as Iraq. This spikes the aerosol optical depth (AOD) levels over Bahrain.

Adding to the natural aerosol pollution due to dust, anthropogenic activities in the form of industrial and vehicular emissions have worsened the aerosol pollution burden for Bahrain. Studies have shown that construction activities such as earthworks, demolition, heavy machinery use, and material transport on construction sites generate substantial amounts of dust and pollutants. These emissions contain various harmful substances including particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). All of these further worsen the aerosol pollution levels.

But perhaps the most concerning consequence of aerosol pollution is its impact on human health. Studies show a correlation between high aerosol pollutant levels and an increase in respiratory-related health issues and hospital visits. Diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart disease have been constantly linked to aerosol pollution. Given these concerning aspects, there is an urgent need for an effective aerosol pollution mitigation strategy that may not be able to stem the natural sources of this pollution such as dust but may effectively slow down the man made sources of aerosol pollutants generation.

In the mitigation measures, firstly steps must be taken to ensure dust control measures during demolition, earthworks, and material handling. Usage of drones over construction sites and satellite imagery can be deployed to control construction related dust generation. This must be accompanied by live monitoring of air quality at the construction sites the data of which is constantly relayed to the authorities on a real time basis. Additionally, sustainable construction methods like waste management, energy-efficient building designs, and renewable energy sources can further add efficiency to the aerosol pollution mitigation efforts.

Secondly, there is also a need to dial down the usage of fossil fuels for energy and transportation purposes. This can have a telling positive impact on bringing down the aerosol pollution load in Bahrain. Notably in this regard Bahrain has already made exceptional progress to promote clean fuels under various policies and initiatives and this can be further built upon by integrating solar power, biofuels and other renewable energy sources to mainstream energy and transport needs. This is only possible if these clean energy sources are scaled up and their capacity increased so that they prove to be realistic alternatives to fossil fuels.

Aerosol pollution poses a silent threat that can only be mitigated through a sustainable shift to clean energy.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Daily Tribune)