Environmental Health in Israel | 2014

Deserts. Anthropogenic contaminants that may adsorb onto dust particles during their transport exacerbate adverse health effects resulting from exposure to these particles. Local sources of particulates in Israel include combustion processes in power plants, industry, transportation, and home heating, in addition to photochemical oxidation of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and VOCs. Within major metropolitan cities in Israel, anthropogenic sources of PM are primarily transportation sources, including diesel engines. Research has shown that circulation patterns affect PM composition in Israel more than local emissions. Ambient Air Quality in Israel According to the WHO ambient air pollution database update from 2014, Israel is ranked as the 24 th highest out of 90 countries for annual mean PM 10 and 44 th highest for annual mean PM 2.5 . Within Israel, the highest annual PM 10 levels were in Ashkelon, followed by Modi'in, while the highest PM 2.5 levels were in Modi'in, followed by Beer Sheva and Beit Shemesh. However, this analysis has several limitations. First, the comparison was based on data from 2010, during which there were many dust storms in Israel, and on data from monitoring stations that are positioned in Israel relatively close to emissions sources. In addition, the comparison considered only PM and not additional ambient pollutants with considerable public health impact. While PM emissions have decreased by about 30% since 2000, annual ambient PM 10 concentrations remained stable (Figure 2). PM 2.5 concentrations, which range between 17–29 µg/m 3 vary considerably according to region in Israel. For ozone, annual average concentrations remained stable during 2000–2012 at most monitoring stations (Figure 3). In many areas in Israel, the eight-hour average ozone concentrations exceed WHO recommendations, including in large urban areas such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beer Sheva, primarily due to heavy transport pressures. Annual PM 10 Concentrations at Selected Monitoring Stations in Israel, 2000–2012  Figure 2 Source: Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection µg/m 3 Tel Aviv, Central Bus Station Jerusalem, Safra Square Haifa, Neve Sheanan Beer Sheva 0 10 30 50 70 20 40 60 80 Year 2000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Environmental Health in Israel 2014  Chapter 1 - 12 -