INTRODUCTION

Air pollution has been known since man discovered fire and started using biomass for heating
and preparing food. It occurs when gases, dust particles, fumes, or smoke are released into
the surrounding atmosphere in a way that makes it harmful to humans, animals, and plants.
However, many people consider ambient air pollution to be a modern phenomenon related to
industrial development, although health problems related to air pollution were known before
the industrial era. London has always been considered synonymous with air pollution due to
heavy industrial activity and the use of poor-quality coal for heating and industrial purposes.
Today, such pollution attacks are less common in developed Western countries, while they
still occur in some Asian countries with very high levels of air pollution from biomass
burning and very high daily concentrations specifically throughout winter. Air pollution
threatens the health of humans and other living beings on our planet. It creates smog and acid
rain, causes cancer and respiratory diseases, reduces the ozone layer atmosphere, and
contributes to global warming. (Choudhary, 2013)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In general, combustion is the main process that causes pollutant emissions. The chemical
composition of air Pollution is complex and includes gases, e.g., nitrogen oxides, sulphur
dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particles. Combustion is the main
cause of pollutants in the surrounding air. However, incomplete combustion and spillage,
e.g., gasoline, can also contribute to ambient air pollution, e.g., benzene.

The focus is on fossil fuel burning related to energy production and transport. However, the
burning of waste and biomass, e.g., forest fires will also contribute to air pollution. Burn
waste disposal is especially a problem in poorer areas and villages; because of the
temperature and combustion technology enough, many undesired products are formed. Some
of the highest levels of air pollution in the world are found in Asian megacities, and these
levels appear to be closely linked to economic and social development, for example,
industrialization, population growth, urbanization, etc.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that urban air pollution contributes to
about 800,000 deaths and 4.6 million years of life lost (DALY) worldwide. However, this
burden is not distributed globally, and the problem is thought to be more serious in Asia. A
large regional variation in the estimated burden of disease has been found, and air pollution is
estimated at 5.9% of total DALYs in East Asia and 3.7% in South Asia. (Autrup, 2005)

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AIM

The objective of our research is to describe the importance of air quality as it is a determinant
of health and explain the extent of air pollution-related diseases. In addition, discuss the
major sources of air pollution and various approaches to the prevention of related
environmental health problems.

Review of the Literature

The topic of air pollution in the United Arab Emirates has been investigated by several
sources. The biggest causes of air pollution in the UAE, according to Cohen, Sexton, and
Yeatts, are mobile sources of pollution such as automobiles and airplanes. The majority of
automobiles run on fossil fuels like gasoline, which emit carbon dioxide when they burn in
the engines. In some situations, incomplete gas combustion results in the release of carbon
monoxide, which is toxic to humans. Trains also emit a substantial amount of pollution into
the skies above the UAE.

According to Seinfeld and Pandis, air pollution has a considerable impact on the global
climate. The creation of a gaseous blanket within the atmosphere, which prevents terrestrial
radiation from escaping to space, contributes to the rise in average temperature. This has the
immediate ability to decrease atmospheric temperatures. As a result, the sheet prevents the
radiation from escaping, resulting in elevated air temperatures. Because air pollution occurs
on a worldwide scale, the cumulative consequences result in crop drying, animal fatalities,
heavy rainfall, and, in most situations, severe environmental and climatic modification.

I. What are the risks of air pollution in the UAE?

Overall air quality in the United Arab Emirates is classified as hazardous by the World
Health Organization. According to the latest available data, the country's annual mean PM2.5
concentration is 41g/m3, which is more than the recommended level of 10g/m3.

Industrial and vehicular emissions are two factors that contribute to poor air quality in the
United Arab Emirates. There are seasonal changes in pollution, with the upper ranks
happening owing to sandstorms from February to March and June to August. According to
current information, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, the Al Gharbia region, and Dubai suffer persistently
high levels of air pollution.

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Polluted air can come from either the outside or the inside. Vehicles, industry, and equipment
all contribute to outdoor pollution. Cleaning goods, personal hygiene products, fragrances,
and energy devices can all contribute to indoor air pollutants.

Inside the United Arab Emirates, air pollutants are generally divided into two parts:

For ultrafine PM, PM2.5, and PM10, the indoor/outdoor PM ratios were 0.44, 0.41, and 0.38,
accordingly. Those figures are similar to those found in other indoor air studies undertaken in
underdeveloped nations. Indoor carbon monoxide levels were substantially linked to
environmental conditioners, smoke, and adjacent kitchens. Furthermore, interior PM2.5 and
PM10 concentrations were shown to be substantially linked to automobiles located around
five meters from the home, central air conditioning, and adjacent kitchens. This would be the
UAE's earliest comprehensive indoor air quality data source.

Asthma is likely the most serious of the many health problems connected to poor indoor air
quality. Indoor air pollution linked to changes in living patterns, the presence of secondhand
cigarette smoke in the home, urbanization, and genetic predisposition are suggested to be
factored in Emirati children's increased asthma prevalence during the last two decades. As a
result, any comprehensive assessment of environmental health concerns must include an
assessment of indoor air quality. Some experiments were aimed to get relevant indoor
pollutant data that could be performed in conjunction with 628 UAE households' existing
epidemiologic health examinations.

With a first stage toward characterizing indoor air quality in this under-recognized location,
the commencing assessed gaseous and PM air concentrations in 628 residences in the UAE.
Investigators discovered that, on average, indoor air quality in UAE homes is comparable to
that of other industrialized countries; there were hardly any notable outliers other than a
slightly higher coarse particle percentage which is probably due to the desert environment's
abundance of dust.

Chemicals, specific matter, and biological elements react with one another to generate
microscopic harmful particles in outdoor air pollution. Breathing difficulties, chronic
diseases, higher hospitalization, and premature mortality are all linked to it. The
concentration of particulate matter (PM) is a significant air quality indicator since it is the
most frequent type of pollution that has short and long-term health consequences. Fine
particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 m, known as PM2.5, and coarse particles with a
diameter of less than 10 m, known as PM10, are used to measure air quality. Since of their

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small size, PM2.5 particles are more dangerous because they can travel deeper into the
cardiovascular system.

Question 1:

The entrance of particles, biological molecules, or other toxic things into the
atmosphere causes sickness, death, and damage to other living organisms such as food
crops, as well as the natural and constructed surroundings. Anthropogenic or natural
sources of air pollution are also possible.

Not only for humans, but also wildlife, flora, water, and soil, clean air is critical to sustaining
the delicate balance of life on this planet.

One of the biggest causes is traffic, which contributes to both air and sound pollution. The
United Arab Emirates has one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. The oil and
gas industry, followed by the power and transportation sectors, is the primary cause of air
pollution.

Substances emitted directly from a process, such as industrial activities or gases generated
from motor vehicles, are known as primary air pollutants. Secondary air pollutants are
created in the air when main pollutants react or interact, rather than being directly emitted. As
ground-level ozone combines with other pollutants, resulting in Air Pollutants, here is an
example.

Economic and transportation outputs, that can produce elevated amounts of sulfur dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone, as well as PM10 (particulate matter with a
diameter of 10 microns or less) into the air we breathe, also affect air quality in the UAE,
though much less regularly.

It is a major issue; the UAE is paying more than Dh18 billion to combat health issues caused
by automobile pollution. Several ailments, including skin disorders and inflammations, have
increased as a result of air pollution. The UAE's high level of air pollution is because it has
grown in a very short period, roughly 20 to 30 years.

Dust storms are common in the UAE, especially in February-March and June-August. Strong
winds increase up speed and blow dust from the desert, dispersing it throughout the region.
The consequences can be more than just annoying; these can also pose a health & safety
threat.

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Question 2:

What are the local and global effects of indoor and outdoor air pollution?

Indoor air pollution

One of the world's largest environmental problems it's caused by indoor air pollution which
leads to risk factors of premature death in underdeveloped countries are low-income
countries. It is caused due to Burning solid fuel sources, for example, cow dung, crop waste,
firewood, etc. for cooking and heating. such practices in poor families as well as in poor
localities around the world in low-income
countries lead to respiratory diseases which
result in premature death among thousands
of people. According to the global burden
of disease, a study has estimated that indoor
air pollution has been responsible for 4.1
million global deaths across the world.
Moreover, the highest death rates are found
in low-income countries with over several
deaths per 100000 people in a given
country or region as compared to high-
income countries.

However, the number of annual deaths

from indoor air pollution has subsequently
declined since 1990 globally as people get
access to the cleaner who else for cooking
purposes, but only 60% of the world
population are access to such clean pools which makes it obvious that the solid fuel burning
in the household of poor people and low-income countries are still in practice due to
unavailable sources and it is expensive to afford such clean fuels. (Roser, 2022)

Outdoor air pollution

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Similarly, outdoor air pollution is also one of the world's largest health and environmental
problems. It causes many risk factors for people causing death due to stroke, heart disease,
lung cancer, respiratory diseases, etc. according to the data provided by the global burden of
disease study 4506193 people face death or premature death due to outdoor pollution which
is estimated ask 7.8 million of global
deaths. Moreover, the death rates among the
older population are the highest.

The main reason for such deaths is the

particulate matter which are small particles
of matter in the surrounding that causes
adverse health effects on the respiratory
system of people. Exposure to particulate
matter (PM2.5) in many low to middle-income countries from Africa to Asia where such
matter is high in concentration. However, to reduce the adverse health impacts of air
pollution we World Health Organization
recommends air quality guidelines that give
better instructions based on the
epidemiological assessment of air quality
which creates a link between pollution
exposure and health consequences.

About 95% of the worldwide population is

exposed to such concentrations of
particulate matter which exceeds the WHO recommended limit of 10 micrograms per cubic
meter. therefore, as compared to rich countries levels of air pollution are much lower to limit
the health impacts caused by air pollution Dan is too low for middle-income countries as they
are more exposed to such concentrated matters. (Roser, outdoor air pollution , 2022 )

Question 3:

To reduce the pollution, we must reduce producing the pollution. In other words, we must
control the emissions of the factories. To do so, there are air control devices that filter the
polluted air before it emits it.

Most of these air control devices are sustainable, for they use renewable and green sources to
filter the polluted air. For example, one air control device works by spraying water droplets at

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a high speed on the polluted air as runs through a chamber. The water droplets would capture
some pollutants and get stuck with them, and due to the gravity, these droplets would fall and
be processed leaving clean air to be released into the atmosphere.

Another example would be the utilizing of magnetic fields where the polluted air would be
charged by a negative charge and be surrounded by positive charges walls. This method
would allow the pollutants to get stuck onto the walls and clean the air.

Obtained Evaluates:

A slew of new regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions and industrial air pollutants
from cement plants and open quarry activities have been implemented in recent years, and
they appear to be paying off.

The air that citizens in the UAE breathe is well within international criteria set forth by the
World Health Organization, according to air quality tests done from space via satellite.

These findings show that the government has made substantial efforts to enhance ambient air
quality, which is a key factor in determining the quality of life. It also emphasizes the UAE
National Agenda, which will help the UAE Vision 2021 achieve its aim of delivering a good
quality of life for citizens and residents in a sustainable environment by 2021. Because air
quality is intimately linked to human health, the environment, and the economy, it is one of
the top issues on the UAE's National Agenda. The country places a high priority on
improving air quality, to meet 90% of the WHO Air Quality Guidelines by 2021.

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (Ead) has begun thorough monitoring of fine
particulate pollution in the city, focusing on rates of PM10 particles, which are only 10
micrometers in size, with a micrometer being a millionth of a meter.

Even tiny PM2.5 particles are being monitored, which experts say are particularly dangerous
since they can reach the lungs when inhaled.

To summarize

Air pollution is an environmental issue that is expected to have negative consequences for
public health and the rising temperatures. The principal sources of emissions, according to
the discussion, are mobile and stationary, the latter in the form of oil refineries and power
plants. Furthermore, air pollution adds to diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, relying on

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the duration of levels of exposure. If the World Bank's statistics are correct, the UAE's air
pollution difficulty is getting worse. The country has surpassed rival major polluting
countries such as China and India to achieve the top spot. As a result, immediate action is
required to address the effects of air pollution. For more details we can shed the light on the
table and the charts below:

Why, in comparison to underdeveloped countries, do most industrialized countries have

low levels of air pollution?

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The gap in government activities and financial resources is the cause of this disparity. Air
quality and car emissions laws are often inadequate in low-income countries. The
industrialization has resulted in the proliferation of coal-fired power plants.

So why would developing countries pollute the environment more?

The poorest people in developing nations have the least access to safe drinking water, and
they may also be the most vulnerable to environmental dangers including vector-borne
diseases and indoor air pollution from solid fuel use.

Suggestions

An optimal strategy to deal with air pollution is to figure out what causes it and then take the
appropriate steps to avoid contamination in the first place. As a result, the UAE should adopt
clean energy sources such as wind, water, geothermal, tidal, and nuclear as an alternative
energy sources for transportation and industrial reasons. Renewable energy sources provide
clean energy with low greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the country would need to
plant more trees to act as windbreaks and reduce the number of pollutants in the air, which is
a major source of health concerns amongst people.

Now in the UAE, air quality is one of the main issues on the national agenda for the UAE
Vision 2021, as the agenda aims to raise the air quality rate from its current level to 90% by
2021. To meet this goal, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is working with its
partners in the public and private sectors to develop efforts The national policy by various
means and methods, focused in its entirety on reducing pollution sources by employing the
latest systems and technologies and applying best practices, including setting and developing
national standards for air pollution and monitoring compliance with them, the transition
towards a green economy, increasing the use of clean energies in various fields, and the
sustainability of the transport sector Developing an air quality monitoring network and
relying on smart technologies and solutions to monitor types of pollutants.

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Conclusion and recommendation

To sum up everything that have been stated so far, we discussed air pollution and how it
effects the environment as well as public health. As the research shows, the UAE suffers
from high temperatures and it effects different life aspects. Global warming is a huge concern
when we discuss high temperature, and as the research show global warming is caused via a
lot of pollutants. Moreover, the paper explains the two main source of air pollution which are
the indoor and outdoor air pollution. The problem of air pollution can be extended to many
other problems such as the ozone hole, global warming, and green house effect. Therefore,
the UAE always tend to come up with strategies that will help reduce this type of pollution as
well as every other pollution.

After the research, we came up with some recommendation to share with the readers. First,
we recommend to the readers to not underestimate the problem of air pollution and to take it
more under consideration. Furthermore, there are a lot of parts that the individual can play,
such as installing air pollution control devices in their vehicles to monitor the emission
coming out of their vehicles. Finally, we recommend to further look into the resources that
we used to have much comprehensive understanding of the problem, and to consider the
finding of this paper in future plans.

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