Indoor Air Quality in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Air quality was measured inside 628 United Arab Emirates (UAE) personal residences. Weekly average concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (HCHO), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), and three size fractions of particulate matter (PM 2.5 , PM c , and PM 10) were determined in each home. In a subset of the homes, measurements of outdoor air quality, ultrafine PM concentrations, and elemental PM concentrations were also made. Questionnaires were administered to obtain information on housing demographics and lifestyle habits. Air measurements were performed using simple and cost effective passive samplers. The 90 th percentiles of indoor CO, HCHO, H 2 S, NO 2 , and SO 2 were 1.55 ppm, 0.05 ppm, 0.12 ppm, 0.01 ppm, and 0.05 ppm, respectively. Median indoor PM 2.5 , PM c , and PM 10 , concentrations were 5.73 µg/m 3 , 29.4 µg/m 3 , and 35.2 µg/m 3 , respectively. The median indoor concentration of ultrafine PM was 3.62 × 10 10 particles/m 3. Indoor/outdoor ratios for PM were 0.44, 0.41, and 0.38 for ultrafine PM, PM 2.5 , and PM 10 , respectively. These values fall within the range of other indoor air studies findings conducted in developing countries. Air conditioning, smoking, and attached kitchens were significantly correlated with indoor levels of carbon monoxide. In addition, indoor concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were significantly correlated with vehicles parked within five meters of the home, central air conditioning, and having attached kitchens. This is the first robust indoor air * Corresponding author. W. E. Funk et al. 710 quality data set developed for the UAE. This study demonstrates that screening level tools are a good initial step for assessing air quality when logistical issues (distance, language, cultural, training) and intrusion into personal lives need to be minimized.

Maternal and birth cohort studies in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…This is problematic for several reasons. In the GCC, rapid modernization has occurred over the last 50 years which might have had detrimental effects on the environment [122]. Factors such as water pipe smoking and indoor incense use are prevalent and have been shown to increase the risk of several adverse maternal outcomes such as wheezing, asthma, and headache, which in turn may affect the developing fetus [123].…”

Analysis of the Long-Term Variability of Poor Visibility Events in the UAE and the Link with Climate Dynamics

“…Visibility is also known in quantitative terminology as the visual range [4]. Good visibility, the ability to see and recognize objects situated on the ground at more than 5.0 km distance, is essential for the safety of all transport sectors including ground, air, and maritime [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Moreover, visibility can reflect changes in meteorological and air quality conditions and their impact on human health [13][14][15].…”

Indoor air pollution and exposure assessment of the gulf cooperation council countries: A critical review

“…Additionally, large amounts of Zn, Cu, V, Ni, Pb, Mn and Cr elements were found to exist as ultrafine particles (PM 0.1 ) and fine particles (PM 2.5 ) in UAE indoors (Hamdan et al, 2018), where the majority of dwellers spend 85% of their times indoors, especially during summer seasons. Analysis of indoor air compositions in 638 homes in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujaira, Sharjah, and Ajman revealed that the median concentrations of formaldehyde (HCHO) (13.2 μg/m 3 ), PM 2.5 (6.06 μg/m 3 ), and PM 10 (41.3 μg/m 3 ) were higher than the recorded urban exposure levels of HCHO (66.1 μg/m 3 ), PM 2.5 (6.0 μg/m 3 ), and PM 10 (38.5 μg/ m 3 ) in many cases (Funk et al, 2014). The sources of the pollutants were attributed to smoking, air conditioners, and kitchen activities.…”

“…Environmental agencies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Municipalities have embarked on various environmental health projects aimed at characterizing indoor air pollutants in various residential buildings in UAE. Despite these interventions, indoor air pollutions continue to be a health threat to UAE populations as it has been estimated to cause 290 deaths and about 89,000 hospital emergency visits annually (Funk et al, 2014). To date, about 30 articles on IAQ in UAE were published, while they focused mostly on characterization of trace gases and PMs with excessive attention to IAQ measurements within similar indoor environments (e.g., residential homes).…”

“…Current studies in UAE have recommended natural ventilations as a means of reducing indoor air pollutant levels. But this approach was not efficient as it could lead to infiltration of ambient air pollutants (Funk et al, 2014;Hamdan et al, 2018). However, the mechanism that could filter out ambient pollutants via natural ventilation was recommended by Behzadi and Fadeyi (2012).…”