Possible Public Health Effects Resulting from Exposure to Air Pollution of Particulate Matter Generated from Limestone Industry
Abstract
The Limestone Industry (LSI) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), erroneously known as the “Stone and Marble Industry (SMI)”, is a highly lucrative industry, contributing about 25% of the total Palestinian industrial revenues, and about 4.5% of the Gross National Product (GNP). However, although this industry is rewarding to Palestinians in the OPT, in terms of socioeconomics, employment, culture, and heritage, it comes with heavy burdens on the environment and public health. Long-term exposure to air pollution from particulate matter (PMs), generated particularly by LSI, increases the risk of many diseases and problems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, cancers, pregnancy problems, and newborn defects. This paper investigates the effects of LSI on public health in the OPT, by analyzing PMs measurements of different particulate sizes (1.0, 2.5, 7.5, and 10.0 μg/m3) emitted by LSI. The PMs measurements are compared with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines. It has been found that fine PMs, which fly into the air and settle in slurry waste (wet and dry) and dumped in open areas, cause high levels of pollution to the air, water, soil, and green cover, leading to damages of citizens’ health, especially those citizens who are living within the LSI’s proximities. More research is needed to further clarify the direct effects of LSI on public health, the environment, green cover, water systems and, in general, quality of life. Population should also exert more pressures on those in charge and the LSI’s owners to make them abide with, and ensure that, the maximum levels of various pollutants recommended by WHO are not violated.
Keywords
Limestone industry; , Particulate matter; , Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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