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issue of global warming
which is associated with
the release of greenhouse
gases, especially carbon
dioxide.
Then he talked about lead
pollution, which is caused
by arms and ammunition,
lead pipes, smelters,
improper disposal of
household and automobile
batteries, and leaded
gasoline. Tetraethyl lead
was discovered by
Thomas Midgley in 1922
and was considered a
great achievement in the
automobile industry
because it is an anti-knocking
agent in engines.
However, when leaded
gasoline is burned, lead
particulates are released
into the air. When people
breath in the lead-polluted
air, the lead accumulates
in the body and causes
brain and other nervous
system damage, including
mental retardation, especially
in children.
Finally Dr. Hanna gave a
general overview about air
pollution in Lebanon. He
noted that there is a lack of
scientific research regarding
the extent of the air
pollution in Lebanon and
its effect on people’s
health since not many
studies have been con-
Dr. Robert Hanna addressing his audience. Dr. Hanna’s large and interested audience took notes.
ducted; however, he did
discuss several studies
which indicate that air pollution
and its negative
health effects are as much
a problem in some regions
in Lebanon as they are in
many more industrialized
countries.
Although Lebanon is not a
major industrialized country,
most of the air pollution
in Lebanon is due to
the burning of fossil fuels
and what industries
release from their smokestacks.
The industries present
in Lebanon are smallscale
and are mostly concentrated
in the areas of
Chekka and Selaata.
Sources of stationary air
pollution include the
power plants that use fuel
oil such as the Zouk, Gieh,
and Harisheh stations and
the plants that use diesel
fuel such as those at Tyre,
Zahrani, Deir Amer and
Baalbeck. Other major
sources of air pollution
include the cement and
chemical companies and
the burning of solid waste.
It has been documented
that before the Amrousieh
incinerator was shut
down, physicians in the
area noticed a large number
of cases of respiratory
disease among the local
inhabitants. In a study
conducted in 1993, the
AUB Faculty of Medicine
compared the effect of air
pollution and particulates
from the Zouk power
plant on the health of the
inhabitants in this region
as compared to the inhabitants
of Amchit. In many
ways, the Zouk region is
comparable to Amchit
except for the presence of
the power plant. This
study showed that the
presence of the Zouk
power plant had a direct
affect on the health of the
inhabitants. Specifically,
the percentage of people
with respiratory diseases
in the Zouk area was more
than three times the percentage
for the residents
of Amchit. In a different
study conducted by Dr.
George Ayoub and Dr.
Farid Chaaban, it was
found that the levels of
sulfur dioxide in the vicinity
of the power plants of
Zouk and Jiah sometimes
exceeded the maximum
limit allowed in the United
States. All this air pollution
carries a very high price
tag. It has been estimated
that the cost of treating the
diseases resulting from air
pollution in Lebanon
exceeds 130 million dollars
annually.
Dr. Hanna concluded his
talk by informing the audience
that the major contributor
to air pollution in
Lebanon is motor vehicles.
When Lebanon achieved
its independence from
France in 1948, the number
of cars in the whole
country did not exceed
3,400. In 1998, only 50
years later, there were
1,400,000 cars and the
number continues to
increase steadily. Now
there is one car for every
three persons in Lebanon,
which is comparable to
many industrialized countries.
As has been noted
before, one major source
of air pollution from motor
vehicles is lead particulates.
It has been estimated
that around 850 kilograms
of lead are released into
the air of Beirut annually,
primarily from motor
vehicle exhausts. This is
particularly harmful to
people who live or work
on or near major roadways.
For example, traffic
police were found to have
the highest levels of lead
contamination in their
blood due to their constant
work-related exposure.
Thankfully, this problem is
now being resolved since
most imported gasoline is
now unleaded. N
30 NNU SPIRIT