The level of carcinogenic pollutants from diesel generators in Beirut's air has doubled since 2017, increasing the risk of developing cancer by 50 per cent, a study has found.
Lebanon has become overly dependent on costly and polluting diesel-powered generators since a devastating economic crisis in 2019 dealt the final blow to its already crumbling electricity sector.
Unable to afford the fuel for its power plants, state power company Electricite du Liban provides barely a couple of hours of electricity a day, leaving Lebanese reliant on privately owned generators that use polluting fossil fuels.
“We re-ran the test several times as we could not believe the results,” said Najat Saliba, an atmospheric chemist who led the study and shared its main findings with The National.
We re-ran the test several times as we could not believe the results
Najat Saliba,
atmospheric chemist who led the study
The soon-to-be-published study, led by scientists from the American University of Beirut, monitored three different locations in Beirut through the 2022-2023 year.
The results show that the concentration of highly carcinogenic materials in the air has doubled since the last time the study was conducted in 2017, before the economic crisis, from 0.66 nanograms per metre cube to 1.36 nanograms per metre cube over the year.
In one of the study areas, Makassed, the level of fine particulates - particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter - averaged 25 micrograms per cubic metre over two seasons.
World Health Organisation guidelines say annual fine particulate matter exposure should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre.
Exposure to Beirut's polluted air is on par with smoking at least four cigarettes a day, Ms Saliba said.
Nasser Yassin, the Minister of Environment in Lebanon's caretaker government, said the findings were “extremely worrying” and that he planned to raise the issue at Cabinet meetings.
“The presence of this large number of generators and their use most of the time is an anomaly and should be reduced through better and cleaner sources of electricity,” Mr Yassin told The National.
In collaboration with the AUB research team, the environment ministry issued new and stricter guidelines for generator filters last autumn to reduce the pollutants emitted.
“We now request that the municipality apply it when they give generator approvals,” he said.
“It is being applied, but slowly.”
Surge in 'younger cancer patients'
The AUB team has conducted air quality tests for more than a decade, providing sufficient data to discern overarching trends.
“Our first study focusing on diesel generators and their contribution to airborne carcinogens dates back to 2010. This provides a solid reference for comparison in our current findings,” Ms Saliba said.
The new findings were even more surprising given that pollution levels had not increased dramatically until recently. This raises the question: what has changed?
Lebanon's dysfunctional electricity sector has always relied on private generators, which are technically illegal but tolerated as the only alternative to make up the shortfall from EDL's supply.
According to AUB research, the density of generators in Beirut remained stable over the years – averaging one for every two buildings, or around 9,300 generators.
But after the 2019 economic crisis, as the state's power supply shrank from 21 hours in Beirut to just a few hours a day, generators became the primary electricity provider.
As a result, the risk of developing cancer over a lifetime has risen by 50 cents since before the crisis, the study found.
“We calculate cancer risk based on the chemicals emitted from generator exhaust, including some classified as category 1A carcinogens,” Ms Saliba said.
According to WHO figures from 2020, lung cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in Lebanon, after bladder cancer and breast cancer.
Hani Nassar, president of the Barbara Nassar Association for Adult Cancer Patient Support, said he was not surprised by the AUB study's findings.
“We are seeing younger patients more than ever before.
“The government is not taking any action, whether it's prevention or ensuring access to medication,” he said.
Cancer patients have been significantly affected by the economic crisis, facing medication shortages and soaring prices for treatments, when they are available on the black market, as public healthcare services crumbled.
“Every month, we have 1,500 to 2,000 people requesting our services, either unable to afford their medication or because it's unavailable in the market,” Mr Nassar said.
An $1.6 billion financial bonanza
Experts say weak governance, corruption and mismanagement are the root of the power sector's problems.
Lebanon failed to invest in cleaner energy production when it had the opportunity as dollars flowed into a seemingly flourishing banking sector, which was later described as a Ponzi scheme after its complete collapse.
The state has not built power plants in decades or invested in renewable energy, despite several projects planned, which were ultimately hampered by clientelism interests and were unable to agree on profit sharing.
“Generators' health impacts are a crime against every citizen,” Marc Ayoub, an energy researcher at the AUB, said.
“Yet, it is ultimately the government's responsibility for failing to implement affordable, sustainable and green electricity instead of generators.”
He said there is now a minimal incentive to change the status quo given the financial bonanza it represents for the political elite, which has formed a “deep interlinkage” with the “generator market and fuel importers.”
“The stakes are high – we're looking at a diesel import market worth around $1.6 billion in 2023," Mr Ayoub said.
This is around 8 per cent of a shrinking GDP.
“We now need bold political moves to end this and invest in cleaner energy production,” he added.
Ms Saliba, who is also an independent MP, is advocating for “diesel generators' owners to comply with the law,” regarding filters.
But the long-term solution lies elsewhere.
“The government should step up, remove all these generators, and establish a national grid. They've allowed an irregular sector to thrive. It's costing us our lives.”
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
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7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,200m.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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