When governments introduced stay-home measures in early 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, air pollution fell, in general, thanks to reduced traffic and the closure of industrial plants.
The UAE itself enjoyed a significant drop in nitrogen dioxide levels between February and April of that year, figures published by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment showed, due to the scaled-down activities.
However, a new study by scientists in the Emirates has found that, against expectations, concentrations of tiny particulate matter in the air in eastern Arabia, including the UAE, increased during this time.
The reason for this was an unusually active period of dust storms, which was caused by the region’s Shamal winds.
“While the reduction in the concentration of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide has been widely reported, in the vast majority of the published studies the particulate matter concentration also decreased,” the study said.
“Over the eastern Arabian Peninsula, however, it actually increased due to a more active wind flow.”
The study reports that from March to June 2020, the level of particulate matter (PM) in eastern Arabia was 30 per cent higher than the average seen from 2016 to 2019.
Scientists looked at both PM10 — particulate matter up to 10 micrometres in diameter — and PM2.5 — up to 2.5 micrometres in diameter- and found that some measurements were up 45 per cent.
In stark contrast, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide — all pollutants released by vehicles — dropped up to 40 per cent in the UAE over the same period.
Findings a 'surprise' to experts
The increases in particulate matter were “indeed a surprising finding”, said the study’s first author, Dr Diana Francis, who heads the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (Engeos) Laboratory at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.
“We expected cleaner air with less pollutants due to the reduction in human activity and the transport sector. But the data showed an increase in particulate matter,” she said.
“The harmful chemical pollutants, such ozone and nitrogen oxides, decreased, and this was observed from both ground and space. It is the particulate matter that did not follow this trend.”
Particulate matter can cause health effects including everything from sneezing and a runny nose to heart disease and lung cancer.
A rise in the Shamal winds in the region caused the rise in dust storms, which Dr Francis described as “persistent and sustained over several days”.
In an additional twist, air quality improvements in India due to lockdowns may have helped cause the heavy winds and rises in particulate matter in the UAE and surrounding areas.
The Shamal winds were the result of an air pressure gradient created by high pressure over North Africa and low pressure over the Indian subcontinent.
“In 2020, the low-pressure system over the Indian subcontinent was deeper due to lockdown measures over there and a reduction in pollution, which allowed for more solar radiation to reach the ground and warm the surface,” Dr Francis said.
It is not only wind conditions that determines whether dust storms will form; it is also due to the soil being suitably dry.
“In some years, the wind conditions are satisfied to have dust storms but the soil conditions are not met or vice versa,” said Dr Francis.
“That’s why it is still difficult to predict their future trends, even using very sophisticated tools such as the climate models.”
Typically, there is more erodible material on the surface in the spring, when the soil is dry and there is likely to have been rainfall, which makes dust storms more likely.
The study was written by Dr Francis, two colleagues at Khalifa University and three researchers at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and is being published in the journal Aeolian Research.
“Aeolian” means “related to wind” and is inspired by Aeolus, the keeper of the winds in Greek mythology.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
