Environmental Pollution in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example

Pollution in Saudi Arabia Introduction Environmental pollution has been a thing for ages but of late it is a matter of huge concern due to its intensity and extent. It is defined as the “contamination of the physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system, by introducing contaminants into the environment that causes harm or discomfort to humans and other living organisms, to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected.” The contaminants or pollutants can be chemical substances or energy such as noise, heat or light. Though emission and pollution is a naturally occurring phenomenon in some cases, when it exceeds the natural levels, it becomes dangerous to the environment and its resources. Pollution not only endangers our living environment, the planet earth and its resources, but poses even a greater threat to the health and existence of humans and other living beings on this planet. Life cycle can be disturbed by these new entrants thereby causing instability in the natural eco-system, which in turn may affect the natural cycles. Sustainability is the topic of discussion at present. Saudi Arabia also faces problems with pollution. According to its Prince Bin Nasser Bin Abdul Aziz, the general president of the Environmental Protection and Meteorology stated that pollution is a pressing issue for Saudi Arabia and more rigorous methods are needed to meet the threat and to protect its holy sites. This essay reviews the various kinds of pollution that Saudi Arabia is threatened from and provides data from reliable sources and discusses the measures taken by authorities to alleviate it. It also offers suggestions to reduce them. Air Pollution Dust, emissions from oil refineries and carbon-monoxide emissions play a primary role in causing air pollution in Saudi Arabia. Dust is primary because a majority of the landscape, i.e. 90% of the land is desert. However, human induced dust pollution is mainly due to refineries and vehicle emissions as fuel is available in abundant quantity and at a cheaper rate when compared to other countries. Authorities have announced the use of lead-free gasoline to combat this vehicle pollution. They have also executed a special program to reduce the level of sulphur in fuels by almost 95%. There are many policy changes being made which include making the standards of air emission stricter and extending them to cover all kinds of air pollutants or emissions. For example, they have kick started a program to set up air quality network stations all through the country so as to measure concentration of the air pollutants. Regular drastic vehicle inspections are carried out and pollution check is made mandatory. They also identify potential sites which are prone to air pollution more than the rest and focus more on them. One of the major oil refineries in Saudi Arabia is Jeddah Oil Refinery and is one of the discussions on pollution. Oil refining process emits numerous different toxic chemicals into the atmosphere; as a result, there is an increase in the air pollution. Major air pollutants from refineries include sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone gas. Heavy metals like Cadmium, Lead, Copper and Zinc along with other pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and Toluene and Phenol also form part of the pollutants. The petroleum hydrocarbon wastes that leak into the air can cause more than severe damage to the biological system including air, plants and water. Excessive precipitations are also noticed in the air which is due to suspension of particulate matter and pollutants. For example, Carbon monoxide exceeds the quality standard of 9 μL/L. Photochemical oxidants are also large in quantity. Water Pollution Oil refineries also cause water pollution. Water pollution is caused due to the hazardous waste from the refineries and industries mixing with ground water and drainage water. It is difficult to manage the chemicals getting into the soil from the water. The amount of pollution is huge that authorities are considering the costs to alleviate the effects. Industrial waste water disposal has become a serious issue now. Sulfur dioxide from the refinery emissions gets trapped in the lower atmospheric air layer. This leads to them to easily get to the ground level and settle on the surface. Also, rainfall brings these hazardous air pollutants to the ground to get mixed with natural water resources. The Effects of Pollution Pollution threatens life and the planet Earth. It can produce serious physical and biological effects that can be many times lethal. The more serious of the two are the biological effects as it involves bio-systems and nature. When man is in conflict with nature, the consequences could be unimaginable too. Physical damage is visible to the eyes and is less dangerous than biological damage. For example, Sulfur dioxide can cause erosion of buildings and other structures as it can cause corrosion. Petrochemical precipitants can cause smog and lead to accidents. However, biological impact is on life. It is on human health and the bio-food-chain. Especially, water is the elixir of life. If it is life threatening, the effects are really serious. Inhalation of polluted air can cause allergies, lung inflammations, and even lung cancer. It can also cause irritation and lead to skin cancer. Much research concludes that hazardous chemicals in air can lead to cardiovascular diseases. The pollutants from refineries not alone mix with air but also get buried into the soil and mixed with water in turn damaging crops and other biological systems. Moreover, the pollutants get easily transported to other areas through the movement of ground water and running surface water. Studies show that there could be drastic changes in the pH levels in soil leading to acidity and destroying active microbes that help agriculture and add to soil fertility. Sulfate gets accumulated in plants and endangers food chain. The food chain becomes more threatening. Direct intake of the pollutant affected plants can be fatal to animals or to humans and the humans who feed on animals which feed those plants can also be equally dangerous. It also endangers marine life. It can kill surface-swimming animals and sea birds and, once it settles, it can kill all water living organisms. Solution Installing equipment that helps reduce emissions or filter them to some extent can be useful in combating air pollution. Also, the refineries should be set up far away from the residential areas to avoid close contact with people and thereby reduce the health risk to a significant rate. However, disposal of large volumes of polluted water is becoming a concern as the costs are very high. It seems that part of the complexity of this problem is the clash between the economical benefits these industries offer and their potential danger to the public health and the surrounding environment. There should be stricter laws regulating the emissions from both the refineries and vehicles. Also, a joint venture to combat the water pollution should be undertaken. Recycling of water is an option. Vehicle maintenance and regular checks can make a reasonable difference in the pollution levels. Public awareness campaigns need to be carried out, where mobile air pollution, i.e. vehicle emissions can be reduced to a certain extent. Conclusion Protecting the environment is essential for survival. Ignoring pollution is nothing but being blind to the destruction happening in front of our eyes. Governments should be responsible in the first place to create and implement strict regulations for industries and vehicles. The help of science can be sought to detoxify the water and air to a certain extent. But, more than these, it is the co-operation of the society that matters a lot. Thwarting pollution should be a group effort as individual cannot bring about the desired change. However, each individual has to pledge to be the change and come together to protect the habitat and leave behind a place suitable for living. Read More