Air pollutants in the residential and industrial areas of Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, in 2016, and the potential impacts on the respiratory health of the local population

Abstract

Air pollution is a risk factor in human health, especially to the respiratory system, causing asthma, lung cancer, bronchitis and other health consequences. In Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, the concentrations of air pollutants are high due to some dangerous environmental pollutants caused by the emissions of gases and particles. The main objective to conducting this study is to reduce the air pollution in Jeddah in order to preserve human health and reduce the burden on the health sector, and also to raise the level of public health. As this research assumes, the residents of Jeddah are exposed to a quantity of air pollutants (NO2, SO2, O3 and PM10), and the potential health effects on their respiratory health that cause an increase in hospital admission for asthma or bronchitis were assessed. The monthly averages of NO2, SO2, O3 and PM10 levels were analysed and a quantitative assessment of their health risks was carried to find out the percentage of hospitalisation and injury due to exposure to these pollutants in 2016. The potential increase in the quantitative assessment of the risks associated with the pollutants, which shows the potential increase in the treatment of asthma in the hospital, is 11.3%, 3.3% and 20.8% for NO2, SO2, and PM10, respectively. Moreover, the air quality in Jeddah is not good compared to other cities that have more overcrowding and traffic for most of the day. Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has to take many initiatives to control the increasing air pollution and its negative impact on human health in Jeddah. Among them is research that is focused on air pollution issues and on policies and practices that would contribute to confronting environmental pollution and its harmful effects.