Doha's(Qatar's capital)  air is among the most polluted in the world.

Qatar ranked the second-most polluted country in the world in 2014 after Pakistan, a World Health Organization (WHO) report showed.

The "Ambient (Outdoor) air pollution in cities database 2014" monitored outdoor air pollution from around 1,600 cities in 91 countries, as the monitoring process covered the period from 2008 till 2013.

It measures particulate matter, which are small and large droplets in the air. It concluded that Doha had the 12th highest average levels of small and fine particles, known as PM2.5, which can penetrate the respiratory tract and increase the risk of respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.

These particles – which often cannot be seen with the naked eye – are made up of heavy metals and toxic organic compounds, and originate from vehicle exhaust, smelting plants and the burning of organic materials.

Larger particles – PM10 – are mostly caused by dust and smoke. In this category, Doha ranked just outside the top 30.

For precise measurement, the air's quality was represented by 'annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) according to WHO. These concentrations were set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates and protects human health and environmental affairs.

While the Qatar ministry's recent report didn't benchmark Qatar against other countries, it showed that local air pollution levels frequently exceed the WHO's recommendations as well as Qatar's own targets, which are more lax than the international standards.

For example, Qatar's national air quality standards for PM10 are 150 ug/m3 for 24 hours average concentration and 50 ug/m3 for the annual average concentration.

By comparison, the WHO's standards for PM10 are 50 ug/m3 for the 24-hour average – one third of Qatar's target – and 20 ug/m3 for the annual average concentration, which is less than half of the national figure.

The level of fine particles in the air in Qatar is almost six times above the permissible limit, research has shown.

 

Figures released by the air quality monitoring station at Qatar University showed that air pollutants are at 296 micrograms per cubic meter, when the permitted level is 50 micrograms per cubic meter.

 

Particle pollutants in Doha multiplied at a yearly rate of 5.4% between 2007 and 2010, according to QSA's 2011 Sustainable Development Indicators report.

The rise in pollution can be related to the expanding manufacturing industry and construction projects in the small country, in addition to the growing road congestion as the country's population increases, according to official statistics .

Construction dust from land clearing, diesel engines, demolition, burning, concrete mixing and wood cutting contributes to this airborne matter count.

The rise of Qatar's airport's traffic is another contributing factor to the pollution emergency. The traffic at Qatar's Doha Hamad International Airport (HIA) rose 11.4 percent in 2014 in July 2014, in comparison to traffic at the old Doha International Airport (DOH) July 2013 traffic, according to the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).

Thus , Sand and dust generated by Qatar's booming construction industry, as well as transportation emissions, are the primary causes of air pollution in Doha.

 

Qatar's carbon monoxide pollution levels are extremely low – one fortieth of the suggested limit, according to the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA)'s Environment Day study. Ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide levels lie well below their ceilings, too. So why is Qatar failing resolutely in one category, airborne particulate matter?

The annual standard for particulate matter – essentially airborne dust and mineral particles – in Qatar is 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to Qatari legislation. Basically, Qatar seems to be breaking its own law levels range from 105 to 185 micrograms per cubic metre at the Aspire Zone, Qatar University and the Corniche. So the country gets a four-out-of-five for adhering to air quality standards.But out of the five, particulate matter is the most hazardous to human health, according to the QSA.

 

 

 

 

Pollution in Doha, Qatar

Air Pollution		79.00	High
Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility		58.70	Moderate
Dissatisfaction with Garbage Disposal		65.22	High
Dirty and Untidy		61.96	High
Noise and Light Pollution		71.74	High
Water Pollution		67.05	High
Dissatisfaction to Spend Time in the City		72.92	High
Dissatisfaction with Green and Parks in the City		80.43	Very High

Purity and Cleanliness in Doha, Qatar

Air quality		21.00	Low
Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility		41.30	Moderate
Garbage Disposal Satisfaction		34.78	Low
Clean and Tidy		38.04	Low
Quiet and No Problem with Night Lights		28.26	Low
Water Quality		32.95	Low
Comfortable to Spend Time in the City		27.08	Low
Quality of Green and Parks		19.57	Very Low

 

 

 

 

Sources :

Qatar Today

Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA)

Numbeo