Rehovot Air Quality Improved: Eight High Pollution Days Compared to Ten in 2004

"Data on air pollution in Israel in 2005, based on the Ministry of the Environment's monitoring network, with 24 stations throughout the country, shows improvements in air quality in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Afula, Beit Shemesh, Rehovot, Holon, Karmiel and Modi'in in comparison to 2004.

Following is a look at the some of the data recorded in the Environment Ministry's air monitoring network:

Large Cities:

Tel Aviv metropolitan area: 65 high air pollution days, similar to 2004 (and slight decrease in annual averages of nitrogen oxides).
Jerusalem: 52 high air pollution days compared to 55 in 2004.

Medium-Sized Cities:

Beersheba: 10 high pollution days compared to 15 in 2004.
Afula: 4 high pollution days compared to 14 in 2004.
Beit Shemesh: 8 high pollution days compared to 14 in 2004.
Rehovot: 8 high pollution days compared to 10 in 2004.
Holon: 6 high pollution days compared to 18 in 2004.
Karmiel: 7 high pollution days compared to 16 in 2004.
Modi'in: 20 high pollution days compared to 24 in 2004 (with the country's highest concentrations of respirable particulates due to accelerated building and quarrying).

In the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and in Jerusalem, most of the air pollution originates in transportation, but in other cities, secondary air pollutants and dust storms also effect air pollution. Air quality improvements in 2005 are attributed both to favorable atmospheric pollution dispersion conditions and to actions taken by the Ministry of the Environment, in cooperation with other bodies.

Actions to mitigate air pollution included:

Improvements in fuel quality
More stringent emission requirements from industrial plants
Introduction of less polluting cars
Enforcement against polluting plants and vehicles"

Source: Israel Ministry of the Environment. Air Quality Improvements in Most Israeli Municipalities in 2005 (last viewed 31 March 2006) [FullText]