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29 March 2024

Allergy-prone? How to check UAE’s air quality before going out

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

‘Good air quality, low mould pollen levels, but extreme indoor dust and dander levels,’ reads the allergen forecast for the emirate of Dubai this week.

For Sheliosa Marbaniang, an Indian resident of Dubai, it is the forecast she goes by. “I look up this forecasting to determine whether it is a good idea to spend time outside.

“For example, I would like to include regular evening walks in my daily schedule. But when I read there is a lot of dust outside, I decide not to. I am very allergic to dust, it is better for me to avoid it.”

Residents of any emirate in the UAE, and numerous cities across a number of countries, can find information about the air they inhale on the Accuweather website - www.accuweather.com - Shelly finds her daily update.

An international weather forecaster, any city in the UAE can be selected and the website will show the level of dust and dander, mould, pollen and air quality in a section specifically dedicated to allergies.

“It is really useful to know such information. I can now try to avoid an allergic reaction,” says Shelly.

It is estimated that, across the UAE, one in eight adults suffers from chronic respiratory conditions, a rate that is believed to be on the increase.

In 2011, the World Asthma Foundation estimated that one in five children in the country is suffering from asthma, while a further 40 per cent are prone to allergic rhinitis caused mainly by pollen, mould spores and dust mite allergens in the air.

When weather conditions change, doctors often see a surge in the number of patients complaining of respiratory problems. And every time the advice is the same: prevention is better than cure.

Residents of the UAE will therefore be happy to know that their health condition can actually improve if only they monitor the air they are likely to inhale that day.

In addition to the global weather website, there are other, local sources of checking the air quality of the two biggest emirates in the UAE.

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) informs residents of Abu Dhabi by the hour about the ambient air quality through the AD Air Quality website  - www.adairquality.ae - explaining how clean or polluted the air they breathe is, and what the possible health effects are hours or a day after inhaling this air.

The ambient air quality is measured through monitoring five major air pollutants: particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ground-level ozone.

Particle matter, such as dust, smoke or smog in the air, forms the most common health hazard, said a source involved with the site. “All GCC countries are subject to this pollutant,” he added.

Termed the Air Quality Index, the interpretation of the findings is presented in valuations ranging from 0 to 500. Any value exceeding 100 is considered to represent unhealthy air quality.

Values ranging between 100 and 150 are considered to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. “This means they are likely to be affected at lower levels than the general public. For example, people with lung disease are at greater risk from exposure to ozone, while people with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to particle pollution,” the site explains.

Further, values exceeding 150 are considered unhealthy to hazardous for everybody. On Monday, such was the case in the residential area of Al Ain, where the air quality was termed ‘very unhealthy’ throughout the day.

“When the air quality is unhealthy, an alert is sent out. In case it is very unhealthy, this becomes a warning. And when the air quality is hazardous, an emergency plan should be implemented. This information is now only visible on the site, but it will soon be linked to other institutions, such as hospitals,” explained the source.

Dubai Municipality employs a similar system. As in Abu Dhabi, there are several stations measuring the air quality throughout the emirate. “There used to be six such stations, but their number has recently been increased to 14,” said Ahmed Mohammed Abdulla Al Jassmi, Head of Environmental Planning & Studies Section at Dubai Municipality.

Seven of the stations measure ‘urban background’; average population exposure to air pollution, specifically the five major air pollutants.

In addition, two stations measure ‘traffic’; maximum population exposure near roadside, three stations measure ‘industrial’; maximum population exposure in industrial areas such as Jebel Ali (use in attainment and non-attainment determination of ambient air quality standards) and two stations measure ‘near-city background’; photochemical pollution at areas away from the central business district and urban sprawl.

Although the website is currently under construction due to the addition of the new stations, an upgraded web portal informing the public about the air quality in Dubai will be available in most probably a month from now, Ahmed says.

“Hourly concentrations of criteria pollutants and air quality index (a colour-coded scale based on health effects) are reported for each hour and will be published on the Dubai Municipality portal. The upgrade of the website is ongoing.”