Air Quality

Beit Shemesh breathes easier than others —

for now

By Renee Halpert

Beit Shemesh, nestled in the foothills of the Judean Hills, is spared the congestion of the coast and Jerusalem and is surrounded by acres of forests.  This is a good recipe for clean, healthy air. Unfortunately, the reality is not so sanguine. Our little corner of Israel is not immune from the toxic effects of industrial and transportation emissions from Gush Dan and airborne particles from local rock quarries and the desert.

Ministry of the Environment (MoE) 2004 data indicate that the air quality in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Afula, and Beit Shemesh has improved over the same period last year. This should be good news. However, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED /Adam Teva V’Din) just published its Environmental Poverty Report 2004 detailing the status of Israel’s environmental quality. In a word, the 98-page report describes the air quality in Israel overall as “catastrophic”.

The direct correlation between high pollution levels and adverse health effects is well known. In the U.N. report, Agenda 21, Israel asserts that over 1,500 people die each year as a result of air pollution. Hazardous emissions including particular matter, carbon monoxide and dioxins contribute to respiratory complications and increased risk of cancer. Air pollution is highest on cold, clear days, when there is less dispersion and pollutants are close to the ground. Cardiac and pulmonary patients, the elderly and small children should refrain from strenuous outdoor physical activity on these days.

The Ministry of the Environment (MoE) monitors the key air pollutants from two types of monitoring stations: transportation stations, which record street-level pollutants, and rooftop stations, which record airborne pollutants. Pollutants are set against an Israeli defined standard that is based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Beit Shemesh has one rooftop monitoring station on Rehov HaMishlat in old Beit Shemesh. The data from this and other stations appear in real-time at http://avir.sviva.gov.il/map.asp and in some of the daily and local media. (Note: Beit Shemesh data have not been on the website recently.)

The MoE monitors five key pollutants: Nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and particular matter.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are gases that form the reddish-brown layer of pollution seen over cities. Sources of NOx include motor vehicles and electric utilities. Lengthy exposure can cause or worsen respiratory disease such as emphysema and bronchitis and aggravate existing heart disease.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) released into the air comes from electric utilities, especially those that burn coal. SO2 contributes to respiratory illness, particularly in children and the elderly, and aggravates existing heart and lung diseases. Asthmatics are particularly affected by peak levels.  SO2 also contributes to the formation of acid rain.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is formed when carbon in fuel is not burned completely.  Motor vehicle exhaust is the largest contributor of all CO emissions, which are highly toxic. Beit Shemesh usually has much lower NOx, SO2 and CO levels than the large city centers. However, CO and NOx levels in the coastal region do reach our area, mostly affecting ozone concentrations.

Ozone (O3) is great above us, but bad on the ground. Ground-level ozone is created from industrial and transportation emissions through a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), and sunlight. Ozone is hazardous to human health, causing headaches, nausea, eye irritation, and reduction in lung function. The corrosive nature of ozone can damage plants, trees, and agricultural crops.

Despite the fact that Beit Shemesh has low industrial and vehicle emissions, uncomfortably high levels of ozone exist, especially during hot, sunny days. This ozone originates in Gush Dan during the peak morning traffic and travels here. Gush Etzion has even higher concentrations of ozone than other recorded air pollutants. The IUED report recommends changes to emission standards and the annual vehicle test procedures in order to have an impact on urban air pollution.

Particular Matter (PM10, PM2.5) includes substances naturally occurring in the atmosphere as well as industry-generated pollutants. Sources include dust, sand, carbon, pollen, ash and soot. Fine particulates may infiltrate the respiratory system and lead to increased morbidity and mortality in people with cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases. The Beit Shemesh station monitors PM10 (particles that measure less than 10 micrometers). In 2001, Beit Shemesh had the highest annual average of PM10 concentrations in the country (138 µg/m3 - micrograms per square meter). The average in November 2004 was 36 µg/m3 of atmospheric PM10 compared to the highest average, recorded in Modi’in (88 µg/m3). From January to November, 2004, Modi’in PM10 levels exceeded the standard 23 times.

Avi Bracha, Director of the Regional Environmental Protection Unit “Sorek” (EU), stresses that PM10 and ozone are the most problematic air pollutants in the region. Annual high concentrations of PM10 in Beit Shemesh are due to two main factors: winds that carry dust and sand from as far as the Sahara desert, and quarry activity. The four quarries nestled into the foothills around BS pose a continuous risk to sensitive populations. Guidelines are more stringent than in the past, but there is still room for greater cooperation. The EU can issue a “tzav ishi” or personal decree by which the company manager is personally liable for environmental violations. These regulations pierce the corporate veil, which may have kept management immune from personal liability in the past.

 The EU, located next to the water treatment plant near Kibbutz Tzor’ah, is responsible for Beit Shemesh, Matte-Yehuda and Abu Gosh. They make spot checks, enforce environmental regulations and are very responsive to citizen inquiries and concerns. Nitza Karniel-Levy, the educational director, provides educational material and guidance to groups interested in promoting environmental issues in their schools or organizations. The unit also has a visitor’s center.

The City of Beit Shemesh has a voluntary legislative sub-committee on the environment, which is charged with recommending policy. Led by Chen council member Zvi Wolicki, the committee includes council members David Viner (Agudah) and Yehuda Matzada (Shas), Eliezer Greenboim, Shlomo Tamsut (former director of the sanitation department), Mimi Kamilar, Officer Eliahu Shabo and Gil Keresanti. The municipal environment committee works closely with the regional Environment Ministry unit raising environmental concerns, and proposing guidelines for control and enforcement. The Har Tuv quarry, for example, recently requested permission to expand but was denied permission by the city of Beit Shemesh based on the impact it would have on air quality.

The forests surrounding Beit Shemesh constitute the largest “green-lung” in the country’s center. Forests not only allay the greenhouse effect (gradual global warming) by absorbing carbon dioxide and supplying oxygen, but they also act as buffers against congested built-up areas, filter out pollutants, dust and noise, and conserve soil against erosion and depletion. But, these forests alone cannot combat the long-term damage from pollution.

Beit Shemesh residents should be concerned about the damaging effects of pollution and strive for stricter regulations and a healthy balance between development and preservation of green spaces and our forests. Public involvement helps as was evident from the successful squelching of Nesher’s attempt to test tire burning at the Har Tuv factory. After a public inquiry, a planned test burn was cancelled and the project shelved indefinitely. Avi Bracha adds, “If more people are involved, we can do a better job.”

Concerns and complaints about pollution can be voiced to the City of Beit Shemesh Moked 106 or made to the regional environment unit at 054-532-8938.