Emission inventory of key sources of air pollution in Lebanon

Abstract

Exposure to air pollutants has been associated with deleterious health effects that cause premature mortality and a range of morbidities. Air quality in the Mediterranean is of particular interest due to an array of environmental and anthropogenic conditions that make it an air-pollution hotspot. However, the scarcity of data for the region's emission inventories inhibits accurate and holistic assessment. Lebanon, located on the eastern board of the Mediterranean, faces several challenges including an unsustainable transport sector, an unregulated power generation sector, and high urban densities, all of which amplify the air-quality crisis. This paper presents an air pollutant emission inventory for two major emission sources in Lebanon, diesel generators and light duty vehicles (LDVs) of the transport sector, and uncovers trends for over a decade. The exhaust emissions for carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter for diesel generators and for LDVs were estimated by assimilating different approaches and data sources through the use of survey data and national statistics for a higher tier. Our results uncovered that diesel generators consumed almost 1.6 million tons of fuel and emitted about 2 Gg of fine particulate matter in 2016. LDVs doubled in number over a decade and were responsible for approximately 0.20 Gg of fine particulate matter emissions in 2015. While the market for diesel generators appeared to have saturated, ownership of passenger cars per passengers continued to increase, while vehicle age, conditions, and, thus, emissions continued to augment. The results highlight the need for greater government intervention to meet the national electricity demand and promote public transportation and discourage private transportation, especially for energy-inefficient vehicles. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd