Monitoring stations contribute to improving air quality, environmental and health status by providing the correct monitoring data to decision makers to take the necessary measures.
National Emissions Monitoring Network
Magdy Allam, an environmental expert and former deputy environment minister, says: “The Egyptian Ministry of Environment is making very special efforts in monitoring air pollutants and the places from which those pollutants come out. All this is done in a deliberate manner in the national network for monitoring industrial emissions.”
And Allam continued, in his interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that “Egypt has long targeted to increase the various monitoring stations in various governorates, which was done by the presence of 114 stations specialized in monitoring pollution rates and improving air quality.”
The environmental expert stressed: “During the first months of the Corona pandemic, reports proved that the precautionary measures implemented by the government had a positive impact on the level of pollution, and air pollutants decreased significantly in the governorates of Cairo, Giza and the Delta governorates.”
Noise levels
According to the Egyptian Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, the monitoring stations reveal levels of ambient air pollutants, facility emissions, vehicle exhaust and various noise levels.
The stations work on identifying the observed types of pollution, its causes and sources, and identifying the areas most affected by it, in order to develop the necessary plans and programs that reduce the sources of pollution.
The former Deputy Minister of Environment emphasized that: “The Egyptian government is taking great measures in the area of rice straw burning and the wrong behavior of farmers, which has had a huge impact on the increase in air pollutants in recent years.”
Allam noted: “The national network for monitoring industrial emissions began operating at the end of 1998, and the goal at that time was to supervise the self-monitoring networks in cement factories operating in Egypt.”
electronic network
And the environmental expert continued: “Working during that period was using an electronic network for real-time follow-up and to ensure the extent to which the emissions emitted from suspended dust comply with the permissible limits in Law No. 4 of 1994, given that this matter had severe effects on the health of citizens.”
Law No. 4 of 1994, in its twenty-fourth article, states that “environmental monitoring networks, including stations and work units, periodically monitor the components and pollutants of the environment, and make data available to the concerned authorities, and for this they may seek the assistance of research centers, bodies and competent authorities, and on These centers, bodies, and authorities shall provide them with the studies and data they require.”
harmful gases
The environmental expert added, “The monitoring stations monitor a large number of harmful gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and other gases harmful to the atmosphere and human health.”
And Allam added, in his interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that “the last years have focused on particles less than 10 micrometers suspended in the atmosphere, because they have a significant impact on public health.”
And the former Deputy Minister of Environment ended his speech by saying: “These particles settle in the lungs and cause huge health problems, after inhaling them to a greater proportion. Traffic emissions represent one of the main sources of environmental pollutants, after being provoked by the wind and its presence in the atmosphere all the time and inhalation.”
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