1. Pollution Over the Red Sea: A Transboundary Air Quality Study Aiman Soleiman 1, Mahmoud Abu-Allaban 2, Menachem Luria 3, Bob Bornstein 4, Alan Gertler 5 1 Aqaba Special Economical Zone Authority, Aqaba, Jordan 2 Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan 3 Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 4 San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, USA 5 Desert Research Institute, Reno NV, USA

2. Outline Background - previous study Objectives Measurements Initial results

3. Israel/Palestine Transboundary Study Investigated pollutant transport and elevated O 3 in the region Funded by USAID US, Israeli, and Palestinian investigators Issues included:  Densely populated coastal area  Effects down wind

4. Findings Elevated ozone levels were found over Jordan. Power plants and large industries are the major NO x contributors. Contribution of transportation is also significant to ozone formation.

5. Israel/Jordan Transboundary Study Funded by USAID/MERC Enhance air quality capabilities in the region (equipment and training) Investigate the cause of elevated ozone over northern Jordan Determine the cause of the brown cloud over the Red Sea Additional relevancy for other studies:  Issue of transboundary transport  Example of international cooperation  State-of-the-art measurements

7. Measurements A mobile laboratory in Kibutz Eilot  DOAS system: True NO 2, NO 3  O 3, NO x, SO 2 and CO  W/D, W/S, Solar Radiation, T, and RH  Calibration: Zero, Span DOAS reflectors in Aqaba (6.68 km ) Fixed Monitoring Station in Aqaba  O 3, NO x, SO 2, CO, HC  W/D, W/S, Solar Radiation, T, and RH  Calibration: Zero, Span

8. Very small morning peak up to 9:30 am. Elevated conc In the afternoon, traffic! Elevated concentrations mainly for winds from the south Presence of high concentration events throughout different hours of the day different wind directions, correlated with the NO conc. Highest concentration of ~81 ppb for SE winds at 9:50 am NO x

10. A clear morning peak at 7:30 am. Elevated conc. In the afternoon. Presence of isolated high conc. events between the late afternoon and early morning with different wind directions, correlated with the NO and NO x * conc. Highest concentration of ~25 ppb for SW winds at 18:10 The true NO 2 conc. are up to 50% lower than the monitor NO 2 True NO 2

11. Very small morning titration up to 9:30 am. Peak average conc. of ~50 ppb after noon, 13:00. Isolated lowest concentrations mainly for winds from the south between the late afternoon and early morning correlated with the high nitrogen oxide events Max concentration of ~90 ppb for NW winds at around17:00 O3O3

12. Elevated between 8:30-16:30. Peak average conc. of ~6 ppb after noon, 14:00. Peak concentrations mainly for winds from the south between the late morning hours till the late afternoon and again at late night (2-4 am), some correlated with the high nitrogen oxide events Max concentration of ~26 ppb for SE winds at around 10:40 SO 2

13. Peak at 2am with average conc. of 78 ppt and max conc. Of 140 ppt for winds from the north Elevated concentrations mainly for winds from the north NO 3

14. A reverse correlation appears between the lifetime of NO 3 and NO 2 conc., likely due to heterogeneous removal process

15. Summary Example of international cooperation to assess pollutant transport and impacts. High episodes related to WD  north: NO 3  important role played by WD from the south: SO 2, NO, NOx* Elevated NO levels mainly during rush hours Some correlation of NO x w/ SO 2  mix of transportation and industrial emissions Pollutant transport: Long range, regional  north Africa  Israel returning export from Med. and Sinai (elevated pollution)  South/central/eastern Europe Episodes of elevated NO lead to titration of NO 3 and ozone

16. Acknowledgements Funding: USAID/MERC Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hashemite University San Jose State University