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KUWAIT AIR QUALITY UPDATE AUGUST 1 - 10

Filename:96620855
PATHFINDER RECORD NUMBER: 20855
GENDATE:         950629
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TEXT:            
ENVELOPE CDSN = LGX965 MCN = 91231/19280 TOR = 912311617
PTTCZYUW RUEKJCS3975 2311617---RUEALGX.
ZNY 
HEADER P 191617Z AUG 91
FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUFGAID/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CARA//
RUEALGX/SAFE
P 191613Z AUG 91
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3126
INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUCPDC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEATRS/TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
BT
CONTROLS

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 03975

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, EB/OGE AND OES - RAVEN-HAMILTON

DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR NEA/EX AND M/MED

DEPARTMENT PASS TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

USDOC FOR NOAA

E.O. 12356:N/A

/*********** THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE ************/
BODY TAGS: SENV, EPET, CASC, AMED, KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT AIR QUALITY UPDATE AUGUST 1 - 10

REF: A) KUWAIT 3243, B) KUWAIT 3409

1. SUMMARY: THE AIR QUALITY IN AND AROUND KUWAIT CITY
REMAINS REMARKABLY GOOD GIVEN THE OVER ONE HUNDRED OIL
WELLS THAT ARE BURNING NORTH OF THE CITY. ALL CHEMICAL
POLLUTANT CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENTS OF EPA CRITERIA
POLLUTANTS REMAIN WELL BELOW US HEALTH STANDARDS. THE
ONLY EXCEPTIONS ARE THE HIGH PARTICULATE READINGS WHICH
ARE DUE MORE TO THE FREQUENT SANDSTORMS THAN TO SMOKE
FROM THE OIL FIRES. END SUMMARY

PARTICULATES
------------
3. CURRENTLY, TABULATED VALUES OF PM-10 INHALABLE RANGE
PARTICULATES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF
JULY. BETWEEN JULY 1 AND JULY 10, RECORDED PARTICULATE
LEVELS EXCEEDED THE US HEALTH ALERT LEVEL OF 350
MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METER ON ONLY TWO DAYS. THESE
HIGHER READINGS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE STRONG
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS AND RESULTANT SANDSTORMS.

DAY CONCENTRATION (MICROGRAM PER CUBIC METER)

JULY 1 144
JULY 2 46
JULY 3 227
JULY 4 344
JULY 5 193
JULY 6 189
JULY 7 257
JULY 8 675
JULY 9 393
JULY 10 254

POLLUTANTS
----------

4. CONCENTRATIONS OF THE MAJOR CHEMICAL AIR POLLUTANTS
(SULFUR DIOXIDE, NITROGEN DIOXIDE, CARBON MONOXIDE AND
OZONE) HAVE ALSO GENERALLY STAYED WELL BELOW HEALTH ALERT
LEVELS.

5. FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 1 - 10, THE AVERAGE SULFUR
DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION MEASURED AT THE MANSORIYA SITE WAS
.0021 PPM WITH A MAXIMUM READING OF .005 PPM. BOTH
NUMBERS ARE WELL BELOW THE US HEALTH ALERT LEVEL OF .3
PPM AND THE ANNUAL NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARD
(NAAQS) OF .3 PPM.

6. FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 1 - 10, THE AVERAGE NITROGEN
DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION MEASURED AT THE MANSORIYA SITE WAS
.0218 PPM WITH A MAXIMUM OF .175 PPM FOR THE PERIOD. THE
AVERAGE N02 CONCENTRATION CONTINUED TO FALL WELL BELOW
THE THE NAAQA OF .05 PPM. THE MAXIMUM CONCENTRATION
NEVER EXCEEDED 33 PERCENT OF THE US HEALTH ALERT LEVEL OF
.6 PPM.

7. FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 1 - 10, THE AVERAGE OZONE
CONCENTRATION MEASURED AT THE MANSORIYA SITE WAS .0015
PPM WITH A MEASURED PEAK OF .010 PPM. THE AVERAGE OZONE
CONCENTRATION WAS ALMOST 100 TIMES LOWER THAN THE US
HEALTH ALERT LEVEL OF .2 PPM. THE MAXIMUM READING WAS
ONE TENTH OF THE US ALERT LEVEL.

8. FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 1 - 10, THE AVERAGE CARBON
MONOXIDE LEVEL WAS 1.564 PPM WITH A PEAK MEASUREMENT OF
12.52 PPM. THE US HEALTH ALERT LEVEL IS 15 PPM.

HEAVY METALS
-------------

9. MEASURED VALVES OF NICKEL AND VANADIUM ARE MANY
ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE BELOW US RECOMMENDED HEALTH LEVELS.

/****** BEGINNING OF SECTION 002 ******/
THE FOLLOWING CHART REPRESENTS THE AVERAGE LEVELS OF
NICKEL AND VANADIUM FOR THE MONTHS OF MARCH AND APRIL.

NICKEL VANADIUM

FARWANIYA HOSPITAL .041 .0251
MUBARAK HOSPITAL .054 .0321
ADAN HOSPITAL .067 .039

CAVEAT
------

10. ALL OF THE DATA CITED ABOVE ARE PRELIMINARY AND
INCOMPLETE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A DEFINITIVE
DESCRIPTION OF AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT KUWAIT.
IN MOST CASES, THE DATA REPRESENTS CONDITIONS AT ONLY TWO
SITES IN KUWAIT. MOREOVER, WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD
RADICALLY CHANGE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AND PRODUCE
MUCH MORE SEVERE AIR POLLUTANT CONDITIONS THAN
EXPERIENCED THUS FAR. HOWEVER THE DATA COLLECTED BY THE
KUWAITI ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO
REMAIN ENCOURAGING REGARDING THE AIR QUALITY IN AND
AROUND KUWAIT CITY. KENNEDY

ADMIN BT

#3975


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