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Ali Al-Hemoud
Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, Kuwait

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Journal article
Published: 16 July 2021 in Environmental Challenges
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This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on particulate matter concentrations, specifically PM2.5 and PM10, in Kuwait. We studied the variations in PM2.5 and PM10 between the lockdown in 2020 with the corresponding periods of the years 2017–2019, and also investigated the differences in PM variations between the ‘curfew’ and ‘non curfew’ hours. We applied mixed-effect regression to investigate the factors that dictate PM variability (i.e., dust and meteorological covariates), and also processed satellite-based aerosol optical depths (AOD) to determine the spatial variability in aerosol loads. The results showed low PM2.5 concentration during the lockdown (33 μg/m3) compared to the corresponding previous three years (2017–2019); however, the PM10 concentration (122.5 μg/m3) increased relative to 2017 (116.6 μg/m3), and 2019 (92.8 μg/m3). After removing the ‘dust effects’, both PM2.5 and PM10 levels dropped by 18% and 31%, respectively. The mixed-effect regression model showed that high temperature and high wind speed were the main contributors to high PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, in addition to the dust haze and blowing dust. This study highlights that the reductions of anthropogenic source emissions are overwhelmed by dust events and adverse meteorology in arid regions, and that the lockdown did not reduce the high concentrations of PM in Kuwait.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ahmad Al-Khayat; Hassan Al-Dashti; Jing Li; Barrak Alahmad; Petros Koutrakis. PM2.5 and PM10 during COVID-19 lockdown in Kuwait: Mixed effect of dust and meteorological covariates. Environmental Challenges 2021, 5, 100215 -100215.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Ahmad Al-Khayat, Hassan Al-Dashti, Jing Li, Barrak Alahmad, Petros Koutrakis. PM2.5 and PM10 during COVID-19 lockdown in Kuwait: Mixed effect of dust and meteorological covariates. Environmental Challenges. 2021; 5 ():100215-100215.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ahmad Al-Khayat; Hassan Al-Dashti; Jing Li; Barrak Alahmad; Petros Koutrakis. 2021. "PM2.5 and PM10 during COVID-19 lockdown in Kuwait: Mixed effect of dust and meteorological covariates." Environmental Challenges 5, no. : 100215-100215.

Journal article
Published: 31 March 2021 in Environmental Pollution
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–Kuwait and the Gulf region have a desert, hyper-arid and hot climate that makes outdoor air sampling challenging. The region is also affected by intense dust storms. Monitoring challenges from the harsh climate have limited data needed to inform appropriate regulatory actions to address air pollution in the region. –To compare gravimetric measurements with existing networks that rely on beta-attenuation measurements in a desert climate; determine the annual levels of PM2.5 and PM10 over a two-year period in Kuwait; assess compliance with air quality standards; and identify and quantify PM2.5 sources. –We custom-designed particle samplers that can withstand large quantities of dust without their inlet becoming overloaded. The samplers were placed in two populated residential locations, one in Kuwait City and another near industrial and petrochemical facilities in Ali Sabah Al-Salem (ASAS) to collect PM2.5 and PM10 samples for mass and elemental analysis. We used positive matrix factorization to identify PM2.5 sources and apportion their contributions. –We collected 2,339 samples during the period October 2017 through October 2019. The beta-attenuation method in measuring PM2.5 consistently exceeded gravimetric measurements, especially during dust events. The annual levels for PM2.5 in Kuwait City and ASAS were 41.6±29.0 and 47.5±27.6 μg/m3, respectively. Annual PM2.5 levels in Kuwait were nearly four times higher than the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Regional pollution was a major contributor to PM2.5 levels in both locations accounting for 44% in Kuwait City and 46% in ASAS. Dust storms and re-suspended road dust were the second and third largest contributors to PM2.5, respectively. –The premise that frequent and extreme dust storms make air quality regulation futile is dubious. In this comprehensive particulate pollution analysis, we show that the sizeable regional anthropogenic particulate sources warrant national and regional mitigation strategies to ensure compliance with air quality standards.

ACS Style

Barrak Alahmad; Ali Al-Hemoud; Choong-Min Kang; Fhaid Almarri; Venkateswarlu Kommula; Jack M. Wolfson; Aaron S. Bernstein; Eric Garshick; Joel Schwartz; Petros Koutrakis. A two-year assessment of particulate air pollution and sources in Kuwait. Environmental Pollution 2021, 282, 117016 .

AMA Style

Barrak Alahmad, Ali Al-Hemoud, Choong-Min Kang, Fhaid Almarri, Venkateswarlu Kommula, Jack M. Wolfson, Aaron S. Bernstein, Eric Garshick, Joel Schwartz, Petros Koutrakis. A two-year assessment of particulate air pollution and sources in Kuwait. Environmental Pollution. 2021; 282 ():117016.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barrak Alahmad; Ali Al-Hemoud; Choong-Min Kang; Fhaid Almarri; Venkateswarlu Kommula; Jack M. Wolfson; Aaron S. Bernstein; Eric Garshick; Joel Schwartz; Petros Koutrakis. 2021. "A two-year assessment of particulate air pollution and sources in Kuwait." Environmental Pollution 282, no. : 117016.

Research article
Published: 21 November 2020 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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Ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), indissoluble air pollutants in the atmosphere, have been confirmed in various parts of the world to have detrimental health effects on humans. Currently, such information is lacking in Kuwait. The objectives of this study are to investigate the spatial and temporal variations of O3 and NO2 concentrations in Kuwait during a 4-year period (2014–2017) and to quantify the associated short- and long-term health effects, including all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortalities and morbidities during the same study period. Exposure assessment showed that the annual levels (22.5–26.4 ppb), SOMO35, and the 8-hour 4-year mean (38 ppb) of O3 were very low and below the World Health Organization (WHO) (50 ppb) and Kuwaiti (70 ppb) regulatory limits. The annual mean levels of NO2 ranged from 30.3 to 43.8 ppb and were significantly higher than both WHO and Kuwait limits (21 ppb). As expected, O3 and NO2 levels showed opposing trends, with higher concentrations of NO2 recorded in early morning and mid-evening, during autumn and winter, and during Saturdays (the so-called weekend effect). Health effects indicated high respiratory diseases due to short-term exposure to NO2. Contrary to the western countries’ pollution levels, Kuwait showed lower O3 and higher NO2 levels. There is potential for substantial health improvements in Kuwait by reducing NO2 pollution through stringent control measures of stationary and mobile sources.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Janvier Gasana; Abdullah Alajeel; Ebrahim Alhamoud; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Ahmed Al-Khayat. Ambient exposure of O3 and NO2 and associated health risk in Kuwait. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2020, 28, 14917 -14926.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Janvier Gasana, Abdullah Alajeel, Ebrahim Alhamoud, Ahmad Al-Shatti, Ahmed Al-Khayat. Ambient exposure of O3 and NO2 and associated health risk in Kuwait. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020; 28 (12):14917-14926.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Janvier Gasana; Abdullah Alajeel; Ebrahim Alhamoud; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Ahmed Al-Khayat. 2020. "Ambient exposure of O3 and NO2 and associated health risk in Kuwait." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28, no. 12: 14917-14926.

Journal article
Published: 11 September 2020 in Sustainability
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The research and development (R&D) expenditure in Kuwait is insufficient to lead to innovation and a knowledge economy. Investment in R&D has been shown to sustain elevated economic performance. The objective of this study is to explore the association between three competing dimensions of R&D indicators that lead to sustainable economic performance within any given country, namely, R&D expenditure, the number of researchers, and the number of patent rights, using time-series data collected over a 20-year period (1996–2016) by the World Bank Group. R&D indicators were compared between high- and middle-income countries including models from Asian (South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia) and European (Finland and Ireland) countries as well as the State of Kuwait. Moreover, a case study describing R&D investments in Kuwait is presented. Overall, the results reveal higher R&D spending, number of researchers, and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita for the Asian and European models. Current R&D expenditure in Kuwait is estimated at 0.08% of GDP (2016), which is significantly lower than the mean of the middle-income countries (1.58%). Furthermore, the number of researchers (per million) in Kuwait (386) is less than half of the mean number of researchers in middle-income countries (775) (2015). Low R&D investments in the State of Kuwait has gradually led to a decreased GDP per capita. Regression analysis shows that GDP per capita can be predicted solely based on the number of researchers (beta = 0.780, R2 = 0.608). The number of researchers is the most crucial variable to predict GDP per capita, and the R&D expenditure is a good indicator of the number of researchers. These findings offer invaluable insight into the sustainable development goals (SDG 9). To our knowledge, this paper presents the first application of the effect of R&D on sustainable economic performance with reference to the SDG target 9.5 “Research & Development”. Thus, in order to enhance scientific research (both academic, professional, and industrial), countries need to increase the number of researchers, and these actions are necessary to introduce sustainable growth to GDP.

ACS Style

Ahmad Salman; Ali Al-Hemoud; Saja Fakhraldeen; Maha Al-Nashmi; Suad AlFadhli; Sungsoo Chun. Research and Development as a Moderating Variable for Sustainable Economic Performance: The Asian, European, and Kuwaiti Models. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7525 .

AMA Style

Ahmad Salman, Ali Al-Hemoud, Saja Fakhraldeen, Maha Al-Nashmi, Suad AlFadhli, Sungsoo Chun. Research and Development as a Moderating Variable for Sustainable Economic Performance: The Asian, European, and Kuwaiti Models. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7525.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmad Salman; Ali Al-Hemoud; Saja Fakhraldeen; Maha Al-Nashmi; Suad AlFadhli; Sungsoo Chun. 2020. "Research and Development as a Moderating Variable for Sustainable Economic Performance: The Asian, European, and Kuwaiti Models." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7525.

Journal article
Published: 11 May 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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Previous climate change temperature-related health studies have been performed mostly in western countries with relatively cooler temperatures than the Gulf region. Regions that are inherently hot, like Kuwait, are witnessing soaring temperatures unlike ever before. Meanwhile, Kuwait and other Gulf countries are unique in their demographic profiles due to the large number of non-national migrant workers. To examine the associations of hot and cold temperature extremes on the risk of mortality across gender, age groups and nationality in Kuwait. We investigated daily variations of all-cause non-accidental and cardiovascular mortality death counts and ambient temperatures from 2010 to 2016 in a time-series design using a negative binomial distribution. The temperature lag was modeled with distributed lag non-linear models. A total of 33,472 all-cause non-accidental deaths happened during the study period. For the extreme hot temperatures and over the entire lag period, comparing the 99th percentile of temperature to the minimum mortality temperature, the risk of dying among males was 2.08 (95% CI: 1.23–3.52). Among non-Kuwaitis, males and working age group (15–64 year) had relative risks of death from extreme hot temperatures of 2.90 (1.42–5.93), and 2.59 (1.20–5.59), respectively. For extreme cold temperatures and over the entire lag period, comparing the 1st percentile of temperature to the minimum mortality temperature, the relative risk of death among Kuwaitis was 2.03 (1.05–3.93). Elderly Kuwaitis (65+ year) exposed to extreme cold temperatures had a relative risk of 2.75 (1.16–6.52). Certain subpopulations in Kuwait are vulnerable to extreme temperatures with doubling to tripling risk of mortality. Nationality is an important effect modifier in temperature-related mortality studies in Kuwait and possibly the Gulf region. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first study to examine specific subpopulation vulnerabilities to temperature in this region. Our findings could carry a potential for broader insight into similar hyper-arid and hot regions.

ACS Style

Barrak Alahmad; Ahmed F. Shakarchi; Haitham Khraishah; Mohammad Alseaidan; Janvier Gasana; Ali Al-Hemoud; Petros Koutrakis; Mary A. Fox. Extreme temperatures and mortality in Kuwait: Who is vulnerable? Science of The Total Environment 2020, 732, 139289 .

AMA Style

Barrak Alahmad, Ahmed F. Shakarchi, Haitham Khraishah, Mohammad Alseaidan, Janvier Gasana, Ali Al-Hemoud, Petros Koutrakis, Mary A. Fox. Extreme temperatures and mortality in Kuwait: Who is vulnerable? Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 732 ():139289.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barrak Alahmad; Ahmed F. Shakarchi; Haitham Khraishah; Mohammad Alseaidan; Janvier Gasana; Ali Al-Hemoud; Petros Koutrakis; Mary A. Fox. 2020. "Extreme temperatures and mortality in Kuwait: Who is vulnerable?" Science of The Total Environment 732, no. : 139289.

Journal article
Published: 26 April 2020 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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The global rise of urbanization has led to the formation of surface urban heat islands and surface urban cool islands. Urban heat islands have been shown to increase thermal discomfort, which increases heat stress and heat-related diseases. In Kuwait, a hyper-arid desert climate, most of the population lives in urban and suburban areas. In this study, we characterized the spatial distribution of land surface temperatures and investigated the presence of urban heat and cool effects in Kuwait. We used historical Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra satellite 8-day composite land surface temperature (LST) from 2001 to 2017. We calculated the average LSTs of the urban/suburban governorates and compared them to the average LSTs of the rural and barren lands. We repeated the analysis for daytime and nighttime LST. During the day, the temperature difference (urban/suburban minus versus governorates) was −1.1 °C (95% CI; −1.2, −1.00, p < 0.001) indicating a daytime urban cool island. At night, the temperature difference (urban/suburban versus rural governorates) became 3.6 °C (95% CI; 3.5, 3.7, p < 0.001) indicating a nighttime urban heat island. In light of rising temperatures in Kuwait, this work can inform climate change adaptation efforts in the country including urban planning policies, but also has the potential to improve temperature exposure assessment for future population health studies.

ACS Style

Barrak Alahmad; Linda Powers Tomasso; Ali Al-Hemoud; Peter James; Petros Koutrakis. Spatial Distribution of Land Surface Temperatures in Kuwait: Urban Heat and Cool Islands. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 2993 .

AMA Style

Barrak Alahmad, Linda Powers Tomasso, Ali Al-Hemoud, Peter James, Petros Koutrakis. Spatial Distribution of Land Surface Temperatures in Kuwait: Urban Heat and Cool Islands. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (9):2993.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barrak Alahmad; Linda Powers Tomasso; Ali Al-Hemoud; Peter James; Petros Koutrakis. 2020. "Spatial Distribution of Land Surface Temperatures in Kuwait: Urban Heat and Cool Islands." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 9: 2993.

Journal article
Published: 08 January 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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Severe dust events have occurred frequently in arid regions, which greatly impacted air quality, climate, and public health. The Middle East is one of the areas in the world impacted by intense dust storms. We investigated the characteristics of airborne dust levels in five Middle Eastern countries (Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria) from 2001 to 2017. Surface level dust concentrations were determined using the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2. Kuwait was selected as an example to assess sources and other factors influencing dust levels in arid regions. We performed backward trajectory analysis to identify the dust transport pathways. We quantitatively assessed the impacts of meteorological parameters along with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Dust levels in Kuwait were higher than the other four countries, and had a distinct seasonal pattern, with the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. Our results showed that dust levels in Kuwait in January were influenced largely by local emissions, whereas in June they were affected more by emissions attributable to long-distance transport. There were significant positive associations between wind speed in the five countries, particularly Iraq, with dust levels in Kuwait, indicating the impact of nearby desert areas. Significant negative associations were observed between NDVI in Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia with dust levels in Kuwait. Our result highlights that climatic variations and vegetation conditions are associated with changes in dust levels in arid regions.

ACS Style

Jing Li; Eric Garshick; Ali Al-Hemoud; Shaodan Huang; Petros Koutrakis. Impacts of meteorology and vegetation on surface dust concentrations in Middle Eastern countries. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 712, 136597 -136597.

AMA Style

Jing Li, Eric Garshick, Ali Al-Hemoud, Shaodan Huang, Petros Koutrakis. Impacts of meteorology and vegetation on surface dust concentrations in Middle Eastern countries. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 712 ():136597-136597.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jing Li; Eric Garshick; Ali Al-Hemoud; Shaodan Huang; Petros Koutrakis. 2020. "Impacts of meteorology and vegetation on surface dust concentrations in Middle Eastern countries." Science of The Total Environment 712, no. : 136597-136597.

Journal article
Published: 26 December 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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Although Kuwait is greatly impacted by sand and dust storms (SDS) from Southern Iraq, to date little is known about the nature of these storms. Kuwait is vulnerable to SDS trajectories from the middle Euphrates region, specifically, from two “hot spot” areas (Al-Batha and Mamlahat Al-Samawah) of 4550 km2 located 250 km from its northern border. This study explores the transboundary SDS jets originating from Southern Iraq using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images obtained from Aqua and Terra satellites over a twelve-year period (2007–2018). Furthermore, an analysis of a 5-day diurnal variation (two days prior, the day of the SDS occurrence, and two days after) explored the hourly patterns of visibility and wind speed, as well as grain size distribution of soil samples to better understand grain size compositions and sediment transport mechanisms. Satellite images confirmed that dust storm jets originated from the “hot spot” in southern Iraq and spread over Kuwait and extended to neighboring Arab Gulf countries as far as Bahrain (900 km) and Qatar (1200 km). In general, the highest wind speed and lowest visibility values were recorded in Northern of Kuwait, with suspended dust sustained for two days following the dust storm. The largest silt and clay fractions (grains ≤63 μm) were identified at the center and west Sabkha region of the “hot spot” area. Very fine sand particles (63–250 μm) were identified within the crescent sand dunes (Barchans) and artificial sand dunes (Al-Fajr). It is recommended that sustainable rehabilitation and land restoration of the “hot spot” area will result in the elimination of the long-range transport of SDS jet streams affecting the downwind Gulf countries.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ali Al-Dousari; Hassan Al-Dashti; Peter Petrov; Abeer Al-Saleh; Sarhan Al-Khafaji; Weam Behbehani; Jing Li; Petros Koutrakis. Sand and dust storm trajectories from Iraq Mesopotamian flood plain to Kuwait. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 710, 136291 .

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Ali Al-Dousari, Hassan Al-Dashti, Peter Petrov, Abeer Al-Saleh, Sarhan Al-Khafaji, Weam Behbehani, Jing Li, Petros Koutrakis. Sand and dust storm trajectories from Iraq Mesopotamian flood plain to Kuwait. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 710 ():136291.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ali Al-Dousari; Hassan Al-Dashti; Peter Petrov; Abeer Al-Saleh; Sarhan Al-Khafaji; Weam Behbehani; Jing Li; Petros Koutrakis. 2019. "Sand and dust storm trajectories from Iraq Mesopotamian flood plain to Kuwait." Science of The Total Environment 710, no. : 136291.

Journal article
Published: 18 September 2019 in Environmental Research
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It is well established that respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity rates are associated with poor air quality as measured by high concentrations of fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 parameters. Since such information is lacking for the State of Kuwait, this study examined the exposure levels of PM2.5 and the associated health risk as evaluated by five mortality measures embodied in ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infection as well as two morbidity outcomes related to both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The measurement models utilized in this investigation followed the WHO guidelines. Over a span of a four-year period (2014–2017), the annual PM2.5 concentration levels ranged from 38.0 μg/m3 to 75.2 μg/m3. In general, exposure levels tended to fluctuate throughout the day with the higher levels recorded during rush hours (early morning and early evening), weekends (particularly Saturdays), and summer (i.e., August and September). The highest number of excess cases and attributable proportions of premature mortalities were related to ischemic heart disease and stroke at 352 (95% CI 275–426) and 70.8% (95% CI 39.7–85.2), respectively. In general, respiratory diseases showed a higher number of excess cases and attributable proportions than cardiovascular diseases. Relative to other findings on the global stage, the results emanating from Kuwait are emerging on the higher side. The study outcomes suggest that control strategies are in dire need to bend the pollution levels in Kuwait.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Janvier Gasana; Abdullah Al-Dabbous; Abdullah Alajeel; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Weam Behbehani; Mariam Malak. Exposure levels of air pollution (PM2.5) and associated health risk in Kuwait. Environmental Research 2019, 179, 108730 .

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Janvier Gasana, Abdullah Al-Dabbous, Abdullah Alajeel, Ahmad Al-Shatti, Weam Behbehani, Mariam Malak. Exposure levels of air pollution (PM2.5) and associated health risk in Kuwait. Environmental Research. 2019; 179 ():108730.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Janvier Gasana; Abdullah Al-Dabbous; Abdullah Alajeel; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Weam Behbehani; Mariam Malak. 2019. "Exposure levels of air pollution (PM2.5) and associated health risk in Kuwait." Environmental Research 179, no. : 108730.

Original paper
Published: 01 May 2019 in Natural Hazards
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Boundary layer temperature inversion and mixing heights are important parameters in understanding the atmospheric dispersion of air pollution. Surface and elevated inversions were analyzed within the planetary boundary layer over Kuwait, a coastal urban city situated in a typical hot, arid climate. Temperature inversions constitute a natural hazard by trapping smog emitted from pollution sources. Temperature inversions were measured by the Meteorological Temperature Profiler version (MTP-5H) using a scanning microwave radiometer over the course of a complete year (2013). Remote continuous measurements (4 min interval) of temperature profiles were collected (total readings = 130,986). Daytime and nocturnal temperature inversion variations were presented. The effects of five atmospheric parameters, namely ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, and precipitation on the surface and elevated inversion, were presented. In general, there was a significant correlation between surface and elevated inversions with four meteorological parameters (p value ≤ .01). Results show a weak correlation between the inversions analyzed by MTP-5H and the MH modeled by the WRF.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Mane Al-Sudairawi; Mufreh Al-Rashidi; Weam Behbehani; Ahmed Al-Khayat. Temperature inversion and mixing height: critical indicators for air pollution in hot arid climate. Natural Hazards 2019, 97, 139 -155.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Mane Al-Sudairawi, Mufreh Al-Rashidi, Weam Behbehani, Ahmed Al-Khayat. Temperature inversion and mixing height: critical indicators for air pollution in hot arid climate. Natural Hazards. 2019; 97 (1):139-155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Mane Al-Sudairawi; Mufreh Al-Rashidi; Weam Behbehani; Ahmed Al-Khayat. 2019. "Temperature inversion and mixing height: critical indicators for air pollution in hot arid climate." Natural Hazards 97, no. 1: 139-155.

Journal article
Published: 03 April 2019 in Energy
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In desert regions, several environmental challenges have the potential to reduce solar energy production. These are the formation of thinly crusted mud and/or carbonates coatings caused from deposited dust aerosols during humid conditions and other weather conditions. These challenges that profoundly affect photovoltaic panel surfaces as well as wind turbines were delineated to conclude the potential feasibility to establish solar and/or wind energy systems in Kuwait. The study concluded that photovoltaic (PV) cells are not the most suitable energy source for Kuwait due to the above mentioned environmental challenges; therefore, alternative renewable energy sources are considered more feasible. After one year of operation at solar units and wind farms in Kuwait, the results clearly show that wind energy records energy production numbers that exceed the industry average. This was associated with high capacity factors throughout the year, resulting in an annual power production that is 2.3 times higher than that of PV; powering 450 homes compared to 199 homes for PV. West of the state of Kuwait and the Bubiyan Island are the recommended potential sites for wind farm establishment.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Dousari; Waleed Al-Nassar; Ali Al-Hemoud; Abeer Alsaleh; Ashraf Ramadan; Noor Al-Dousari; Modi Ahmed. Solar and wind energy: Challenges and solutions in desert regions. Energy 2019, 176, 184 -194.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Dousari, Waleed Al-Nassar, Ali Al-Hemoud, Abeer Alsaleh, Ashraf Ramadan, Noor Al-Dousari, Modi Ahmed. Solar and wind energy: Challenges and solutions in desert regions. Energy. 2019; 176 ():184-194.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Dousari; Waleed Al-Nassar; Ali Al-Hemoud; Abeer Alsaleh; Ashraf Ramadan; Noor Al-Dousari; Modi Ahmed. 2019. "Solar and wind energy: Challenges and solutions in desert regions." Energy 176, no. : 184-194.

Conference paper
Published: 18 January 2019 in Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems
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There is a lack of published research on sand and dust storms (SDS) impact on the economy worldwide, and particularly in Kuwait. The economic performance of the oil sector in Kuwait during sand and dust storms was evaluated during 2009–2017. Kuwait SDS events restrict or delay oil explorations and drillings, production and operations, marine transports and other associated activities. It was found that a total of 129 SDS events occurred between the years 2001 and 2016. All of these activities and disruptions imposed costs on the oil sector economy and, based on actual data provided from both Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC), estimates were made for both the time delay and the annual costs of SDS to the economy. For the nine-year period, from 2009 to 2017, the total time delay was estimated to be 14,941.15 h, while the annual estimated cost was 489,993 KD due to restrictions in multiple oil operations, of which 56% (276,087 KD) was attributed to exploration and drilling activities. One of the challenges identified in this study is the lack of data, economic or physical, in some sectors of the economy, thus the 489,993 KD (equivalent to 70,000 KD per year) would represent only the minimum cost imposed on the Kuwait economy by SDS events.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Safaa Al-Awadhi. Economic Impact of Sand and Dust Storms on the Oil Sector in Kuwait. Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems 2019, 155 -157.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Safaa Al-Awadhi. Economic Impact of Sand and Dust Storms on the Oil Sector in Kuwait. Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems. 2019; ():155-157.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Safaa Al-Awadhi. 2019. "Economic Impact of Sand and Dust Storms on the Oil Sector in Kuwait." Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems , no. : 155-157.

Journal article
Published: 03 January 2019 in Sustainability
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There is a lack of published research on the economic effect and the risk associated with sand and dust storms (SDS) worldwide. The objectives of this study are to estimate the economic impact of SDS on the oil and gas industry in Kuwait, to estimate a risk index for each loss, and to recommend a sustainable system for the mitigation of the damaging effects and economic losses of infrastructures. Hot spots of wind erosion, wind corridors, and dust frequency and severity formed the basis to locate the most susceptible oil and gas fields and operations. Ten sectors with potential loss vulnerabilities were evaluated: exploration, drilling, production, gas, marine, soil remediation, project management, water handling, maintenance, and research and development. Sand encroachment, although not a sector per se, was also considered. The results indicate that sand, and to lesser extent dust, are damaging and costly to the oil and gas infrastructure of Kuwait, with an economic cost estimation of US$9.36 million, a total of 5159 nonproductive lost hours, and 347,310 m3 of annual sand removal. A risk assessment identified three sectors with the highest risk indices (RI): drilling (RI = 25), project management (RI = 20), and maintenance (RI = 16). Sand encroachment also constituted a high risk (RI = 25). Mitigation of sand storms using a hybrid biological–mechanical system was shown to be cost-effective with an equivalent saving of 4.6 years of sand encroachment. The hazard implications of sand storm events continue to be a major concern for policy-makers given their detrimental economic impacts, and require that government officials wisely allocate investment budgets to effectively control and mitigate their damaging effects.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ali Al-Dousari; Raafat Misak; Mane Al-Sudairawi; Adil Naseeb; Hassan Al-Dashti; Noor Al-Dousari. Economic Impact and Risk Assessment of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) on the Oil and Gas Industry in Kuwait. Sustainability 2019, 11, 200 .

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Ali Al-Dousari, Raafat Misak, Mane Al-Sudairawi, Adil Naseeb, Hassan Al-Dashti, Noor Al-Dousari. Economic Impact and Risk Assessment of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) on the Oil and Gas Industry in Kuwait. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (1):200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ali Al-Dousari; Raafat Misak; Mane Al-Sudairawi; Adil Naseeb; Hassan Al-Dashti; Noor Al-Dousari. 2019. "Economic Impact and Risk Assessment of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) on the Oil and Gas Industry in Kuwait." Sustainability 11, no. 1: 200.

Journal article
Published: 21 November 2018 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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Ambient air pollution in terms of fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) has been shown to increase adult and infant mortalities. Most studies have estimated the risk of mortalities through attributable proportions and number of excess cases with no reference to the time lost due to premature mortalities. Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) are necessary to measure the health impact of Ambient particulate matter (PM) over time. In this study, we used life-tables for three years (2014–2016) to estimate the years of life lost (YLL), a main component of DALYs, for adult mortalities (age 30+ years) and postneonatal infant mortalities (age 28+ days–1 year) associated with PM2.5 exposure and PM10 exposure, respectively. The annual average of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were recorded as 87.9 μg/m3 and 167.5 μg/m3, which are 8 times greater than the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines of 10 μg/m3 and 20 μg/m3, respectively. Results indicated a total of 252.18 (95% CI: 170.69–322.92) YLL for all ages with an increase of 27,474.61 (95% CI: 18,483.02–35,370.58) YLL over 10 years. The expected life remaining (ELR) calculations showed that 30- and 65-year-old persons would gain 2.34 years and 1.93 years, respectively if the current PM2.5 exposure levels were reduced to the WHO interim targets (IT-1 = 35 μg/m3). Newborns and 1-year old children may live 79.81 and 78.94 years, respectively with an increase in average life expectancy of 2.65 years if the WHO PM10 interim targets were met (IT-1 = 70 μg/m3). Sensitivity analyses for YLL were carried out for the years 2015, 2025, and 2045 and showed that the years of life would increase significantly for age groups between 30 and 85. Life expectancy, especially for the elderly (≥60 years), would increase at higher rates if PM2.5 levels were reduced further. This study can be helpful for the assessment of poor air quality represented by PM2.5 and PM10 exposures in causing premature adult mortalities and postneonatal infant mortalities in developing countries with high ambient air pollution. Information in this article adds insights to the sustainable development goals (SDG 3.9.1 and 11.6.2) related to the reduction of mortality rates attributed to ambient air levels of coarse and fine particulate matter.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Janvier Gasana; Abdullah N. Al-Dabbous; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Ahmad Al-Khayat. Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in Terms of Years of Life Lost (YLL) Due to Premature Adult Mortalities and Postneonatal Infant Mortalities Attributed to PM2.5 and PM10 Exposures in Kuwait. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15, 2609 .

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Janvier Gasana, Abdullah N. Al-Dabbous, Ahmad Al-Shatti, Ahmad Al-Khayat. Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in Terms of Years of Life Lost (YLL) Due to Premature Adult Mortalities and Postneonatal Infant Mortalities Attributed to PM2.5 and PM10 Exposures in Kuwait. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15 (11):2609.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Janvier Gasana; Abdullah N. Al-Dabbous; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Ahmad Al-Khayat. 2018. "Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in Terms of Years of Life Lost (YLL) Due to Premature Adult Mortalities and Postneonatal Infant Mortalities Attributed to PM2.5 and PM10 Exposures in Kuwait." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 11: 2609.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Building and Environment
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Many indoor air pollutants have detrimental effects on the building environment and human health. Indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines were established to reduce harmful concentrations to an acceptable minimum and protect building occupants from adverse effects. Three major pollutants are commonly found in the indoor environment; these are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde (CH2O), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The objective of this study is two folds: first, IAQ guidelines are presented through a flowchart and clarification is made between the international standards and guidelines; second, an investigation is carried out to determine the effect of door opening and closing on the concentrations of VOCs, CH2O, and NO2 in office buildings in Kuwait during three wave periods (pre-, post-, summer) at three temperature settings (17 °C, 26 °C, AC shutdown). A modern office building in Kuwait city was selected for the study. A hybrid system maintains ventilation mode of the selected offices; that is a combination of a central air conditioning (AC) and a split unit system. T-tests revealed significantly higher concentrations (p = 0.027, 0.018, 0.002 for VOCs, CH2O, NO2, respectively) of all three pollutants when doors were closed, particularly during the summer. An ordinal interaction effect was present between door opening/closing and periods for formaldehyde, possibly due to off-gassing buildup from furnishings and adhesives. Two-way ANOVA for VOCs shows no interaction effects between door openings and wave periods (F = 0.045, Sig = 0.956) or temperature setting (F = 0.302, Sig = 0.740), indicating that VOC concentrations during the wave periods and temperature settings are not affected by the door opening. Setting AC temperatures at 26 °C provides a balance between energy savings and indoor air quality in office buildings in hot, arid climates as in the case of Kuwait.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Layla Al-Awadi; Ahmed Al-Khayat; Weam Behbehani. Streamlining IAQ guidelines and investigating the effect of door opening/closing on concentrations of VOCs, formaldehyde, and NO2 in office buildings. Building and Environment 2018, 137, 127 -137.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Layla Al-Awadi, Ahmed Al-Khayat, Weam Behbehani. Streamlining IAQ guidelines and investigating the effect of door opening/closing on concentrations of VOCs, formaldehyde, and NO2 in office buildings. Building and Environment. 2018; 137 ():127-137.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Layla Al-Awadi; Ahmed Al-Khayat; Weam Behbehani. 2018. "Streamlining IAQ guidelines and investigating the effect of door opening/closing on concentrations of VOCs, formaldehyde, and NO2 in office buildings." Building and Environment 137, no. : 127-137.

Journal article
Published: 08 January 2018 in Atmosphere
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Little information is available on the assessment of health impact concerning the Middle Eastern dust storms and PM10 concentration levels despite the aridity of the region and frequent dust storms occurring in this part of the world. A prospective study was conducted to determine the association between dust particles and morbidity and mortality rates for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Kuwait. Spearman and Pearson’s correlations were used to identify such associations. Results revealed a significant correlation between dust storms, suspended dust and rising dust (p < 0.01). Correlation between the occurrence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and dust storms showed that PM10 concentrations were significantly correlated with bronchial asthma at the 0.05 level (Pearson r = 0.292). Significant correlations at the 0.01 level were shown between bronchial asthma and both acute lower respiratory tract infection (r = 0.737) and acute upper respiratory tract infection (r = 0.839). Respiratory and cardiovascular mortality rates were both equal to 0.62 per 10,000 persons, each corresponding to 8.7% proportionate mortality rate. This study provides a good evidence of the consistent relationship between dust storm events, PM10 concentration levels, and respiratory diseases.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ali Al-Dousari; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Ahmed Al-Khayat; Weam Behbehani; Mariam Malak. Health Impact Assessment Associated with Exposure to PM10 and Dust Storms in Kuwait. Atmosphere 2018, 9, 6 .

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Ali Al-Dousari, Ahmad Al-Shatti, Ahmed Al-Khayat, Weam Behbehani, Mariam Malak. Health Impact Assessment Associated with Exposure to PM10 and Dust Storms in Kuwait. Atmosphere. 2018; 9 (1):6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Ali Al-Dousari; Ahmad Al-Shatti; Ahmed Al-Khayat; Weam Behbehani; Mariam Malak. 2018. "Health Impact Assessment Associated with Exposure to PM10 and Dust Storms in Kuwait." Atmosphere 9, no. 1: 6.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Building and Environment
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ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Layla Al-Awadi; Mufreh Al-Rashidi; Khan Abdul Rahman; Ahmed Al-Khayat; Weam Behbehani. Comparison of indoor air quality in schools: Urban vs. Industrial 'oil & gas' zones in Kuwait. Building and Environment 2017, 122, 50 -60.

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Layla Al-Awadi, Mufreh Al-Rashidi, Khan Abdul Rahman, Ahmed Al-Khayat, Weam Behbehani. Comparison of indoor air quality in schools: Urban vs. Industrial 'oil & gas' zones in Kuwait. Building and Environment. 2017; 122 ():50-60.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Layla Al-Awadi; Mufreh Al-Rashidi; Khan Abdul Rahman; Ahmed Al-Khayat; Weam Behbehani. 2017. "Comparison of indoor air quality in schools: Urban vs. Industrial 'oil & gas' zones in Kuwait." Building and Environment 122, no. : 50-60.

Original paper
Published: 03 January 2017 in Arabian Journal of Geosciences
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Kuwait is an arid country with an annual average rainfall of about 110 to 120 mm. Hence, dust storms have become a common environmental crisis. Although the dry summer months commonly have more dust storms, in recent years, dust storms occur more frequently in the spring season as well. Accumulated data of dust storms in Kuwait for the past 14 years (2001–2014) showed that the month of March had the highest number of dust storms (total 19), which is rather unusual, with an average of 8 dust storms per year (year 2008 had the highest dust storms of total 22). This study explored four socioeconomic effects of dust storms in Kuwait, specifically traffic accident rates, oil export loss due to close out of marine terminals, airline delays due to airport operation shutdown, and agriculture degradation. Statistical analysis using t test and Pearson correlation showed no apparent relationship between dust storms and traffic accident rates or agricultural production; however, loss of oil export and flight delay cost were affected by dust storms. There has been very few published research on the socioeconomic impact of dust storms; this is the first paper that explores the detailed socioeconomic effect of dust storms in Kuwait.

ACS Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Mane Al-Sudairawi; Subramanian Neelamanai; Adel Naseeb; Weam Behbehani. Socioeconomic effect of dust storms in Kuwait. Arabian Journal of Geosciences 2017, 10, 18 .

AMA Style

Ali Al-Hemoud, Mane Al-Sudairawi, Subramanian Neelamanai, Adel Naseeb, Weam Behbehani. Socioeconomic effect of dust storms in Kuwait. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 2017; 10 (1):18.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Al-Hemoud; Mane Al-Sudairawi; Subramanian Neelamanai; Adel Naseeb; Weam Behbehani. 2017. "Socioeconomic effect of dust storms in Kuwait." Arabian Journal of Geosciences 10, no. 1: 18.

Original paper
Published: 03 December 2016 in International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
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The Work Compatibility Improvement Framework was developed and used to assess the environmental and ergonomic work conditions at two oil companies in Kuwait: One is a government-owned company, while the other is a private subcontractor of the government-owned company. The work compatibility presents demand–energizer environmental factors that act upon the individuals in the workplace. The reliability coefficients were tested and considered good (0.752) and excellent (0.855) for two domain conditions environment and ergonomics, respectively. Results reveal that in all of the three regions of the government-owned company (north, southwest, east) the ‘overall’ compatibility data for the ‘environment’ is perceived to be poor. The ‘ergonomics’ compatibility data seem to be average in the southeast and west, while it is considered to be poor in the north. As for the private subcontractor, the perceived ‘environment’ is considered to be poor for two departments out of four (slickline and wellhead maintenance), while considered moderate for the remaining two (maintenance and crude/chemical handling). The ‘ergonomics’ compatibility is reported to be poor for crude/chemical handling and wellhead maintenance jobs; while the conditions seem to be moderate for the maintenance and slickline jobs. The major conclusion extracted from this study is that the oil sector organizations in Kuwait are not managed as ergo-environmental enterprises where there is disharmony in the ergonomics system, environmental system, and the ergo-environmental interface interaction. These gaps in the enterprise-wide systems have a significant impact on work productivity and the environment conditions.

ACS Style

A. Al-Hemoud; W. Behbehani. Workplace environmental demands and energizers at two Kuwait oil companies. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 2016, 14, 983 -992.

AMA Style

A. Al-Hemoud, W. Behbehani. Workplace environmental demands and energizers at two Kuwait oil companies. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 2016; 14 (5):983-992.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Al-Hemoud; W. Behbehani. 2016. "Workplace environmental demands and energizers at two Kuwait oil companies." International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 14, no. 5: 983-992.