Manama air quality map

How much information about air quality is there on the air pollution map for Manama?

There is a lot of quality information about air pollution on the air quality map for Manama and it is very easy to access. Clicking on the map icon at the top of the main city page will open a new one which is filled with all the relevant information about air quality in Manama.

Once this new page opens, the viewer will be met by the strong colouration of the map. This directly indicates the present state of the air. Currently, the map is greenish/yellow which visually shows that the air quality is “Good”.

There are very often some coloured discs distributed across the map which indicate the location of the ground-level air quality monitoring stations. But not all cities have physical stations and rely on data collected by overhead satellites instead for their information. Manama is one such city without physical stations. If the viewer expands the map, some discs will appear showing air quality in other locations. They all display the same set of colours which can range from pale green through to dark maroon and are used across the whole of the IQAir website.

On the two discs there are on the map, they both carry a number at their centre, this is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. It is calculated by taking measurements of up to six of the most prolific pollutants found in city air. These are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Once verified, the reading is used as a metric when making comparisons between different cities across the globe. It has the full support of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back at the main city page it can be seen in the coloured banner across the top of the page that in February 2023, Manama was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of just 24. The background colour of the banner also indicates this.

The main pollutant was found to be PM2.5 with a recorded level of 17.1 µg/m³ which is almost three and a half times higher than the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Is there much more information about air quality on the air pollution map for Manama?

There is more information about air quality on the air pollution map for Manama but the page needs to be viewed in full-screen mode to be able to see all there is available. The icon at the top of the screen will open it again at full size. When viewed in this way, a list of four options will be visible on the left-hand side of the screen. These choices can all be individually turned on or off to see what effects they have on the map.

The first option shows the location of the ground-level air monitoring stations, but as already stated, Manama does not have any physical stations. The closest are in Saudi Arabia to the west and Qatar to the east.

The next option shows the position of any wildfires that happen to be burning out of control in the area. At the time of writing, there were no reported fires in Bahrain. When fires are reported, option four needs to be explored because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give a good indication of where the ensuing smoke might blow.

The third option uses colours to indicate the present state of the air. The paler colours represent better air quality than the dark reds and browns. This can be deactivated so that the colours revert to a more subdued tone which may be easier to understand.

The rest of the information about air quality is found on the right-hand side of the screen where a table will be seen. This table shows the ranking of the top seven most polluted cities in the world. The rest of the participating world cities can be found under the full-ranking section where a completely new page will appear with all this extra information.

Can the source of the polluted air be seen on the air pollution map for Manama?

The source of air pollution is not shown directly on the air pollution map for Manama but it is well-known that most air pollutants are gaseous and include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides that result from smoke rising from car exhausts and factory chimneys, in addition to some impurities and heavy metal fumes such as lead, where these fumes remain suspended in the air for several days in the form of smog, and the effects of this pollution and in the long run it leads to a disorder in the respiratory system and many diseases can stem from there.

The increased population is one of the main reasons behind the annual increase in energy consumption, and this increased consumption raises the levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Bahrain suffers from a lack of green spaces due to the desert nature of the island nation, and an increase in the percentage of owning private vehicles with carbon exhausts, with the absence of a developed infrastructure for energy-efficient mass transportation, such as the subway and others.

PM2.5 is always quoted on the air pollution map for Manama, but what is it?

Particulate Matter (PM) is a combination of solid and liquid particles that are suspended in the air. These are categorized into coarse, fine and ultrafine. Coarse particles have a diameter between 2.5 micrometres and 10 micrometres, are relatively heavier and thus tend to settle. Dust, spores and pollen are some examples. PM2.5 refers to particles that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres and remain suspended for longer.

These particles are formed as a result of burning fossil fuels and chemical reactions that take place in the atmosphere under the influence of sunlight. Natural processes such as forest fires also contribute to PM2.5 in the air. These particles are also the primary reason for the occurrence of smog.

Exposure to PM2.5 has both short term and long-term health impacts. The short term includes irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can cause permanent respiratory problems such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and heart disease.