Quality indicators of the state of chemical pollution in israel

• Published in: Israel journal of chemistry 2002-11, Vol.42 (1), p.119-132
• Main Authors: Haran, Miriam, Samuels, Rana, Gabbay, Shoshana, Mingelgrin, Uri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-2148; 1869-5868
• DOI: 10.1560/QU9Q-XGF9-HUM6-DA61

The state of chemical pollution in Israel is evaluated with the aid of environmental indicators adapted from a list of indicators compiled by the European Union. The precise definition of the individual indicators was modified to suit the specific environmental conditions in Israel. The environmental topics covered are those that have a strong chemical aspect to them, including groundwater quality, pollution of rivers, air pollution by acidifying substances and particulate matter, CO2 emissions, disposal of hazardous waste and handling of hazardous substances, air pollution originating from transportation, wastewater treatment and reuse, and solid waste disposal, as well as the status of environmental research. The environmental indicators chosen reveal that in recent years there has been a steady improvement in the state of chemical pollution, excepting a deterioration in the quality of groundwater and an increase in vehicular emission of pollutants. The overall situation is, however, still unsatisfactory. A comparison of the state of chemical pollution in Israel to that in the EU and other countries demonstrated that the rate of improvement in environmental quality as determined by the examined indicators is slower in Israel than in most developed countries.