Cancer Risk Surges in Beirut Due to Airborne Carcinogens From Diesel Generators

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Beirut residents must constantly endure persistent smog that poses significant health risks.

Airborne Carcinogens From Diesel Generators

Around 8,000 diesel generators have been powering the cities of Lebanon since the country faced an economic collapse in 2019, which was marked by a severe financial crisis, political instability, and a significant decrease in the availability of electricity. Such generators can even be smelled, heard, or spotted on the streets.

Their prevalent usage has left Beirut residents forced to inhale air that the unsustainable machines have been polluting.

Scientists from the renowned American University of Beirut, in a study that is yet to be published, have discovered that the city's overdependence on diesel generators in the last five years has led to a cancer risk surge by up to twofold.

The situation in Beirut is dire. A lack of infrastructure investment, corruption, and political paralysis have created a vicious cycle. Diesel generators continue to pollute the air, posing severe health risks. Urgent action is needed to break this cycle and improve air quality.

Prior to the 2019 economic collapse, these generators were used for three hours to supplement the nation's grid. However, due to the economic challenges, diesel generators became the main power source, and the difficulties made the state's energy grid nearly collapse.

These diesel generators release airborne carcinogens into the atmosphere. This significantly increases the population's risk of developing cancer.

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Cancer Risk Rises

According to oncologists, favorable diagnosis rates have been soaring with alarming results. Beirut is primarily affected by the issues, especially in areas like Makassed.

The pollution levels from fine particles typically do not exceed a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), reaching as far as 60 micrograms each cubic meter.

These levels are roughly four times higher than the recommended ceiling of 15 mcg per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization. This further emphasizes that people should not be exposed to such pollution levels more than three to four days a year.

The situation became more critical following the August 2020 catastrophic explosion, which weakened the nation even more. The explosion, which was caused by the ignition of a large amount of ammonium nitrate, led to a significant increase in the use of diesel generators as the state's energy grid was severely damaged and unable to meet the city's electricity needs.

According to the measurements done by the AUB, these carcinogenic pollutants have doubled in three regions across the capital city.

Najat Saliba, the study's lead author and an atmospheric scientist, also shares that the evaluation proposed that the risk of developing cancer would have shot up by roughly 50%. The study found that the diesel generators were emitting high levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, and other harmful pollutants.

Saliba explains that this is directly related. They calculate the risk of cancer based on the materials the diesel generators release. Some of these carcinogens have been categorized as 1A carcinogens.

Tumor specialists from Beirut were also able to observe that cancer rates saw a significant rise informally. They suggest that rates have increased by around 30% yearly since 2020.

They also observed a common trend of younger patients and more aggressive tumors. However, such data was not attested.

Dr. Fadlo Khuri, an oncologist specializing in neck and lung cancer and the AUB presidency, says Beirut is facing a confluence of circumstances. The university conducted mathematical modeling and measurements and discovered that 40% of daily exposure to airborne carcinogens of people from Lebanon has a singular source: diesel generators.

Dr. Khuri explains that the effects of these conditions will not be seen for years, as they require years of prolonged exposure.