“We are running late because the CEO of RYMCO can’t find parking,” said Najat Saliba, associate professor of analytical chemistry at the American University of Beirut (AUB), explaining the absence of Abdo Sweidan, chief executive officer at Rasamny Younis Motor Company. It was a fitting prelude to a December 9 press conference unveiling the details of a new study on street-level air pollution in Beirut and its suburbs. Saliba has been analyzing particulate matter in the Beirut area for years; she recently partnered with colleagues at AUB and the National Council for Scientific Research to publish a report on the air we breathe, finding the levels of all sizes of particles to be an average of three to four times greater than the World Health Organization’s recommended level. While that project gathered data using technology rooted in fixed locations, the new study will provide a more in-depth look into
