Dust Pollution Assessment and Mitigation by Green Belts in Bani Na’im, Palestine – An Applied Environmental Research

Abstract

Air pollution mitigation is critical to avert deleterious environmental impacts on ecosystems and human health. This study investigates the feasibility and efficacy of localized green belt implementation as a cost-effective strategy for particulate matter (PM) reduction in the context of industrial stone production, exemplified by Bani Na’im, Palestine. While stone manufacturing provides vital economic contributions, it generates significant air pollutants, mainly PM, posing environmental and health risks. Traditional mitigation measures often present substantial financial and operational burdens. This study takes a multifaceted strategy, combining geographical analysis, direct PM measurements, and phytoremediation suitability assessments to evaluate the potential of targeted green belt establishment. The findings recommend strategically deploying three green belts upwind and downwind of significant stone quarries and processing facilities to intercept and mitigate dust dispersal effectively. Furthermore, this study proposes the development of context-specific outdoor PM Palestinian standards and guidelines. It advocates for integrating mandatory green belt requirements into municipal master planning, particularly for regions with similar industrial profiles, to enhance environmental sustainability.