Concentration of Carbon Dioxide in Various Libyan Cities

Air pollution is defined as the concentration of foreign materials or substances in the air which have negative effects on the health and life of people in any place on the earth. There are many air pollutants in the atmosphere different forms of materials such as liquids, solids or gaseous substances such those which are generated as a result of different human activities related mainly to industry, construction, transportation or other natural resources. According to world health organization (WHO) air pollution is the leading environmental cause of disease and premature death worldwide. In addition to that, fine particulate matters (aerosols), with a maximum diameter of 2.5 microns, are responsible for more than 6.4 million deaths each year, from different diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and neonatal disorders. It was possible to mitigate these emissions by using the market available capture technologies such as infra-red detectors to detect and measure the presence of Carbon dioxide in the free air in several selected places in Libya. Based on our measurements of CO2 concentration, a significant increase in carbon dioxide emission was noticed in the cities of Ras Al- Anouf and Al-Zawiya compared to larger cities such as Tripoli or Benghazi. The high levels of carbon dioxide in the cities of Ras Al-Anouf and Al-Zawiya are related to the presence of petrochemical complexes and oil refining stations in both cities.