Clean air in Tel Aviv and Haifa: Yom Kippur results
National monitoring stations recorded a record drop in the concentration of toxic substances in the air during Yom Kippur due to a complete halt of vehicular traffic. The Ministry of Environmental Protection confirmed the data, noting a decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions to annual minimums in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Bnei Brak.
The Yom Kippur holiday period in Israel led to a unique environmental phenomenon: national monitoring stations of the Ministry of Environmental Protection recorded a record purification of the air and a sharp drop in the concentration of hazardous toxic substances. The main reason was the complete cessation of vehicular traffic. In the largest cities — Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Bnei Brak — peak levels of harmful elements dropped to annual minimums. On Ha-Atsmaut Street in Haifa, the concentration of nitrogen oxides fell from 129.6 to 10.1 parts per billion. Favorable weather conditions with a westerly wind helped keep the concentration of fine particulate matter PM 2.5 and PM 10 at low levels. Industrial facilities continued to operate normally, but no dangerous spikes of toxic substances were recorded in residential areas. The ministry is using this data to promote programs to reduce private car use and transition to clean public transport and electric vehicles.