BEIRUT: Last summer's fuel-oil spill into the Mediterranean Sea is not the main cause behind the Lebanese coast's pollution, despite what many people think. In fact, the key factor contributing to the pollution of the sea around Lebanon has never changed: sewage, according to an article in this month's issue of Environment and Development magazine.
Environment Hotline, an environmental research team affiliated with the magazine, said an analysis of samples from Lebanon's seawater showed the amount of oil had become inconsiderable and "does not endanger beachgoers' lives ... but high levels of the fecal Coliform (FC) bacteria in sewage that is being dropped into the sea can lead to severe health problems, especially for children and elderly people, who have lower levels of immunity."
Bacterial-testing results showed that seven beach resorts were safe for visitors, while seven were totally unsafe and one was "borderline," the team said. The tests were conducted in 15 public and private beach resorts across the country in May.
"Six beaches witnessed a decrease in bacterial pollution in comparison to 2006, while three preserved the same level of pollution and the remaining six witnessed a hike in the level of pollution," the hotline said. "The amount of FC should be below 100 colonies in every 100 milliliters of water".
In North Lebanon, the La Palma beach resort in Tripoli registered a decrease in the amount of FC from 83 units per 100 milliliters in 2006 to three units in 2007, while the FC in the region's public beach decreased from 300 units to 102.
Amsheet's public beach witnessed a slight increase in the FC amount from zero in 2006 to 1 unit in 2007.
In Jbeil, two units of FC were registered in Edde Sands and La Voile Bleue, in comparison to zero in 2006. Those are negligible changes.
The Nahr al-Kalb coast, which includes several private and public beaches, witnessed a decrease in the FC amount from 300 to 236.
As for the Antelias-Dbayyeh coast, the FC amount exceeded 1,000 units, which exposes beachgoers to serious danger.
While the American University of Beirut's beach is virtually free from bacterial pollution, the public beach in Ramlet al-Baida registered high levels of bacterial pollution exceeding 1,000.
The FC levels in the waters off the Movënpick Resort is estimated at 220 in comparison to 71 in 2006, while that of waters facing the Coral Beach Resort totaled 86, in comparison with 117 in 2006.
Moving to Damour in the South, the FC level in the Oceana resort's waters were 1 unit in 2007, compared to zero in 2006.
In Rmaileh, La Voile and La Guava beaches registered a decrease from 65 to 38, while Sidon's public beach saw a slight increase from 200 to 244.
"The Sidon beach is also suffering from the problem of solid waste, which collapses every now and then into the sea from the area's notorious dump," the hotline said.
Note: the FC levels should not exceed 100 in each 100 milliliters of water
Clean-up operations succeeded in removing most of the spilled oil
In the Baissarieh public beach in southern Sidon, the FC amount decreased from 900 to 206, while the FC amount in Tyre's public beach remained safe despite an increase from zero to 35.
Some beaches, particularly those along the Akkar coast and around the Sidon dump, have been classified as inappropriate for swimmers, mainly due to scattered solid waste.
Environment Hotline urged swimmers to stay away from mouths of rivers, sewer outlets and waste dumps, where bacterial and chemical pollution is highly concentrated.
"Cleanup operations succeeded in removing most of the spilled oil from the sea during the four months that followed the bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant and nature took care of most of the remaining, reducing the quantity of fuel-oil to a very low level," the article said, dismissing claims that Lebanon's sea is still highly polluted by the spill. The remaining oil pollution is mainly concentrated in the oil-mixed waste collected in containers after the spill, which are still deposited unsafely along some shores.
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An estimated 10,000-15,000 tons of fuel-oil spilled into the sea after Israeli planes bombed fuel tanks at the Jiyyeh facility in the first days of the war. The spill polluted approximately 150 kilometers of shoreline.
Mary Abboud Abi Saab, research director at the National Center for Marine Sciences (NCMS), said the quantity of oil had become negligible.
"Light oil flows on the surface of water and evaporates," Abi Saab told the hotline. "As for the remaining oil on the sand, it can be described as annoying rather than harmful, because it melts with the increase in temperature and sticks to beachgoers' bodies."
NCMS director Gaby Khalaf said tests carried out on samples of fish between August and November 2006 showed that the oil spill had not polluted fish.
"But I advise people to avoid consuming mussels and oysters, because studies showed that they are polluted, as they accumulate concentrated levels of heavy metals," Khalaf said.
Najib Saab, publisher and editor-in-chief of Environment & Development magazine, said that when the magazine published the first coastal survey in June 2005, that highlighted danger zones with dangerous bacterial pollution, he expected immediate remedial measures to be taken by the authorities.
To his dismay, weeks after the results were published; the government announced the opening of six public beaches, three of which were located in some of the most polluted areas, namely Ramlet al-Baida, Saida and Baisariyeh.
Saab points out that no action was taken after releasing the 2006 survey, as the oil slick from the July war prevented the use of beaches any way. He hopes necessary measures will be taken this season based on the survey, starting from closing unsafe beaches, to halting the flow of pollution from the source, by operating the planned sewage treatment plants immediately.
Saab stresses the need to analyze samples from the beaches on weekly basis during the swimming season, and publish the results along with weather forecast to alert swimmers. In spite of the widespread pollution, he still believes there are enough clean and safe beaches for Lebanese to enjoy, "but will the prevailing situation in the country allow them to reach those beaches?"
Pollution levels at key locations off the coast
The National Center for Marine Sciences (NCMS), affiliated with the National Council for Scientific Research, has been monitoring the Lebanese coast for 25 years. NCMS conducts monthly tests in 21 spots between Tripoli in the North and Naqoura in the South.
The table shows the minimum and maximum levels of bacterial pollution between January 2006 and April 2007 in 13 locations. Three locations suffer from permanent pollution: Antelias, Manara and Ramlet al-Baida. Three other locations suffer from temporary pollution: Nahr Ibrahim, Tabarja and Sidon's sand coast. Nahr al-Kalb and Ouzai coasts, both polluted, do not fall within the center's framework.
The Daily Star - Environment Hotline Partner