Jordan: Environmental Status of Water, Soil and Air

This article discusses the environmental status of Jordan and focuses on parameters that affect human health. The first section addresses the quantity and quality of available surface, ground, and treated wastewater resources. The second section deals with the status and causes of soil degradation and focuses also on metal contamination. The third section is dedicated to air quality and possible solutions. This article found that pollution, especially from heavy metals, and the scarcity of water resources are the main environmental challenges faced by Jordan. It found that major surface water resources, for example Jordan River, are polluted and saline, and thus they are not directly suitable for drinking or irrigation. Also, mixing the treated water with Yarmouk River for further use in agriculture in the Jordan Valley area affected the water quality of Yarmouk River. This caused an increase in the concentration of BOD₅, Cl, NH₄, and NO₃ in the Yarmouk River water after mixing of Zarqa River with King Abduilah Canal water. It has been found that the leading causes of land degradation in Jordan are improper farming practices (such as failure to use contour ploughing or overcultivation of the land), overgrazing, and the conversion of rangelands to croplands in marginal areas. Uncontrolled expansion of urban and rural settlement at the cost of cultivable land is another cause for soil degradation in Jordan another cause for soil degradation in Jordan, and erosion by wind and water is considered the major cause of land degradation in the area. Erosion by wind and water is considered the major cause of land degradation in the area. This article has documented potential radioactive hazards in central Jordan, and assessed soil quality in terms of heavy metal contents. In Jordan, the major sources of air pollution include stationary sources such as manufacturing plants, refineries, mines, gas stations, and domestic areas; mobile sources such as Jordan's estimated 400 000 vehicles that use gasoline and diesel oil; and natural sources such as sand and dust storms. The most damaging source, however, is the growing fleet of vehicles that emit high levels of pollutants - poorly maintained vehicles consume poor quality fuels. Animal, plant, and human populations of Jordan could be effected by air pollution from these sources.