Demolition projects endangering public health

Yayha Al Rayyes said that many HVAC systems were filled with toxins from poor maintenance

Members of the public in Abu Dhabi are in danger of being exposed to toxins released by the demolition of buildings.

Speaking at the Construction Week Building Sustainability into the Middle East conference on Monday, Pure Middle East CEO Yayha Al Rayyes warned that children in particular were at risk.

“There are a quite a few buildings being demolished in Abu Dhabi, but no-one is paying attention to the pollutants released by this demolition, things like asbestos, mercury, legionella and neon,” he warned, adding that he had seen demolition work taking place near parks where children would play.

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Al Rayyes, who disclosed that he personally had once contracted a near-fatal illness as a result of poor building maintenance, said that MEP consultants and facilities managers should pay close attention to solving HVAC health issues.

“The problem is that we’re not looking at something that has an immediate effect. We’ll see these problems, like cancer, occurring further down the line. What kind of a generation are we going to raise here? A sickly one?” said Al Reyyes. “Exposure to these sorts of things cannot be tolerated.”