A heavy cloud of smog smothered Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut this week, with air pollutant levels reaching a high of 9.5 times the WHO recommended air quality index. The smog is “seasonal” and a product of dust carried from deserts from neighbouring countries, Dr Najat Saliba, an atmospheric chemist and professor at the American University of Beirut, told The New Arab. She added that Jordan and other regional neighbours were experiencing similar air pollution. Beirut’s air pollution is a constant problem, and smog hanging over the mountain-fringed port city is visible year-round. “Beirut h…