Environmental Research in Israel

In a country whose land, water, energy and other natural resources are limited, environmental research is by no means a luxury - it is a matter of survival itself. In order to absorb and feed a rapidly growing population while developing advanced industries, Israel has had to find ways of using every available meter of land, ray of sunshine and drop of water. At the same time, it has had to ensure that its intensive use of resources would not harm the environment. Yet, paradoxically, these very constraints have challenged Israeli scientists to develop a host of new technologies - placing Israel at the forefront of world developments in a number of environmental fields.

Water Management

Plagued by water scarcity, Israel has been forced to develop innovative ways of making every drop count. Since surface and groundwater sources are not sufficient to meet the demands of a growing population and economy - Israel's per-capita water potential is among the lowest in the world - the country has had to increase its development and use of treated wastewater, brackish water and water harvesting (collection, storage and use of storm runoff).

Israel is a world leader in the development of drip irrigation, a technique by which relatively small amounts of water are delivered directly to the roots of plants. When the flow of water is controlled by sensors linked to central computers, drip and other forms of micro-irrigation can reduce water use by at least one-third, depending upon the crop. These techniques have the further advantage of reducing adverse environmental impacts associated with continuous irrigation, such as increased salination. By enabling farmers to deliver precise quantities of fertilizers as well as water directly to the plant, fertilizer contamination of soils and groundwater is also reduced.

Since much of the water now used for irrigation is brackish, agricultural research has developed crops which require a minimal amount of water or are able to thrive on brackish water. In addition, Israel today is a world leader in wastewater recycling, which now accounts for some 30% of its total supply, up from 3% two decades ago. By recycling urban wastewater for irrigation purposes, in accordance with strict permits issued by the Ministry of Health, the country not only saves precious fresh water but prevents the environmental damage caused by indiscriminate discharge of wastewater into streams and seas.

Israel's water scarcity problem is exacerbated by the fact that over half of the country's land area is an arid desert. Strategies implemented since Israel's establishment in 1948 have succeeded not only in pushing the edge of the desert southward, but actually reversing the process of desertification. Using a number of innovative methods, rainfall and runoff are redirected and relatively highly-productive patches are created within the desert landscape. As a world leader in arid zone management, including afforestation, water harvesting, water and soil conservation and use of saline water, Israel is taking an active part in regional and international efforts to combat desertification.

Solar Energy

Because Israel has almost no natural fuel sources except for its abundant sunshine, it has become a world pioneer in the use of solar energy. As a result of university research carried out as early as the 1950s, Israeli scientists were able to develop the first solar absorption coatings - black enamels that made it possible for solar panels to retain a higher proportion of the sun's energy. This development led to a decision to equip all residential and commercial buildings in the country with solar water heaters. Today Israel produces most of its domestic hot water and 3% of its national energy balance from solar power, as well as exporting tens of thousands of solar water heaters all over the world. An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale electricity generating plant, solar-powered and fully functional, in southern California's Mojave desert.

It is estimated that 10 square kilometers of the Negev desert receive an annual average of solar energy equal to all of the electricity generated by the Israel Electric Corporation - a process that consumes about one-third of the country's entire fuel imports. Therefore, it is only natural that in Israel's arid south, Ben Gurion University's Solar Energy Research Center is testing and demonstrating a variety of solar-powered thermal and photovoltaic technologies. The Center makes it possible to take a new idea from the initial laboratory stage right through to final large-scale testing in the sun-soaked Negev desert, further enhancing the exploitation of solar energy.

Biological Control

Israel is well known for its landmark agricultural achievements, aided by extensive scientific research. However, the greening of the desert and impressive agricultural yields were often secured by an increasing reliance on insecticides and fertilizers. Today, as the dangers of chemical control are becoming more evident, Israeli scientists are increasingly pursuing less harmful agricultural control methods, replacing chemicals with biological measures and other safer options.

Largely pioneered in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu in the Beit She'an Valley, biological control is currently being implemented in several agricultural areas in Israel. Biological control works together with natural forces: the successful identification of chemical components in the insect world allows for laboratory synthesis of highly specialized signals painstakingly designed by evolution.

One example involves the isolation and synthesis of pheromones - substances secreted by insects to communicate a variety of social messages. Fertile female insects often secrete pheromones that are carried by the wind, attracting males downstream. Initially, natural pheromones, extracted from females, were used to trap males. Later, a laborious process which monitored the response of male antennae enabled scientists to chemically synthesize the compounds. In one successful project, scientists succeeded in using this method to combat the citrus moth, whose larvae prevent fruit development by destroying the flower's ovary. The project's success reduced the need for chemical control in citrus groves. Other projects include the use of pheromone traps to monitor the number of males and the egg-laying period in order to pinpoint the ideal time for spraying.

Another form of biological control utilizes knowledge of predator-prey interactions. The development and introduction of beneficial natural enemies, including predatory mites, beetles and wasps as well as bacteria and fungi, is proving to be a superior alternative to conventional chemical pesticides in terms of long-term effectiveness, cost and safety. Increasingly, such natural enemies are being introduced to agricultural fields to combat agricultural pests.

Israel's academic institutions as well as a number of new industrial establishments have been busy developing innovative products which are aimed at reducing the use of pesticides and insecticides to a minimum. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, for example, research projects have yielded a wide variety of new products now ready for commercialization, such as the biological control of plant pathogenic fungi using bacteria; a new natural product produced by a biocontrol agent which inhibits a wide spectrum of microorganisms; a new microbial pesticide for the control of pests in agriculture and public health; and a biological method for the control of rodent pests.

One of the most prominent examples of the efficacy of natural enemies is a bacterium discovered in 1976 in a Negev puddle, which was found to be lethal to certain flies and mosquitoes while harmless to humans. Coined Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI), it provides a revolutionary means of controlling water-breeding insects. Commercial production has proved vital, particularly in Africa, where BTI has zeroed in on insects transmitting severe tropical diseases, including malaria and African sleeping disease.

Biotechnology and the Environment

The environment is a relatively new field in biotechnological research. Research activities in this area are focusing largely on biological control of pests through environment-friendly substances, on waste recycling, disposal and treatment using bacteria, and on bioremediation techniques, in which plants are used for the removal of heavy metals from the ground.

One exciting development originated in the Department of Agricultural Botany at the Hebrew University's Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot. Scientists in this department developed a process for treating industrial waste containing heavy metals - such as cadmium, nickel, copper, zinc, chromium and uranium - by using the azolla fern. While the ability of the azolla to absorb large amounts of nitrates, phosphates and fixed nitrogen is well known, the scientists realized that the capacity of the azolla plant to absorb heavy metals is more efficient when the dry matter is used. They therefore developed a biofilter, composed of a dry biomass of azolla, which is packed into columns and allows for the instant binding of the heavy metals to the biofilter matrix. This enables the azolla to be more efficient and convenient for industrial use. It is expected that the list of potential industrial end-users for this azolla biomatrix will include factories manufacturing batteries, micro-electronics, metal plating and paint factories as well as plants generating radioactive waste.

Another development, this time in the field of oil bioremediation, hails from Tel Aviv University. While microorganisms which have the genetic potential to bind, emulsify, transport and degrade hydrocarbons are widely distributed in nature, the extent of degradation depends upon the availability of moisture, oxygen and utilizable sources of nitrogen and phosphorous. The Tel Aviv University group managed to develop a new controlled-release hydrophobic nitrogen source that also contains insoluble phosphorous and then identified several bacterial strains capable of degrading oil while using this nitrogen source. After optimizing conditions in the laboratory for the use of both the nitrogen source and the selected bacteria, these scientists were able to test the system on a sandy beach which had been polluted by several hundred tons of heavy crude oil accidentally spilled during the unloading of an oil tanker. The experiment met with substantial success.

Another solution to oil slicks, which concentrates on the separation of water and oil, was developed by researchers at the Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine. The technique relies on the use of liposomes, a by-product of the edible oil industry, to combat oil spills. Because phospholipids have molecules that are hydrophilic (attracted to water) at one end, and lipophilic (attracted to oil) at the other, the oil is prevented from automatically spreading in a thin layer on the surface of water and instead breaks up into small droplets which readily stick to solid surfaces. The surface of the water can then be cleaned using any conventional absorbent material. Another advantage of the phospholipid technique is that phospholipids contain the two ingredients needed to make the oil more susceptible to attack by bacteria - phosphorous and nitrogen; therefore, like the Tel Aviv University technique, phospholipids can enhance the efficacy of the use of bacteria to digest oil.

Academic Research

Israel's competitive strength in technological development is largely due to its large and fruitful research and development sector. Even before the recent wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union, which added an estimated 50,000 engineers and 5,000 research scientists to Israel's work force, the country had the highest proportion in the world of scientists and engineers within the working population, as well as the highest proportion of published scientific papers and patents. Over 80% of all civilian basic research is conducted within the framework of Israel's universities.

The trend in recent years has been for government bodies to channel funds to non-governmental institutions, especially universities, for environmental research. Most Israeli university departments and research institutes have a large number of projects, programs and research centers related to the environment. The Institute of Desert Research at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, for example, is world renowned for its wide-ranging research on the desert environment, dry lands agriculture and solar energy. The Hebrew University does considerable research on atmospheric, water and marine pollution, on wastewater recycling and on public and environmental health. Tel Aviv University's Porter Center for Ecological and Environmental Studies has been studying environmental response to such man-induced disturbances as fire, oil spills, pollution and radiation, as well as focusing on biological and biochemical markers for pollution. The Weizmann Institute's Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research concentrates on water, atmospheric pollution, climate change and energy research. The Center of Research in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology includes laboratories for all aspects of water quality and treatment, wastewater treatment and reuse, atmospheric pollution, environmental chemistry and microbiology and solid waste treatment.

The general improvement in economic conditions in Israel, and especially the liberalization of the capital market, has also played a key role in the commercialization of environmental research and development projects. For example, two separate technologies for removing toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewater are now being commercialized by Israeli groups. The same is true of a technique for cleaning up oil slicks using bacteria, originally developed at Tel Aviv University. Still another technique for holding chemical and biochemical markers in a porous glass matrix, developed at the Hebrew University more than a decade ago, is now being commercialized in several different markets, including the production of miniature pollution monitors for a wide range of air and water pollutants. These represent only a handful of the numerous examples of academic research and industry working together to create new environment-friendly commercial products.

Government Support of Environmental R&D

Israel spends some $6 million - 1.2% of its total research and development budget - on environmental research. The main bodies which fund this research are the Ministries of the Environment, Agriculture, Energy, Science, and Industry and Trade. The Environment, Energy and Agriculture Ministries fund practical research intended to solve specific problems. The Ministry of Science promotes the development of new generic technologies in priority areas in order to bridge the gap between basic research and industrial implementation. It has recently included "environment and water" among the seven priority fields of research which it supports. The Ministry is also currently assessing proposals for the development of large, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research initiatives in water resource preservation and pollution abatement in the industrial, urban and agricultural sectors. The Ministry of Industry and Trade funds activities whose aim is to develop technology or final products related to the environment - whether the development of a water filter for drinking purposes or of wastewater treatment technologies. It has also created programs for the development of generic technology, in which consortia of academic and industrial researchers work together on pre-competitive research and development, sharing their knowledge base and receiving a high level of matching funds. Among the areas being developed in this context is high-temperature solar energy as well as biotechnology of algae, which has major implications for wastewater remediation. National environmental research is coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment through the Office of the Chief Scientist. In recent years, the Ministry of the Environment has accorded high priority to surveys and research in such vital areas as water and marine quality, agro-ecology, air, environmental planning, noise, pests and hazardous substances. Methods and technologies for risk assessment, monitoring, treatment, utilization and remediation of wastewater are predominant in the list of research studies which have been approved for financing by the Ministry of the Environment. One study aims at assessing the usefulness of fish population parameters and fish health as indicators of habitat conditions in specific streams in Israel. Another study is developing bacteria to break down toxic materials as a means of cleaning up soil and water pollutants. Yet another is developing a more efficient biological process for the removal of ammonium from wastewater or secondary treated effluent using a combined chemical-biological process.

Due to the scarcity of water resources and the importance accorded to effluent reuse, several studies are focusing on the use of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation purposes. One is investigating the suitability of bananas for irrigation by reclaimed wastewater because of this crop's relative salt resistance and its high demand for nutrients, coupled with the possibility of using drip irrigation, thus preventing direct contact between water and fruit. Another is checking the effects of sub-surface trickle irrigation of selected field crops using treated wastewater. Still another will apply the results of a university study to the irrigation of olive trees in the environs of Sachnin, an Arab village in the Galilee. This ambitious project will include the establishment of a regional center for demonstrating environmental technologies, energy conservation and agricultural recycling in the rural sector. The results of the research study, which aims to develop a high-rate integrative process for the treatment of olive oil mill wastewater, will play an important part in the practical application of new methodologies in the field.

Another major group of studies is concentrating on solid waste management in view of the magnitude of this problem in a densely populated country with limited land resources. Since a large component of Israel's domestic waste is composed of organic wastes, various studies are testing the carrying capacity of land for organic waste and compost as well as the economic and environmental feasibility of using municipal solid waste compost in agriculture. Of special interest is the application of compost onto the arid Negev soils. These investigations should lead to the development of the appropriate technologies, potential uses and markets for compost utilization. Other studies are experimenting with sludge and of effluent and sludge-derived compost to examine their effect on the transport of pesticides and heavy metals. The results will be used to assess the regulatory framework for land disposal of sewage wastes to provide environmentally safe disposal.

Seeking Solutions for Global Problems

While most of Israel's environmental research is designed to help solve local problems, several studies are geared toward solving global problems as well. Thus, for example, major efforts are being invested in helping to reduce the use of methyl bromide, a chemical fumigant which has traditionally been used worldwide to destroy insect and nematode pests in the topsoil. As the world's second largest producer of this fumigant, which has been targeted as a potential ozone-depleting substance, Israel has recommended a wide range of suggestions based on reduction of doses, use of alternatives and new methods for absorption, neutralization and recycling. One solution which was developed jointly by university researchers and a kibbutz company was to cover the soil with a layer of opaque plastic sheeting that absorbs solar radiation. The high temperatures generated in the soil destroy all pests, as well as weeds, without use of chemicals, while the plastic sheets biodegrade before the onset of the sowing season. This technique is already in use in some 50 countries, including the USA and Japan.

Future Trends

With the growth of environmental awareness, Israel has recognized that if sustainable development is to be assured, methods must be developed to protect vital water sources, control air pollution in densely-populated areas and allow for safe wastewater recycling, pesticide-free agricultural produce, and safe disposal of solid and hazardous waste. Consequently, both Israel's environmental industries and its academic institutions have invested major resources in broadening their research and development activities while at the same time moving on to the commercialization of products and know-how. In recent years, many academic research groups and industrial companies have found ways to exploit their existing technology base for new environmental products. Thus, for example, several defense-technology companies and government laboratories are investing major resources in adapting existing technology to environmental products, such as the use of Israel Aircraft Industry's miniature remotely piloted vehicles to carry equipment for remote sensing of air pollution, or the adaptation of optical lasers to measure water pollution.

Today, Israel's environmental research and development is as wide-ranging as it is advanced. This environmental know-how has made an impact extending well beyond the borders of this country. Hopefully, as economic cooperation with Israel's neighboring Arab states increases through the regional peace process, Israel's expertise in these vital areas will help contribute toward a better environment in the entire region.

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