The State of Ambient Air Quality in Two Ugandan Cities:A Pilot Cross-Sectional Spatial Assessment

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Achilles Katamba¹  Stephan Schwander²  Qingyu Meng²  Frederik van Gemert³  Thys van der Molen³  Vahid Mohsenin⁴  Hellen Aanyu-Tukamuhebwa⁵  Gerald Obai⁶  Niels Chavannes⁷  Bruce J. Kirenga⁸ 

[1] Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatics Unit, Department of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Center for Global Public Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, NJ 07107, USA;Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands;Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda;Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center,Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands;Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;

关键词: ambient air pollution;    particulate matter;    nitrogen dioxide;    sulfur dioxide;    ozone;    Uganda;    Kampala;    Jinja;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph120708075

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Air pollution is one of the leading global public health risks but its magnitude in many developing countries’ cities is not known. We aimed to measure the concentration of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3) pollutants in two Ugandan cities (Kampala and Jinja). PM2.5, O3, temperature and humidity were measured with real-time monitors, while NO2 and SO2 were measured with diffusion tubes. We found that the mean concentrations of the air pollutants PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and O3 were 132.1 μg/m3, 24.9 µg/m3, 3.7 µg/m3 and11.4 μg/m3, respectively. The mean PM2.5 concentration is 5.3 times the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off limits while the NO2, SO2 and O3 concentrations are below WHO cut-off limits. PM2.5 levels were higher in Kampala than in Jinja (138.6 μg/m3 vs. 99.3 μg/m3) and at industrial than residential sites (152.6 μg/m3 vs. 120.5 μg/m3) but residential sites with unpaved roads also had high PM2.5 concentrations (152.6 μg/m3). In conclusion, air pollutant concentrations in Kampala and Jinja in Uganda are dangerously high. Long-term studies are needed to characterize air pollution levels during all seasons, to assess related public health impacts, and explore mitigation approaches.

【 授权许可】

Unknown