Atmospheric Pollution Assessment in Southern Africa

Atmospheric pollution across Southern Africa arises from a complex interplay of natural and anthropogenic sources, including seasonal biomass burning, domestic solid-fuel combustion, industrial metallurgy and coal-fired power generation. Savannah fires during the dry season, wind-blown dust from arid terrains and anticyclonic recirculation under high-pressure systems dictate regional aerosol burdens. Ground-based networks at background and urban sites characterise particulate fractions (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and chemical constituents such as iron, organic carbon, sulphate, black carbon and a suite of trace metals, while satellite-derived aerosol optical depth provides spatial context over major metropolitan and industrial highveld regions. Photochemical smog episodes, dominated by surface ozone, exhibit pronounced seasonality with winter peaks linked to household emissions and spring maxima driven by open biomass burning, reflecting a VOC-limited ozone production regime. Chemistry-transport modelling has quantified the proportionate contributions of anthropogenic emissions to particulate mass and radiative forcing, underscoring the need for targeted controls on volatile precursors. Assessments of dry and wet deposition of sulphur and nitrogen species highlight exceedance of ecological critical loads in industrial zones, emphasising the environmental and health imperatives that guide regional air-quality management.

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Atmospheric Pollution Assessment in Southern Africa publication trend

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Technical terms

Particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10): Airborne particles classified by aerodynamic diameters below 2.5 µm and 10 µm, respectively.

Black carbon (BC): Refractory carbonaceous aerosol formed by incomplete combustion that strongly absorbs solar radiation.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic gases that react photochemically with nitrogen oxides to produce ozone and secondary organic aerosol.

Ozone (O3): Secondary pollutant formed by sunlight-driven oxidation of VOCs and nitrogen oxides at the surface.

VOC-limited regime: Atmospheric condition in which ozone formation is constrained by the availability of organic precursor species rather than nitrogen oxides.

References

1. Seasonal influences on surface ozone variability in continental South Africa and implications for air quality. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2018).
2. Atmospheric trace metals measured at a regional background site (Welgegund) in South Africa. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2017).
3. Spatial, temporal and source contribution assessments of black carbon over the northern interior of South Africa. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2017).
4. An overview of regional and local characteristics of aerosols in South Africa using satellite, ground, and modeling data. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2015).
5. Atmospheric dry and wet deposition of sulphur and nitrogen species and assessment of critical loads of acidic deposition exceedance in South Africa. South African Journal of Science (2011).