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Particulate Matter Pollutes the Air Above Africa
https://www.kit.edu/kit/english/pi_2019_038_particulate-matter-pollutes-the-air-above-africa.phpPress Release 038/2019
Particulate Matter Pollutes the Air Above Africa
Impact of air pollution on climate, humans and the environment as well as the role of the West African summer monsoon – German-African consortium presents policy brief
Explosive population growth, urbanization and a growing economy – the air over West Africa is exposed to a lot of stress. However, so far there is hardly meaningful information on the effects on health, weather and climate. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) coordinated the European-African consortium "DACCIWA", which has collected new data to investigate the causes and effects of air pollution. The study also examined the interaction of air composition and summer monsoon. The research team published their results in a policy brief.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, around seven million people die from the effects of polluted air. "In West African cities, the concentrations of small particles often cross the borders of the WHO," says Professor Peter Knippertz of the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research of KIT (IMK). On the one hand, the particles have their origin in human actions: charcoal fires, waste combustion in cities or savanna fires emit fine particles into the air. On the other hand, there are particles of natural origin: "Winds from the north carry sand from the Sahara to the western parts of the region," says Knippertz. The climate researcher coordinated the DACCIWA project (Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa), which examined the entire chain of natural as well as human-made emissions for the first time, from formation and distribution to the effects. For closing the project, the consortium published a policy brief that presents the most important results, campaigns and outlooks and provides concrete recommendations for action.
DACCIWA: Results and Recommendations for Action
Collecting comprehensive data was the biggest challenge. "There was no adequate air quality monitoring system in South West Africa," says Knippertz. "Previous computer models could not reliably map the complex atmospheric dynamics and chemistry in West Africa." Therefore, scientists had to gather up-to-date data on the composition of the atmosphere, clouds and air, as well as information on health risks and diseases. The results show that air pollution has already reached a health-damaging level: During the dry season, the concentration of fine particles in the atmosphere is highest, as desert dust from the Sahara and smoke from fires in savannah are mixed in the air in addition to the fine dust that originates in cities.
During the summer monsoon season, particulate matter from Central Africa, which can be transported thousands of kilometers by the prevailing south wind, appear additionally to local emissions. "In our field surveys, we were able to detect 20 to 40 percent of the particles already above the ocean," says Knippertz. Due to the high humidity during the monsoon, the particles can absorb more water. This tarnishes the atmosphere significantly so that less sunlight reaches the ground. "This influences air circulation, cloud formation and precipitation probability," explains Knippertz. "In the long run, this could affect food production, water and electricity."
…
swe, 12.03.2019
…
Particulate Matter Pollutes the Air Above Africa
Impact of air pollution on climate, humans and the environment as well as the role of the West African summer monsoon – German-African consortium presents policy brief
Explosive population growth, urbanization and a growing economy – the air over West Africa is exposed to a lot of stress. However, so far there is hardly meaningful information on the effects on health, weather and climate. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) coordinated the European-African consortium "DACCIWA", which has collected new data to investigate the causes and effects of air pollution. The study also examined the interaction of air composition and summer monsoon. The research team published their results in a policy brief.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, around seven million people die from the effects of polluted air. "In West African cities, the concentrations of small particles often cross the borders of the WHO," says Professor Peter Knippertz of the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research of KIT (IMK). On the one hand, the particles have their origin in human actions: charcoal fires, waste combustion in cities or savanna fires emit fine particles into the air. On the other hand, there are particles of natural origin: "Winds from the north carry sand from the Sahara to the western parts of the region," says Knippertz. The climate researcher coordinated the DACCIWA project (Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa), which examined the entire chain of natural as well as human-made emissions for the first time, from formation and distribution to the effects. For closing the project, the consortium published a policy brief that presents the most important results, campaigns and outlooks and provides concrete recommendations for action.
DACCIWA: Results and Recommendations for Action
Collecting comprehensive data was the biggest challenge. "There was no adequate air quality monitoring system in South West Africa," says Knippertz. "Previous computer models could not reliably map the complex atmospheric dynamics and chemistry in West Africa." Therefore, scientists had to gather up-to-date data on the composition of the atmosphere, clouds and air, as well as information on health risks and diseases. The results show that air pollution has already reached a health-damaging level: During the dry season, the concentration of fine particles in the atmosphere is highest, as desert dust from the Sahara and smoke from fires in savannah are mixed in the air in addition to the fine dust that originates in cities.
During the summer monsoon season, particulate matter from Central Africa, which can be transported thousands of kilometers by the prevailing south wind, appear additionally to local emissions. "In our field surveys, we were able to detect 20 to 40 percent of the particles already above the ocean," says Knippertz. Due to the high humidity during the monsoon, the particles can absorb more water. This tarnishes the atmosphere significantly so that less sunlight reaches the ground. "This influences air circulation, cloud formation and precipitation probability," explains Knippertz. "In the long run, this could affect food production, water and electricity."
…
swe, 12.03.2019
…