Introduction: Aerosol pollutants are known to raise the risk of development of non-communicable respiratory diseases (NCRDs) such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergic rhinitis. Sub-Saharan Africa's rapid pace of urbanization, economic expansion, and...

Background: Exposure to outdoor air pollution has been linked to lung cancer, and suspicion arose regarding bladder, kidney, and urinary tract cancer (urological cancers). However, most of evidence comes from occupational studies; therefore, little is known about the effect of exposure to air ...

The objective of this paper was to incorporate source-meteorological interaction information from two commonly employed atmospheric dispersion models into the land use regression technique for predicting ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and particulate matter (PM₁₀). The study ...

The Sappi Saiccor mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Province, is a global pulp producer. It is also a major emitter of noxious substances in the heavily polluted and historically marginalised South Durban area. Taking a qualitative, narrative approach, this paper examines Saiccor's legacy of...

Background and Aims: There is increasing evidence indicating that air pollution exposure is associated with neuronal damage. Since pregnancy is a critical window of vulnerability, air pollution exposure during this period could have adverse effects on neurodevelopment. This study aims (1) to...

Environmental pollution occasioned by artisanal activities and technical failures at exploration sites has affected mostly oil producing and other mineral resources mining regions in developed and developing nations. As conventional techniques of remediation seem to be progressively unreliable and ...

Ambient air pollution has been associated with adverse respiratory outcomes, especially among children with asthma. This study reports on associations between daily ambient air pollutant concentrations and the respiratory symptoms of schoolchildren living in Durban, South Africa. This city is...

The burden of disease associated with environmental exposures disproportionately impacts residents of low- and middle-income countries. Children living in rural regions of these countries may experience higher exposure to insecticides from indoor residual spraying used for malaria control and...

When cold air traps pollutants over Johannesburg on winter afternoons, a brown haze can form, with particulate matter levels that exceed South Africa's ambient air quality standards.1 In mid-June 2022 (early winter in South Africa), an inversion also magnified a foul smell that left one resident...

Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of water quality is central to its management as it provides information essential to the restoration as well as protection of water resources. The main objectives of this study were (i) to analyze the spatial and temporal trends of water quality and...