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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
chemistry
Chemical characterization and source apportionment of household fine particulate matter in rural, peri-urban, and urban West Africa
Environmental Science and Technology, Volume 48, No. 2, Year 2014
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Description
Household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions is an important cause of disease burden. Little is known about the chemical composition and sources of household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa, and how they differ between rural and urban homes. We analyzed the chemical composition and sources of fine particles (PM2.5) in household cooking areas of multiple neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana, and in peri-urban (Banjul) and rural (Basse) areas in The Gambia. In Accra, biomass burning accounted for 39-62% of total PM2.5 mass in the cooking area in different neighborhoods; the absolute contributions were 10-45 μg/m 3. Road dust and vehicle emissions comprised 12-33% of PM 2.5 mass. Solid waste burning was also a significant contributor to household PM2.5 in a low-income neighborhood but not for those living in better-off areas. In Banjul and Basse, biomass burning was the single dominant source of cooking-area PM2.5, accounting for 74-87% of its total mass; the relative and absolute contributions of biomass smoke to PM 2.5 mass were larger in households that used firewood than in those using charcoal, reaching as high as 463 μg/m3 in Basse homes that used firewood for cooking. Our findings demonstrate the need for policies that enhance access to cleaner fuels in both rural and urban areas, and for controlling traffic emissions in cities in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Authors & Co-Authors
Zhou, Zheng
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Dionisio, Kathie L.
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Verissimo, Thiago G.
Brazil, Sao Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo
Kerr, Americo S.
Brazil, Sao Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo
Coull, Brent Andrew
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Howie, Stephen R.C.
Gambia
Child Survival Theme
Arku, Raphael E.
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Koutrakis, Petros
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Spengler, John D.
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Fornace, Kimberly M.
Gambia
Child Survival Theme
United Kingdom, London
Royal Veterinary College University of London
Hughes, Allison F.
Ghana, Accra
University of Ghana
Vallarino, Jose A.
United States, Boston
Harvard T.h. Chan School of Public Health
Agyei-Mensah, Samuel
Ghana, Accra
University of Ghana
Ezzati, Majid Hassanpour
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
Statistics
Citations: 49
Authors: 14
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1021/es404185m
ISSN:
0013936X
e-ISSN:
15205851
Research Areas
Environmental
Health System And Policy
Study Locations
Multi-countries
Gambia
Ghana